The year is 2006. Another perfect first night at Hogwarts: all the new First Years sorted into their Houses, the feast going off without a hitch, and now, it was time for bed. Minerva McGonagall walks down the corridor to the Headmistress's Quarters. As she approaches the door to her chambers, there is a strange, half-whir, half-roar from behind her. She turns, firing spell after spell at the monstrosity before her. It is huge: a whole head taller than even Hagrid. Its arms are meaty and thick and hang at its sides, waving back and forth as if it were carrying invisible suitcases. Its legs are spindly, to the point that it looked as if it would topple over if pushed, but McGonagall knew that wouldn't be the case. It appeared to be wearing a dirty dress and was smooched with what appeared to be blood. Its head oscillated around. Spell after spell is fired, to no avail, when an idea strikes McGonagall:
"The Patronus Charm!" Minerva exclaims. "Expecto Patronum!" she shouts and from her wand emerges a silvery-blue cat. The monster turns its attention to the cat and McGonagall lands a well-placed Bombarda spell. The creature explodes and leaves no trace of its existence. She felt a strange pressure in her head and her hands shoot to her temples. After a few moments, it passes. Quickly, she enters the Headmistress's Quarters. Thinking fast, she goes to Dumbledore's old Pensieve and draws her new, horrifying memory. Placing it into the Pensieve, she sees what something she didn't recognize, but any Muggle would: static. Nothing but static, both visually and filling her ears. She pulls her head out of the Pensieve, shocked. Deciding that, perhaps, Hagrid may know what she had seen if she were to describe it to him, she makes her way to his hut.
Because she was unsure if there were any more monsters about, she bundles up and heads out to Hagrid's hut quickly, to keep safe. She pounds on his door and he opens it.
"Professor McGonagall! What are you doing out at this hour? And why are you beating on my door like that? Are you okay?"
"Hagrid, can I trust you to keep what I am about to tell you to yourself?"
"Of course, Professor."
"I just saw something in the castle. A monster! I killed it-I hope, but that it was even there is a problem."
"Why don't you go to the Ministry with this?"
"I'm going to-to the best of my ability. It seems my memories of the monster is corrupted. I thought I'd first ask you what it may be." Hagrid pours Minerva and himself some tea.
"Well, tell me about this monster, Professor."
"It was tall-taller than you even, Rubeus. Its arms looked like they were made of sides of raw meat, and its legs were spindly. The most bizarre thing was its face-oscillating as it did." Hagrid sits for a few minutes stirring his tea, thinking over every creature he had ever had the pleasure or displeasure of meeting over the years.
"I can't think of anything like that, Professor McGonagall." He says, bluntly. Minerva notices the time.
"It's been lovely chatting with you, Hagrid, but now I'm afraid I must take my leave of you."
Before bed, McGonagall sits at her desk. With a red quill, she begins to write:
"To whom it may concern:
I, Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, have been beset upon by monsters of unknown origin on this very night." She goes on to describe the monster. "I know I can count on you to keep Hogwarts a safe place for our children. I await your owl.
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". She gives the note to a tawny owl and sends it on its way.
The next morning, Minerva is awoken by an owl pecking on her window. She opens the window and lets the creature in. Taking the letter from its beak, she begins to read:
"We are most sorry, Minerva, but we can't help you at this time. You cannot produce proof of this monster, so we can't waste resources on what could be no more than a wild goose chase." Without speaking a word, McGonagall sets the note ablaze. Watching it smolder, she turns it over and over in her mind.
"I'm on my own, huh? What would Albus have done?" She shuts her eyes and grey smoke dances to the ceiling of the Headmistress's Office. "...and when things look bad, and there's nowhere to run, Unite all the Houses, and we'll fight as one..." She says to herself. Quickly, she pens four notes, affixes them to four owls, and sends them off. A few moments later Neville Longbottom, Filius Flitwick, Horace Slughorn, and a short, portly woman with blond hair in a bun appear in her office. This woman's name is Margot Harris, and she is the head of House Hufflepuff and current Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. "The reason I asked the four of you here today is because we have a problem on our hands. I was attacked by a monster last night. I was wondering, from each of you, which student-not Head Boy or Head Girl-would be best suited to handle this challenge of tracking the monsters to their source and putting a stop to it once and for all." Neville Longbottom is the first to speak up.
