When the thing turned its head to his direction, Carl saw its face under the hood. Although he had never seen anything like it before, he understood - it was a Dementor. The rattling breath, the scabbed skin, the hood; they all matched the description he had read in his textbooks.

With the realization however, came a sudden feeling of depression and sadness. He remembered the car crash. He was three years old and his family was returning home from a Christmas party at his aunt and uncle's place. They were on the motorway, his parents chatting about subjects little Carl could not comprehend. In the past, he had never remembered anything that happened afterwards, but now some of his memory was coming back to him. A lorry crashed into their car from the back. He had burst into tears from the shock, but his parents did not cry. He remembered thinking that his parents were very brave. To three-year-old Carl, Christian and Zelda Leonard had died as brave parents.

He had survived the car crash, but would he get out of this forest alive?

The woman's sob woke him out of his trance. She needed his help... so he had to help her. He had to fight the creature. It was bending closer to her now, presumably to perform the Dementor's Kiss. He did not know the elderly woman - she could be a criminal, or a Dark Witch - but nobody should get their soul sucked out, for any reason whatsoever. That was worse than death. He had to help her, and so… he had to cast the Patronus Charm.

Carl had practiced the charm often, especially when he became a Fifth Year and his classmates began to cast Corporeal Patronuses. He himself had only succeeded in conjuring small vapors. He was willing to give it a proper try this time and hope it works.

He had to think of a happy memory… his mind quickly landed on a memory of his first day at Hogwarts. He had made new friends at Platform 9 3/4, traveled to the school on the Hogwarts Express and had been Sorted into Hufflepuff. He remembered having the Sorting Hat lifted over his head and seeing his new Housemates cheering for him. He remembered vividly, that he felt welcomed. He was truly happy that day.

With his wand, he began drawing circles at the direction of the creature. "Expecto Patronum!" He yelled. A silver burst of light shot out from the tip of his wand and he squinted his eyes, unable to adjust to the sudden brightness. An animal - a St. Bernard - went "running" across the clearing towards the Dementor. He held his wand firmly and watched. Was his Patronus working?