Lyra prepares herself mentally and tries to think of her happy memory. 'ok, got it' she says to herself. "Expecto Patronum" A silvery mist comes from the tip of her wand to form an indistinct patronus. She isn't surprised that it wasn't fully corporeal since this is extremely advanced magic and she, like most students,hasn't mastered it. "I guess that wasn't quite happy enough. hmmm"

Hermy lined up with everyone else. "Ok," she mumbled. "Ready or not. Expecto Patronum!"
She watched as a small amount of what appeared to be a fine mist sputtered from the end of her wand dissapating quickly. She frowned slightly as she tried to think of a happier thought.

*nods* "Yes, I have heard that's the most important discrepancy with my theory. What's yours, professor? Any ideas?"

While waiting for an answer, Nadia tried to think of a happy memory to be able to start. She didn't have many, but the fact she was always alienated to the world when possible would help her patronus. But... this was not as always, she had changed ovver the last few months and now more than ever she will need a happy memory. She actually didn't have any good memory that she could think off... raqueting her brain for a memory, she thought she would be havin wuite an embarrassing moment in the following hours of classes if things kept like that.

Without realizing she was humming a song under her breath. A part of her was alway singing it seems. That gave her an idea. Nothing conveyed more emotion in her but music. Musicotheraphy did work with her. Takng a deep breath she lined up and pointed at a random space. The song in her head was sad. But somewhat she was sure that, sad or now, would help. If she was right, it didn't need to be a happy thought while you enjoyed it. What makes people miserable made others proud or just ok. The sadness of that song was sublime... she would have liked remembering where she had heard it from.

She slowly felt tears in her eyes as she stared ahead and, her muscles weak, she casted Expecto Patronus.

It didn't work.

She let herself be filled with that melody, as if taking her whole. It was working, she could feel it...

"Expecto Patronus!" she commanded, and a silvery figure erupted. It was a sphinx. All the while the melody was still in her head. It was covering it all. It was supportive and destructive. It was everything she's ever known. It was over. The image didn't last much and disappeared in a swirl of smoky mist. It almost made her wonder if her patronus had been an illusion.

That's a thing she could like about herself the same she could hate. She could control her emotions so easily, only by summoning a song on her head.

Professor Rae put down her wand and blinked at Nadia in surprise. She'd not really been paying attention, distracted as she was by her spell not working. She struggled to gahter her thoughts before responding. "Well, Nadia, I believe the Dark Magic in the lethifold is repelled by the positive energy in the Patronus, just as the dementor is. The force of the guardian in the Patronus spell is positive energy, fueled by our own happy thoughts. It may seem a bit like Peter Pan, but there is a lot of power in our memories and a lot of power in our happy memories. There are spells out there that require our saddest, angriest, and most embarrassing memories, both those are not appropriate for students to study at this time."

Lyra watched as Nadia produced a patronus, a weak one but it had form. "Way to go Nadia! Lyra continued to think of a happy memory. Then it hit her, he had a thought that was happier than any memory she had, it was the news she recieved today. 'That's it! That will do it!'

Lyra again prepared herself mentally. She held the thought in her head and let it fill her with the happiness and excitement that the news produced. She took a deep breath and pulled everything into her chest. "Expecto Patronum" A white mist emerged from her wand and it formed into a huge dog and she immediately knew why. It remained for a few moments and then faded into a swirling mist.

Nadia nodded once more, "I guess you are right on that." She wipped her wand pensively, and corrected herself, "I mean, of course you must be right, you are the professor after all" *=P* "I just thought the lethifold would be different. I don't remember hearing that the lethifold provoqued any negative, or possitive, emotions, so that got me confused...

Nadia consitued pratcicing, even though she knew what the answer would be

"The lethifold itself doesn't provoke any emotions, actually," Professor Rae responded thougtfully. "The dementor does draw out our darkest moments, but the lethifold is like it only in that they both respond to the Patronus. Actually, the positive emotion in the Patronus repels MANY Dark creatures and is a very effective spell. It is only significant in this situation because the lethifold doesn't respond to anything OTHER than this spell."

Jaren pondered over this for a long time, wondering which memory he should try this time. Preferrably one he hadn't bothered with before, as they were all duds. However, he couldn't recall anything offhand that was vaugely happy...no, wait, maybe not.

He recalled the image in his mind, willing himself to focus on it. Him and his uncle fishing for trout by a river. He was nine, and not very good at it at first, but with his uncle's coaching he eventually managed to land a decently-sized fish. His uncle had taken a photo to commemorate the catch, and they cooked the trout over a campfire that night. He still had the photo, in fact. Jaren focused on that event, trying not to let other negative thoughts intrude--the fact that this had been the last happy camping trip they'd taken together, and that this kind of bonding would never happen again...

"Expecto Patronum!" Nothing. He tried again. "Expecto patronum, expecto patronum. Expecto patronum!"

Something small shot out of the end of his wand, and streaked around the classroom briefly before dissolving into silver vapour and dissipating. But he had seen that it had taken a solid form. Long, furred, weasel-like...but not quite.

"Professor? Other than the Dementor and the Lethifold, what other Dark Creatures will the Patronus charm work on?"

Sangeetha pulles out her wand and closes her eyes in concenteration of a good memory. She then remebers the first time she got a certificate in front of the whole muggle school because of her excellent grades. Smiling, she cast her wand ready and said the words clearly and loudly.

'Expecto Patronum!'

She felt her energy leaving her, her legs felt like Jelly, but her self conciousness told her to stand properly and face it.

A white silver vapour emerged from her wand.

Just as soon as it had started, it had stopped. Gulping a bit, she pulled out a bit of melted chocolate. Eating a piece, she put it back in her pocket. She then put her wand in front of her again, she siad the incantation again.

