"Let me explain,"
Professor Lupin said slowly.
"The Patronus Charm is one of the most famous spells known to wizardkind, and one of the most powerful defensive spells as well…
It is an extremely complex and difficult spell that conjures a kind of semi-corporeal positive force—a Patronus.
It can drive away Dementors and Lethifolds, and there is no other defense against those creatures."
Lupin clearly knew the Patronus Charm very well, and his explanation remained gentle and patient.
"However, the vast majority of witches and wizards are unable to produce a Patronus in any form at all…"
"Then what do they do when they face Dementors?"
Ron asked.
Lupin was silent for a moment, then shook his head softly.
A chill immediately ran down the young wizards' spines.
If Sean's Patronus hadn't been there just now, what would the Dementor have done to them?
And the most terrifying part was that they would have had no way to resist it.
"Can I learn it?"
Hermione suddenly asked.
"Professor Lupin?"
After eating a piece of chocolate, Hermione clearly seemed to have accepted this professor from the bookshop a little more.
"The Patronus Charm is widely considered advanced magic, far beyond the level of an ordinary wizard, Miss Granger.
It is an exceptionally profound and highly complex spell. Even many experienced witches and wizards have difficulty using it.
So even producing a non-corporeal Patronus is regarded as a mark of considerable magical power."
Lupin did not answer Hermione directly. Instead, he explained it in such a way that she lowered her head slightly.
"What about Sean? I saw it just now… a cat?"
Ron scratched his head as he asked.
"Mr. Green… forgive me, everyone, but Mr. Green is the most gifted wizard I have ever met.
I find it very hard to imagine a wizard of his age producing a corporeal Patronus.
Of all the wizards I've known, not one of them ever managed such a thing."
Lupin spoke with a touch of amazement.
"Oh, well. It's Sean, isn't it…"
Ron nodded instead, as if that explained everything.
Lupin looked around and found that nearly all the young wizards wore the same expression of total agreement.
That surprised him a little.
"Anything you think is impossible—if you put Sean's name in front of it, then it becomes a fact."
Ron said it quietly, with feeling, shrugging his shoulders.
"Is that so?"
Lupin smiled.
"You'll find out eventually, Lu—"
"Lupin."
"Professor Lupin."
Ron looked absurdly world-weary, which was honestly a little funny.
With a long, rumbling whistle, the train finally pulled into Hogsmeade Station.
Everyone piled off at once, and the scene became chaotic.
Owls were hooting, cats were yowling, and Neville's pet toad was croaking wildly from under his hat.
The tiny platform was freezing, and the rain was pouring down in sheets, cold to the bone.
"First years, over here!"
a familiar voice shouted.
The moment Sean stepped off the train, he saw Hagrid's enormous figure at the far end of the platform, calling the frightened first years over to him so they could cross the lake in the traditional way.
"Hey! Sean!"
Hagrid waved at him and mouthed something silently.
Sean could tell he meant: remember to come by Hagrid's hut and talk about the first class of term.
After all, Sean was Hagrid's teaching assistant, even if he was still a student himself…
Still, no matter what, Hagrid felt he had to talk over the details of the lesson with Sean first, or he wouldn't feel at ease.
Naturally, Sean didn't particularly want Buckbeak ending up on the executioner's block again either, so he readily accepted Hagrid's invitation.
A few sharp pops sounded as Harry and the others got off the train too.
As though he were tethered to Harry, Sean heard a drawn-out, gloating voice near Harry's side.
"You fainted, Potter? Is what Longbottom said true? You really fainted?"
Malfoy shoved a few first years aside and blocked Harry on the platform leading toward the carriages, grinning from ear to ear, his gray eyes glittering with malice.
"Move, Malfoy,"
Ron said through clenched teeth.
"Did you faint too, Weasley?"
Malfoy said loudly.
"That nasty old Dementor scared you half to death as well, did it, Weasley?"
"Is there a problem here?"
said a mild voice.
Professor Lupin had stepped off the train.
Malfoy glared at Lupin with open arrogance and disdain, taking in the patches on his robes and the battered trunk at his side.
He said,
"Oh, no—er—Professor."
There was a trace of mockery in his voice.
Before he could say anything else, though, he caught sight of those unwavering green eyes.
Sean felt a faint sense of exasperation. In his view, Malfoy was practically Harry's shadow—whenever Harry got into trouble or made a fool of himself, Malfoy would appear, and if he could, he would bring a hundred cameras along to record it.
When Malfoy slunk off and they later rode the carriages up to the castle, Sean would think that all of this had started simply because Harry had refused Malfoy's arrogant offer of friendship in the Great Hall.
But none of that really mattered.
Sean thought that the Malfoy family had never once successfully done anything for Voldemort.
Outside the castle—
The young wizards followed the crowd up the stone steps, through the great oak doors, and into the vast, shadowy entrance hall.
Torches were burning there, and a magnificent marble staircase rose upward to the floors above.
To the right, the doors to the Great Hall stood open. Sean was just walking that way and had only just glanced up at the enchanted ceiling—
which tonight was a mass of dark storm clouds—
when a voice shouted:
"Sean—you boy—and Potter! I want to see both of you!"
Sean felt, for no clear reason, as though he had shrunk a little. He turned around with Harry, equally startled.
Professor McGonagall, Hogwarts' Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House, was calling at them over the heads of the crowd.
She was a stern-looking witch, her hair pulled into a tight bun, sharp eyes behind square spectacles.
"There's no need to look so alarmed—I only want to have a word with you in my office, Potter—"
she said to Harry, then turned her head toward Sean.
"As for you—you boy—you ought to be a little more nervous—"
Then she turned back and instructed,
"You go on ahead, Weasley, Granger, Longbottom—and you too, Finch-Fletchley."
The young wizards stared wide-eyed as Professor McGonagall led Harry and Sean away from the laughing, chattering crowd.
Together, they crossed the entrance hall, climbed the marble staircase, and walked along a corridor.
Professor McGonagall's office was small, but it was warmed by a blazing fire.
As soon as they entered, she motioned for them to sit down. She herself stopped beside Sean, then said abruptly:
"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that the two of you had a rather unpleasant encounter—"
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!