Palms sweaty, knuckles white around the handle of an eleven and a half inch holly wand, brown eyes flicking from side to side, Maris stood in the middle of the room, waiting.



“Alright, Maris, you’re up next.”



She nodded, stepping forward and raising her wand.



“Now, remember, concentrate on that memory,” the instructor said.



Maris nodded, swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes.



‘You can do it this time,’ she thought. ‘Come on, Maris!’



“Expecto Patronum!”



A white silvery mist began to swirl out of the tip of her wand. Before it could take definite shape, it vanished.



Maris opened her eyes, a frown wrinkling the corners of her mouth.



“I’m sorry, sir, I guess I’m not concentrating hard enough.”



“It’s alright, Maris,” the instructor said, patting her on the shoulder. He then turned and addressed everyone in the room. “You must not only concentrate on the happy memory, but you must say the spell with strength and determination.”



“Mr. Potter,” a young man in the back of the room said.



“Yes, Dresden, what’s the question?”



“What do you mean ‘with strength’?”



“Well,” Harry paused. “Like when you are pushing something heavy to move it, and you bear down and heave with all your might. That added ‘strength’ helps your Patronus take shape.”



Maris stepped back in line with the rest of the students, and listened to Harry Potter explain, again, the proper way to conjure a Patronus.



Twenty years old and finally deciding that it was time for something different, she had been in the Auror training program for six weeks now, almost half way through, and she still couldn’t produce a corporeal Patronus. Several of the Auror recruits had mastered the spell, and had been allowed to move to the advanced training learning how to use their Patronus to send signals to other Aurors.



“Now, Maris, pay attention,” Harry said.



Maris looked up, her cheeks turning red.



“Sorry, sir,” she said.



“Once again, I will show you, but you can gain only so much from watching. This spell is one that each person has to learn in their own way.”



Maris stood still with the others, watching and waiting. She loved when Harry produced the beautiful stag, which he had told them was named Prongs.



“Expecto Patronum!”



From Harry’s wand, the beautiful stag appeared, without hesitation, and began walking around the room.



‘He makes it look so easy,’ Maris thought.



After a few moments, the Patronus disappeared.



“That’s all for today,” Harry said. “Go home and practice. Remember, in order to graduate, you must be able to produce a Patronus.”



The class gathered their things and began to leave. Maris lagged behind, waiting for the room to empty before she left.



“Everything alright, Maris?”



She turned to see Harry standing by the door.



“Yeah,” she said. “I just get a little nervous when I have to perform a spell in front of the class.”



“Well, you’ll get over that. When it comes down to it, you’ll get it. Don’t worry,” he said with a smile, and then left the room.



Maris took two deep breaths, and looked around the room. Very plain, nothing hanging from the brick walls, which Harry had explained was necessary when learning this spell to keep from getting distracted.



She looked down at the wand in her hand, then raised it and closed her eyes again.



*~*



A cool breeze shifted some hair to the front of her face, covering her eyes. Standing in the backyard of her parents’ home, under her favorite tree, Maris watched the sunrise.



Something cold and wet nudged the side of her thigh, and she looked down at her redbone coonhound, Phoenix.



“Hey, girl,” she said, leaning down and scratching the dog behind the ears. “Have you come out here to watch it with me?”



Phoenix licked her hand and nudged her leg again.



“What’s the matter?” she asked, kneeling down to be eye level with her best friend.



Phoenix let out a soft growl, not threatening, and started walking back towards the house, stopping half way to turn and see if Maris was following.



“Alright, alright, I’m coming,” she said, and followed Phoenix back to the house.



Entering through the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted to her and she found her mom and her dad sitting at the table, reading a letter written on parchment paper, in emerald green ink.



“Mom, what’s that?” she asked.



Her mom just looked up and beamed at her. Her dad got up and walked over to her, his newspaper falling to the floor in his haste, and enclosed her in a tight hug, which lifted her off the floor.



“We’re so proud of you!” he exclaimed.



She looked back and forth between her parents, unable to hide the smile on her face.



“What is going on?”



Her mom’s smile widened. “You have been offered a place.”



“A place where? Come on mom!”



“Hogwarts!”



Maris’ jaw dropped.



“What?”



“You got a letter this morning!” her mom said, excitedly. “We opened it because we didn’t know what it could be from, someone writing to our eleven year old daughter; but it’s from Hogwarts.”



“AH!” Maris screamed, jumped up and down, and ran around the kitchen, hugging and kissing her parents, and petting a now excited Phoenix who also started running around the room and barking.



“Mom,” she said, stopping. “Grace isn’t the only one anymore! Now everyone can brag about me too!”



“That’s right sweet heart,” her mom said.



“Can I go call her?”



“Sure, and tell Grace to put her mom on the phone after, I want to talk to your aunt.”



Maris squealed again, and ran out to the living room to call her cousin.



*~*



“Expecto Patronum!”



Maris kept her eyes closed tight, concentrating as hard as she could. A silvery form began to take shape in front of her. She chanced opening her eyes and was shocked; she could almost make out an image.



But no sooner had she let her concentration slip the silvery form disappeared.