'Expecto Patronum!'

Something shot out of her wand, and out of ecstasy, she squealed. A sihaggu silverish dog erupted, barking a bit. She loved dogs a lot and this was one handsome dog. Beaming with pride, she turned to the Professor, waiting for her to comment.

A good memory...Well, I have a few, but which to choose? Shannon thinks hard and chooses the time she didn't get picked last in gym class. Then her happiness grows more when it occurs to her that she'll never have to go to gym class again...

She raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum!" she cries. Nothing happens. Not even vapor. Had she misspoken?

To be safe, Shannon decides to choose a different memory. She remembers the moment she found out she was a witch and every strange thing that had happened was explained. Again she raises her wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" This time, a few feeble whisps of silver vapor shoots out of her wand.

"Hmm..." she says. "I need a better memory." She thinks hard. Then the feeling of complete happiness she had felt when her parents letter had arrived floats into her head. Feeling uplifted, she raises her wand a third time.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A giant silver butterfly shoots out of the end of her wand and flutters around the room. "I did it!" Shannon cries out.

Jaren attempted the spell again, but he wasn't getting the same result anymore with the same memory. Guess it's now dud... He turned to the Professor.

"Professor, considering that the Lethifold is a night creature, will it be repelled by light? I don't mean a small wand light, but blinding light or flashes. Expecto Patronum..." Nothing happened. "Personally I believe I'd be able to do this if there was a Dementor in the room..." He said to nobody in particular.

Serena thought carefully about a happy thought that could produce a Patronus. Then concentrating exclaimed, "Expecto Patronum!" Suddenly there appeared a silver mist extending from her wand tip that formed into what was now the familiar lion she had come to admire. Even though it wasn't as sharp an image as she wanted, it was still clearly visible. "It took me two years, and a lot of practice to be able form my patronus. I hope it doesn't take as long for me to strengthen it. I've never had to use my Patronus to protect me, but I'm sure it's strong enough for that."

Lyra decided to try again, just to see if it was another fluke. She gathered her happy thought and let it fill her entire body. "Expecto Patronum!" A silver mist extended from her wand and it took the form of her beloved large dog. This time it was crystal clear and it remained strong until Lyra decided it was long enough. "That is definitely the right thought! I think I've really got it now. Just in case, Expecto Patronum!" Again her large dog emerged from her wand. Lyra thought to herself 'even when he isn't here, he's protecting me'

Kay decided to try it out. He thought of his happiest memory and said the incantation. "Expeketo patronum...er no...ex-spec-toe pa-tro-num. Expecto patronum." Some silver mist shot out of his wand, which excited him. "Expecto patronum. Ex-spec-toe pa-tro-num."

Birdy bit her thumbnail nervously as she tried to think of a happy moment. There wasn't much to work with. It was hard work trying to find something that happened outside of school that didn't seem so bleak or dismal. Then she realized it didn't have to have happened out of Hogwarts.
Raising her wand as emotion swelled inside of her, she said, Expecto Patronum! Thin, fine whisps of sliver flew out of her wand and evaporated. Concentration again on her moment, she raised her voice to a cry and tried again. Expecto Patronum! The shimmering patronous gushed out of her wand with a whooshing noise. It flew forward and began to shape itself into a large, strong animal. Urging on her patrounous, Birdy looked egarly to see what it was. But her spell gave out and faded away. Slightly dissapointed, but excited wiht her improvement, Birdy readied herself for another try.

*mumbles under breath* ok, think of a happy memory *thinks for a few moments* ok. Expecto Patronum *a thin silver mist eminted from Merri's wand and lasted for a few mins before dissapearing* oh bum! it didn't work again.

professor, do we have any homework?

Nadia continued to work on that spell, while hearing people speak, which highly disconcentrate her. "Oh, thanks, professor," she continued to think of emotions and songs, wipping tears once in a while. Upon hearing Jaren, she added, "You ight want to think of the practice in YAC. You seemed quite entertained down there "

A part in her mind continued 'If you cannot think of something you can at least not get depressed under the power of a dementor. The possitive emotion alone seem to be enough to make the spell for.... yeah, but you couldn't possibly fight a dementor in a thousand years, Nadia. You are too easily overpowered by emotion you would fall at the first intention, and just get under. If songs are that easily performing their magic in me then there's no way I could use patronus. At least not now...'

She raised her wand again and pronounced "Expecto patronus." There wasn't even the intention of the silvery mist. Where was her sphinx right now? Where's the symbol of protection? Where was she standing, if she was standing at all,and where is the song she had been muttering before.... Nadia thought hard of a new song. A good new song....

'Sleep sleep, dracus meus, under sheets made of leaves...'

"Expectro Patronus!"

A silvery mist started to take form, into a shape of the lion-like creature but with a human head. With Nadia's head.

Professor Rae considered the question before she answered. "Yes, I suppose that's enough practice for today. You are dismissed."

"Your homework for next week is to continue to practice the spell. Once you've mastered it to the degree you feel is possible, write a short parchment detailing your progress. If you have a Patronus that has begun to take a corporeal shape, please talk about the shape is took and why you feel it took that shape. What is the significance of that animal? The assignment is due November 14th."

Hermy listened to the Professor giving out the assignment as she concentrated on a happier memory. "Well I should at least try one more time." Hermy concentrated hard on her memory. The memory was intense it was almost like she was there flyin g high with emotion all over. Aiming her wand she said "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" something shot out of the end of her wand. She looked and light mist began to take form. Just as Hermy was about to make out the outline, it began to dissipate. "That looked almost like a giraffe. Wonder what that means?"
Hermy looked around at other people practicing for a moment. She thought about the giraffe for a brief moment and then began to gather her books.