Wolfsbane

A Strong Memory, a Stronger Magic

            

We spent the following weeks searching for an acceptable place. Each night we convened in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed, and made our suggestions. We ended up settling on the Shrieking Shack. We, meaning everyone but Elias and Bella, were not yet permitted in Hogsmead Village, and it would be difficult for us to get out there. Elias assured us that he knew of a secret way, thanks to a meddling professor. And so, there the four of us stood waiting for Elias near the most dangerous tree I had seen in my life. My parents had a sapling of a whomping willow in the far corner of the estate gardens, but this one was massive. It had to be over a hundred years old to be as large as it was. Lucius eyed the tree nervously, and I felt I was sharing his concern for whether or not this tree would decide to strike at us, even as far away as we were from it. Elias appeared out of nowhere, out of breath, and sweating.

"Sorry! I meant to be here on time, but I fell asleep in the library again. Come on, this way now." Elias marched right up to the tree, wand raised, and cast immobulus at the swaying branches. The tree stilled, and Elias rushed us all to the roots, where there was an opening, big enough for us to slip through individually. Once beneath the tree, each of us stared at the underground path before us.

"Dumbledore told me about this when I was back in third year. I needed a quiet place to think, and I often came to watch the whomping willow. He found me here one night, far after curfew, and told me there were better ways to get closer to the volatile thing. He showed me this passage, and I found myself spending more time in the shrieking shack than I did on castle grounds. Now come on, we have work to do." Elias spent the next hour explaining the spell he was going to attempt to teach us, and then explaining the theory of the casting. I was appreciative of the lesson, however my hands itched to try the charm.

"You must think of your happiest memory, and hold it in your mind as you cast the charm. Think of the happiest you've ever been, the memory that makes you think that you could never be happier." I paused, suddenly lost. I didn't really have any extremely happy memories. Certainly, none of my family, as much as I wanted to think we were happy before my sorting ceremony. I thought perhaps one of my memories of my pranks would do the trick, and yet the spell refused to yield to my desires to cast it. Lucius also seemed to struggle, though none of us were successful the first time. A month or so later, Narcissa managed to produce the charm, taking the form of some sort of cat. Elias explained that it was a Manx, and that Narcissa should be extremely proud. Bella, after a few tries, produced a stallion. Elias seemed to be at a loss of words, and yet, then found enough to congratulate her. Severus' wand exploded on the other side of the room with a bright wash of silvery light. The large ball then morphed several times, showing wings, and then hooves, a snout of some sort of dog, and then finally, the form struggled into being.

"Severus, that's beautiful!" He turned his head away from the glowing doe that stood before him to regard me, and then turned his eyes back to the creature. It seemed to recognize him, and received him as one would a friend in the hall. It bowed its head politely, before dissolving into a thin mist, and then disappearing completely.

"That's brilliant Severus, very well done. Lucius, you go and give it a try now." Lucius' wand was raised to cast the charm, and then, just as I believed he would say the incantation, his hand fell to his side, and I watched as his wand fell from limp fingers.

"I feel this exercised to be ridiculous. This magic is far too advanced, and I-" I felt my heart break looking at the boy I had always been fond of. While he and I had never outwardly been friends until our first year at Hogwarts, we had always been friendly. I understand. I don't have many happy memories either. I can't imagine what is holding you back, but I know growing up with your father, must be difficult. So many expectations. Before Elias could step any closer to my friend, I launched myself between the two.