The Past Meets the Future at Hogwarts: Part 3

Chapter 21: Victoria

The next weeks were rough. It wasn't like I got any worse, but I definitely wasn't getting any better. From the timetable I had put together, I still would be getting worse until the middle of February. That didn't count the rest of the time which would be spent getting better.

I pushed that to the back of my mind as I walked to the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the semester. Even with the knowledge that Professor Lupin was a werewolf, his class was quickly becoming my favorite.

Even with that though, I fell asleep in the first five seconds of class. I hadn't meant to by any means. I guessed that this was back.

The first time I had gotten poisoned I had faced fatigue that was constant, and I stopped being able to control when I fell asleep. It was as if my body was shutting itself off for about an hour or two before shooting back awake.

That's exactly what happened. I burst awake to an empty classroom other than Lupin. I sighed and looked down at my desk in shame. I heard Lupin's footsteps approaching and tried to come up with a reason to fall asleep in his class, but nothing came to me.

"Victoria, I'm sorry my class is so boring."

"Gods, no. I just. Ugh," I grumbled as I buried my head in my hands.

Lupin chuckled, "I'm not actually here to pick on you, though I suggest staying awake in my class from now on. I actually wondered if you wanted to join Harry in learning how to fend off dementors."

I looked up, relief flooding my body, "I'll be there Professor. Sorry for falling asleep."

He shrugged and sent me off.

That Thursday I made my way to the History of Magic classroom against my dad's wishes. He had told me that I should try and get some sleep after passing out in potions earlier. Snape had taken twenty points from Hufflepuff and required me to stay overtime to finish the potion he had assigned.

Harry and Lupin were both already inside. "Hey, sorry I'm late. Snape held me late," I said. Lupin nodded, and I took a seat, not thinking that my feet would hold me up for much longer.

"Seeing as we know what your boggart is Victoria, your practice will just be without an actual dementor," Lupin said before beginning to teach us the spell. When he said to think of our happiest moment that was easy. The happiest day of my life was when all of us ended the war and spent the night in the Poseidon cabin playing games as if we hadn't just stopped the end of the world.

Harry was only ever to produce small glows from his wand, but Lupin decided to test his luck with the boggart. The second the dementor flew out, Harry tried to stop it, but slowly he faded out of consciousness.

The scene was too real. I stood up before I could process what I was about to do and shouted, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Out of my wand flew a glowing silvery dolphin. It flew straight at the dementor and sent it straight back into its box.

I collapsed and banged my head hard against the chair behind me before slumping all the way to the floor. Lupin rushed toward me and helped move me on top of the desk. "That was incredible. Truly incredible. Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"

"No, I'll be fine. Harry needs to wake up though," I grumbled, not comprehending that I had just conjured a full patronus, something not many wizards could do.

I didn't move from the desk until the very end of the lesson. Harry left after mentioning something to Lupin that I didn't quite catch. I slipped off the desk, rubbing the back of my head and praying that Will was still up with ambrosia.

"Victoria, great job today," Lupin said.

I thought for a second for a response before saying, "I don't think I'm going to come back."

Lupin nodded as I rushed out of the classroom. I made my way to the Hufflepuff common room quickly and raced up the stairs on the girls side when I realized that Will wasn't awake. Luckily, Will had gotten me a small first aid kit for Christmas muttering something about me needing it more than Nico. I ate a small chunk of ambrosia before collapsing back on my bed and falling asleep, not noticing that Hazel was shooting me a worried glance.