That spring, Lupin teaches Harry and Bloom the charm to ward off Dementors like he promised.
It's called the Patrons Charm, and it's so incredibly difficult because it uses the very force Dementors feed off of - positive thoughts. A wizard has to focus completely on a powerful and happy memory, lose themselves in it, then they have to speak the incantation. For the spell to work, the memory has to be very powerful and very happy - or else the Dementors won't be driven off.
Harry goes first, but his memory of the first time he rode a broom isn't nearly powerful enough. He blacks out, and comes to when he's pulled back by a sensation of warmth flooding him. He opens his eyes to find Bloom holding his arm by the wrist and concentrating.
Lupin helps him sit up, slightly surprised by the speed of his recovery this time. "I didn't expect you to get it on the first try, that would have been remarkable."
Harry bets right then that Bloom will get it the first time, he really wishes he could be nearly as talented as she is in magic - in everything, actually. It's not something she tries to do, she's just a natural at everything - she'd point out that she's not the youngest seeker in a century with the blood of one running through her, but that's her being modest as always.
Lupin hands Harry a chocolate bar to eat, and Harry comments "That's one nasty Dementor."
Lupin shakes his head and says "No, that's a Boggart. The real thing would be much, much worse."
Bloom and Harry share a glance, this doesn't bode well for them at all.
"Just out of interest, which memory did you choose?"
"The first time I rode a broom."
Bloom winces, he was chasing Draco to get Neville's Remembrall back for him.
Bloom helps him stand, as Lupin says "That's not good enough, not nearly."
Harry gets an idea - an embarrassing one if Bloom finds out - and this time he manages to make a Patronus shield. He's vaguely tired, but he's also still standing and the Dementor is gone.
Bloom is up next, and neither of them know how this'll work with her own powers. The memory she selects first is strong enough to make a large shield, one that Lupin is sure could easily turn to a corporeal Patronus if she tried hard enough. Lupin is amazed that she made one on her first try, that's unheard of!
He has both of them sit and gives each a chocolate bar before asking what the memories were.
Bloom says, between bites of chocolate, "Us winning the House Cup in year one. The four of us took Gryffindor from 4th to 1st place by fighting the Dark Lord."
Lupin looks at Harry, who glances at Bloom then blushes.
Lupin raises an eyebrow, but Harry says "When we showed up at the Dursleys that summer and you stood up to them for me."
Bloom blushes at the implications, but doesn't move.
Somehow, Harry can't seem to take his eyes off her - and the amber-red light is making her fiery hair look like it's actually made of fire.
Later the next day, Ron and Hermione are not having a good day with each other. Scabbers has disappeared, and Ron says Crookshanks is to blame.
Bloom hasn't seen Crookshanks anywhere but with Hermione or her at all times when they're not in classes - and Ron has Scabbers everywhere with him.
That night, Harry is sitting with Bloom in the common room on the couch while she practices her fairy powers. Harry's on the couch, Bloom's sitting on the floor cross-legged with her spellbook in front of her.
Harry's got the Marauder's Map open and is reading it - when suddenly he sees a name that shocks him completely still: Peter Pettigrew.
"Bloom, what was the name of the guy Sirius killed? Peter something."
"Pettigrew. Peter Pettigrew. Why?"
"The map says he's in Hogwarts."
Bloom freezes and stares at him with eyes that have turned orange with her magic. "You're kidding!"
Harry shakes his head, and Bloom says "Alright, stay here. I'll go looking for this guy. He might just be a ghost we haven't met yet, you know."
Harry nods, as unlikely as the idea is.
She transforms and does her invisibility spell to sneak out.
Tell me when I'm getting close, Harry!
Keep going, now turn left!
She's getting closer, and slows down suddenly.
Your right on top of him!
There's nobody here, Harry!
Quick, fly up! Snape's coming!
Pettigrew has moved away, but Snape goes right by Bloom's dot like she isn't even there.
Bloom and Harry spend hours playing this game of cat-and-mouse with Pettigrew, until Bloom finally says Harry, we can keep doing this tomorrow. It's been hours, and every time you say I'm close there's nothing. Some paintings that look around, maybe a mirror, occasionally a professor, but no dead guy.
He agrees, and she appears in a vortex of fire in the common room.
When she changes back and takes the spell off, Harry says "Sorry about the wild goose chase Bloom. But you saw the map!"
"Yeah, it might be busted though."
Harry nods, enchantments can wear off with enough time - and there's no way to know how old the map is.
Bloom decides to ask Professor Lupin about Peter Pettigrew the next day.
The next morning is Divination class again - and Bloom is by far the most talented student in the class, especially with fire-omens.
Anything to do with fire, Bloom's the best at it.
Same with Care of Magical Creatures, they all seem to love her.
Trelawny says Bloom has the Sight, and there seems to be something to it - she can always find something when she looks, no matter what she uses. Fire-Omens respond best to her, maybe it's because her own magic might augment the power. Either way, Bloom's crystal ball starts doing things as well.
