Disclaimer: Still not JK Rowling. If I was then certain people would certainly not have died.

Rating: PG-ish

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Defence Against the Dark Arts was Remus' favourite subject, and he thought probably the others' as well. He had always been good at it, but the first couple of years had seen teachers who seemed to take his. . . condition. . . as a personal affront to their subject. Since then he had been lucky, a succession of kinder, or at least less prejudiced, teachers, and given the growing rumours that the job was cursed, all surprisingly capable. The current victim, Professor Tabblesworth, looked like could have given McGonagall a run for her money in strictness, but they had quickly discovered that he was a soft as a Flobberworm. Not that they messed around too much, he was an excellent teacher and nearly everyone enjoyed the classes. At NEWT level he supposed that was to be expected; if they didn't like the subject then they wouldn't be there.

Today, the tables were pushed back against the walls of the classroom, signalling a practical lesson. Given their homework it was to be expected, and Remus knew he and his friends – two of them, anyway – weren't the only ones looking forward to trying the Patronus charm. He grinned at them as they took their accustomed places at one side of the classroom, giving Peter what he hoped was an encouraging nod when his smile was met only with an expression of mounting terror. Sirius lounged against the stacked desks, as effortlessly stylish as ever, exchanging flirtatious glances with a pair of Ravenclaw girls on the other side of the room. Remus felt a slight stab of annoyance; he complained about being known as the school slut, but did he ever stop? James, as usual, was watching Lily, who blew him a kiss from across the classroom. Remus hid a smile at the pleased, dopey, expression on James' face; they'd been dating a few weeks now and James was always surprised when Lily was pleasant – affectionate, even – to him in public. After so long of the exact opposite, he supposed James was probably allowed to be surprised, but really, the dopey look was wearing a bit thin.

"Well, then, I hope you're all prepared," said Tabblesworth cheerfully as he entered from his office. Everyone smiled back; Tabblesworth was probably the first teacher they'd had who was universally liked. Even the Slytherins barely found a bad word to say about him.

"So, if you've read the chapter you were assigned, you know the theory and you know the incantation. Together, without wands, please."

"Expecto Patronum," they chanted dutifully.

"Excellent, excellent. Now, the key here is the memory you choose; concentrate on it as hard as you can. If you try a few times without any success, you may want to reconsider your choice of memory. When first attempting a Patronus, please don't be put off if all you manage is silver smoke; it's a start, and a very good one, and in some cases, all that is required. Of course, there are some creatures which cannot be repelled by anything less than a fully-fledged, powerful Patronus, but they are rare indeed, and you're very unlikely to run into one before I've finished with you and you can produce a full Patronus. So, I will demonstrate. . . Expecto Patronum!"

A large, silver bear wooshed out of the end of Tabblesworth's wand to many oohs and aahs. . . which changed to slight giggles as it sat in the middle of the classroom floor, blinking in puzzled manner, and looking rather like the Professor himself. Tabblesworth dissipated it with another wave of his wand. "Well then, your turns. If you have any particular questions then please ask; otherwise I shall just be circling the classroom and offering advice where I can."

The students, who had been clustered against the edges of the room, spread out somewhat, all retrieving wands from bags and pockets as they did. The Marauders, naturally, stayed together, though in a looser group than before, and Lily managed to edge her friend closer to them as well.

"Been practicing?" she asked James, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Nah," he replied. Sirius and Remus exchanged amused looks. James had been practicing in the dormitory where no one else could see, and very frustrated that his first efforts had produced nothing at all. Eventually he had managed the wisps of silver smoke that Tabblesworth had mentioned, and as they all began flourishing their wands and muttering the incantation, it reappeared. Lily looked suitably impressed, which had no doubt been the intention of his secret practice, and Remus toyed with the idea of snitching on his friend – pun very much intended – before deciding he just wasn't that cruel.

"Expecto Patronum," he muttered, concentrating on the memory of being told he would be allowed to come to Hogwarts. Something so simple would never have been anyone else's happy memory, of course, but he had long ago learned not to take anything for granted, and he remembered as though it was only yesterday the unbridled joy he had felt when he got Dumbledore's letter. His own wisp of silver smoke appeared and Lily gave him, too, a glowing look, which proved just as effective at discomforting James as his previous notion. He smirked back at his friend, and tried again, and again. Though each time produce the same result, there was no sign it was getting stronger, and he wondered whether he should take Tabblesworth's advice and seek another memory. Had he ever been happier than that?

