Chapter 62: Biggest Fear (2/2)
”All right then —” said Lupin. ”You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on — that one doesn't seem to have been strong enough —”
Harry gripped his wand tightly again and took up his position in the middle of the classroom.
”Ready?” said Lupin, gripping the box lid.
”Ready,” said Harry.
”Go!” said Lupin, pulling off the lid. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided forwards, drawing its rattly breath; one rotting hand was extending towards Harry —
”Expecto patronum!” Harry yelled. ”Expecto patronum!”
Chris realized it's still not working for Harry and she came between the Dementor and Harry holding her wand. Little thing she forgot that it was a boggart, as soon as she came in front of Harry.
Crack!
The Dementor started to change into a woman. A woman with same deep brown hair like her but her face had no kindness like Chris, she looked disgusted about something.
Chris froze looking at her.
The woman started to speak, ”How dare you to do that? You're just like your father hopeless. That's it I'm not taking you with me.”
There was another voice, the voice of a little girl, ”Please Mumma, Please — Don't leave me — Don't go. Don't leave me and Dad. I promise I'll be a good girl.” She was sobbing so badly that she couldn't even breath.
”No. You can't be a good girl. You can't be a good daughter. You don't deserve to be loved. I'm ashamed of you. I'm ashamed that I'm your mother.”
The little girl cried more loudly.
Professor Lupin came forward, Then the Woman turned into a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, ”Riddikulus!” almost lazily.
Crack! Professor Lupin locked it in the box again.
Chris was still standing there, holding her wand straight, like a statue. Harry and Lupin looked at her. Then Harry went towards her and put an arm around her shoulder. Chris jerked back to reality. She looked at Harry and then Lupin, she blinked back her tears and looked down.
”Sorry.” She whispered.
”It's alright. I should've trained you first for the boggart.” Lupin said.
”No. You said, not to come in front of Harry. I forgot.” Chris said quietly. ”You ok, Harry?”
”Yeah — You?” Harry said looking surprised.
”Yeah,” Chris said looking down. ”I was seven when this happened. I never thought it's my biggest fear.”
Harry hugged Chris by the shoulder.
”I'm fine,” Chris whispered.
”I heard my dad,” Harry mumbled. ”That's the first time I've ever heard him — he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it —”
Chris suddenly realised that there were tears on Harry's face as well mingling with the sweat. He hurriedly whipped them off on his robes.
”You heard James?” said Lupin, in a strange voice.
”Yeah —” Face dry, Harry looked up. ”Why – you didn't know my dad, did you?”
”I – I did, as a matter of fact,” said Lupin. ”We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry – perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced — I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this —”
”No!” said Harry. ”I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is — hang on —”
”Think about your parents,” Chris said suddenly. Harry looked at her. ”The Dementors are making it your weakness, you can change it into your strength. Think about happy things, like what would have happened if they were here, I mean — what they would have said to you after you won the house cup or the Quidditch matches, you said your Dad was a Quidditch player, so think how happy he felt when you caught the Snitch.”
As Chris said, a smile appeared on Harry's face. He faced the packing case once more.
”Stand aside Christina.” said Lupin, Chris went to the corner of the room, ”Ready?” Lupin said to Harry, he looked as though he was doing this against his better judgement. ”Concentrating hard? All right – go!”
He pulled off the lid of the case for the third time, and the Dementor rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark —
”EXPECTO PATRONUM!” Harry bellowed. ”EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!”
Soon a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand, to hover between him and the Dementor.
Professor Lupin forced it inside the box again and Harry sank into a chair.
”You did great,” Chris said coming beside him.
”Excellent!” Lupin said, striding over them. ”Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!”
”Can we have another go? Just one more go?” Harry pleaded.
”Not now,” said Lupin firmly. ”You've had enough for one night. Here —”
He handed Harry and Chris two large bars of Honeydukes' best chocolate.
”Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?”
”OK,” said Harry and Chris.
”Not you Christina. I don't think you need any more lessons on that. You need to learn other advanced spells before this,” Lupin said and Chris nodded.
Chris took a bite and watched Lupin extinguishing the lamps that had rekindled with the disappearance of the Dementor.
”Professor Lupin?” Harry said. ”If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well.”
Lupin turned very quickly. Chris looked at Harry curiously.
”What gives you that idea?” he said sharply.
”Nothing — I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts, too —” Harry muttered.
Lupin's face relaxed.
”Yes, I knew him,” he said shortly. ”Or I thought I did. You'd better get off, Harry, it's getting late.”
”Sometimes our feelings tell us the truth, Professor, not the thing we hear from others,” Chris said and Lupin looked at her curiously.
But Chris walked out absently.
Chris and Harry walked in silence in the empty corridors, finally, Harry spoke, ”I understand now why don't you want to talk about your mother. I mean who says so horrible things to her daughter?”
”Yeah. Well, it was kind of my fault too.” Chris said with a bitter smile.
”What?”
”Yes. She took me to meet the person she was going to marry after she divorced my Dad. I kind of put his suit on fire, it was a small thing but, because of my magic, it almost burned him. My mom didn't know about my magic abilities, of course, everyone thought it's an accident but my mother accused me. Said those things to me.” Chris sighed. ”I don't think about it anymore but when I was seven it affected me greatly. I think that's why the boggart turned out like that.”
”You're really brave Chris. I don't know what I would have done. I miss my parents very much. Especially now when I can hear them.” Harry said.
”You can always feel them inside your heart Harry. You don't need Dementors for that.” Chris said smiling a little.