Chapter Fourteen: Patroni
"Why are we outside?"
"He said we're working outside today."
"It's freezing!"
It was the middle of January, it was snowing, and they were trudging along outside to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Oh boo hoo Ron," Julie rolled her eyes, "Where we're from students are made to do physical exercises outside while wearing tank tops and shorts, rain or shine. Whether it's a hundred degrees or twenty."
"That's barbaric!" Hermione gasped.
"No, it's PE." Ben deadpanned as they got to the class.
"Welcome, Welcome! One and all!" Lupin spoke flamboyantly, as the ringmaster of a circus might, standing perched on a tree stump, "To class!" He leapt down, as spry as a man half his age, grinning, "Today we will be attempting the Patronus Charm; does anyone know—?" he chuckled, seeing the usual hand go up, "Hermione, take it away!"
"The Patronus Charm is used to repel Dementors and Lethifolds; but it's really advanced magic…"
"Which is why we're going to attempt it, five points to Gryffindor by the way; you will not be marked on whether or not you actually can conjure a fully corporal Patronus but on the effort as you attempt to…Wands out…"
Bags were dropped as the students did as instructed.
"Right, now Patroni are powered by happy memories; the happier the memory the stronger the Patronus. Now everyone find a happy memory…everyone got one?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good, now the incantation is 'Expecto Patronum'. Everyone repeat that please…"
They did.
"Good, again."
They repeated it.
"Once again please."
They did.
"Good, now spread out and try it."
They did so.
No one managed more than wispy white stuff for the first few attempts but the one that did it (made a physical Patronus) first was Hermione. Her Patronus was an otter, which for some reason flitted around Harry.
"Good show Hermione!" Lupin called, "Fifteen to Gryffindor!"
Then came Harry's, a great and noble stag. The stag promptly bowed to the otter and let the otter scramble onto its back before standing up.
Ben's popped up next, being a chatty and hyperactive monkey that would not shut up. The monkey ran to Julie and clambered to her back. This gave her the power needed to let her own take flight. Hers was a graceful heron. It burst from the tip of her wand, landing feet away. The monkey on her back dismounted her and clambered onto the heron's instead.
Gwen's was a fox, scampering about Kevin who was still struggling. It, unlike the other Patroni, was tinged slightly pink.
Patroni began popping up, like daisies, a veritable zoo being created. Animal calls were making a constant din. Of note was Malfoy's; his was a hippo.
Ron's was a terrier, looked like a Scottish Terrier, that would not shut up.
Soon it was only Kevin who had not produced even a ghostly shade of his.
"I can't do it," he finally gave up on it.
"Why?" Gwen asked softly.
"I've got no good memories."
"What about me?" she asked sharply.
His head shot up, "Of course you're good…"
"Then use them…find the best memory you've made with me and use it…"
He nodded, inhaling and exhaling as he recalled a memory.
"Expecto Patronum." He whispered hoarsely and then his wand began shaking as the Patronus finally took form. The back end came out first. Powerful leg and hip muscles and a non-existent tail and then the rest slid out easily and so soon a massive Grizzly Bear stood before them.
It reared onto it's back legs and let out an earth shaking roar, baring it's powerful teeth to its' creator and everyone else. It then went back to all fours and simply sat beside the fox.
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" Lupin applauded, "Everyone has managed to conjure a corporal Patronus!" he pulled out his wand and said, "Finite Incantatem."
Every Patronus went up in smoke.
"So, as a reward there is no homework this week. However," he frowned, "just because you have managed to complete the spell here does not mean that you will automatically be able to do so when faced with a Dementor but it is a good start and means you're much better prepared to face them."
The bell rang and they were dismissed.
"Hey guys," Gwen stopped them, pulling something from her bag. There were three envelopes, one for each of the other Americans.
"What's this?" Ben asked, setting down his bag and beginning to open the letter.
"Your ticket in," she nodded towards the castle, "I talked to Dumbledore, we can go to school here until we graduate from here…I also talked to Headquarters, they'll station more Plumbers on earth for the duration and our pay won't get c—"
She found herself in a tight hug, from Ben. Then she began turning blue; ever helpful, Kevin pulled apart Ben's arms and freed her.
