Our first Care of Magical Creatures lesson was…well, interesting.

Hermione and I knew what the lesson was going to be – meeting hippogriffs.

The lesson didn’t start off too well. Nobody knew how to actually open our books – The Monster Book of Monsters was, as the title suggested, dangerous. Anja and I had bound our books tightly with Sellotape.

It was the best thing I could find, even if it was a Muggle invention.

Hagrid seemed discouraged by our being unable to open. He told us to stroke the spines and then went off to get the Magical Creatures – the hippogriffs.

“Ooooh!” Lavender exclaimed. Everyone turned to follow her gaze.

The hippogriffs had appeared out of the Forest. They were many different colours.

He explained that they were very proud creatures. I took my notebook out of my bag and started taking notes from the book.

Hagrid asked who would like to come forward and meet them.

I was a bit worried, to be honest. They didn’t look particularly friendly. They did have talons and sharp beaks, after all.

Finally, Harry stepped forward – just as I plucked up the courage to step forward. Hagrid introduced him to Buckbeak, the hippogriff I had met the previous day. He bowed, as Hagrid had told us, and kept eye contact. Buckbeak regarded him coolly for a few seconds before sinking into a bow.

Everyone applauded, including me. Alex raised his eyebrows. “Those are some interesting creatures.”

Anja nodded, grinning. “Definitely.”

Harry’s show wasn’t over yet. He then rode Buckbeak around for a little while. He landed hard on the ground, and just from the expression on his face, I could tell it was uncomfortable.

Then the rest of us had our turns at meeting the hippogriffs.

I wanted to have a go at Buckbeak, because he’d met me before, but Draco, Crabbe and Goyle got there first.

I tried not to look too disappointed. If I told Blaise, Alex and Anja that I’d already met Buckbeak, they would ask all kind of questions that I wasn’t allowed to answer.

So, instead, we found a different hippogriff.

I went first, the others all being a little anxious, and bowed to the bird. I kept eye contact and didn’t blink – that last was incredibly difficult.

The bird sank into a bow and I slowly stepped forward and cautiously patted its beak.

Then I stepped back and Alex stepped forward, ready to have his turn.

As it happened, I glanced over to my right. Draco was patting Buckbeak’s beak, looking disdainful.

Then he took away his hand and faced the bird.

All the signals in my brain were yelling, “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!”

“You’re not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?”

“Never insult a hippogriff. It may just be the last thing you do,” I remembered Hagrid saying.

Buckbeak reared up and slashed Draco’s arm. Draco fell to the ground, clutching a huge bleeding gash on his arm.

Hagrid rushed over. He dismissed the class and took Draco up to the hospital wing.

Everyone broke out in argument as to whether it was Draco’s fault, but I was just worried for Hagrid. If someone was severely injured in a new teacher’s first class, then the teacher didn’t have much of a chance.

***

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, we were led by Professor Lupin to a classroom with a wardrobe in the centre. The wardrobe was shaking like mad.

He told us not to worry – this was a Boggart. Most people seemed to be under the impression that this was in fact a reason to worry.

I knew that it would be perfectly fine, and, glancing at Hermione, I could tell that we both knew exactly what a Boggart was.

He asked what a Boggart was and I let Hermione answer.

It was a creature that would show whatever we worst feared.

We were taught the charm ‘Riddikulus’.

Lupin got Neville to do a demonstration, beginning by asking him what his worst fear was. “Professor Snape.”

Well, that was awkward.

Then he asked him to describe his grandmother’s clothes.

I had an idea where this was going…

Next Lupin told Neville that when the Boggart came out, he would have to imagine it wearing his grandmother’s clothes.

Everyone laughed, including me. I was interested to see how this would turn out.

The Boggart came out in the form of my Father.

I was terrified.

Not.

“Riddikulus!”  Neville squeaked, and Father was suddenly wearing a vulture-topped hat, holding a red handbag and wearing a green dress.

I couldn’t help laughing.

Then everyone had to come up with a way to make their worst fear funny.

I didn’t know what my worst fear would be…

Then I was horribly reminded of the train ride to school.

