The Bonds That Tie
It hadn't been an expected answer for everyone to hear, and no one had considered the idea of Harry using something other than his given memory to cast the patronus charm until Remus asked the question he did. It was a fair question; in a moment of duress, how did Harry calm down enough to get that image in mind to cast the spell. It wasn't forbidden knowledge that Harry and Hermione went back in time in 1994, on Dumbledore's orders, to not only save Buckbeak, but Sirius too. Originally, Harry believed his father saved him and Sirius, but once he went back in time; he found that it was only himself casting the charm. Of course, no one knows but Harry and Hermione just how powerful that spell came out as. It wasn't just a shield, not the animal. It was a full on barrier that pushed these dementors away and there were about a hundred of them too. Harry's response to his unofficial uncle's question was that he used fear itself to cast the charm. At the same time, no one really understood how that worked.
"Fear?" Tonks finally spoke to break the silence. "That's not how that's supposed to work, is it, Remus?" She looked to her husband.
"No." Remus replied. "Harry, elaborate?"
"You said it yourself, Uncle Remy. Given the situation, I wasn't exactly calm or focused enough to let that memory wrap around me to feel happy. I was scared. I can't really explain it. I was scared to lose Sirius and just rushed out to cast it." Harry told him.
"You rushed out of hiding to face a hundred dementors without a guarantee it would even work?!" Remus scolded.
"Basically." Harry shrugged.
"It sounds like sheer will power to protect someone he loved and cared about." Severus offered. "And that's not so far off from having the charm mastered enough to just flick the wand and have it come out." He added.
"But using fear isn't positive." Narcissa stated.
"Doesn't matter…Fear can be just as effective as happiness when such is threatened." Severus revealed. "Fear itself is powerful, more so than anger. You're stronger when scared than you are when mad." He added. "Harry was scared to lose the godfather he just learned he had, that fear brought on determination to protect someone he cared for and loved, someone he was happy to learn was part of his life. They all coincide with one another, so yes…Fear itself is strong enough to summon a patronus on nothing but will power."
"Huh…" Sirius chuckled. "Or Harry's just powerful as shit."
"I mean, there is always the possibility too." Remus shrugged. "Harry is more powerful than most."
"And it's because he loves so deeply." Severus held Harry's hand. "That's what it's always been. Harry's greatest strength and weakness is his ability to love. And it's one of the many things I love about him. No matter what he's been through; he's never given up, keeps fighting for what he believes in. Keeps protecting the people he cares for. Just keeps going."
"You're sweet when you wanna be," Harry chuckled. "Might be the hormones talking." The potions master huffed now.
"Harry…One thing you never do is piss off your pregnant lover." Lucius said, seemingly remembering the times Narcissa was pregnant with Draco.
"It's fine, Father…Sev can't stay mad at me." Harry smiled. "Watch this." He paused. "There's far too many things I love about you to list, though. Good thing we have forever. I'll need all that time to tell you them, and probably find more." And just like that Severus beamed and wrapped his arms around Harry, who smirked at Lucius and winked. "Just because you didn't know how to keep your wife happy while pregnant doesn't mean I don't know how to keep my husband happy as such and all times."
"H-Husband?" Severus asked.
"Might as well be." Harry said. "Bonded and mated for life, darling. No point it not calling it what it is, and have it be legalized to all walks of life. Soulmates, mated, married."
"Is this your way of proposing?" Draco blinked.
"Oh, no, no. I'd never do it so casually like this." Harry replied. "But I am saying that I will, at some point." He added.
"Okay, save your relationship things for your bedroom…Or not around us!" Harry's friends pleaded. It was cute, but anymore of how Harry was talking and the two of them would be going off to their room for a midday fucking.
"So, Harry…" Pansy giggled. "Can you teach us the patronus charm?"
"I…Probably can. But again, no guarantee you can do it. I don't want anyone getting discouraged or angry if they can't…" Harry informed.
"We get it can't be done by everyone, but if you taught this to thirty-five students who had a range of ages…I think you can teach everyone." Draco smiled.
"Even if we can't do the corporeal, anything would be good." Blaise agreed.
