"PATRONUS"

PATRONUS: defensive charm; Lorelei Black hated the fact that she had to go back this year, she didn't think she would ever say this, but here she is and it's all because of stupid Umbridge, Merlin, Lorelei didn't think she was capable of this much hatred, but here she is with a trunk in her hand and her expression telling everyone that she'd rather go anywhere but back home at Hogwarts, everyone was saying goodbye at the Grimmauld place, and Lorelei now had a father to say goodbye to, but she was still mad at her mother — it's funny how she's never had them both at the same time.

"Take care, ok?" Sirius hugged his daughter with a sad smile on his face, it was hard to let her go this time, he'd just gotten her back and now she had to go back to school, "And if that Umbridge does mess with you, I give you full permission to use my name in every way possible"

Lorelei chuckled and then passed her father a small smile, "I wish I could stay here with you," Sirius's eyes lit up, "Hogwarts is shit this year, and we could've caught up on all the lost time"

"Well, you could—" Sirius was about to say something when Sirene passed him a glare, "I'm sorry, kid, I wish you could stay here with me too"

"It sucks" Lorelei whined as she looked at both her aunt and her father, "My last year at Hogwarts ruined like that"

"It'll be fine" Sirene reassured, though she knew she was lying and so did Lorelei — Lorelei raised her eyebrows, Sirene gave her a look, "Come here" she said and pulled her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"Dad..." Lorelei heard Regan say from the other side of the room as Andrew ruffled her hair and gave her a hug.

She hated leaving all this behind.

Especially for Umbridge.

Birdie seemed to be lost in her own world as she stood in the corner leaning on the table, she was staring at nothing in particular, but she seemed a bit troubled. Lorelei's eyes scanned the room for Hope finding her in a corner talking to Tonks, she pulled a face, Hope raised her eyebrows, Lorelei tilted her head towards Birdie, Hope frowned, Lorelei and Hope nodded.

For people who aren't as trained at best friend telepathy — Psst, Lupin. What? What's up with Birdie? I don't know. We should find out. Yeah, let's.

"So, did you read that book I gave you?" Hope asked Birdie and Lorelei and her joined the girl on both her sides, Lorelei wordlessly looped her arm around hers, "It's one my favorites, if you didn't like it, I will judge you."

"Oh, I haven't gotten around to reading it" Birdie said with an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, I'll try to, I haven't been able to concentrate on anything these days"

"You ok, Potter?" asked Lorelei.

Hope and her were concerned about the brunette, Birdie was always cheerful on the day they went back to Hogwarts, she doesn't know what's wrong today.

"It's weird, isn't it?" asked Birdie, she played around with the sleeves of her shirt, "I mean, Hogwarts is all we've ever known for years now it's been the one constant place for me, and now it's the last time we're ever gonna take the train to go there. Doesn't it feel scary?"

Lorelei and Hope paused, "It is yeah, it's terrifying" Hope responded earnestly, "It's going to be even more terrifying when we go out into the real world looking for jobs because let's be honest, between being the chosen one's sister, a bloodtraitor Black, and a werewolf's daughter werewolf isn't going to make it any easier"

"Thanks, Hope" Lorelei said satirically, "I feel so much better, you totally didn't make it even more scary..."

"It's not supposed to be less scary" Hope told the girls, "We're going to be scrutinized, judged, we might be jobless for a long time, but we'll make it through"

"I hope we do" Birdie joked, a grin stretching across her face. Lorelei and Hope groaned.

"Ok, she's back"

🫐

THE TIME BACK AT HOGWARTS WAS NOT FUN. Lorelei found herself dreading the class she once enjoyed the most, walking the hallways with a stiff attitude and holding herself back most of the times, she wasn't sure what Umbridge might do to make herself seem superior and she did not want to be expelled right before she finished school, she was hoping to do something in her life.

Oh, and Lorelei Black was sitting on a bad boy piece of information.

Remember her very smart and very dead uncle? Well, he's alive! Surprise!

Oh, and Voldemort created horcruxes, but she's not allowed to talk about it because her half dead half alive uncle forbid her from doing so in her dream.

As she said, she's sitting on a bad boy piece of information.

