Chương 13: A Lesson in Light
Daphne had made it to the empty classroom first and when Harry walked in was practicing the shield charm that he had showed her a few days ago. Harry watched her cast it and every time the shield started strong but quickly faded away. After the third attempt Harry noticed what she was doing wrong.
"Don't twist your wrist so much when you cast." Harry advised, startling Daphne who had been concentrating so hard she had not noticed him come in. She nodded and tried again. This time the shield came up and stayed that way. For a few moments Daphne inspected the shield, looking for flaws. Finding none she let it fade out and turned towards Harry and put her wand away, smiling at her accomplishment. Then, completely shocking Harry, she walked over to him and gave him a brief hug. He did not even think to return it before Daphne pulled away, ending the brief contact.
"Thanks, Potter. You did great in the tournament, too! I knew the parseltongue would work. So were you able to understand the dragon?" she asked excitedly.
"No, I wasn't even sure that the dragon understood me until she started sniffing her eggs. I was almost ready to try the other plan until that happened." Harry answered. "So, do you want to see the egg?"
"Of course I do." Harry set down a bag he had slung over his shoulder and opened it. Daphne looked a little awed when she finally was able to see the golden egg up close. Harry chose not to tell her anything about the egg, hoping that maybe she would be able to find out something about it that he was not able to. Finding that the top part was a latch, she slowly turned it as Harry recast the silencing charm on the room. As expected, the loud shrieking noise filled the room, causing them both to wince. Daphne, however, did not slam the egg shut like Harry had done. Instead she began to look at the inside of the egg which was filled with swirling lights and colors. After several minutes she closed the egg and looked at it with a thoughtful expression on her face. Harry was about to say something when she opened the egg again and then immediately closed it.
"So, what do you think?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure. I thought that maybe there was some kind of lock on it and you had to open it a certain way in order for it to work, but it looks like there is only one way to open it."
"So if it isn't about how you open it then there must be something you do once you open it."
"Probably. When is the next task?" Daphne asked.
"Not until the end of January. So I have a while to figure it out."
"I doubt the egg is going to tell you how to beat the next part of the tournament, just to tell you what it is. So you better hope you can figure this out in the next couple of weeks."
"True." Harry gazed at the egg, deep in thought. "Open the egg again, I want to try something" Daphne nodded. opened the egg, and sat it down on a nearby desk. Harry smiled in thanks then raised his and said "Silencio!", casting the silencing charm on the egg. Immediately the shrieking noise stopped, but otherwise the egg remained the same.
"What did you think that would do?" Daphne asked.
"I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe I should try some other spells on it. How about Incendio?"
"You want to set the egg on fire?"
"It would make sense wouldn't it? After all I took the egg from a dragon, and when Hagrid had that dragon egg in first year he kept it over a fire until it hatched."
"Hagrid had a dragon egg?! You never told me that story, Potter." Daphne said, laughing.
"I guess I forgot. He had to give the dragon up, though. Ron's brother works on a dragon preserve and he was able to come and take it there. Anyway, let me try this." Harry started by dispelling the silencing charm and as soon as he did the awful sound returned. He wasted no time in casting Incendio on the egg, but nothing happened. Realizing that the dragon egg was only kept over the fire before it hatched Harry grabbed the golden egg off of the desk and closed it. He then took a few steps back and recast the spell, but still nothing happened. Sighing in disappointment, Harry sat down and stared at the egg angrily.
"It was a good idea, even if it didn't work out." Daphne said, sitting down at a desk near his.
"Thanks. Maybe I'll just have to wait on you having another brilliant idea. I really owe you for last time."
"Don't mention it." she answered with a shrug.
"No, I mean it. If there is anything I could do to thank you just let me know."
"Anything, huh?
"Well… within reason, yes."
"There is one thing, but I'm not sure you would want to do it."
"What?" Harry asked, very interested in what he could do to help her.
"Teach me how to cast the Patronus charm. You said you can cast a corporeal Patronus, right? I want to learn it, too."
"Sure, but why?"
"My father mentioned that it was important I learn it for some reason, and you are the only person I know here that can cast one other than the teachers. Come on Potter, let's see that Patronus."
"Fine." Harry took out his wand and started thinking about which memory to use. Remembering how he felt the previous year when Sirius said he would like it if he would come live with him, Harry jabbed out his wand and yelled "Expecto Patronum!" Immediately a pale, white stag leapt from Harry's wand and began to walk around the room as if it was looking for danger. Seeing none, it turned back towards Harry and approached him. Harry noticed Daphne staring and motioned her over. "You can get closer, he isn't going to hurt you." Daphne walked towards the ghost-like stag and attempted to pet him but was disappointed when her hand went straight through.
"This is amazing, it looks so real." Daphne whispered in awe, and then turned towards Harry and demanded: "Now you've got to show me how to do it." Harry nodded and ended the spell, causing the stag to turn into mist and then dissipate.
"It took me months to learn last year when Professor Lupin taught it to me. But I think that is because the way he does it and the way I do it are a little different."
"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.
"Well, I've played around with this spell a little bit this year and I think I've figured out how it works. Professor Lupin told me to focus on a powerful, happy memory when I cast the spell but the more I think about it the more I realize it isn't the memory that is important. It is the emotion. If you could make yourself feel happy without thinking of a memory then that would work just fine, but you really have to feel the emotion for it to work."
"I think that makes sense. So I need to come up with a memory or some other way to provoke a feeling of happiness?"
"Sure, but any other positive emotion would work too. Once you've cast the spell if you lose focus on that feeling then the patronus will fade away. I have an idea about why it happens, but I don't think I really have any way to see if I'm right."
"Tell me what you think."
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