“Ugh!” she yelled, throwing her wand. “What is wrong with me?”



Maris put her hands up to her face and ran them up over her head and through her dark brown hair.



She sighed and walked over to where her wand had landed, and picked it up.



‘I’ll never get it!’ she thought to herself.



The door creaked open, and Maris turned around.



“Maris?” a tall, blonde haired woman, just a year older than Maris, asked peeking her head inside the door.



“Hey, Grace,” Maris said. “Sorry, I’m coming.”



Each new Auror in training was assigned a certified Auror to work with while learning the ropes. Maris had been lucky enough to have been paired with her cousin Grace.



“Don’t worry about it,” Grace said, entering the room. “Harry told me that you were having trouble and getting frustrated with your Patronus.”



“Yeah,” Maris said, looking down at her wand. “Hey, Grace, you ever feel like because we are Muggle born, we can’t-”



“Don’t you even suggest that!” Grace said, raising her voice to interrupt Maris. “You know that that is ridiculous nonsense. Being Muggle born has nothing to do with it. Everyone struggles at first with their Patronus.”



“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just frustrated.”



“Come on, I’ve got one call I want you to help me with, then we’ll go for a drink in Hogsmeade.”



Maris nodded, and they both left the room.



*~*~*~



The air was warm in the Three Broomsticks. Several people, taking a break from their shopping, were seated at the various tables laughing and conversing with one another.



Maris sat with Grace at a table close to Madam Rosmerta’s bar. Maris sipped her Butterbeer and sat silently, thinking about her earlier failure.



“Maris,” Grace said. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re going to stress yourself out.”



“I know,” Maris replied. “I’m trying.”



Grace nodded and sipped the fire whiskey she had ordered.



“Well, when you graduate the program,” she said, a smile coming to her face. “I am taking you for a week, and we are going to go home.”



Maris looked up. “You mean it? I haven’t been home in ages!”



Grace nodded. “I’ve made the Portkey arrangements, and-”



“Grace! Maris! Get up, let’s go!”



“What’s going on?” Grace asked, as one of her partners in the Auror office dashed by their table.



“They’re calling in everyone. There’s a situation in Diagon Alley.”



“Come on,” Grace said to Maris.



Maris put her hand into her pocket to double check that her wand was there. Her palms had already begun to sweat; this was her first emergency case.



“We’re Apparating in front of the Leaky Cauldron,” Grace’s partner said.



“What about the Muggles?” Maris asked.



“Muggle repelling charms have been placed in a one mile radius down both sides of the street.”



Maris nodded and jogged to keep up with her cousin as they headed to the Apparition point, located past the Hog’s Head.



After being pressed uncomfortably on all sides, Maris found herself standing outside the Leaky Cauldron next to Grace. Harry Potter was in the front of the gathering crowd of Aurors. Maris looked around. The street was unusually dark and empty. No cars, busses or people could be seen in either direction. She suspected this was due to the Muggle repelling charms.



A few moments after they had arrived, Harry motioned for silence.



“Alright, everyone, this is what we train for. There have been several Death Eaters seen running around Diagon Alley. They may or may not still be there, probably not as we have a report of a Dark Mark sighting, but I want everyone to be alert. You don’t know what they could have brought with them and left behind.”



All of the Aurors nodded in consent, and took out their wands.



“I want everyone in teams of two,” Harry ordered. “Trainees, stay with your assigned Auror.”



They slowly made their way into the Leaky Cauldron and out to the back of the pub where the entrance to Diagon Alley was located.



Harry tapped the brinks in the appropriate order, and they stood back as the wall transformed into the entranceway to Diagon Alley.



Harry began ushering the teams of Aurors through the archway. When Maris and Grace reached the entrance, Harry stopped them.



“Grace I want you two to be the first pair to go down Knockturn Alley.”



“Alright,” Grace said nodding.



Maris, right behind her, swallowed a large lump in her throat.



“You ready?” Harry asked her.



“Yes,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Yes, I’m ready.”



Harry nodded at the two of them, and they walked past him, Grace leading the way down Knockturn Alley.



Knockturn Alley was even darker than Diagon Alley and the London street outside had appeared. The shadows were darker and the buildings seemed to loom over them. A light mist floated over the ground, and a moist heaviness hung in the air, making the robes of the two witches cling to their bodies.



Maris could feel her heart pumping, and tightened the grip on her wand.



They walked on in silence, pausing a few times, wand at the ready, but each time it had been a false alarm; a cat knocking something over, or a rat scurrying across their path.



They neared the end of the alley, and stopped.



“Ok, nothing down here, I think we should head back to the others now,” Grace said.



“Should I lead this time?” Maris asked.



“No,” Grace said. “I’ll lead.”



Most young Aurors in training would have been offended, but not Maris. She understood that with her nervous mastery of most spells, she would be a risk leading the walk back.



Halfway down the alley, Maris saw it. One of the shadows was gliding towards them, the air around them turning cold, and a loud sucking sound reaching her ears. A dementor.



Maris heard Grace scream and tore her eyes away from the dark specter to look at her cousin.



“No…no…no!” Grace was on the floor screaming, her blue eyes wide with a far away look.



