Set on the Friday afternoon and following on a bit later from the patronus lesson which has finished.

"We have witnessed a number of successes this lesson, but for those of you still searching, do not be dismayed, patronuses are often best discovered alone or without distraction. I thoroughly encourage you to continue to practise, though not at this moment, I have fifth years to teach. You are welcome to return after three this afternoon if you wish to continue..."

Thread open to come and go.

---

Imari Nichols had been one to grace the classroom after three that afternoon. Professor Storm had made himself available as he had offered to the students an hour or two earlier. Had nobody turned up, he would have continued with marking and planning lessons, but it was good to have a distraction. Despite his stern ways, he rather enjoyed assisting students to achieve, not just because it improved exam results.

"Nichols, do come in." He greeted cordially, sat at his desk at the front of the classroom. The desks were against the wall, leaving space in the middle, which wasn't an unusual sight. "Come about your patronus charm? Very well, good to see you are wishing to further it." The Professor dropped his quill down carefully on the desktop and dragged his chair back before stepping down to the classroom floor and approaching the Slytherin.

"Where abouts do you feel you are with the charm?"

"I'm not sure," Imari answered the professor, "I have cleared my mind, focused on a happy memory, but all I seem to be getting is a few wisps of something." she told him.  In truth, she didn't know if she was doing it right.  She probably wasn't focused on the most happy of memories after all.

The memory she was using was something that she had recieved over the summer break between fifth and sixth year.

Her mother had recieved a letter from Abigail, Imari's older sister, and had rushed off to tell her father the good news.  Imari listened at her father's study door as the news was told. "We have grandbabies Trav, two little girls." Imari heard some excited whispering but couldn't make out what her parents were saying.  "I'm going to go visit her, can you get off work?" Calysta finally asked her husband as they made their way out of the study. Imari moved away from the door just in time.

Travian shook his head, "Sorry love, not this time, why don't you take Imari, she'd love to see her new nieces."  Calysta looked up at him and not realizing that Imari was just around the corner said, "Abby doesn't want to see her hon, she's still upset that we spoiled her when we found out she was magical.  I'll work on it, but Abby specifically said not to bring her."  Calysta hugged her husband and then got ready to leave.

Imari sank down to sit against the wall.  She had two nieces and her sister didn't want to see her. That's where the memory ended.

"I just don't know what I'm doing wrong." she said and hoped the professor could help her remedy this.

Nichols explained her situation with the wisps of patronus briefly as they stood together on the classroom floor. He'd not spoken to her like this very much of late, and he was always staggered by the things he didn't notice about individuals until he was face to face with them later. With the girls, they would go from being fresh faced to plastered in makeup within the space of a month, and over summer the lot of them grew two inches, he was sure.

"Let me see?" He asked thoughtfully, stepping back two paces to give her space. Better to witness before passing any judgement on what appeared to be wrong. Usually it was the memory, but the wrong incantation, incorrect flow of the hand could be a stumbling block. The Professor's eyes keenly surveyed all the possibilities as the girl demonstrated.

"You're not sure your memory is happy enough, I believe, Nichols." He stated carefully, stepping a pace towards her again.
"Your expression, it suggested your insecurity when you went to focus on the memory. I don't wish to know what it is, but I suspect its bittersweet, rather than happy?"

"Yes Professor," she answered quietly, thanking Merlin that he didn't want to know what her memory was.  Even though she had spent six years at Hogwarts, she still didn't quite know where everyone stood on blood status.  That's why she kept it mostly to herself, although most of the Slytherins had found out and used it against her daily.

"I think I use that one because it is the first one to come to mind." she told him, her voice back up to normal levels again.  It was the truth, her sister and her new nieces were always on her mind, and the fact that her sister didn't want anything to do with her.  It wasn't her fault that her sister didn't get to use magic and she did.  It just wasnt' fair to Imari that her sister was mad at her for it.

"I think I use that one because it is the first one to come to mind." The Slytherin explained, her eyes and body language suggesting she didn't believe it was the best of memories to use.

"The first one, well, that can often be a good one," He replied thoughtfully, "but really you are seeking a truly strong memory you can smell, that makes you so happy you could laugh." The Professor advised, and rubbed his own chin, looking at the Slytherin firmly. He knew coming from him these words sounded so unusual and out of place, his students associated him with formalities apart from the odd dry joke.

