On Thursday, September 2nd, 2021, Lily's third year of classes began with Defense Against the Dark Arts.
This was still a single house class, so, with Ainsley now at The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing, there five Gryffindors in Lily's year: Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily herself.
The nanosecond Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom, Professor Macmillan got straight down to business.
"So," said Professor Macmillan in a businesslike voice, "Your introduction to third year Defense Against the Dark Arts will be learning how to produce Patronuses. Not Talking Patronuses mind you, Talking Patronuses are very complex and will not be taught to you until you are in N.E.W.T. years. But you are ready to learn how to make regular Patronuses. Wands out."
Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all dug their right hands into their right pockets and pulled out their wands. They then held their wands at the ready.
"Now, " explained Professor Macmillan seriously, "You may have heard that in order to produce a strong and successful Patronous that you need to be focused in on a happy memory. Well, focusing your mind on a happy memory is in fact a good way of doing it. But it doesn't automatically have to be a memory. It really only needs to be a happy thought. That can be a happy memory, or it can be another kind of happy thought. The key is to have your mind locked in on a happy thought."
Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily were all quiet as the listened intently.
"The incantation to produce a Patronus is Expecto Patronum!" said Professor Macmillan matter of factly, "But the incantation alone will have no effect. If your thought is not happy enough or if you aren't focused enough, you might produce some silver vapor. If you've succeeded at saying the incantation correctly, choosing a happy enough thought, and being well focused, you will produce what is known as a Corpreal Patronus. A Corpreal Patronous is a Patronus with a clearly defined form and shape. This varies from person to person with each individual's form reflecting himself or herself in some way. Now, I want all of you to attempt to think of happy thoughts you might use to produce a Patronus. In five minutes, I'll ask you all to attempt to produce Patronuses."
Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all silently and calmly processed exactly what happy thoughts they would use as they attempted to make Patronuses for the first time.
"Five minutes are up, " said Professor Macmillan five minutes later, "Third year Gryffindors, let's see your Patronuses!"
Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all raised their wands simultaneously and cried "Expecto Patronum!"
Next nanosecond, five unique Patronuses were zooming above their heads.
Devon's Patronus was a kneazle, Hugo's Patronus was a hippogriff, Stephanie's Patronus was a snidget, Samantha's Patronus was a cat, and Lily's Patronus was an oyster.
"Ooh, " smiled Lily, "Devon's Patronus is a kneazle because kneazles are very loyal to their owners and Devon himself is very loyal to his family and friends."
"The happy thought I used to produce my Patronus was the memory of Thanksgiving 2019 when I was reunited with Miles, Gary, and Todd after having been sure that I'd never see them again."
"Yeah, that would an immensely powerful happy thought for you, Devon, " said Lily in understanding, "Would it be fair to say that, with all you've said about how accepting your Hogwarts invite was right decision, you would never have been fully happy again had Miles, Gary, and Todd not been reintroduced into your life."
"A very fair statement, " admitted Devon, "Even with the great friends I've made at Hogwarts."
"Even when you went off into the Wizarding World, you still cared about your old muggle friends, Miles, Gary, and Todd. Loyalty is one of your defining traits. "
"Bear in mind, " added Devon, "That I'm loyal to people, not places."
"Hugo's Patronus, " Lily continued warmly, "Is a hippogriff because hippogriffs are creatures that both demand and give respect and Hugo is a very respectful person. This respect was on full display when he helped comfort Courtney and helped show her the worth of her work after beating her out for the bronze medal of the Hogwarts Drawing Competition."
"The happy thought I was focused on, " revealed Hugo, "Was a thought of an adult Ainsley becoming the most successful Healer in the world."
"Choosing a thought of a friend growing up to be successful as the thought you used to produce your Patronus is another sign of your high respect coeffect, " Lily told Hugo proudly.
"Mom airways told me that respect is a two way street, " said Hugo proudly.
"Stephanie, " said Lily thoughtfully, "A snidget is a very unusual Patronus form. Golden snidgets were once used in Quidditch before the golden snitch came along."
"Fuck the use of snidgets in Quidditch, " said Hugo disapprovingly, "Hunting and killing beautiful and peaceful birds as sport is fucking repulsive. Remember too that snidget hunting actually predated the use of snidgets in Quidditch."
"The golden snitch eventually replaced the golden snitch in Quidditch. The hunting and killing of golden snidgets was eventually banned because their numbers had gotten so low that they were quite an endangered species. "
"That's sick, that's some sick shit there, " said Hugo in a fierce voice.
"Stephanie is a Quidditch junkie, but a snidget is actually a really fitting Patronus for her because Stephanie herself is a very peaceful person. She's incredibly talented at taking things in stride and accepting whatever life throws at her, " said Lily observantly.
"The happy thought I locked in on was the moment I knew I had made the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Beater and became the first girl to ever play the Beater position for a Hogwarts Quidditch Team."
"You didn't deserve to make the team as a Beater because you are a girl, you deserved to make the team as a Beater because you were one of the highly skilled Beaters at the trials and clearly yourself to be one of the two best Beaters currently at Hogwarts, " said Devon firmly, "Remember, there are no boys or girls, only people. The only difference between a boy and a girl is the pronouns used to refer to them."
"As for Samantha, " continued Lily, "Cats are very detached and independent creatures. Few people on this planet are more emotionally detached than Samantha Saver."
"I understand that's it's best not to become emotionally attached to other people in the first place so that I never have to feel grief and sadness down the road, " said Samantha bluntly, sticking to her guns on the issue, "For what it's worth, the happy thought I flooded my mind with to make my Patronus was the memory of myself winning the silver medal for the Hogwarts Drawing Competition and how we all celebrated Arizona in the immediate aftermath of that. I'm forevermore an Arizona girl through and through."
"As for my Patronus, " said Lily radiantly, "Oysters symbolize love and the thing that most defines me is how much I love my family and friends. The happy thought I used was just an image of myself surrounded by family and friends."
"WOW!" said a delighted Professor Macmillan, "You all got it on the first attempt. This was a highly successful lesson. Now, remember, the most common practical uses of the Patronus are to ward off Lethifolds and Dementors. "
"That was a very appropriate way to begin our third year as Hogwarts students, " said Lily approvingly.
Devon, Hugo, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all smiled warmly at each other.
Third year had gotten off to a terrific start.