Lost in spells and shadows

Chapter 41: The Slug Club

At Saturday, when it was 2, Adelaide decided that she had enough time to do something and go to the Slug club meeting on time. She needed to see the headmaster to talk about her progress in her powers and that she was very good at controlling them now and had enough precision and understanding to use them to attack and defend herself. So she dusted herself and woke up Midnight, who was sleeping in her lap, and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked as she paused in the midst of writing her homework.

"I need to speak to professor Dumbledore. I will be back for the gathering. Don't worry." She waved and went to his office. She had no idea what the password was, and seeing Professor Mcgonagall there was a great luck. She told her the password and Adelaide soon found herself in the headmaster's office. He hadn't noticed her and was continuously writing a letter with a frown. He suddenly looked up and saw her: "Oh, Adelaide, i am very happy to see you in great health. I hope everything has been better for you this year."

Adelaide felt a bit nervous, since her last meeting with Dumbledore was last year before the Christmas holidays and she had lied to him a bit, and in Summer he visited their house when she was not there, as if he wanted her to visit him, herself.
"Well, yeah i am at a much better place now. Thank you."

"So why are you here? I suppose you have a reason."

"Yes, well i wanted to say that i made a great progress in controlling my powers and have much confidence in using them. Last year, I didn't practice much, put i put a lot of effort this Summer and will continue to do so."

"Brilliant." He smiled at her. "Do you have any other question on any particular field of magic? I remember you bombarding me with any advanced spell and theory and we would go on and discuss them." It was all before mama's death.

"Yes, well i would lie if i was to say i have no questions about them. I am curious about casting a patronus charm, i know it's a rather difficult and advanced charm and not many can do that even after graduating. But since it's such a lovely form of magic, opposite of many spells that really don't have good intentions and really is about the mental power of the caster, i wanted to learn it. I believe learning it nowadays, is important since i have heard the rumours about dark creatures joining Voldemort, it will come in handy."

He nodded and said: "You are right it is a very pure form of magic and it's a very great charm to learn. It's a difficult and complex spell and it might take years to completely master it, even the non-corporal one is an amazing feat to cast. Your own mother learnt it when she was a third year. Do you know what was its shape?"

"A unicorn." Adelaide had seen her mother cast it a few times with her begging when she was a mere child and she cast it so gracefully that one could only look at her casting with awe.

"Yes. Magical creatures are rare to become the shape of your patronus. Usually, cats, dogs and horses are the shapes of it. Though it doesn't have a connection to the magical ability of the caster and it's about the affinity of the caster to an animal. Sometimes, I think you don't need my explanation on this since you know, it can change to another animal. It's most certainly interesting, when that happens and can show one's true nature. Can you guess mine?"

"A phoenix. Another rare shape."

"Exactly." He smiled at her correct answer and with a wave of his wand, cast the spell and a beautiful phoenix appeared flying around until it disappeared.

"Now what do you think you have a problem with that made it more difficult for you to succeed in this?"

"I suppose visualising the happy memory. I don't really know what to choose from. Nothing happens. Not even a mist."