Chapter 55: The Light
"Where is he?" Ron's voice startled both Harry and Hermione awake. Without intending to, they had fallen asleep on one another in the common room. Hermione glared at Ron in annoyance for disrupting her rather peaceful slumber.
"What're you on about?" Hermione groggily asked as she sat up, realizing Crookshanks was curled up next to her legs.
"Well?" Ron shouted. "Where is Scabbers? He was in my dorm last night but he's gone now. I found some blood on the floor and the end of his tail. It's your bloody cat, I know it!"
"Do you have any proof?" Harry challenged, giving Hermione's sleepy brain time to get . "Any cat hairs? Anything?"
"Like that beast would leave any proof," Ron said. "I've had it with that cat. I told you it was after Scabbers but you didn't listen."
"And I told you to get a cage," Harry said. Having extricated himself from Hermione, he stood to face Ron. "A cage would have prevented any of this from happening."
"Fuck off, Potter," Ron said, storming out of the common room.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I'm fine," Hermione said, annoyance filling her voice. She turned to her cat. "I know you've gone after Scabbers before but you wouldn't go into the dorm and attack him, would you?"
Hermione held her cat up. Crookshanks seemed to understand as he looked into the face of his mistress, meowed and then shook his head.
"That is one smart cat," Harry said. "I'm starting to wonder about the rat. Living as long as he did is just unnatural."
Ron reappeared with McGonagall in tow. Harry could swear she looked just as annoyed as Hermione.
"Mr. Weasley here says that your cat ate his rat," McGonagall said. "Is this true?"
"Professor," Hermione said. "I don't think so. I just woke up and Crookshanks was right at my feet."
"Of course the beast would try to look innocent," Ron said.
"Can I see the cat?" McGonagall said. Hermione walked over to McGonagall with Crookshanks in her arms. She hefted cat up to present him to the Gryffindor head.
"Please set him down," McGonagall requested. Hermione set him down, just as McGonagall morphed into her cat form. McGonagall and Crookshanks had a brief conversation after which McGonagall morphed back into her human from.
"The cat did not eat your rat, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said. "In fact your cat was quite adamant the rat was not actually a rat, Miss Granger. He said that it smelled like magic, not like a mundane rat."
"Preposterous!" Ron screamed. "Scabbers is a plain and simple rat. I woke up today to find blood on the floor and the end of his tail."
"And has the cat made any attempts on Scabbers life before?" McGonagall asked to which Ron nodded. "Has the cat tried to get into your dorm?"
Ron shook his head at that.
"And after the first attempt, did you get a cage to keep your pet safe?" McGonagall asked.
"Why should Scabbers need a cage?" Ron gestured toward Harry. "Hedwig doesn't."
"Hedwig has a cage; she just won't use it. Hedwig also has wings," Harry said. "She's can easily escape trouble."
"Well I'm sorry about your loss Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said. "But there's nothing to suggest your rat has been eaten by a cat, specifically this particular cat. A cat wouldn't leave a tail behind. If anyone were to find anything, it would be Miss Granger when the cat displayed its carcass to her."
"That's happened before," Hermione said, her nose crinkled in mild disgust. "With a few other mice and even a bird he caught once."
"Fine," Ron threw his hands up. "Would figure the Teacher's Pet would have the teachers take her side, even after her cat killed my rat."
"Detention, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall snapped. "You have filed your grievance. I have not found any evidence to corroborate. Report to Alfred tonight at 7 to help him with cleaning the castle."
Ron stormed off again, this time up the stairs to the third year boys' dorm, slamming the door when he got there.
"I apologize Miss Granger," McGonagall said. "Your cat is innocent here. I hope you have a lovely rest of the day."
"Professor McGonagall," Harry called out to her as she was about to leave. "First, I wanted to thank you for doing your duty impartially, both now and also last night with my broomstick. Second, I was wondering how you'll investigate the broomstick."
"Do not worry, Mr. Potter," she replied. "We will not harm the broom unless something harmful is found on it."
"Thank you but that's not why I ask. I was hoping to observe and maybe learn something."
Hermione's eyes brightened as her yearning to learn arrived.
"Okay I was hoping we could observe," Harry amended.