"Well…Remember that I learned this to defend myself from dementors when Dumbledore brought them to Hogwarts to protect it from Sirius, who had broken out of prison." Harry remarked. "I didn't learn this for fun or to say that I could do it at thirteen."
"We know, but still…Can we try?" Theodore asked.
"I'd never deny you a chance to learn…" Harry said.
"Is it safe for them to learn here. Not all of them are seventeen yet…" Narcissa mentioned.
"Completely safe, Mother. We're protected here, entirely. The Trace won't activate," Harry promised.
"Okay, so teach us." Vincent hoped.
"What, right now?" Harry blinked.
"Well, yeah…?" Pansy laughed. "Did you think we meant another day, or once we're back at school?"
"Kind of, yes." Harry sighed.
"At least here, you can teach Tom and the others too." Draco suggested.
"I can attempt," The vampire corrected. "We're still gonna do this the way Remus taught me. Powerful, happy memory…" He added.
"I have a question…" Gregory put a finger up.
"Go on then," Harry invited.
"You learned this at thirteen?" Harry nodded to confirm. "Were you able to just do the charm without their being a dementor around? Like, I'm sure you've worked with it to wave your wand now and just summon it, but before?" Gregory questioned.
"Ah…" Harry smiled. "Uncle Moony taught me using a Boggart."
"A Boggart?" Lucius blinked.
"I knew it would work after my lesson in class with defeating them." Remus stated calmly. "In that class, I assumed Harry's boggart might take Voldemort's form and I admit I was curious to see what he'd do to make it something funny…I was surprised to find out what he feared were dementors."
"Why were you afraid of them?" Pansy asked.
"I don't really know. Perhaps because the first time I'd ever come across one, which was on the train, it stopped at me to try and suck my soul out. It didn't go after Ron, Hermione, not even Remus…Just me. I couldn't fight it, and as I blacked out, I heard a woman screaming my name. I know now that it was my mother's, from the night she died." Harry explained.
"Wait…So you did faint on the train? Like we heard about it, but…It was from the dementor attack?" Theodore frowned.
"Yes, that's what it was…" Harry nodded.
"I mean…I know it sounded like I was picking on you, but when I asked if you actually fainted, I asked out of concern…" Draco stated.
"I know. I sensed your concern, then you realized you were with your friends and turned it into teasing." Harry shrugged. "Calm down, I'm not upset about it."
"So…How are we gonna learn this without a Boggart?" Blaise wondered.
"Same way you learn any spell without something to use it against. You're just gonna keep trying. No one in the army used a boggart, I just had them spread out or work with friends while roaming around with words of encouragement. The day most of them learned was actually the one when Umbridge found us." Harry remarked. "Now, come on. Time's wasting. We only have the rest of today and tomorrow to try this and then it's back to school. You guys and girls in?" He asked the former death eaters.
"I-I guess?" Bellatrix shrugged.
"Then come along." Harry invited. A lot of the death eaters didn't bother trying, mostly because they felt it wasn't necessary, but Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix and Tom stepped up. Obviously, so did Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Theodore, Gregory, and Vincent. Harry's wand dropped down into his hand down from his sleeve. "Beginner's information…This is your wand movement," Harry informed, demonstration. "Your incantation is Expecto Patronum." The stag burst from the tip of his wand and pranced around the group before vanishing after going through the window. "Your thought is powerful, happy memory. Preferably, the happiest you ever felt in your life. So first…Wands at the ready. You're working on the movement first."
And so it began Harry teaching them how to move their wands to activate the spell. It wouldn't always be necessary to move the wand this way, but for practices sake; it was good to learn the process.
. . .
Despite not working on it very long, the results were what Harry had expected them to be. No one had been able to get it in the time they worked on it. Not even a whisp of silvery-blue. Harry felt he might start asking about the memories being chosen, he recalled Remus calling him out on riding a broom for the first time not being strong enough. It was now the 3rd of January as Harry's friends all begged him to give it another go.
"Fine." Harry caved. "Let's try it again. Just as everyone was getting to their feet to keep trying, Ron, Luna, and Hermione popped into the room. "Hey. What's up, you three? Is there trouble?"
