Zhenya was delighted to be listening to everyone's suggestions, and Professor Dakest's responses. She mouthed the incantation Expecto Patronum, not speaking, and copied his finger moving in a circle, mimicking the wand movement. Zhenya felt a slow spread of goosebumps up her arm. Professor Dakest had full confidence in his students that they WOULD be able to cast a patronus. But his warnings were now etched into her mind. Don't reveal why the patronus is a certain animal, and don't reveal the happy memory. But there was something in her mind. Something that would NEVER diminish, something that she always thought of, and something she knew would protect her, even though it was just a memory. Zhenya really wanted to remember all the points everyone was making so she could write them down when class finished. It would be good to look back on. Everything PRofessor Dakest was saying, though, about protection, just reminded her of her dearest Grandpapi. She almost wanted to cry, it felt like he was there with her. How weird was that?!

But for now they were to practice. Their happy memories, the wand movement, incantation, the spell... just practice. She stood up and turned her back to everyone. She faced a wall and let her memories come and go. But the weird thing was, she didn't need to search for a memory. It was just... there. Rather than a memory of an event, it was the memory of her Grandpapi. Even though he had passed away, he was still there in some inexplainable way. He was everything to her, and even now he had gone he still was. When he was alive he was her protector, or so it seemed. So the mere memory of him made her feel euphoric, so incredibly happy, and she felt so safe. So, with that in her mind, she raised her wand and slowly performed the circular wand movement. She practiced it a few dozen times, just to make sure it felt okay.