Ch. 19 - Patronus Practice

"It's three past nine! I said 9 pm sharp!" Alastor scolded as Remus and Emmeline jogged into the clearing. Either Albus or Alastor had conjured torches to line the forest dell, and the snow had been cleared away leaving dry ground. Most everyone else was present, dressed warmly, and had their wands out ready to begin.

"Sorry Alastor...but that goat patronus...was moving far too quickly. We lost it...once or twice," Remus panted, ripping his scarf off.

"More like four times," Emmeline muttered, hunched over with her hands on her knees.

"Yeah, you weren't the only one," Frank assured them. He cast an irritated gaze at Edgar, who chuckled.

The new arrivals took their places next to the Potters and Peter. "And where's the rest of your motley crew?" Alastor asked them, looking around for Sirius and Marlene. They entered at the opposite end of the clearing not a moment later, looking frazzled. "It's a wonder any of you graduated school with this tardiness!"

"Truer words were never spoken," Sirius quipped.

Marlene cocked her head at Alastor as she passed. "Have you ever tried following a salmon through a forest?"

"Sorry 'bout that!" shouted Elphias.

"Right then!" hollered Alastor, deciding that that class was now in session. "This will be the first lesson of several. Due to the complexity of the Patronus charm, success on the first try is nearly impossible. Most of you will not be able to cast one before you leave today. Some of you may never cast one at all. Let's get right to it. First you'll need to learn the incantation of the spell. Everyone repeat after me: Expecto Patronum."

"Expecto Patronum," chanted the group.

"Good. Easier said than done. Wands at the ready." Alastor drew his own wand and faced the group. "Now, the wand moves in a small, clockwise, circular motion like so. Everyone new to the spell, try it with the incantation."

Several of the pupils mimicked his wand motion and invoked the incantation, but nobody managed to produce the charm. Alastor smiled a cheeky, knowing grin.

"Why isn't it working?" asked Marlene.

"Because I havenae taught you the most important step yet." He surveyed the crowd for a victim. "Potter!" When James stepped forward, Alastor realized he hadn't been specific enough. "Mrs. Potter, if you please." Lily nervously stepped out of the group, but turned back to look at James who gave her an encouraging smile. Alastor leaned in and spoke to her quietly. "I want you to think of your fondest memory. The happiest you've ever felt. What might that be?"

Lily didn't need to think long before answering. "My wedding day."

"Good. Good." Alastor turned her around to face the group. "Now, I want you to picture your wedding day clearly in your mind - everything about it, recalling all five of the senses - and try the spell again."

Lily closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum."

A beam of silver light swelled from the tip of her wand and began to take shape. Within seconds, a graceful doe materialized from the white cloud. It pranced around as everybody cheered for her.

"Yes! Nicely done, Lily!" James shouted proudly, pumping his fist into the air. She beamed as the Marauders and co. hooted and hollered.

Genuinely pleased, Alastor applauded her as well. "Outstanding! I've never seen anyone get their corporeal on the first try. That's just brilliant. You're an especially gifted witch, Evans- erm, Potter." Lily nodded gratefully and went back to join her friends.

"In order to cast a Patronus, you have to be thinking of a happy memory. Your happiest memory, if possible. The happier the memory, the stronger the charm. Be warned - this may seem simple now, but in a conflict, it takes considerable focus to summon a cheerful memory. Visualize it clearly and use its imagery to your advantage. All of you, close your eyes. Take a moment to think about it. Really concentrate - otherwise you might produce flesh-eating maggots instead of the charm."

He waited as the group recollected.

"...Is he joking, or can that actually happen?" Peter whispered worriedly to James, who shrugged.

"Whenever you're ready, go."

The next person to make an attempt was Marlene. She uttered the incantation, and a small funnel of white light emerged from her wand as she grinned at Sirius excitedly.

"Good work, McKinnon! Keep it up!" Alastor cheered her on as he circled the company to survey everyone's progress. A din settled over the gathering as everyone else began to speak the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum," said Emmeline. She watched the tip of her wand, but nothing happened.

"Yes!" Fabian shouted from behind as a white pheasant darted from his wand.

"Try again," Remus encouraged her. She steadied herself and lifted her wand once more.

"Expecto Patronum." Nothing.