"No, we just figured we'd come visit." Hermione smiled. "If you don't mind?"
"It's fine." Harry replied.
"What are you working on?" Luna wondered.
"Seeing if they can get a handle on casting the Patronus charm." Harry responded.
"Yeah, that was hard…" Ron stated. "But worth it in the end."
"Can all three of you do it?" Pansy questioned calmly.
"Everyone from the original army formed in 1995 can perform the spell," Hermione stated. "Harry's a wonderful teacher."
"What are you corporeal animal forms?" Bellatrix asked.
"I have a Hare," Luna smiled.
"Jack-Russel Terrier," Ron mentioned.
"Otter." Hermione informed.
"Random animals…" Blaise blinked.
"Your animal corresponds to you, in a way. For example, the Otter is a curious creature without many predators after it. Having this usually means you a close circle of friends who you are fiercely loyal to. Definitely Hermione." Harry said. "Terriers are loyal to their loved ones, will face their fears to protect them, rather stubborn when they don't get their own way…Ron in a nutshell." He added. "And the Hare, quick-witted and intelligent. Adaptable. Defines Luna."
"What's yours mean, Uncle Sev?" Draco inquired.
"I…Actually have no idea how to interpret the patronus meanings." Severus admitted.
"Relentless love, and protection. Something Severus has done all his life," Harry smiled.
"What about yours, Harry?" Narcissa wondered.
"Heroic, Brave, New Life. Influential Leadership, genuine care about the wellbeing of others…Confident, and always stand up for what they believe in," Remus stated.
"In addition, the Stag will never run or back down in the face of fear, it will absolutely fight back, fiercely." Sirius mentioned. "The Stag is considered to be quite rare for patronus and animagus form, which James Potter possessed both of." He chuckled. "I feel if Harry were to become an Animagus, he would take the form of a Stag, just like his dad."
"You should find out what you'd be, Harry…" Ron said.
"No need for an Animagus form. I can turn into a bat and don't need to register it because it's a vampiric ability…Why be another animal? Besides, I definitely don't need to share more qualities with my father…You'd be calling me Prongs Junior." Harry rolled his eyes to both of his uncles.
"That was entirely why we wanted you to try…" Sirius muttered.
"Yeah, no thanks." Harry remarked. "I'm already the boy who lived. I don't need another title. Alright, come on…If we're practicing, let's get to it." He told his miniature class of students, consisting of his friends, Tom, and adoptive family. "You've got wand movement down, from what I saw yesterday. Focus on the memory today." He instructed.
It went on for a while, but still, no one got anything. Harry knew it wasn't gonna work like it did with the army; these guys needed incentive. Harry eventually glanced at Remus, who nodded and understood the request; the man slipped out unsuspectingly. After twenty minutes, Remus returned and stood next to Harry before tossing a small trunk down; it instantly resized to be larger and hit the ground with a loud thud.
"What's that?" Lucius asked.
"Incentive…" Harry grinned as he waved his hand to unlock the chest and let the lid open. A dementor flew out towards Draco, and before the vampire could do anything; Narcissa was moving in front of her son protectively. Surprisingly, so was Bellatrix. The sisters stood side by side, wands drawn.
"Expecto Patronum!"
And then it happened. Two bears shot forward brilliantly to push the dementor back entirely until it was forced back into the container, which Harry locked once the lid closed. The sisters breathed heavy as their wands fell to their sides. Lucius was there to brace his wife when she went weak in the knees, likewise, Tom ended up being right next to Bellatrix. "Funny thing about fear, it makes you do rather unexpected things." Harry leaned against the chest. "Corporeal on the first go too. Well done,"
"B-But neither of us were using happy memories?" Bellatrix said.
"Wasn't necessary. Will power, out of fear, to protect Draco." Harry informed. "I understand that not everyone responds to this method, but it is a fair one to use. Now, I learned this way too, with Remus, four years ago. It took three tries just to get the shield. I was unable to conjure the corporeal until Sirius's life was in danger, rather, we both were as I watched from across the way after going back in time with Hermione. A lot of people can't conjure the corporeal, no matter how good the memories being used are. Neville, for instance, can produce only the shield, but to this day, cannot produce the animal form. A few of the others can't do it either. But…What happened here was using fear to pull out will power. I expected Draco to try the charm to protect himself, not both of you jump in. Not that it was bad, rather impressive."
