This was a true Patronus.
Compared to his own sluggish and lazy young iron-eating beast, it was much larger—and moved with far more grace and agility.
The Patronus took the form of a fully grown deer.
However, it lacked the sharp, imposing antlers of a stag. In their place were two triangular ears.
More accurately, it was a silver doe.
The Dementor that had just been closing in on Astoria fled like a sheep spotting a wolf... Within seconds, it backed out through the door and drifted into the air.
And it wasn't just that one—almost all the Dementors were affected by the silver doe. One after another, they began to retreat from the train. Countless dark figures could be seen flying off into the sky.
Jon quickly put away his wand and flashlight, then caught hold of Astoria.
She had completely lost consciousness and fallen into a deep faint.
He lifted her up, and by then, the silver doe had already vanished.
A moment later, Severus Snape burst in, his long black robes billowing.
He glanced around the compartment once, then said coldly, "Take her and come with me."
Jon quickly hoisted Astoria onto his back. She was light in his arms, almost weightless. Following in Snape's footsteps, they moved into the corridor.
The passageway was cluttered with overturned suitcases, scattered everywhere—clearly a result of the chaos caused by the Dementors forcing the train to stop.
With a flick of Snape's wand, the luggage floated back into the compartments, clearing a path for them.
They crossed more than a dozen compartments toward the front of the train. Then, the train began moving again.
Jon nearly lost his balance and fell with Astoria, but a sudden invisible force seemed to catch and steady them just in time.
"Watch it!" Professor Snape barked, then strode forward without looking back.
...
A few minutes later, they arrived at a compartment near the front of the train.
It was nearly twice the size of a regular compartment.
Much like Snape's office, shelves lined the walls, crammed with all sorts of bottles and jars.
Snape gave his wand a wave, and a hammock appeared in the open space.
Jon quickly carried Astoria over and laid her down on it.
Then, a silver flame sprang to life beside them. It was gentle, with no heat—only a faint warmth. Jon noticed Astoria's eyelids begin to twitch slightly.
"Hart, come help me!" Snape ordered brusquely. "Fetch Valerian root, Peppermint, and Daisy root."
A cauldron appeared before him, and he had already poured in half a bottle of glycerin.
Though it looked chaotic, Snape's herb shelf was organized with surgical precision by category and initial letter. Jon didn't take long to find the ingredients.
"Grind the Valerian root into powder. Dice the Daisy root into small pieces!" Snape commanded while working swiftly with practiced hands.
Jon kept an eye on Snape's movements out of the corner of his eye.
It was almost the first time he had seen Professor Snape actually brew a potion. In Potions class, Snape rarely performed demonstrations.
Now Jon finally understood why Severus Snape was regarded as a distinguished Potioneer across Europe.
His technique was incredibly refined—every step executed with precision. Even Peppermint, notorious for its instability, was perfectly obedient in his cauldron.
Jon had once thought he had a bit of talent for Potions and felt proud of it—but after today, he realized there was a fundamental gap between himself and a true Potions Master.
One by one, the ingredients were added to the cauldron...
Barely fifteen minutes later, the potion was ready—though Jon had no idea what it was supposed to be.
Astoria began to wake, though her face remained deathly pale.
"Make her drink this." The pale green potion, now bottled in glass, floated into Jon's hand.
He rushed to the hammock, stepped through the silver flames, and helped Astoria sit up.
"Drink this—it'll help you," he murmured.
Astoria gave a small nod, then frowned as she slowly swallowed the potion.
A fit of harsh coughing followed—
But color returned to her cheeks.
"Professor Snape..." she murmured.
"Mrs. Greengrass wrote to inform me," Severus Snape replied coolly. "She said there might be Dementors stopping the train today, and asked me to keep an eye on you."
He paused before continuing, "But I didn't expect you wouldn't be sharing a compartment with your sister, Miss Greengrass."
"I'm sorry, Professor Snape..." Astoria lowered her head.
"As for you, Hart!" Snape turned his sharp gaze on Jon. "Dumbledore told me over a month ago to teach you the Patronus Charm when I had time…"
"But clearly, you've already learned it. I don't know who taught you, but I assure you—the pitiful, crippled excuse for a 'Patronus' you summoned would bring them nothing but shame!"
Jon could only lower his head obediently.
"Listen, Hart!" Snape snapped. "The Headmaster expects me to teach you the Patronus Charm. Be in my office this Saturday afternoon. Understood?"
"Yes, Professor!"
"Now get out, both of you!"
Astoria had already stepped out.
Jon was just about to follow when a sudden thought struck him. He turned back. "Professor, the Patronus that saved us just now—it must've been yours. It looked like a..."
"It was a goat!" Snape roared. "Out!"
He shoved Jon out of the compartment and slammed the door behind him.