NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Twenty-Four

      Calypso stuffed a spoonful of porridge into her mouth during breakfast when Mercury swooped down and dropped her post in front of her. Excited to see what was happening in the Prophet, she unrolled the newspaper first and scanned the headlines.

      "The new Minister put more Dementors outside of Azkaban." Calypso commented to her friends. Dorcas leaned over to catch a glimpse of the paper, but Pandora was hardly listening as she and Xenophilius constructed some sort of tower together made out of spoons while Aerin continued to scribble furiously in his notebook.

       "Wow . . . at least he's finally doing something." Dorcas said. Calypso nodded in agreement and took a look at the other item Mercury had brought her.

      It was a neatly sealed envelope with her mother's hand writing on it. Calypso tore it open and read through its contents with a growing smile on her face. She shot up from her seat.

     ''What's wrong?'' Aerin asked, startled by her abruptness, but Calypso was already making her way to the Slytherin table where her sister sat.

      Ophelia cut off her conversation with Alecto Carrow and glanced up, surprised to see her sister making her way towards her after months of them not speaking to one another.

     ''What?'' Ophelia asked.

      ''Mum had the baby. It's a girl.'' Calypso informed her sister. Ophelia's brow raised.

       ''Really?'' Ophelia asked. Calypso thought she could hear a bit of excitement in her tone. ''What's her name?''

      ''Maverick. Mum attached a picture.'' Calypso said, pulling out the tiny photograph of their baby sister. Ophelia took the picture from Calypso and inspected it closely.

        ''I can't believe we have a sister.'' Ophelia said with a small smile. Ophelia turned around and noticed how the Carrow's were staring at her with raised brows. Ophelia straightened up and all happiness washed from her features. She handed the photograph back to Calypso. ''Here.''

         Calypso rolled her eyes at her sister's cold tone and took the photograph from her. She made her way back to her breakfast table to tell her friends the good news.

           That afternoon, Calypso sat in her Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Arcturus. She leaned back in her seat as Professor Arcturus leaned against his desk and looked at his class.

          "Can anyone tell me about the Patronus Charm?" Arcturus asked.

          Calypso, Lily, and a few other students' hands shot into the air.

          "Miss Krane," Professor Arcturus said.

          "The Patronus Charm is one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind. It's the primary protection against creatures such as Dementors and Leithfolds. There's also two forms: corporeal which means a Patronus with a particular shape and form as well as an incorporeal Patronus which do not protect against dementors the way a corporeal one does." Calypso explained.

           "Ten points to Ravenclaw." Professor Arcturus said. "Miss Krane is absolutely correct. The Patronus Charm represents that which is hidden within the personality. When a human is confronted with inhuman evil, such as dementors, they must draw upon pieces of themselves they may not have ever needed. The Patronus is the awakened secret self and it is as unique as its creator.

           "A vast majority of wizards and witches are unable to produce any form of a Patronus because it is extremely advanced magic. To create even an intangible one is considered a mark of superior magical ability.