Astra

XXVII - The Dementor Lessons

THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, Harry and Ron wouldn't talk with Hermione. This left her to spend more time with Astra and become better acquaintances with Luna, as the two girls spent most of their free time reading together. Luna was fascinated by the new books and especially liked Alice in Wonderland, asking a few times if she could borrow it.

Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs. The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, which was a bit odd to say the least. Astra was always paired up with Hermione and honestly didn't understand that branch of divination, so she tried to cheer up the girl by making jokes, knowing that she was hurting from Harry and Ron.

Astra was walking out of class with Hermione when she was called back in, as Lupin was informing her about the first Patronus lesson on Thursday evening at eight o'clock. She walked back outside to hear Hermione talking to Harry and Ron and her confused glance immediately turned to a glare.

"I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you --" came Ron's voice.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority, but at the sight of Astra she gulped, remembering that she probably shouldn't share that information.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off and the boys could vaguely hear Astra arguing with her.

Astra stayed in the common room until eight o'clock, when she left with Harry for the History of Magic classroom. The journey there was quiet, neither making a move to talk, though Astra seemed amused at what looked like thin air.

In reality, James and Regulus were having a bit of an argument about the better roles of Quidditch, Regulus thinking seeker while James thinking chaser, with Lily butting in every now and then. It was quite enjoyable to watch, but soon enough Lily caught that Harry was looking confused at what Astra was smiling at and told the boys to shut up.

The classroom was dark and empty when they arrived, but Astra lit the lamps with his wand and had waited only five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto Professor Binn's desk.

"What's that?" said Harry.

"Another Boggart," said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Okay," said Harry, sounding a bit apprehensive, but relieved that there wasn't a real dementor there.

"So..." Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same. Astra took a seat from the other side of the room, turned it around, and split her legs, leaning over the edge to see the lesson. "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry -- well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. You probably already know that it's called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" said Harry nervously.

"Well, when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus, which I suppose Astra has showed you," said Lupin. "It is a kind of anti-Dementor -- a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor. The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon -- hope, happiness, the desire to survive -- but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it. I am quite surprised Astra was able to learn it by herself, but don't worry if you don't get it quickly. If you don't mind me asking, Astra, how long did it take you to learn it?"