It fills with what looks like fire, and a large orange dragon appears in it. Bloom seems completely entranced, but then the images in the ball turn significantly more ominous. They see a large black dog, the Whomping Willow, the Shrieking Shack, a rat, a wolf, and what looks like a ghost. Class ends right then, and the ball goes clear once more.
Bloom blinks and shakes her head like she's got a headache, then asks "What happened?"
Ron, Hermione, and Harry stare, and Ron asks "You don't remember that?"
"Remember what? I remember seeing a firedragon in the ball, but then…"
She shakes her head in confusion, and Harry says "You got another mystery divination Bloom, a bunch of animals, the Whomping Willow, and the Shrieking Shack."
Bloom just shakes her head once again, and they all have to go to Care of Magical Creatures.
When they get there, it's a shocking and horrible sight: an executioner, sharpening his huge axe. All four friends run down to Hagrid, who never mentioned anything about something like this.
Hagrid looks like he is about to cry at any moment, and is feeding Buckbeak dead ferrets.
Bloom asks "What's going on?"
Hagrid looks at them sadly, and says "Malfoy's father made a whole stink about Draco's near accident, said Buckbeak is too dangerous to be left alive. There was a hearing, but Malfoy got his way - bloody well figures."
Bloom's eyes light with fury, and she says "This is what I was talking about last year! That spoiled rotten brat gets to do whatever he wants, because his rich daddy will make everything turn out in his favor!"
She suddenly spies Draco looking out at the scene with binoculars, and a few things start shaking and smoking - including Draco's hair and a few of the pebbles and leaves.
They all see where she's looking with such fury, and have to rush to catch up before something can blow up when she starts marching over.
Draco can see her eyes are on fire, and hears pebbles start rattling and quivering with her rage. He pats his hair out, and teasingly asks "Come to watch the show?"
He was trying to play his usual superiority act, but quickly drops it when he realizes just how angry Bloom is. He backs into a stone as she angrily near-screamss "You…loathsome…evil…little cockroach!"
Draco goes cross-eyed with fear as she sticks the mouth of her wand under his chin.
"Remember that pathetic little curse you used on me in the Quidditch field last year Draco? How I got up and decked you for it?" Stuff starts vibrating even harder, as her fury reaches its boiling point.
All the blood drains from his face, as she asks "Want to know how I did that, you spoiled brat?" Her eyes are starting to turn orange, and Crabbe and Goyle back away in fear as even the trees around them start moving.
Harry yells "Bloom, no!"
She doesn't even start, and says "Harry, you'd better give me a very good reason why this brat, who has no idea of the real world, should get off with nothing more than a good scare. Buckbeak dies because Draco has an arrogant streak as big as the school, and that's just how it works?"
Harry puts a hand on Bloom's shoulder, and says "This stupid prat isn't worth it."
Draco's hyperventilating now, like he might pass out when Bloom lowers her wand from his neck.
Hermione walks up just as Bloom steps back, and says "Besides, there's still one thing we can do without getting in trouble." She decks Draco hard, sending him to the ground with the start of a bruise.
When Draco gets up with a glare, Bloom's fist connects with his face and knocks him onto his back hard enough to knock the wind from him. He swears he can taste blood now, and runs away fast. Crabbe and Goyle are right behind him, huffing and puffing to get away from the very scary girl with hair like fire.
Inside Hagrid's hut, they're making tea and Harry says they should release Buckbeak. Bloom thinks so as well, but Hagrid shakes his head. "No, they'd know it was me. And tha' would only get Professor Dumbledore in trouble. He's gonna come down to watch, you know. Says he wants to be with me when…when it happens. Great man, Dumbledore."
Hagrid tells them they aren't staying as well, and to drink their tea and leave - but has Harry and Ron shake hands, then has Hermione and Ron hug in the most awkward hug in Hogwarts history, then gives Ron Scabbers. Bloom thanks him for getting them to do what she's been unable to for a while, revealing she set that all up.
At their accusatory glares, she shrugs and says "You can't believe I'd watch you three fighting about nothing big and not do something. And, no, before you ask, I wasn't going to use a spell on you guys. You're my friends after all - which is why I did this instead."
They all have to grin at that, and suddenly Bloom gets the feeling that they all have to leave at once. She'd think it was a spell, but no witch or wizard from this world can do spells like this.
The feeling coincides with a loud rapping at the door, and the four of them leave.
They hide in the pumpkin patch, and Bloom and Hermione see the branches of the trees dancing oddly. They share a glance, but don't say a word.
They move up the slope to get a better view. As they watch, Dumbledore directs everyone's attention away from Buckbeak for a moment, and the Executioner separates from the group and goes behind a stand of trees.
They don't see him kill Buckbeak, but they all hear a massive thud and see a swarm of crows rise up into the air.
Hermione buries her face in Ron's shoulder, hiding her view from the scene.
Bloom starts crying as well, and Harry tries to comfort her.
They leave the scene, and suddenly Scabbers bites Ron and runs through the field.
AN: Bet everyone can guess what's coming next! Also, Draco really did just nearly get his wand handed to him - you'd think by now he'd learn not to get Bloom so angry at him. Oh well, maybe he'll learn the lesson sometime next year. Anyway, read to find out what happens!