"Interesting idea," McGonagall looked pensive. "I will talk with Professor Flitwick. We have already done our preliminary scans. I will ask if you could possibly observe our second session."
"Thank you, professor," Harry bowed. McGonagall gave him a wry smile and turned away again.
"Oh and I hope you had a restful night," she said over her shoulder. "Hopefully tonight, you will sleep in your own beds."
Harry was about to ask when she continued.
"A cat's nose never lies," McGonagall tapped her nose. "I'll let it slide this once but don't make this a regular occurrence."
"Yes professor," the teens chorused.
Across the country, Hedwig was approaching an old house that looked like five houses held together in pure defiance of physics. A portly redheaded woman was working on a stew for dinner whenever her husband got home. Mrs. Weasley was just settling back in from their trip when Hedwig flew in through the window, carrying an envelope.
"Well hello there," she greeted the snowy owl cheerfully. "Who are you delivering mail for?"
Mrs. Weasley removed the letter and Hedwig gave her a baleful gaze and took off immediately. Shaking her head, she opened the envelope to find a white sheet of thin parchment.
"Hello mother," her daughter's voice rang clearly through the house. "I'm sure you expected a regular letter. Thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce the twins auditory parchment. It's really brilliant, you know. Linked through a special dictaquill on parchment charmed to transcribe your voice.
"Enough of the parchment, I am writing because you need to back off. I finally figured out what you were saying to Ronald this summer and I have to say: I am not pleased. Harry and Hermione are together; they have been since the summer. I'm sure you think you're helping me achieve my childish dream of being the future Mrs. Boy-Who-Lived but that's not what I want; I haven't wanted that since last spring. Ronald has been trying to date Hermione despite her obvious disinterest based on the mission you set him on. Stop meddling in my life, mother."
Oh that little… Mrs. Weasley huffed as she pulled out a sheet of red paper.
"Oh and just in case you're thinking of writing me a howler, I sent a message to father first. If I am correct, he should be arriving…"
The clock dinged and Arthur Weasley's head went from "work" to "travelling" before arriving at "home."
"Now. Merry Christmas, mother,"
"Molly!" Arthur's enraged voiced called out to her. He brandished another piece of parchment. "Do you care to explain this?"
A few days later, Harry and Hermione received a letter from Mr. Weasley apologizing for his son's actions, as well as his wife's and promised to have a chat with his youngest son at the next opportunity.
Ron took to avoiding everyone during the rest of the holiday. The twins, Ginny, the professors and especially Harry and Hermione. Harry could hear him grumbling under his breath, something about the Boy-Who-Lived, girls and rats. If you didn't know the connection, you'd be rather confused.
Thankfully, break wrapped up quickly and the student body returned to distract Harry from the dark cloud that was Ron Weasley. Harry even preferred Malfoy's sneering visage to Ron at the moment.
"Is it true?" Draco asked the first time he saw Harry. "You're actually dating that animal? You continue to sink lower and lower."
"Sorry, Draco," Harry's apology threw the blonde off. "I meant to tell you before now. I've fallen in love with Hermione. It just wouldn't work with us anyway; we're just too different."
"I… what?" Draco stuttered at Harry walked away laughing. Extending his elbow to Hermione, they walked through the courtyard arm-in-arm, planning to walk the grounds. Before they could get too far, another voice called to them.
"Hey Potter!" Cedric shouted out for him. "Do you know what the meaning of this is?"
Cedric thrust a note into his hands. Thank you for doing what I have thus far failed to do, the note read. Thank you for saving Harry.
"That came with this," Cedric extended his arm. In his hand was a brand new Firebolt. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
"No," Harry said. "I thought about it but I didn't know if you'd accept it or not. This is odd: I got a Firebolt as well, with a similar note, saying 'Here's for all the birthdays and Christmases I missed.'"
"Well do you want to grab your broom and go fly for a bit?" Cedric asked.
"I can't," Harry said. "There's a few people out for my head so I've had it turned over to Professors McGonagall and Flitwick to have them check it for any curses."
"That's fair," Cedric said with a laugh. "I can't have you falling off your broom again. My shoulder still hurts from catching you."