"He's my son…He looked scared. It's…Instinct to protect him from danger." Narcissa claimed.
"And I'm his godmother…" Bellatrix stated.
"Exactly my point. Instinct to protect…When I cast this charm and it ended up being corporeal, it wasn't to protect myself. It was to protect Sirius. Someone I only just learned was innocent, and also my godfather. A good friend of my parents. Someone who wanted to take me away from my muggle relatives. I do it for anyone I care about; I protect them. I mentioned before that fear is one of the strongest forces around, and just as powerful as love itself. Consider that combination when you use fear for those you love." Harry explained.
"Mother, your patronus is a Black Bear, signifies protectiveness, also clever, free-spirited, gentle. Courageous in the face of conflict, self-sufficient require very little help from others. You're what we call in the muggle world a mama bear; you'd do anything to protect your son, your family…Even in the face of fear; you face it head on to keep them safe." He stopped. "And you, Aunt Bella," Harry continued again after a momentary pause. "Similar to your sister's, likely due to familial connection; you too possess a bear, but a Polar Bear. A force to be reckoned with, but soft with family." He informed. "Very adaptable individuals, but stubborn. Strong emotional barriers and are very oriented on one aspect of their lives. Can seem cold to others, and they can be blunt in their ways of communication."
"A little warning would have been nice!" Draco scolded.
"If you knew what I was planning, you wouldn't have reacted the way I needed you to." Harry chuckled.
"You brought a dementor here!" Pansy squealed.
"Oh, no, no. That was a boggart. The real thing will be much worse." Harry said.
"Using my lines, Harry?" Remus laughed softly.
"I did learn from the best, Uncle Moony." Harry smiled as he floated a small piece of chocolate to the sisters. "That'll help. Don't ask, I don't get it either, but it works. Sit down, take a breather." He looked to the others.
"Does this mean we can do it whenever now?" Bellatrix wondered.
"You'll still have to practice conjuring it under less stressful conditions, but the fact you have now done it once should make it easier." Harry informed.
"So we can train with this now?" Blaise asked.
"You can try, but if you're not scared of dementors, would be rather ineffective." Harry shrugged. "I knew it would work this time because you thought it was real, and it transformed because I was facing the box. Dementors are something I fear, even though I can defend myself from them." He paused. "So…Still wanna keep trying?"
"After that…I'm scared of dementors." Pansy mumbled.
"Same…" The other five males nodded.
"Hermione…Give these five a hand? I'm gonna work with the two adults." Harry asked.
"Sure thing, Harry," Hermione came over to work with Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Vincent, Theodore, and Gregory.
"No using the boggart yet." Harry warned as he moved closer to Tom and Lucius. "You two are going to struggle more with this because of your upbringings…The others will get it eventually when they find the right memory to use." He stated. "You both need to relax, wands down…" He instructed. "Close your eyes…" Not wanting to argue, the two did what they were told. "Now, forget everything happening outside and around. I want you to search your memories. Cycle out anything that is unhappy…" He continued. "Find the happier times, everyone has something where they felt happier than ever before in their lifetime. I want you both to find that memory…"
Harry knew this would likely work and if not, then it stood to reason that Tom and Lucius just were part of the group that could not do it and everyone had already been told by Harry that not everyone could perform the spell at all, much less getting a corporeal version. Harry said Neville was an exception, he could cast a shield but not the animal. It didn't matter, everyone knew the possibility of it either happening or not and told themselves that if they couldn't, no big deal. However, Harry seemed to have this ability to teach what should have been very complicated because he knew how to draw out everyone's abilities. Harry got Bellatrix and Narcissa to both cast a corporeal patronus by making them react to protecting Draco. It was genius, but even Harry said that what occurred wasn't his intention. It seemed promising that Harry could get everyone who wanted to learn this charm to be able to do it. And it was incredibly impressive that Harry could do what others viewed as impossible. But that was just how Harry was; he made the impossible, completely possible.