Normally, when a wizard successfully casts the Patronus Charm and produces a corporeal Patronus, the resulting creature takes the form of a brilliant silver animal.
Every wizard's Patronus is unique—its form reflects the caster's personality. For most, it's an ordinary animal: a cat, a dog, a horse. But a rare few have Patronuses that take extraordinary shapes.
Take Albus Dumbledore, for instance—his Patronus is a phoenix, a magical creature. Others have been known to conjure Thestrals or even dragons. One wizard, Hedley Fleetwood, once produced a mammoth—a creature long extinct. Such Patronuses are rarer even than those shaped like magical beasts.
Of course, the appearance of a Patronus doesn't determine its strength. Illyius and Symposia Rawle had Patronuses shaped like a mouse and a ladybug, both seemingly weak creatures. Yet their Patronuses were exceptionally powerful—Illyius's mouse Patronus single-handedly drove away an army of Dementors sent by the Dark wizard Raczidian, saving an entire village.
Ark could feel that, if he had continued his casting earlier, the Patronus he was about to summon would've been extraordinarily strong.
After all, his unique ability—Mind Guidance—allowed him to channel pure, positive emotions to their fullest, letting him relive moments of true joy and happiness.
And the happier and more positive one's memory, the more powerful the Patronus becomes.
This kind of magic was Ark's natural forte. There was no way his Patronus could be weak.
But that didn't satisfy him.
From what he'd glimpsed, if he'd let the spell finish forming, his Patronus would have been nothing more than an ordinary animal.
Yes, power didn't depend on form—but Ark wanted something greater than "strong enough."
The Patronus Charm has two known uses. The first is repelling dark creatures such as Dementors and Lethifolds. The second—created by Dumbledore himself—is for communication: sending a Patronus that speaks in the caster's own voice, able to carry messages, confirm identity, and resist Dark Arts interference.
It was this latter ability—the defense against Dark magic—that interested Ark most.
Only righteous wizards can cast the Patronus Charm. Those with evil intent—Dark wizards—can't produce one at all. If they try, their wand backfires, spewing maggots that devour the caster.
In ancient Greece, legend spoke of a wizard named Andros the Invincible, who could conjure a Patronus the size of a Giant. He was said to have mastered wandless magic and possessed unmatched magical power—earning the title "Invincible."
Andros was the only wizard ever known to summon a giant-sized Patronus, a feat that earned him a place on the modern Chocolate Frog cards.
Ark had studied every scrap of legend about him. Though Andros had lived in a chaotic era, few Dark wizards dared appear before him. Many regarded him as a nemesis of the Dark Arts—a clear sign that his Patronus possessed incredible anti-dark-magic properties.
"If it could only repel Dementors and Lethifolds," Ark thought, "it wouldn't be called the most ancient and powerful defensive spell in wizardkind."
That was the kind of Patronus he wanted.
He knew what the future held. The wizarding world might seem peaceful now, but that peace was as fragile as glass—ready to shatter at any time.
Most believed Voldemort was dead. But Ark knew the Dark Lord was still clinging to life—and his eyes were already fixed on Hogwarts, lurking somewhere within.
He still had his followers—the Death Eaters, loyal Dark wizards waiting patiently for their master's return. When he rose again, they would plunge the wizarding world into chaos once more.
Britain would suffer under their reign of terror.
"If I could summon a Patronus like Andros the Invincible," Ark murmured, "one strong enough to resist all Dark magic… I'd have at least one card to play when the time comes. Maybe even become another nemesis of Dark wizards."
That was his goal.
Voldemort's greatest weapon was his mastery of the Dark Arts.
He was their most devoted disciple—a prodigy so dangerous that even Dumbledore feared him. The greatest wizard of the age wished nothing more than to see him gone.
Voldemort had achieved in a few decades what took Dumbledore a century to master. If he'd been allowed to live freely, he would have continued to expand his terrifying arsenal of curses and spells.
To stand against such a Dark Lord, Ark would need a defense capable of withstanding the most dreadful, unpredictable forms of black magic.
If he could summon a Patronus capable of repelling all Dark Arts, then he could face Voldemort head-on without fear.
But the Patronus he'd nearly formed—though powerful—didn't carry that kind of resistance.
So the moment he saw it taking shape, Ark withdrew the spell without hesitation.
Once a wizard's Patronus took form, it was set. It could only change after profound emotional trauma or transformation. He wouldn't risk locking himself into an imperfect one.
"How can I summon a Patronus like Andros'?" he wondered.
After a long stretch of thought, he came to a conclusion.
"I need stronger positive emotions. Brighter memories. Deeper joy."
That was the secret to creating a Patronus strong enough to resist Dark magic.
Just as most Dark spells required intense negative emotions to fuel them, countering them required equally powerful positive ones.
Even the original author once said that only eternal, unchanging love could alter the form of a Patronus—echoing Dumbledore's most famous line: "Love is the most powerful magic of all."
"Stronger happiness… deeper joy… greater delight…"
Ark pushed his Mind Guidance to its limits, letting waves of radiant emotion pour through him.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A massive burst of silver mist erupted from his wand—then, just as it was about to take shape, he pulled it back, only to start again.
Over and over, Ark practiced the Patronus Charm inside the Room of Requirement. Each repetition honed both his spellcasting and his emotional control, drawing out even greater mental strength.
The silver mist growing from his wand grew larger each time, and the form it hinted at grew more extraordinary. Once, it almost solidified into a magical creature—but Ark dispelled it at the last moment.
His control over Mind Guidance became ever more refined. He sought sharper intent, stronger impressions, greater focus—determined to forge a Patronus of unmatched power.
But such mastery couldn't be achieved overnight. By the time dawn neared, Ark still hadn't succeeded in creating a second, unprecedented Patronus to rival Andros the Invincible's.
So, he decided to call it a night.
He wasn't discouraged—he had time.
From now on, he resolved, he would come to the Room of Requirement every evening and practice until he succeeded in summoning his special Patronus.
It would train both his spellwork and his gift, allowing him to refine Mind Guidance and amplify all his magic in turn.
...
The next morning.
Having spent most of the night practicing, Ark didn't rise as early as usual. It was already half past eight when he finally left his dormitory and headed for breakfast in the Great Hall.
"The first class today is… Defence Against the Dark Arts?"
He double-checked his schedule, pausing mid-bite into his bread.
By the time the clock neared nine, Ark stepped into the classroom—only to find himself face to face with the one person he least wanted to deal with.
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