"Well I wouldn't want to have that happen again," Harry said. "Whenever I get it back, we'll go flying."
"Do you think they would check mine?" Cedric asked. "If nothing else, it would be easier to see if one has been tampered with."
"If you feel you need to," Harry said. "I don't think someone would want to thank you for saving me by trying to kill you with a cursed broom but having another data point might be nice to have."
That night, the first D.A. meeting was held at which Harry and Hermione shared their breakthrough with the Patronus.
"Over the holiday," Harry told everyone. "I was told by my best friend that she loved me. Hearing that filled me with this immense energy. I felt so full and that's when it clicked: what happier memory is there than one of love?
"Expecto Patronum," he cast, bathing the room in its light. The assembled students watched as his stag took its form and stood next to him.
"Expecto Patronum," Hermione cast next and her otter joined his stag.
"Prongs," Lupin said with amazement. Harry's eyes flicked to look at Lupin, remembering the map. Could it be? Harry wondered internally, promising to talk to Lupin in private at his earliest opportunity.
"Love," Harry said. "Think of a time where you felt an overwhelming sense of love, so much that it burst out of you. It could bring you to tears or it could make you laugh; could make you laugh or make you sing. The power of love is an unrivaled force; the key to my Patronus."
Neville thought about one of his happiest memories that was also so very painful. He was visiting his parents for the holidays when his mother had a rare lucid moment.
"Neville," Alice Longbottom held on to her 11-year-old son. "You've grown so much. I love you."
Alice hugged him for the first time Neville could remember.
"My baby boy," Alice said, a tear falling from her eye. "I love you so much."
As soon as Alice's attention came, it disappeared. Her arms dropped to her side and she was once again catatonic. Neville cried as he held his mother a while longer.
"I love you too, mum," young Neville said.
"I love you, mum," present-day Neville said as he wiped away a tear. "Expecto Patronum."
Geneva was bathed in the light from his wand, growing larger than any before. It took shape and formed into a Grizzly Bear. It stood up on its hind legs and gazed out predatorially. Dropping down, it paced the room, searching for threats. Harry's stag walked over to join it. Standing a head taller, the stag was not nearly as wide as the bear. The two Patroni greeted one another before forming up to face the rest of the room. Not to be left out, Hermione's Patronus joined them.
Daphne watched them and felt the warmth from their light as she thought of this past Christmas. Astoria walked up to her, holding her gift.
"I didn't have much," Astoria said. "I hope you like it."
Daphne opened her gift to find a pewter locket with an octopus on it: the sigil of House Greengress. Inside the locket was a picture of Astoria on one side and her parents on the other.
"I know how important family is to you," she said. "I wanted to make sure you knew your family is with you all the time, wherever you go."
Daphne reached her hand into her robes and pulled out the locket. Closing her hand around it, she readied her wand.
"Expecto Patronum," Daphne cast the spell and, like Neville, a light spilled out. It took the shape of an animal rarely seen in Patroni. Eight tentacles formed from the head and soon, an Octopus was swimming around the room. Next to her, Tracey remembered Daphne defending her early in first year.
"How'd this half blood get into Slytherin," Theo Nott stalked up to her the first night in the common room.
"Shut it!" Daphne backed Nott down. "She is just as magical as any of us and she's my best friend. If you've got a problem with her, you've got a problem with me."
Daphne snagged Tracey's hand, glaring malevolently around the room, daring someone else to challenge her. Tracey smiled at the memory and cast, her Patronus morphing into the form of a Polar Bear.
"Astounding!" Lupin laughed at the Patroni lighting the room.
"Love is the one thing a Dementor can't understand and probably hates the most," Harry said. "Makes sense it would power the spell to repel them."
"Of course," Luna's eyes widened in realization. She thought of the many adventures she had with her papa.
"The most amazing creature I've ever met is you, little moon," her dad said this summer. "We may never find a Snorkack but I wouldn't trade a single moment you and I get while exploring."
Lit by the campfire, she saw her dad start to tear up.
"You're simply extraordinary. Nothing else compares."
Luna held on to that memory as she drew her wand.
"Expecto Patronum."