"You've had a number of hours in the classroom over this, did you try another memory?"

Imari looked down at the classroom floor.  "I have to admit that I've tried, but then my memories get all mixed up and I end up with this one at the forefront of my mind again.  It's just that it's all I think about lately and I can't seem to stop."  She truthfully had tried other memories, when her sister (before she hated her) stuck up to some muggle bully boys for her, when she received her Hogwarts letter, and when she first talked to a boy without him initiating the conversation, but none of those worked when the image of Abigail and two faceless twin girls floated to the forefront each and every time.

"Maybe I need to get rid of that memory," she mumbled as she tried again and was met with the same results.

"I have to admit that I've tried, but then my memories get all mixed up and I end up with this one at the forefront of my mind again.  It's just that it's all I think about lately and I can't seem to stop. Maybe I need to get rid of that memory."

The Slytherin's face had creased into a frown as she was trying to focus on the memory again.

"Stop trying to for a moment then." The Professor instructed, tucking away his wand. He brought his hands together and explained.

"The mind's a very powerful, fundamental force in magic, and patronus memories really must spring organically. Sit down a moment." The Professor gestured to the desks and chairs against the walls, and then perched upon the edge of one himself.

"Your memory must be truly happy, not bittersweet, and not tainted by another memory. It doesn't have to be recent, it could be from early childhood. Once you have one, you need to spend some time immersing yourself and revisiting that memory without any intent to cast a patronus. That way you can be there in an instant," The grey-haired Professor snapped his fingers beside Imari's temple.

"So, if you have your memory, close your eyes." He gave her a gentle nod to indicate he meant now, "Inhale.... exhale. Good, now, focus on the scene, your surroundings. Imagine its a black and white photograph at first, yes, good. Add colour, wash it in like watercolour paint, brighten the light, good. Become aware of the temperature, is it warm and homely? Was it cold and crisp? Be aware of it." The Professor studied the Slytherin's face with her closed eyes, his own expression peaceful in comparison to some of the moments in classes past.

"Good, now think about what you are in contact with - how the ground was beneath your feet, or the clothes upon your arms, or the feeling of warmth and comfort from an embrace. Brighten these, drown in the memory. Still there, good, now, the smell, of home or cooking, perfume... imagine it as if the room here were filled with it, and then the sounds of others moving in a building, of laughter or chatter, let it drown out my voice a moment even it be silence. Drink in this memory."

Professor Storm paused a moment, falling silent and let Nichols bask in it.

"Now, focus clearly on the emotion of being happy now magnified by the saturation of the sensation of the setting. Smile, enjoy it. Good, now..." He gently touched her elbow and shoulder with his fingertips and prompted her to stand,
"Keep your eyes closed, and cast."

Let rip with the description of the happier side of the memory!

As she listened to the Professor's explanation she took a seat at one of the desks and did as he suggested.  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as she exhaled she remembered the memory that had been impeding her ability to produce a patronus.

But she was going to attempt to do as the professor said and focus on the happier side of the memory. 

She felt herself fall into the memory, Focusing on the smaller things, the feel of the wooden floor of the hallway beneath her feet.  She rarely wore shoes inside the house when she was home for the summer, and the wood was cool to her bare feet. She could smell the apple strudel baking in the kitchen, a warm, sweet smell that made her stomach rumble.  She remembered the smell of her mother's perfume combined with the smell of dusty books as it came through the partially open door of her father's study.  He must have a window open in there.

Her smile grew brighter as she thought of all those things and then she opened her eyes and looked up at the professor, "I think I am ready to try again."  She stood up from the desk she sat at and held her wand out in front of her and did the wand movement and said, "Expecto Patronum." and she watched in amazement  as a wispy form of a large macaw.  It wasn't fully formed or corporeal, but ti was a start.

She let the charm stop as she exclaimed, rather uncharacteristic for her, "That's the first time it's worked that much!"

The Ravenclaw had been initially reluctant to take advantage of the extra practice session.  It was hard not to feel like he was fighting a losing battle with the spell and he wasn't entirely sure the setting was going to help.  But, he'd finally come to the conclusion that that was ridiculous.  Granted, the patronus was a particularly challenging spell, but he'd have to learn to get over the awkwardness at some point.  Logically and technically nothing was really different.  The man had really been no less his father a year ago and Sasha was, certainly, still a student.   