Emmeline looked to her right and saw that with Lily's help, James was now casting a successful incorporeal patronus. "You try," she suggested, afraid of having her hopes dashed by a third failed attempt.

Remus raised his wand and closed his eyes. "Expecto-..." he started, but before he had finished the incantation, his eyes shot back open. He looked uneasy.

"What's the matter?"

"I uh...I have to pick the right memory." He remained frozen for a few seconds, thinking. When he arrived at a decision, he tried again. "Expecto Patronum."

His wand began to emit a bright silver vapor which continued to grow larger. In fact, it grew so large that it rustled the leaves in the treetops overhead. Everyone around them stopped what they were doing to marvel at Remus' incorporeal patronus.

"Congratulations, Lupin! If you keep that up, you'll have your corporeal in no time!"

Remus reared his wand and smiled at Emmeline, who gave him an inconspicuous peck on the cheek. "Magnificent job."

"How'd you get it that big?" James inquired. Marlene folded her arms and pouted enviously.

"I'm not really sure," Remus replied, examining his wand.

Sirius nudged James and winked at Marlene, then deployed a joke he'd been waiting to use all day. "You know what they say about big patronuses."

"Piss off, Padfoot," James and Marlene spoke at the same time.

Peter scratched his head. "I haven't been able to get one at all."

"Me neither Peter, it's ok," Emmeline reassured him.

"We'll get it in no time, I can feel it." His rosy cheeks rounded as he smiled confidently. Emmeline couldn't help but smile too, and she patted his arm.

"Alright everyone, that's a suitable start," Alastor announced. "Go home and practice. We'll meet back here tomorrow, same time, then take the next day off." He glanced over at Emmeline, Marlene, and their beaux. "Don't be late."

…

Later that night, Emmeline awoke suddenly and sat up in bed. Perhaps it was a dream, but she could have sworn she heard someone speak. She reached out for Remus, but the other side of the bed was empty.

"...Remus?"

She noticed a flicker of light coming from the staircase. Grabbing her wand off the nightstand, she arose from the mattress and crept slowly down to the ground floor. Before she'd reached the last steps, she saw Remus sitting on the sofa with his wand in hand, his frame illuminated by white light. He was staring disappointedly at the source of the glow, which was just out of her gaze.

Slowly so as not to startle him, she moved down the last few steps. She gasped when her eyes found what he was watching: a white, spectral wolf stood opposite him on all fours, staring sadly back into his eyes.

Her gasp altered Remus to her presence.

"Your corporeal is a wolf," Emmeline stated, astonished.

"I'm not sure how I knew that it would be." Remus reared his wand and the patronus faded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I know you've got a shift at the bookshop tomorrow morning."

She sat down next to him, entwining her arm with his. "Is this why you hesitated? At practice earlier?"

He heaved a sigh and set his wand down on the coffee table. "Yes. I was afraid that if my hunch was correct and the others saw, they would begin to suspect…so I chose not to do the corporeal, I guess. I don't quite know how much one can influence how the charm gets produced, but I was just set on conjuring the incorporeal and it worked."

Emmeline rested her head on his shoulder. "So you don't have to show anybody. You produced a fantastic incorporeal with no problem, and Dumbledore said the communication works with both."

"I know, I just…"

"...Tell me…"

"...It feels dishonest to keep it hidden. I know it sounds foolish."

Emmeline snuggled him tighter. "That's not foolish at all." She picked his wand off the table and put it back into his palm. "...Do it again."

"Expecto Patronum." The strand of silver light glided from his wand and manifested into the solemn wolf.

"He's really beautiful Remus," said Emmeline, her eyes wide with wonder.

Remus looked down at her, admiring the way the light bathed her skin and danced upon her features. "You're really beautiful," he thought, though the cliché kept him from saying it aloud. Instead, he planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't worry, you'll be able to produce one soon."

"I hope so."

They sat watching the wolf for a few minutes.

"What memory did you think of? If you don't mind me asking."

"Just now?"

"Yeah."

A grin worked its way across his face as he recalled the memory he'd chosen. "When James, Sirius and Peter found out about my condition in second year and sat me down to tell me they still wanted to be my friends."

Emmeline looked up at him warmly. "That's a great memory."