Her Patronus took the form of a what she imagined a Crumple Horned Snorkack to be, its speed unmatched to any of the other Patroni as its roamed on four paws with horns curved forward. It greeted Hermione's otter and Harry's stag, moved around Neville's bear before roaming the room with Daphne's octopus. Harry laughed at Luna's Patronus. Of course it she would have the form of a yet undiscovered animal. Throughout the room, Lupin saw more Patroni take shape.
Lavender and Parvati both took the memory of the first time they reacted to their fragrance and cast their Patronus, each taking the shape of a swan. Cedric had his badger form next, while next to him, Roger Davies Patronus took the form of an eagle.
Susan thought of her aunt and just how hard she worked to make time for her.
"You're the last bit of my family," Amelia told her. "No matter how busy I get or what chaos is happening in the wizarding world, you will always be my first priority. I love you."
Next thing she knew, her cheetah sprinted around the room, joining the others racing around the room.
Hannah looked at Neville, remembering walking around Hogsmeade hand-in-hand. Taking the wand in hand, she cast the spell and a Wolverine took shape, wandering around her legs.
The head girl, Penelope Clearwater, had hers take the form of a raven. The Weasleys joined the fray next with Percy's taking the form of an owl, Fred and George's took the shape of capuchin monkeys and Ginny found hers in the shape of a horse. Dean's took the shape of a lion while Katie, Angelina and Alicia came next with a falcon, hawk and osprey, respectively. Colin finished off the group when his Patronus took the form of a Golden Retriever.
From the other side of the room, it was Greg and Vinny who surprised everyone. Rejoicing in the friendships he had built once free of Draco's shadow, Greg's took the shape of an albatross while Vinny's was the largest of them all. Lupin thought he lost control of his spell but instead it took the shape of an Orca. Everyone gasped in amazement as the whale filled the room.
"Oh my," Lupin said. "I have never seen aquatic animals represented before. To have a whale…"
"Certainly impressive," Dumbledore's voice carried from the entrance to Geneva. "The wards registered an immense surge of magic so I came to investigate. How did you teach them all to do it?"
"Credit goes to Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," Lupin said. "They were the ones to master the spell and taught the others to focus on love, rather than happiness."
"Really?" Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Astonishing. I must say we have never had anything like this happen in my time here. Congratulations to you all. Just a tip to all of you taking O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, doing this spell will get you extra points in your Defense and Charms exams."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he took in the lights from each Patronus. Harry's stag stood at the center, shining brighter than the rest with Neville, Hermione and Daphne's Patroni close but none rivaled his.
One by one, the Patroni faded out of the room until only the soft glow from the torches remained.
As they died down, Harry noticed a tear in the corner of Daphne's eye.
"Are you okay?" Harry was concerned she was having an issue.
"These are good tears, Harry," she smiled as she spoke. "When the Dementors invaded the match, I was worried they would attack everyone. Thanks to you, I don't have to worry about my sister getting her soul sucked out."
"Soul sucked out?" Harry cocked his head, questioning Daphne's turn of phrase.
"You don't know, do you?" Daphne said. "If a Dementor gets too close, they lower their hood and administer the Dementor's Kiss. When they do that they suck the soul out of their victims."
"That's horrible!" Harry was aghast. In all his research was one the Patronus Charm the Dementors themselves, it only mentioned a fate worse than death without going into what that fate was, specifically.
"It's the worst fate imaginable," Lupin said, sadly. "Your body continues to exist for a while but there's nothing else to be done. It is the fate that awaits Sirius Black, they announced over the holidays.
"Great advice on the Patronus, Harry," Lupin cupped Harry on the shoulder. "With this many Patroni, the school is now able to drive back a horde of Dementors, should they need to."
Harry smiled, his cheeks taking on a red hue at being praised while also hoping they'd never need to do exactly what Lupin suggested.
(A/N: Just in case it wasn't clear; the size of the Patronus does not necessarily indicate the power. I just have always wanted to see a whale represented in Patronus form. Loved going through the different memories to power the different Patroni. Lupin fearing Crabbe lost control of his spell is a veiled reference to him losing control of Fiendfyre in the Deathly Hallows book. I only really kept Harry and Hermione's Patroni the same, not even sure what the others are in canon beyond Luna having a hare.)