"On the way up, Margot and I were talking. We believe the Takeda twins, the new Transfiguration Professor's sons, would be the best from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Benjiro, my student in Gryffindor, is gifted with Charms and is a skilled duelist. Great flyer, too."
"Junichi, my student in Hufflepuff is a skilled Potioneer and is gifted with a green hand, I daresay. He, like his twin, is a skilled duelist, as well." Margot Harris says. Filius Flitwick steps up:
"Marla Soots from my would be best from Ravenclaw. She's kind and gentle, but great with jinxes and hexes. Great duelist, too. Quick reflexes."
"Horace? What of Slytherin? Who do you recommend?"
"Professor Carmicle-the Muggle Studies Professor's daughter, Randi. Bit of an odd duck, but she's got a big, tender heart and excels in Care of Magical Creatures."
"And Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That too. Bad at Arithmancy, though. Flits like a leaf on the breeze on a broom. Good duelist. Loves fire spells."
"So, the Japanese Twins, the girl from Liverpool, and the American." McGonagall says. I shall send for them after classes. They will need to be taught a specific spell to handle these monsters. You all are dismissed." The three wizards and witch leave their superior's office.
That afternoon, McGonagall calls the four chosen students into her office. They are all Seventh Years. Minerva paces, her wand behind her back. Finally, she stops in front of the Slytherin who was rocking on her feet and holding onto the sides of her green beanie hat.
"I have called the four of you in her today because the school and all the students are in danger and I can get no help from the Ministry. What I am to ask you to help me with is to remain secret-between the five of us and your Heads of Houses. Do not tell friends, boyfriends or girlfriends, or parents. That especially goes for you, Junichi, Benjiro, and Randi." She begins pacing again. "As Headmistress, I am afraid I simply do not have the time to go gallivanting around the Scottish Highlands looking for monsters. I have a school to run. That's where you four come into play. However, you will need to know a specific spell. I will be teaching you a Charm that is not on the OWLs or NEWTs-the Patronus Charm." She stops in front of the Gryffindor, who was messing up his already messy black hair. "To perform this advanced Charm, simply think of your happiest memory-and it must be a strong one-and speak the incantation: "Expecto Patronum". Whenever you're ready." Randi, the Slytherin, elects to go first. She stands, and smiling produces her ebony wand and speaks:
"Expecto Patronum!" A few seconds later, a small, spectral creature emerges from her wand. It has little fingers on its paws, small, round ears, and a long snout with beady eyes. It scampers around the room before vanishing. "A possum! How cool!" Randi says, putting her wand back in her robes. Next, Junichi, the Hufflepuff steps up. He extends his Cherry wand and speaks:
"Expecto Patronum!" and a bushy tailed creature with a little robber's mask appears and scurries around the room before disappearing just as Randi's Opossum had done moments earlier. "A raccoon." Producing a nearly identical Cherry wand, Benjiro, the Gryffindor, speaks the incantation next. From his wand emerges a fox. Finally, the Ravenclaw, Marla, decides to give it a go. She takes out her Pear wood wand and speaks:
"Expecto Patronum!" A light springs from her wand, so small that it, initially, appears to be incorporeal. Tiny wings can be seen moments later as it flits around the room. "A butterfly!" She exclaims. Minerva claps her hands together and smiles at the students.
"Excellent work, you four! Producing fully formed Patornuses on your first tries. No wonder your Heads of Houses recommended the four of you. Go to your dorms and get some rest. You deserve it." She pats each of them on the back as they exit her classroom.