He watched the others while he thought. Sirius and Peter had not had any luck at all yet; Peter looked resigned to this, but Sirius seemed rather put out. He rarely failed in anything. Across the room, Snape seemed to be having just as much trouble; he was shaking his wand roughly as if trying to force a Patronus out of it. Remus caught Sirius' eye and jerked his head in that direction, knowing it would cheer Sirius up, and sure enough was rewarded by a devilish grin.

Lily's smoke was the thickest and brightest of anyone's – perhaps she was a happier person than the rest of them – and Professor Tabblesworth congratulated her on her progress while on his rounds. He had encouraging words for the others, too, and then looked at Remus.

"Have you tried, Mr Lupin?"

"Yes. . . wasn't getting anywhere much. . ."

"Have another go, why don't you?"

He forced his mind back to memories, and almost immediately, the full moon two years ago when his friends had first become Animagi came into his head. At first he dismissed it out of hand. Full moons were the cause of so much pain, how could that work? But remembering the fierce pride on their faces when they showed what they had done for him, and the overwhelming gratitude and – yes, alright, it made him a great big sissy, but he could say it in his head at least – and love that he had felt for them, he thought that if that didn't do it, he was doomed to failure.

Concentrating as hard on it as he could, he said, firmly, "Expecto Patronum!" Lily and the other Marauders had stopped to watch. Something huge forced its way out of the end of his wand, landed lightly on the floor and shook itself. He was unbelievably pleased with himself – at last, he'd beaten Sirius and James at something! – and then when he realised what he was looking at, his jaw dropped open in shock.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Professor Tabblesworth, oblivious to his discomfort. "Wonderful. See here, everyone, Mr Lupin's done it!" Everyone crowded round, peering to see, some of them exclaiming. His hand shaking, his face burning with embarrassment, Remus chanced a look at the rest of the Marauders. They were as shocked as he was, staring in amazement at the large, shaggy dog sitting in their midst, grinning inanely. True to life then, he thought, with grim, shaky humour.

"It looks like a good strong one, as well," Tabblesworth was saying, as the dog stood and shook itself again, and paced back towards him. Unthinkingly, he held out a hand; it pushed its head against it, gave a large, silent bark, and vanished.

The rest of the class turned back to their work, some chanting the incantation with more vigour now that they saw it could be done.

"Brilliant, Re," whispered Lily, punching him gently on the shoulder as Tabblesworth walked off again. "What's wrong with you lot," she added to the others. "Sore that he did it first?"

As if brought back to themselves by her words, they all stammered hasty put-downs and looked away from the spot where the dog had vanished. Of course, no one else, not even Lily, would understand why that dog meant anything to them. Remus risked looking back up, and saw Sirius and James watching him. He shrugged, hoping Sirius would take it as an apology, and horribly aware that his face was still bright red.

They were distracted by more excitement as one of Sirius' Ravenclaw girls produced a shining silver horse. It didn't last as long as Remus' had, and didn't do anything as friendly, but at least the eyes were off him now. The other Ravenclaw was next, with a kingfisher. Then James, with a stag – clearly Prongs – which pleased him no end, and which showed off by prancing around Lily, just as true to life as the dog. It took Remus another three attempts to reproduce his dog, and he banished it again instantly, hoping the others hadn't been watching. Then, something huge fell into his vision, and he heard a whoop of delight from Sirius which was quickly strangled as the something revealed itself to be a wolf.

This time Lily's mouth also fell open – she understood that one, all right – and Remus saw Snape out of the corner of his eye, giving them what seemed to be a look of disgust. Even Tabblesworth seemed somewhat taken aback, the significance of the wolf not lost on him. As it turned on the spot before fading, Remus caught a glimpse of a tufted tail. That wasn't a wolf, it was a werewolf. It was too much of a coincidence to think that it wasn't him. He felt just as odd to see that as he had to see Padfoot coming out of his own wand.

He looked up quickly at Sirius, who still had his wand pointing at the place the wolf had appeared and looked truly thunderstruck. James cleared his throat meaningfully and Sirius actually jumped. He looked up, caught Remus' eye, and gave him an exact mirror of the bemused shrug that Remus had given. Despite himself, Remus felt the corners of his mouth twitching. He looked down at the floor in an effort to compose himself, but when he looked back Sirius was also plainly fighting not to laugh at the oddness of the situation, and in the end the best they could mange was to give each other quick, embarrassed grins before turning hastily away.