As the Second Wizarding War ended, many students decided to go back to Hogwarts to finish their studies. Anne-Leigh Conway was one of them.
While she attempts to come to terms with what's happened, she gets entangled in an effort set forth by Headmi...
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Chapter 22: Patronus Charm
Leigh was walking from her last class of the day towards the common room. Same as last time, the castle was buzzing with anticipation for the forthcoming Hogsmeade trip. Groups of students were hanging around the corridors, chatting, laughing and planning the weekend's activities. The atmosphere was nice, even though it was apparent that some students had that mischievous glint in their eye leading up to Halloween.
Leigh's shoes thumped against the stone floor as she surveyed the crowds. As she had expected, some students were huddling in a corner a bit further in front of her, giggling as they were looking at something together. She sighed faintly, but made her way past them, hoping none of the pranks they were about to pull would in any way be affecting her.
Leigh was glad to see that she wasn't the target for anything, and faintly saw one of the students blow something out of their hand in their friend's direction. Leigh nodded to herself as she recognised the product; forget-me-shocks. She momentarily wondered which version it was. Maybe the spiders, or the ghost Umbridge. She grimaced faintly at the idea of ghost Umbridge floating around the halls.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a scream behind her, and she whipped around to see the friend-group scattered, a frighteningly real-looking dementor hovering above them. Leigh gulped, remembering looking at the item in the shop.
Immediately, everyone in the near vicinity could feel the cold that sank their teeth into them. That empty, hollowing chill that made a shiver run up their spine. If Leigh didn't know it was one of the twins' products she probably would've thought it was the real deal.
Before she had an opportunity to reflect over her next actions, the creature slowly started turning, setting its' sights on her. It moved across the space, its flowing shadow dragging across the floor as it approached her. Leigh started fumbling for her wand, feeling the icy cold feeling growing within her as the fake dementor moved closer. She remembered what Fred told her: they reacted to the patronus charm.
She raised her wand, pointing it towards the creature. Her mouth felt dry, but she parted her lips, trying her best to ignore the chilling atmosphere which had been formed in the space. Then, the words which she had said so many times before left her.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Her heart thumped in her chest, her breathing growing more and more laboured as she observed the dark silhouette in front of her, waiting for the light to protrude from the tip of her wand. It never did.
She backed away, the dementor following closely, reaching out towards her. Her breathing hitched in her throat and she looked at her wand in confusion, feeling her back hit the stone wall of the corridor behind her. "E- Expecto Patronum!" She shouted again, her vision blurring as the patronus, once again, never came.
Her head felt heavy, and the world around her darkened as she looked at the creature, now mere inches from her. Her surroundings started flickering, and she felt herself being paralysed, breathless, as her vision failed her and a variety of sounds reached her ears. The crashing of stone against stone, screams, manic laughter. Although her mouth was closed, she could hear her own excruciating scream in her ears. Images flashed before her. A body forcefully thrown back against a stone wall. A crack. Green flash. Grey eyes staring at her from a heap of rubble on the floor. The sharp, stabbing, unbearable feeling of dread.