"Bubbles!" George interrupted her train of thoughts as he pulled her out of a curse's way, "Where are you? You almost got hit"

"Uh, nothing" Lorelei chuckled uncomfortably, "Just distracted, that's all"

George narrowed his eyes at her, "Something on your mind?" he asked her, "Or rather someone on your mind?" he'd asked that jokingly, though he was terrified of her answer, maybe she did have someone on her mind and he wasn't who that someone was.

"Someone, yeah" Lorelei nodded absentmindedly, they were about to cover patronuses today and Lorelei wasn't sure which memory she could use, she had happy memories she's sure, but she wasn't sure if they would be strong enough to conjure a patronus.

Everything somehow linked back to either her childhood, her mother, or...Cedric.

"Expecto Patronum!" Lorelei tried, she really did, but nothing happened — not even wisps, she assumed she hadn't been thinking of a happy enough memory, but then again nothing seemed happy enough.

"You're not thinking of a strong enough memory" Harry told her and Lorelei let her wand arm fall to her side, her shoulders slumped, "It doesn't exactly have to be completely happy, it can be bittersweet, it just has to be strong."

"I'm trying" Lorelei muttered pathetically, she sat down on the floor with her back against the wall — she felt like a toddler throwing a tantrum just because they didn't get what they wanted.

George looked at Harry who looked uncomfortable and walked away with a small nod and then at Lorelei who seemed to be having some sort of crisis, he sighed and then sat down next to her, nudging her shoulder with hers.

"Why is it bothering you so much?" George inquired, he hadn't seen her like this since that one time she'd sworn to learn how to create a flying carpet as a seven year old.

"I don't know, George" Lorelei mumbled, she used his full name, George quite liked it when she did that, "I just don't know why I can't do this, I'm good at DADA it's one of the only things I'm good at, and it just feels weird to not be good at it"

"Lorelei, you are good at DADA" George told her, his voice firm and comforting, "Just because you're not getting this one spell doesn't mean you're bad at the subject, besides you're Lorelei Black, sooner or later you're gonna ace this spell like every other one you've practiced"

On the other side of the room Birdie had finally conjured her patronus, a full corporeal patronus of a stoat that jumped around her in circles, Harry beamed at his older sister and the two of them high-fived.

"What did you think of?" Harry asked her as he watched the little stoat dance around.

"The moment I met you" Birdie told him, not hint of humor in her voice and Harry just looked shocked, his eyes as wide as moon as he stared at his sister, "What? You're surprised?"

"A little bit, yeah" Harry responded.

"Harry, I specifically remember telling you 'Oh, this is the best day of my life' on several occasions," Birdie said in a lighthearted tone, "I'd obviously heard about you from M and D, and growing up I'd watch all the kids play with their siblings and I'd think of you — and to see you that day, it felt too unreal, it was like a dream"

"I can't believe I was so rude to you past few years" Harry said, he seemed guilty, "I took my anger out, I was jealous, so much wasted time..."

"You had a perfectly normal reaction" Birdie told him, she placed a hand on his shoulder and then squeezed it, "And yeah, we wasted some time, but I think we've got the hang of the sibling thing now, wouldn't you say?"

"I don't know," Harry said, "Depends on whether you ate the rest of my chocolate snitches."

"Oh, what's that, Hope?" Birdie laughed awkwardly, "You need help, well, I'm coming right up!"

"This isn't funny!" Harry exclaimed, "You'll have to buy me those back!"

Lorelei felt a small smile growing on her face as she watched the interaction, for so long she'd seen Birdie wanting to develop a healthy brother-sister relationship (if there even is one) it felt like she'd been the one in midst of that too because of how much she was involved, the happiness only lasted so long though.

Some other kid got their patronus and Lorelei felt like drowning herself in the Black Lake.

"Come on," George got up, he offered her a hand that she gladly took as she hoisted herself up, "Cheer up, ok?"

Lorelei immaturely blew raspberries at him.

"El!" she heard a familiar voice say, she turned around to see Neville making his way over to them, he had a smile on his face and his kind eyes were glistening, "I just wanted to thank you for that gift in person, it really—" he took a deep breath, "It really means a lot to me"

Lorelei smiled, she'd sent Neville all the pictures she could find of Alice and Frank Longbottom in her aunt and uncle's photo album, she felt like the kid deserved at least that if not more, "No problem, Neville"

Neville's smile got bigger.

me trying to make up for the horrible regulus i have you all in sirene black