"Thank you so much!" Ben said elatedly, "Thank you thank you thank you!"
Julie smiled, "Thanks Gwen," before putting a hand on Ben's arm and saying, "C'mon Ben, we need to write our parents…Coming Harry?"
"Sure, need to check on those eggs anyways. Coming guys?"
Hermione and Ron nodded, following.
Kevin and Gwen looked to each other saying, "First one is top!" and took off running, to Gryffindor.
The period after lunch was Herbology.
"Dragonvines?" Ron bellowed, "What the—?"
"That is enough Mister Weasley!" Professor Sprout said over him, "Five points from Gryffindor for foul language…" she calmed, and smiled, "Who would like to explain to Mister Weasley what Dragonvines are? Miss Tennyson?"
Gwen smiled, "Dragonvines are very poisonous plants that grow Dragonfruit. Dragonfruit and the roots of the Dragonvine have many therapeutic properties. For example, the roots, even when ingested raw, is a cure all antidote and much more common than Bezoar stones. However these plants get their name from the Dragon because of its aggressive nature and nasty bite. It will attack anything within reach…"
"Very good, five points to Gryffindor then. Today we'll just be harvesting Dragonfruit, for Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape. Everyone got gloves on? Good, six or seven to a plant only and if anyone gets bitten I do have antidotes on hand. GO!"
Ben smirked once they got to their plant, saying, "I've got this guys…Swampfire!" he turned into the plant controlling alien and established contact, "It's safe guys, she won't hurt anyone…"
The Americans simply walked up to the subdued plant and began plucking the reddish-orange fruit like it was merely apples or tomatoes. The plant's arms stayed lax and so the three British kids followed their friends' example cautiously with Hermione asking, "How is he doing this?"
"The alien he is right now is able to telepathically control plants," Julie offered the explanation; "the alien he is right now is a plant. Watch…" without turning around she pulled a dagger from her calf and threw it over her shoulder. Hermione spun around to watch it go straight through Ben's head but he acted like nothing had happened as the hole regenerated. In fact he reached a viney tentacle out and grabbed the dagger from where it had landed and simply handed it back, with the whine, "You know that gives me a migraine Jules…"
She took it back, using it to free a particularly stubborn fruit from its' vine while she muttered an apology to both her boyfriend and the plant she had just harmed.
"What's all this about?" Sprout asked as she came upon the strange scene. While most of the students were batting and losing against her vines these seven were having a walk in the park.
"Harvesting Dragonfruit ma'am," Ben replied easily, "you didn't say we had to get hurt doing this did you?"
"No…"
"And the Dragonvines are safe and healthy, ready to produce more fruit…"
She smiled, "Carry on then."
"Thank you ma'am."
Soon the plant yielded no more fruit and so they all backed up before Ben went back to normal. It was then that they turned in the fruits of their harvest.
Neville came up, bruised and bloody but grinning proudly and turned in just as much as they had; he had been working alone. Once he had been praised he gave up his wand and fainted from exhaustion.
"Mr. Potter," Sprout squeaked, "Mr. Weasley, would you please bring Mr. Longbottom to Hospital Wing?"
"Sure."
"Alright.
Harry brought out his wand and muttered, "Mobilicorpus Neville."
Neville began floating and the group of eight left the greenhouse. After the quick, memorized route up to the Hospital Wing, the seven retired to Gryffindor, and started their Transfiguration essays.
"Why would anyone want to turn rats into teacups?" Gwen questioned.
"Sometimes its teatime and your teacups are broken so you improvise," Hermione explained, "we British folk take our teatime very seriously you know."
"We Yanks wouldn't survive without our coffee," Julie fired back, "but we still wouldn't turn vermin into thermoses you know. It's unsanitary."
"It's cruel." Gwen added, "the poor rat…"
"When someone turns an animal into an inanimate object the animal doesn't feel or think anything." Hermione assured them, "Or else it would be quite cruel indeed."
