Hermione stood up, handed the parchment to Seamus to add his signature, then pinned the paper with everyone's names to the wall, drawing the large letters "D.A." at the top.
"Now then, I think we should choose a leader," Orli said. "I think Harry would be excellent."
Harry turned to stare at her with the expression of a child suddenly thrown into kindergarten.
"Orli, you didn't mention this before... weren't we supposed to do this together..."
"So—who thinks Harry should lead our group?" Orli asked, ignoring Harry and raising her own hand.
Everyone raised their hands, even the Ravenclaw boys, though their movements seemed somewhat reluctant.
"Er—thanks..." Harry said, his face reddening. Orli started clapping, sparking a small round of applause.
"So... I suppose our first lesson should..." Harry looked to Orli for help.
"Perhaps we could start with the Patronus Charm. I'm guessing that's how Hermione promoted this to everyone, right?" Orli picked up where he left off. "Besides defending against Dementors, the Patronus Charm has many other functions. If you can make your Patronus speak simple words, you can use them to send messages. Even more magical—" Her gaze swept across the boys and girls present. "It can reflect what's in your heart. Because casting a Patronus requires your happiest memory, which is usually related to love. If you deeply love someone, your Patronuses will be connected, even identical."
A low murmur arose, with several people beginning to whisper and exchange meaningful glances. Cho Chang and Cedric gazed at each other with tender expressions.
"—But this isn't the only test of love. Everyone has their own unique qualities, of course. I don't recommend using this to test true feelings," Orli quickly added. She didn't want the Patronus Charm to cause any couples to break up. While she wanted to spark everyone's interest, this powerful spell wasn't meant for love divination.
"Perhaps we should start with something simpler, like the Disarming Charm," Hermione said with a frown.
"Moody already taught us that last year!" a Ravenclaw complained.
"You mean Avery, don't you?" Harry said, fixing his gaze on the boy. The student lowered his head.
"Fake Moody did teach us some things, and we'll practice dueling later, using spells like the Impediment Jinx and Disarming Charm," Orli said. "But I think everyone would like to know what their Patronus is, right?"
A chorus of agreement rose up.
"Expecto Patronum!" Orli casually flicked her wand, summoning her silvery cheetah. It leaped gracefully through the air a few times, then stood beside her, lingering for a long moment.
Many eyes lit up as people murmured in low voices.
"Harry," Orli nudged his elbow and glanced at his wand. Harry belatedly called out:
"Expecto Patronum!"
A large-antlered stag leaped from his wand, pacing cautiously in place. Orli's cheetah approached and playfully nipped at the stag's throat. They chased and played for a while before both Patronuses dissolved into the air.
"So, is there any difference between carnivores and herbivores?" Luna asked with great interest.
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