The Dementors.

They would easily be my worst fear.

But how in Merlin’s name was I supposed to make a Dementor funny?

I thought for a little while, listening to other people mutter to themselves. And finally, I had it.

How funny does a dancing Dementor sound?

But then I realised that without Professor Lupin’s Anti-Dementor lessons, I would probably faint anyway.

I looked over at Harry and saw him visibly struggling.

Lupin moved the Boggart on, around the class.

It was Ron’s turn. A huge spider appeared. “Riddikulus!” he shouted, and the spider’s legs disappeared.

The legless spider body rolled to a stop at Harry’s feet. Harry raised his wand. I was interested to see what his worst fear was, but before the ‘spider’ could change form, Lupin jumped in front of it and the legless spider turned into a crystal ball. Neville finished the Boggart off and the class was dismissed.

That was odd.

Why wouldn’t Lupin want Harry to face his Boggart?

As usual, Hermione and I hung around in the classroom, waiting for Professor Lupin to leave.

But he didn’t. He came over to us and told me, “Jade, 7:30 tonight. Tell the others.”

I nodded, presuming that he was talking about my Anti-Dementor lesson.

Hermione turned to me. “What was that all about?”

I quickly explained before we went back in time to our next class.

***

At precisely 7:25 pm that evening, Blaise, Anja and I left the Common Room to go meet up with Alex.

We walked towards Lupin’s office.

When we got there and knocked, Lupin opened the door. “Ah, good evening. Please follow me.”

He led us to an empty classroom in the centre of which a box stood.

“There you are. The Dementor is in there,” he explained. “I pushed it into the box using the Patronus Charm.”

Alex looked excited. “So how do we perform the Patronus Charm?” he asked.

“The charm is Expecto Patronum. However, that will not be all. You also need to think of a happy memory. And it must be a very happy memory.”

I thought for a while…then I remembered the first time I had ridden a broom.

Hopefully that would be powerful enough.

“Who would like to go first?” Lupin enquired. We looked at each other. Alex appeared somewhat nervous, despite having been very eager before.

Without really considering, I stepped forward. Lupin smiled. “Excellent. I thought you might be first. Now, be ready, I am releasing the Dementor…”

He opened the box, and out swooped the Dementor. Before I could faint, I raised my wand, concentrating on the memory of the first time I rode my broom.

“Expecto Patronum!” I heard myself.

I saw Father and another woman telling me that my mother was dead.

No, I saw myself riding a broom…

“Your mother is dead…”

No, I was riding my…riding my…

I passed out with the word broom still on my lips.

“JADE EVANS WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!” Blaise yelled, and my eyes snapped open. He looked pleased. “Oh, yay, it worked!”

I sat up quickly and got to my feet. The box was closed again.

Professor Lupin smiled at me, handing me a piece of chocolate, which I ate. “You fainted. That’s fine. You did produce an indistinct Patronus, which is quite amazing for someone of your age on your first go. Especially amazing that Mr Johnson here managed to do the same.”

He indicated Alex, who grinned.

The other two shrugged.

“I want to try again,” I declared, stepping forward. Lupin looked worried.

“I don’t know that that is a good idea –” he began.

I shook my head stubbornly. “I’m going to try again.”

He sighed. “If you insist…but I’m afraid it is unlikely that you will succeed. If you want a chance, you will need to think of a stronger memory.”

I nodded, thinking. Then I had it.

The day Father had accepted me as his daughter.

I let the memory fill me up…

“Ready?” Professor Lupin asked. I nodded again, readying myself.

He opened the box.

This time, I was ready. “Expecto Patronum!”

Some silvery-white light came out of the end of my wand.

“Your mother is dead…”

But I had Father!

“Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!” I shouted, and a silvery-white light in the shape of a Barn Owl emerged from my wand.

I focused on the first time I had gone to Father’s house, ignoring the images of my toddler self crying.

The Barn Owl flew at the Dementor and it was forced backwards, back into the box, until…

The box shut and the Dementor was gone. I let the owl evaporate.

Then I turned to Professor Lupin.

He was grinning.

“I think that’s enough for today.”