There was one other student in the classroom when Sasha arrived.  She was mid cast and Sasha hesitated just inside the door, not wanting to interrupt her concentration.  He hadn't seen where she'd started and he really hadn't been paying much attention to anyone else in class but it seemed apparent she'd made some sort of progress. 

"A bird," Sasha commented, displaying his all too impressive ability to state the obvious.  He hadn't been able to tell what kind, precisely, but the wings and mode of locomotion had been obvious.  It was certainly far more substantial than anything he'd managed so far.  Even the column of black smoke he'd cast during the first tetrawizard tournament task[nb]TWT task[nb] had possessed more form than anything he'd managed in class.  That fact, along with Professor Sandusky's comments back at Halloween and those rumors of dark wizards being unable to cast patronuses, was motivation enough to try to figure it out. 

Assuming, of course, he hadn't hesitated for too long.  "I'm not too late, am I?" he asked, glancing between the professor and Slytherin. 

"That's the first time it's worked that much!"

Professor Storm had a genuine smile upon his features as he gazed upwards at her patronus.

"Good! Good, very good Nichols!" His exclamation reflected his features and he clasped his hands together before himself, pleased at her achievement. "You have it, now you will be able to capture that feeling again, and again with practise. Each time let it become a richer memory, and let this bird form take flight."

He had not noticed the student in the doorway until he spoke, the Professor had been solely focused on the Slytherin girl and her attempts to conjure her patronus.

"A bird," Sasha commented, "I'm not too late, am I?"

"Not at all, Schlagenweit, one moment." The Professor greeted his recently introduced son with his usual manner, his smiles had faded away quickly as the interruption had come. "Nichols, do continue to practise while I speak with Schlagenweit." The tall, old wizard gestured with both arms for her to step back into the deep space the classroom allowed.

A moment later, he turned away to Sasha and gave him a curt nod, a little more recognition than he would normally have offered the student before a month ago.

"You were working through a list of suitable memories in the lesson earlier," Ignan recalled, his back almost fully turned to Imari for the moment, but still aware of her behind should her patronus go astray, "did it come to any use?" He asked the Ravenclaw.

Imari barely noticed the professor as he moved away from where he was watching her to speak to someone behind the door.  She didn't want him to know, but she was desperately trying to hold onto the emotions she had just felt when he'd told her to focus.  It was almost like a steel trap, she remembered the smells, the feel of the floor beneath her feet, then she'd lose concentration and begin to focus on her parents' conversation about how Abigail didn't want Imari to meet the twins.

She began the spell again, with less force this time and nothing happened.  She wasn't surprised.  All those warm feelings from earlier had simply vanished.  It wasn't pleasant, and she hated to be in almost direct contact with a professor when something like this happened.  It was times like this that she really didn't know what the hat had been thinking when it sorted her into Slytherin, it had to of been an off day for the hat - because at this moment, Imari certainly didn't feel like a Slytherin, as a tear finally spilled out of one eye and made it's lonely trek down her cheek.

Imari glanced behind her at the professor talking to - she searched her brain for the student's name - Sasha? she thought it was.  They seemed to be having a conversation and wouldn't notice if she tried to leave the classroom.  Then again, Imari had never had good luck when she tried leave without being noticed, she'd always knock something over, or trip over something or... yep, run into something. 

She hadn't been watching where she was going and ran right into a desk that was against the wall. She was so focused on getting past the professor and had veered her course to the edge of the classroom where she ran her hip into the corner of a desk.  She gasped loudly for she didn't want either of the other occupants in the room to see her, but now it was inevitable.  She knew that she wouldn't have time to even wipe the track of that one tear from her cheek in time.

Sasha nodded when the Professor acknowledged him and offered a slight awkward grin.  He'd been skeptical, at first, that the extra practice would be that useful.  But, having seen Nichols manage a patronus that was strong enough to, at least, recognize what animal kingdom it belonged to was encouraging.  If she'd made that much progress, maybe he shouldn't be so quick to be pessimistic. 

As Professor Storm turned back to Nichols, Sasha occupied himself with setting his bag down next to a desk and tugged his list of memories and a hastily drawn scatter chart of the (mostly arbitrary) values he'd assigned to the results of each trial during class. 

Then, on second thought, Sasha thought better of the chart and was slipping it back into his bag about the time Professor Storm turned back to him. 

