"Forget it. With Dumbledore around, Lilith probably won't be able to cause too much trouble."
Edward asked, "Do you have any classes this afternoon? I'm planning to ask Hagrid to take me into the Forbidden Forest—to the area where the centaurs and unicorns live."
"I don't...Wait—actually, I think I do have class."
Audrey suddenly remembered—she was supposed to meet with Professor Snape to study the Patronus Charm.
"All right then, I'll have to go on my own."
"Tomorrow, I plan to go to Hogsmeade first—it used to be a stronghold during the goblin rebellions. Then I'll head to Godric's Hollow."
Audrey's eyes lit up. "Where Dumbledore and Grindelwald fell in love?"
"Well…in a sense, yes. That's where they met, got to know each other, fell in love—and forged the idea of 'For the Greater Good' together. Hand in hand, they made an unbreakable vow. But in the end…a tragedy tore them apart, and they became enemies."
Audrey sighed. "It's those kinds of love stories that really stay with you."
Edward looked at her and shook his head. "That might make for a good story…but in real life, I prefer happy endings. Bad people punished, good people rewarded, lovers living happily ever after—no twists, no regrets."
She smiled sweetly.
"You're right."
She held out her hand toward him. "Let's go."
——
When they got back to the first floor of the castle, Audrey waved goodbye.
"I'm off to class now—good luck!"
"Good luck."
———
A heavy snowfall had turned the usually pitch-black Forbidden Forest into a pristine white landscape. Hagrid's hut, nestled at the edge, looked like a blot of grey against the snow.
When Edward arrived, Hagrid was outside with a massive snow shovel, clearing a path leading up to the castle—probably so Harry and the others could drop by.
"Hello, Hagrid! Long time no see~"
Hagrid looked up under the furry brim of his hat, squinting to recognise who it was. Suddenly, he tossed the shovel aside and strode over in great strides.
"Oh—Edward! You're back!"
Edward immediately tensed, ready for one of Hagrid's bone-crushing hugs.
But Hagrid stopped a few steps away and looked around.
"Where's Audrey?"
"She's still in class."
"And Anna?"
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"You know, that little fire dragon—Anna."
Yep, just as expected. The only thing that could get Hagrid this excited was a magical creature.
Unfortunately, Edward hadn't brought Fire Dragon Anna back with him this time. She was still outside the village that worshipped dragons.
"Sorry. Anna didn't come with us this time."
"Oh."
The expectation on Hagrid's face vanished almost instantly.
"You still have a dragon, don't you?"
"You mean Norbert?" Hagrid looked even more downcast.
"Charlie came and took him to the dragon reserve not long ago. Poor little guy—still so tiny…"
But he perked up again in moments.
"Oh—sorry, it's freezing out here. Come on in and have some tea, warm yourself up with a bite to eat!"
Edward quickly replied, "No need, Hagrid. I actually wanted to ask you to take me into the Forbidden Forest again."
"Looking for another centaur divination, are you?"
"Not this time. I want to write a travelogue, so I'm hoping to learn more about the history and culture of centaurs and unicorns. You know how they don't take kindly to most people—except you."
Hagrid thumped his chest proudly.
"No problem. I'll take you. Fang!"
The giant black boarhound lumbered reluctantly out of the warm hut, while Hagrid picked up a huge stone bow.
"Let's go."
Hagrid's strides were long—not too fast, not too slow—but Edward had to walk briskly just to keep up.
"By the way, Hagrid, could you tell me a bit about the history of the Forbidden Forest?"
Hagrid gave him a puzzled glance and scratched his head.
"The history of the Forbidden Forest? Well, it's only been called the 'Forbidden Forest' for about forty years or so. Doesn't really count as 'history.'"
"Huh?"
That was something Edward didn't know.
"Why was the name changed?"
"No idea."
Hagrid shook his head.
"That was Professor Dumbledore's decision. It was a few years after I started living here. Back then, it wasn't nearly as lively as it is now—not even the centaurs had moved in yet."
"So I let some of the endangered magical creatures I rescued live here. Thanks to how safe this place is, a lot of species that were nearly extinct started thriving again. It's really wonderful."
A childlike smile appeared on Hagrid's face.
Edward, however, remained silent.
I think I finally understand why this place was renamed the Forbidden Forest…
———
While Edward followed Hagrid deeper into the Forbidden Forest in search of unicorns and centaurs, Audrey had also found Professor Snape.
Snape had prepared in advance, selecting an empty classroom and leading her inside.
"Although the Patronus Charm is considered an advanced spell, its incantation and casting method are actually quite simple. And yet, many students still fail to master it even by the time they graduate."
