Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter are the intellectual property of J.K Rowling and also seem to belong to Warner Bros for reasons I’m still trying to figure out. This is a work of fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

School

“Riddikulus!”

The hooded cloaked figure bears down on him, breath rattling in its throat. Dimly, through the haze of black sparks filling his vision, he can hear his mother sobbing, his father shouting. He wonders how on earth he’s supposed to make the Dementor look even vaguely amusing.

There are not many things he finds amusing anyway.

“R-r-riddikulus!”

His vision goes blurry. He tried desperately not to faint, not in front of the class, not in front of Black and Potter.

“Riddikulus.” He manages faintly. His legs collapse from under him; Potter sniggers and Black gives a triumphant shout of laughter that makes the Bogart burst into a million pieces.

Slightly confused by this sudden turn of events the teacher steps forward and hurriedly gives a quick lecture on Boggarts, distributing ten points to Black for destroying the thing. Snape pulls himself shakily upright, wondering why it all has to be so unfair. Whenever Black and Potter are involved, they always seem to walk off with the credit.

They’re given an essay on Boggarts, but when Snape goes to the library he heads straight to the section on Dementors. There’s no way he can make that terrible hooded figure laughable, he’ll have to defeat it on its own terms.

He groans aloud when he finds the section on Patronus’s. A happy thought might be even harder to manage than a funny one. Why do so many of these defences rely on stupid emotions, on feelings that he’s never had much chance to feel?

Happy thoughts. He scowls. What happy thoughts does he have?

He settles for the time Slytherin won the house cup two years ago. He’d felt pleased then, although naturally he’d been dreading the journey home the next day.

“Expecto Patronum!”

No result.

“Expecto Patronum!”

He tries a few more times before sinking disgustedly onto his bed. He’s missed dinner to practise this in the deserted dormitory and, predictably, it’s not working. Probably Black and Potter would manage it first time, they have plenty of happy memories.

He racks his brains again, trying to remember a time he’s felt happy, truly happy, without the associated feelings of guilt, anger, or terror at being discovered.

And then he remembers:

Sitting in his room, head bowed over a book that he’s not reading. Another argument breaks out downstairs but he’s not listening. He’s trying not to stare at the window.

It’s taking a lot of effort.

There’s a tap at the window.

Heart hammering, he ignores it. It’ll be the wind, or a tree branch. He’s not going to look up now and find all his hopes dashed. It can’t be for him, it can’t be. He’s not good enough, he’s useless, how he can even begin to imagine that they’d want him…

The tapping again. He looks up, hesitant, and his breath catches in his throat as he sees it. A great tawny owl sitting patiently outside the window.

It won’t be for him, it can’t be for him. He’s too stupid, too clumsy, too hopeless.

His trembling fingers undo the latch. The owl hops in and drops the letter in front of him.

Mr Severus Snape, The Smallest Room, Spinner’s End.

He sees the Hogwarts crest on the seal and his heart begins to soar…

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

Something dazzling silver bursts from the end of his wand. He gives a shout of triumph and then a gasp of disbelief as he suddenly realises what the glittering silver creature actually is.

They’re still doing Boggarts next lesson. And once again Snape collapses, this time into a dead faint as the Boggart-Dementor approaches.

He’s decided that fainting is the lesser of two evils.

If Potter ever discovers what form his Patronus takes…

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I wrote so much stuff after reading DH, only to find, upon reading over my scribbles, that most of it was utterly awful. These sketches I am quite pleased with though, (the first one more so than the second), despite the wierdish tense.

Criticisms, opinions and reviews are all highly appreciated as always :)