"You were working through a list of suitable memories in the lesson earlier.  Did it come to any use?"

"No," Sasha admitted, shaking his head.  The answer came out a bit more bluntly than intended, mostly on account of the Ravenclaw trying to avoid half-completed sentences.  Knowing the man disapproved of the habit before had been one thing.  Now that he knew the man was his father, it seemed all the more important.  "The best I got was a wand that looked like an old-fashioned movie cigarette.  It didn't-" 

A sudden thump and the scraping of wood against stone cut Sasha off and he turned to find Nichols attempting - and failing - to make a stealthy escape.  The tear track on the girl's cheek was, indeed, noticeable. 

Color rose in the Ravenclaw's cheeks and he glanced, uncomfortably, between the Slytherin and Professor Storm. 

"I ... I'm sorry.  Really, I can come back later.  Or, another time."  Or, go back to graphing the results.  He scowled apologetically in Nichols' direction.  "Or - what, you know, helped?  How did you get it?"

"No, the best I got was a wand that looked like an old-fashioned movie cigarette.  It didn't-"

They were interrupted by Nichols meeting a desk. She was upset, and this made Ignan uncomfortable, as he didn't do upset people, particularly teenage girl hormones.

"I ... I'm sorry.  Really, I can come back later.  Or, another time. Or - what, you know, helped?  How did you get it?"

From the other side of Sasha to Imari, the Professor looked a little curious and concerned at the same time, which made for an odd expression on his face.

"Nichols, don't give up, we can continue in a moment once Schlagenweit has," then he changed tact. "Actually, Nichols, you could explain what we just discussed to Schlagenweit, I suspect it may be of use to him, and it will also allow you to refocus on the technique." He gestured for her to come back and join them, his voice softer than his usual authoritative teaching tone.

Imari took a deep breath and schooled her features, something she'd learned how to do fast - being a half-blood in Slytherin.  Walking over to where the professor and the other student were she thought about what the professor had told her to try and how to explain it.

Taking a deep breath she tried - her voice soft at first, then growing louder until she reached her normal speaking voice, "Well, the professor explained it to me like this.  He said to think about things you felt, smelled, heard.  For example, with my memory I remembered the feel of the hardwood floor under my bare feet, the smell of apple strudel baking in the kitchen, and my mother's perfume coming from the study."  She looked at the student, "It helped me, you should try it." 

She turned away from the professor and the student and went back to where she was standing before and tried the spell again, this time the macaw was more formed and Imari could make out small details like individual feathers on it's wings.  She was excited, she'd never had this much progress on a spell in so short a time.

Sasha listened, closely, to the Slytherin's explanation and watched with more than just a hint of jealousy as the long-tailed bird took flight from her wand.  He watched as the silvery bird circled the room before dissipating and turned back to the professor and the Slytherin. 

"Is the shape significant?" Sasha asked, trying to feign simple curiosity.  "I mean...does it make a difference in the spell?  If someone's patronus is, say, a slug or...one of those sea cucumbers."  Given his luck, he'd be the kid that had a bloody earthworm wiggle from his wand and drop to floor.  That's what his attempts resembled most.

Alright, alright.  It was easier to not feel as self-conscious when he was in a room full of other struggling students.  There was safety and anonymity in numbers.  But, he tried to ignore the current audience as he fished around for suitable memory and focused on it. 

It was the first day of winter holidays, during Sasha's third year.  The Hogwarts Express had pulled into King's Cross and Sasha had only an hour and a half to catch his connecting train down to Zurich and, ultimately, Munich.  He was supposed to be catching up on all the muggle assignments his stepfather would ask him about but the fifth part of the Marvel Comics Civil War series had been released in November.  He'd managed to find a copy and get back to the train station to catch his connection. 

Sasha tried to remember the excitement of finding it, the feel of the shiny, slick comic book in his hands and the smell of vinyl and upholstery in the sleeper car.  There'd been a touch of scandalousness to the excitement, knowing he only had a few hours to read it.  If he could finish it by the time he reached Zurich, he could toss it before connecting to Munich and no one would be the wiser.  If not, he'd have to wait and buy another copy during a layover on the trip back to school.  Two whole weeks of the story being half-read.

The Ravenclaw cast the charm and, as before, a thin wisp of cloud trickled from his wand.  "That's all I've been getting," Sasha admitted, shaking his head.