Lily Black

Chapter 11: Lessons

It seemed like Lupin was avoiding me. One day after classes I went to his room.

"Lupin why are you ignoring me?'" I said.

"I am not." He said.

"Yes you are. You don't talk to me, you don't call on me when you know I have the answers because you raised me!" I said.

"I know I am sorry. I just have been feeling under the weather." Lupin said, sitting at his desk.

"Don't give me that 'I don't feel good' I know you don't but we need to talk." I said.

"Ok then let's talk." He said.

"When you were gone a few weeks ago Snape taught us about werewolves. I think he might out you." I said.

"I already know he knows, everyone who needs to know about my condition knows." Lupin sighed.

"Yes he does." I said.

"Harry knows my dad is his godfather. He found out in Hogsmeade last week." I said.

"He was bound to learn at some point. I have a lesson with him in a few minutes. Would you like to help me?" Lupin asked.

"Yes I would. But how can I help?" I asked.

"You know everything I am going to teach him. You can help me." He said.

A few minutes later Harry came in.

"Ah Harry you came. Are you sure you want to do this? This is very advanced magic Harry." Lupin said.

"I'm sure." Harry said.

"Well, everything's prepared. Lily is going to help us if that is alright." Lupin said.

"That's fine." Harry said.

"The spell I am going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Have you ever heard of it?" Lupin asked.

Harry shook his head.

"No? Well luckily I know it and so does Lily. A Patronus is a positive force. For the wizard who conjures one it works something like a shield. With the dementors feeding on it rather than him. But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory. Lily, would you like to show us?" Lupin asked.

"Yes father." I said, closing my eyes and holding out my wand. "Expecto Patronum." I said and a silvery blue bird came out of my wand and walked around the room once before coming back into my wand.

"Great Lily. Now Harry, your turn." Lupin said. "Close your eyes. Concentrate, Explore your past. Do you have a memory? Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it. Then speak the incantation, Expecto Patronum." Lupin said coaching him though it.

"Expecto Patronum." Harry said.

"Very good. Shall we? Wand at the ready." Lupin said as he unlocked a case and a boggart came out in the form of a dementor.

"Expecto Patronum." Harry said once. "Expecto...Expecto, Expect." Harry said as he passed out.

"That's not good." I said, looking at his body on the ground. "Is he dead?" I asked not really caring.

"Lily, you are so much like your father." Lupin said, walking over to help him up. I laughed at being compared to my father.

"Here we go. Come on. Sit up. Deep breaths." Lupin said. "It's all right. I didn't expect you to do it the first time. That would have been remarkable." Lupin said.

"Yeah I did not get it until my 5th try. Give him some chocolate dad." I said with a laugh.

"Here she is right. Eat this. You will feel better." He said, giving Harry a piece of chocolate.

"That's one nasty dementor." Harry said while eating the chocolate.

"Oh, no, no, no. That was a boggart. Harry. The real thing would be worse. Much, Much worse. As a matter of interest, what were you thinking?" Lupin asked.

"The first time I rode a broom." Harry said.

"That's not good enough. Not nearly good enough. Lily, tell us what you thought about." Lupin said.

"Oh I thought about the first time I kissed George." I said smiling.

"Lily..." Lupin said.

"Kidding. I thought about the trip we took a few years back." I said.

"There's another memory. It's not happy, exactly. Well, it is. It's' the happiest I've ever felt. But it's complicated." Harry said.

"Is it strong?" Lupin asked.

Harry nodded.

"Then let's give it a try. You feel ready?" He asked.

"Just do it." Harry said, holding his wand out. Lupin unlocked the trunk again. The boggart dementor flew out again.

"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled. A blue light came out of his wand.

'Well done Harry! Well done!" Lupin said.

"I think I've had enough for today." Harry said.

"Yes. Sit down. Here. Eat this. It helps. It really helps." Lupin said handing him and me chocolate and we sat on the steps. "And just so you know Harry I think you'd have given your father a run for his money and that's saying something. "

"I was thinking of him and mum. Seeing their faces, they were talking to me. Just talking. I don't even know if it's real but it is the best I have.