Chapter 401: The Patronus Charm Club

Cedric had been mulling it over all night, so much so that at breakfast the next morning, he still looked half asleep.

"Have you come up with anything?" Kyle asked.

"Of course," Cedric replied with a relieved expression. "All we need to do is get 150 points ahead of Gryffindor within twenty minutes, and victory will still be ours."

"That's your solution?" Kyle looked at him incredulously. "A hundred and fifty points ahead of Gryffindor in twenty minutes? You must be sleepwalking, or you left your brain back in the dorms."

"You've done it before," Cedric insisted. "Remember the match against Ravenclaw?"

"That was two years ago!" Kyle retorted irritably. "And it wasn't just me; Harris helped, too. Plus, Ravenclaw was so off their game, they practically handed us the points, which is the only reason we got ahead by that much."

"The situation now is that Harris has already graduated," Kyle continued. "And Fred and George warned me right after our first match that they'd never let a Bludger get more than ten feet away from me. Do you get what that means? Between those two and Keeper Wood, I'd have to break through at least three people to score!"

"But it's our only option," Cedric said, almost defensively. He'd spent all night racking his brain and had come to realize that the Firebolt was nearly unbeatable. Against absolute speed, any tactic seemed pointless—unless they could secure the win in advance.

"I'll get everyone to work with you," Cedric promised. "The next strategy will be centered around you."

"All right," Kyle nodded, resigned.

After breakfast, the group left the Great Hall and went off to their respective classrooms to get ready for class. Today was the first day of Professor Lupin's Patronus Charm Club, and everyone was so excited that their attention drifted through the day's lessons.

The professors, naturally, noticed this, though they didn't seem overly concerned and handled it with a single stern reminder.

"No talking in class, Mr. Rowle. Five points from Slytherin!"

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall rapped her desk sharply and said, "Anyone who loses more than ten points in my class today will be detained in the library and required to clean the shelves at eight o'clock this evening!"

The moment Professor McGonagall finished, everyone sat up straight. Eight o'clock was when the club began, and with the hundreds of shelves in the library, they'd likely miss the entire session.

"Excellent," Professor McGonagall said approvingly. "Let's pick up where we left off. The key to the Switching Spell is decisiveness, no hesitation…"

Apparently, Professor McGonagall had shared this strategy with her colleagues, because in each class afterward, the students sat nervously on edge, dreading the possibility of being assigned detention that would make them miss the evening's event.

...

Finally, eight o'clock arrived.

Some students had gone to the Great Hall early to wait, while others hadn't left at all since dinner, eager to secure a good spot. By the time Kyle and his friends arrived, a large crowd had already gathered. The long tables had been pushed to the sides once again, and the enchanted ceiling showed a perfectly clear sky filled with stars.

At precisely eight, Professor Lupin entered, right on time. He looked slightly nervous, likely unused to addressing such a large group of students.

"Relax, Remus," Professor McGonagall whispered, encouraging him. "Just be yourself, as if you were teaching a regular class."

Alongside Professor McGonagall, Professors Flitwick and Snape were present, as well as Madam Pomfrey from the Hospital Wing. The turnout was much grander than last year's Duelling Club.

Soon, Kyle and the others would understand why.

"First, I'd like to ask everyone to remain calm," Professor Lupin began, setting a large suitcase on the floor in front of him. "Some of you may think what I'm about to do is risky, but I believe the fastest way to learn the Patronus Charm is by confronting a Dementor directly."

All eyes turned to the suitcase at his feet. Realizing what he might mean, the students began to murmur, some inching back cautiously. Within moments, an empty ring had formed around Professor Lupin.

"Yes, as some of you may have guessed, there is a Dementor inside, provided by the Ministry of Magic." He clapped his hands, and immediately, the suitcase shook violently.

The murmuring grew louder, and some younger students were already glancing nervously toward the exit.

"Please, do not worry—I won't release it during the first club meeting," Professor Lupin reassured them. "And with several professors here, I assure you, everyone is perfectly safe." He raised his wand to his throat and cast a Amplifying Charm, amplifying his voice to hush the growing commotion.

"Of course, if anyone feels uncomfortable and would like to leave, I won't stop you. You're free to make that choice." He waved his wand, opening the large doors of the Great Hall.

A few students hesitated but chose to leave. However, many more remained.

"It seems you've all made up your minds," said Professor Lupin. "Anyone who wants to leave is welcome to do so at any time. For those who have chosen to stay, please settle down so we can begin learning the Patronus Charm."

"First, we need to understand this Charm. It's a highly advanced piece of magic that goes well beyond the skill level of an ordinary wizard. I can't guarantee that all of you will master it, but I'll do my best to teach each and every one of you."

With so many students present, Professor Lupin didn't call on anyone to answer as he might in a smaller class. Instead, he explained the Charm directly.

"A Patronus is a positive force—an external manifestation of hope, joy, and survival. Unlike a real person, a Patronus cannot feel despair, so it's unaffected by Dementors..."

Professor Lupin cleared his throat before continuing. "To make this spell work, you need to concentrate your entire will on a particularly happy memory. Do you remember what I asked you to do before the holidays? Those happy memories... Take a moment now to think of them."

Soon, everyone's expressions began to change as they focused on their memories.

"The incantation is," Professor Lupin said clearly, "Expecto Patronum."

"Expecto Patronum..."

"Now, concentrate on those happy memories, and speak the incantation," Professor Lupin instructed.

The students focused and followed his guidance. Gradually, wisps of silvery-white gas began to drift through the Great Hall, like early morning mist, gathering overhead and growing thicker with each attempt.

"Very good," Professor Lupin said with a smile. "It seems you're getting the hang of it. Are you ready for a more advanced exercise?"

"Yes," the students replied, their voices tense as they held their breath and gripped their wands tightly.

Professor Lupin placed a hand on the suitcase and gave it a light push. The suitcase didn't open fully, but several small holes appeared along its sides. Those closest could just make out a slow, shuddering intake of breath from within.

A sharp chill began to spread throughout the room, and the silvery mist that had filled the Great Hall vanished in an instant.

Some students started to tremble, their wands quivering as an intense urge to flee swept over them. Others clenched their teeth and repeated the spell even louder.

"Expecto Patronum..."

"Expecto Patronum!"

The silver mist continued to disperse as the coldness intensified, but little by little, new tendrils of silvery mist appeared, replacing the ones that had faded.

"Pfft!"

After an indeterminate time, Professor Lupin closed the holes in the suitcase, and the cold vanished as suddenly as it had come.