Audrey frowned slightly. "Professor, that's exactly what puzzles me. Edward told me the incantation is Expecto Patronum, and that you need to concentrate and recall a truly happy memory with all your might when casting it. From the description, it doesn't seem all that difficult."
Snape's expression remained impassive. "First of all, the definition of a 'happy' memory differs vastly from person to person. Some people may succeed in casting the Patronus Charm simply by recalling the joy of a glass of milk at breakfast. Others may search their entire life for every moment of happiness and still fail to produce even a flicker from their wand. And for some, happiness and pain are intertwined—their joy is born of pain. They must find light within the cracks of darkness…"
He paused for a few seconds.
"The human mind is strange—unpredictable. The harder you try not to think of something, the more likely you are to fixate on it. And when you want to think of one thing, your mind floods with unrelated thoughts that disrupt your focus."
"The happy memory needed for the Patronus Charm must be pure, unclouded, free of any impurities. That's one of the main reasons why so many fail to learn it."
Audrey nodded in sudden understanding.
Snape continued, "But the happy memory is only the foundation. The true key is emotional—being able to draw out enough magical power from that memory to fuel the spell."
With a light flick of his wand, Snape murmured, "Expecto Patronum."
A silvery-white glow flowed from his wand, thin and misty like a pale fog, quickly spreading through the classroom.
Audrey fell silent, observing with focused eyes. The mist carried a warm, comforting aura—happiness. In it, she seemed to glimpse two young figures, a boy and a girl, walking together across a grassy field, laughing side by side.
Soon, the silver light dissipated.
"I've heard that a Patronus often takes a solid form," Audrey said. "Only then does it gain true protective power."
Snape gave a dismissive smirk. "Correct. A corporeal Patronus is the complete form. But in reality, even among the Aurors in the Ministry, few can produce anything beyond a mist."
"And you, Professor? I'm sure your Patronus is much more than that."
He shot her a glance. "That's irrelevant to today's lesson, Miss Hall."
"…Alright then."
Snape stepped back a few paces. "I can't help you recall happiness—that part is entirely on you. What I can teach is how to draw magical power from that happiness. From here on, it's your task."
"I understand, Professor."
Audrey walked over to a desk and sat down. She took out a vial of sleep-inducing essential oil and sprinkled a few drops.
She inhaled deeply, then closed her eyes. Her breathing quickly steadied.
Snape, watching from the side, frowned slightly at her actions. But he trusted she wouldn't do anything foolish and waited patiently.
With the help of the essential oil, Audrey soon entered a half-sleeping state. Through psychological self-cues, she kept a lucid mind within her dream and stepped into her inner world.
For ordinary people, memories are chaotic and uncontrollable—when trying to recall something, all kinds of unrelated thoughts tend to intrude.
But to a Psychiatrist, memories were more like books neatly arranged on shelves in a library. Through classification and organisation, she could retrieve the exact memory she needed without interference from others.
So Audrey's first step was to sort all her happy memories:
There were so many joyful moments from her childhood to now—
The love of her parents, the affection of her two older brothers, the simple delight of delicious food…
The joy of meeting Susie for the first time and watching her grow…
Her astonishment upon entering the Tarot Club, the thrill of discovering the mystical world, the happiness of becoming a Spectator by taking the potion…
And then—the first time she met him.
Edward.
"Miss Audrey, I mean no offence, nor do I wish to do you harm."
Her first time at Hogwarts.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
Her first experience with magic, her first time being so close to a boy…Some of these memories might not have felt purely happy in the moment, but in hindsight, each one made her heart flutter with joy.
Audrey gathered all those happy memories together and named them "Happiness."
Yes—when she recalled them, she didn't see individual events anymore, but a powerful collective emotion called Happiness.
However, she soon realised that this method had a flaw: it was too vague.
So she gave her memory collection a cover—on that cover were her parents, her two brothers, Susie, Lilith…and Edward.
Snape, watching Audrey with her eyes closed and seemingly asleep, waited patiently for over ten minutes. At last, he was about to speak and wake her.
But then, she opened her eyes.
Sitting upright, she gently raised her wand.
"Expecto Patronum!"
In an instant, a vast sea of silvery-white mist erupted from her wand, engulfing the entire classroom.
Once more, she waved her wand.
"Expecto Patronum!"
The mist began to swirl and condense rapidly, slowly forming a massive shape:
Scales. Claws. Fangs. Slit pupils. A dragon's head.
It was a giant dragon, composed entirely of radiant silver light!
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.