He shivered as he spoke, "This is a Dementor. Yes, they're very... um..."
The topic of Dementors seemed to make the professor visibly uneasy.
"Very... sorrowful and terrifying. Dementors are creatures that feed on human emotions. Official records claim they consume happiness and joy, but I don't believe that," he sighed deeply.
"This slide was taken by me personally. Before facing it, I thought it was just a matter of casting a Patronus Charm—what's so scary about that? But when that dreadful sucking sound began in the distance, I felt my happiness vanish. My entire body collapsed to the ground, utterly incapable of moving, as if I'd never be happy again."
The professor fumbled for a piece of chocolate and crammed it into his mouth in two bites. "Apologies, I think I need a moment to relax."
The moment Dementors were mentioned, Lys perked up. Senna had once urged her to master the Patronus Charm, but so far, she could only summon a large cloud of silvery mist that refused to take form.
Since the Patronus Charm was the only known defense against Dementors, perhaps the professor would share some useful insights?
"Eating chocolate can help alleviate some of the tension. Apologies again for the blurry photo—it's because my hands were shaking so much I couldn't hold the camera steady. An Auror who accompanied me to Azkaban had to support me."
The professor paused, taking a sharp breath as if to regain his focus. "The Dementor's sucking left me with nothing but despair and cold. If that Auror hadn't been there, I might have lost my life to the Dementor's Kiss."
"After returning home, I began to ponder: Why do Dementors drain happiness and joy from afar but wait until their victim is at their most desperate and cold to deliver the final 'meal'?"
He wiped the sweat from his brow and scanned the room, refraining from voicing his own theories.
"As Azkaban's jailers, Dementors are something most of you will likely never encounter in your lifetime. But accidents can happen, so it's always good to know more."
Raising his wand, the professor closed his eyes, seemingly trying to recall a memory.
"Expecto Patronum!" A large cloud of silvery mist emerged from his wand tip before dissipating lightly.
"Oh dear, ever since my direct encounter with a Dementor, it's been difficult for me to successfully cast a Patronus. Let me try again," he sighed. "Expecto Patronum!"
This time, the silvery mist condensed into a shape. Gradually, a strange animal materialized—a pangolin. "It used to be a stag," the professor remarked wistfully.
The small Patronus looked timid. When the students leaned in for a closer look, it jumped in fright, curling its head and limbs into its plated back, forming a perfectly round ball. When it landed, it wobbled slightly.
Looking at the ball on the ground, Lys glanced at the professor. Hmm, very similar.
Then she thought of her mother's wolf Patronus. Hmm, even more similar.
"Professor, can a Patronus's form change? Since it's supposed to reflect a wizard's personality and traits, is it possible for it to shift?" Lily Evans asked.
"Yes, it can change. Love, family, or significant life events can all influence the shape of a Patronus," the professor replied, stuffing two more pieces of chocolate into his mouth and taking a sip of water.
"A Patronus is filled with happiness and joy. According to the books, these are what Dementors love most. So why is it considered the only effective weapon against them? Could it be that Dementors avoid it out of fear of overeating?"
The students were gradually drawn in. A Slytherin student suggested that the charm might imbue the happiness with some kind of protective power.
The professor shook his head. "Nothing is more complex or mysterious than the soul. Dementors can extract happiness from the soul, so there's no reason they couldn't extract it from the charm."
"So," the professor said, switching to a new set of slides, "I suspect, without concrete evidence, that Dementors don't actually feed on happiness and joy. Instead, they feed on pain and despair. The happiness they siphon away is likely just the 'grime' washed off the apple before the meal."
The next slides showed images of prisoners who had suffered the Dementor's Kiss, as well as photos of emaciated Azkaban inmates. "Everyone, death is preferable to Azkaban."
However, the students didn't seem interested in this grim conclusion. They began clamoring to learn how to cast the Patronus Charm.
Everyone wanted to see what form their soul's representation would take.
Potter even sidled up to Evans during class and, in a sing-song tone, said, "Ah! If my soul had a shape, it would surely be the form of a lily of love~"
This remark infuriated two people: Severus Snape and Lys Black.
"Imbecile."
"A lily?!"
To prevent a fight from breaking out in his classroom, the professor moved with surprising speed for his size, positioning himself between the three students.
He cleared his throat loudly and, pretending to ask a question, requested that Evans explain the history and key points of the Patronus Charm. Then he stood silently to the side.
Two of the three, out of respect for Evans, begrudgingly sat down. The annoyed Lys had no choice but to follow suit.
"The Patronus Charm is a symbol of one's inner self and is considered advanced magic. To cast it, you must focus on your happiest memory. Each Patronus is unique because every person's personality and inner world are different, as are the emotions they express," Evans explained.
"Exactly! Five points to Gryffindor for an excellent answer," the professor said, clearly pleased with Evans for helping restore order.
"One more thing: The Patronus Charm is a force of righteousness, meaning that dark wizards cannot produce it." At this, Evans glanced toward the Slytherin students, then at the professor, before finally looking at Lys.
"The incantation is 'Expecto Patronum.' You can give it a try—think of your happiest memory and summon the strongest protective feeling."
Aside from a few Slytherins, most of the students raised their wands. A chorus of "Expecto Patronum" filled the room.
Most students could only produce faint wisps of silver mist that quickly dissipated, but Lys noticed that the Gryffindor students' mist was noticeably denser than that of the Slytherins.
Thinking about the boisterous Gryffindors she'd encountered, Lys couldn't help but recall Snape's description of them: like a bunch of brainless trolls, always cheerful.
So, does having no brains mean having more happiness?
"""
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