Maris felt the air drop even further in temperature around her; she saw something in her mind’s eye.



*~*



“I don’t want to leave her!” she cried, running over to her dog and throwing her arms around Phoenix’s neck.



“I know you don’t honey, but you can’t take her. You’re not allowed.”



“It’s not fair mom, she’s my friend,” Maris cried, while hugging Phoenix tightly.



“We’ll let you say goodbye, but we have to go sweetheart,” her mom said, leaving the room.



Maris looked at Phoenix who whined and nuzzled into Maris’ chest.



“I’m sorry, I don’t want to leave you,” Maris said, tears rolling down her face.



Phoenix whined again, and followed Maris as she grabbed her things and went out the door.



She could hear Phoenix howling in a melancholy tone, until they drove around the corner of her street.



*~*



“No!” Maris yelled.



She fought to push the unhappy memory the dementor had just caused her to relive out of her mind. It was getting closer to her cousin.



“I won’t let you!” she yelled.



She reached desperately for her happiest memory. She closed her eyes.



*~*



“Where are we going, mom?” Maris asked, craning her neck to look out the window of the car.



“You’ll see,” her dad answered from the driver’s seat with as smile.



Maris loved when her parents took her on random trips, but this time was different. There was something in the way her parents kept smiling and glancing at each other. This time was special.



After about ten minutes of driving, which felt like hours to the nine and a half year old in the back seat, the car turned off the road, and came to a stop at the end of a long driveway.



“Alright, we’re here,” her mom said, and she helped Maris get out of the car.



“What is this place?” Maris asked, looking up at the big white house in front of her.



Her parents just smiled and lead her around to the back of the house.



“Hi, Jim,” her dad said to a man, who was standing next to a fenced in area.



“You’re here,” the man said, shaking her dad’s hand. “Well, take your time, just come get me when you’ve chosen.”



“Thanks,” her dad told him.



“Chosen what, mom?” Maris asked, looking up at her mother.



“Ask your father.”



Maris looked at her dad. “What do you get to choose?”



Her dad smiled. “You get to choose, Maris. Come here.”



Her dad lead her towards the fenced off area, and opened the gate for her to step in. There, rolling around and playing with each other, were seven red looking puppies.



“A puppy!” Maris exclaimed.



“That’s right,” her dad said. “These are redbone coonhounds. And you can pick which ever one you like.”



Maris squealed and kneeled down as they came over to investigate the new person who had entered their pen.



She smiled and played with each one. Then she noticed that one had stayed towards the back of the group, and was trying to find a way around. She watched the puppy make it all the way around the group to her side. It nudged her with its nose and licked her t-shirt.



Maris smiled and picked it up.



“This one,” she said, smiling widely at her parents.



“You sure,” her mom asked.



“Yes,” Maris said, hugging the cute floppy eared creature, which proceeded to lick her hand.



“Well, what are you going to call her? That one is a girl,” her dad told her.



Maris looked at the small red puppy in her hands.



“You’ll be my best friend won’t you?” she asked, gently rubbing behind her small ears.



“Phoenix,” she said, after a few moments and looked up at her parents. “I’ll call her Phoenix.”



*~*



“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” she yelled, with all the strength she could.



A fully formed Patronus appeared and started straight in for the dementor. When it started barking, Maris opened her eyes.



“Phoenix?” she whispered.



Her Patronus continued barking at the retreating dementor, and Maris snapped out of her trance.



She ran over to Grace, draped one of her arms over her shoulders and began steering her cousin back towards Diagon Alley.



The further she moved from the dementor, the warmer the air started to become. She ignored all the dark shadows that kept looming out at her; forced herself to keep going.



“What happened?” Harry asked, running over to help them when she finally made it back.



“A dementor, about half way down,” Maris panted.



Harry led a team of four other Aurors down Knockturn Alley.



Maris helped Grace sit down.



“Are you alright?”



Grace nodded, but did not speak, still shivering with a lingering cold.



Twenty minutes later, Harry and the other Aurors returned.



“It’s gone,” Harry said, and then he smiled. “But, we did find this.”



Maris’ Patronus came bounding out from behind Harry. Maris’ jaw dropped.



“Phoenix!”



A tear rolled down her face as she watched the image of her old dog bounce around, barking.



She reached out to touch her, but Phoenix looked at her, barked and trotted away, disappearing.



Maris looked around. Harry was beaming.



“You did well,” he said. “You saved both Grace and yourself.”



Maris nodded, and another tear rolled down her cheek. Her Phoenix had saved her.



“I knew you could do it.”



Maris looked down to see Grace smiling up at her.



Maris smiled and helped her cousin up. They walked back into the Leaky Cauldron to await the ministry cars that had been called to take Grace to St. Mungo’s.



She still couldn’t believe that Phoenix had been her Patronus.



The cars pulled up, and Harry helped Maris get Grace into the car. Maris got in right after her.



“Oh, and Maris,” Harry said, causing Maris to turn a look at him before closing the door.



“You’ve just passed your first level Patronus course.”



With that, he shut the door and sent them on their way; Maris smiled the whole way there.