Dementors

He ran.

The sun was gone. The light was gone. The warmth that once invigorated the spring air was gone. Everything was dark and cold and it was getting darker and colder.

“Harry!”

He spun around, straining to hear her voice.

“Harry!”

He sprinted forward, straight back into the darkness. The cold clawed through his robes; the darkness blotted out his sight.

He heard her again, her voice screeching from almost next to him.

“Harry!”

He reached out and grabbed Hermione’s hand.

Then Harry pulled out his wand and braced himself for the worst. He didn’t know where they were, but he knew they would bring trouble. Nothing else could suck the happiness out of a warm day in May so quickly.

Exams were coming.

Harry heard the Exams above him, their robes flapped noisily in the frigid air.

Harry gripped his wand tightly, and tried think of a happy memory. It had been only yesterday, when he, Hermione and Ron walked through the sunlit grounds of the castle. But even that thought was slipping into the recesses of his mind, pushed away by the hopelessness of the Exams.

Then he remembered, with a sharp stab of fear. “Where’s Ron?” he asked Hermione.

Hermione’s condescension cut through the darkness. “How could you forget? He only had papers and they were all due yesterday.eriHer His parents picked him up this morning.”

Harry could only gasp in reply. Only two feet in front of him the cloaked figure of an Exam had appeared. Its scabby hands reached out from the shadows. Its breath rattled through the black hood covering its face.

He tried to think of a happy memory. But his mind was stuck. He heard, over and over again, Snape’s cackling laughter. The Potion master’s wand slashed through the air, emitting green sparks that formed into a giant, floating “F” in front of the classroom.

Harry squeezed Hermione’s hand.

Then he heard her cry out. “Expecto Patronum!”

Only saw a silvery wisp of smoke trickled out of the end of her wand. The Exam walked through the fog unimpeded.

Then he felt her hand slip free. Harry heard her body thump to the ground at his feet.

The Exam in front of him only drew closer. It’s black, scabbed hands reached to its face and drew back its hood. The world grew foggy. As if through a great distance, Harry saw the Exam’s eyeless face bow towards his. He felt the creatures pallid hands clasp around his throat. The creature’s mouth started sucking in air. Warmth, happiness, love drained from Harry’s soul.

Harry tried to focus on a happy memory. He thought of quidditch. He thought of Ron and Hermione. He thought of Ginny.

What was it like to be happy? What was it like to be warm? What was it like to have fun? Did the sun exist anymore?

The Exam’s mouth was only inches from Harry’s. He felt life slipping away.

Then a memory burst into his mind. He felt the sunshine of a happy time with Harry and Hermione when they had first come to Hogwarts. He felt the felt of the Sorting Hat resting on his ears. He heard the Hat scream: “Gryffindor!”

Harry extended his wand and shouted “EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

A silver stag galloped from the end of his wand and plowed into the Exam in front of him.

Hermione pulled the hem of Harry’s robe, dragging him down to the ground next to her. The two laughed.

Harry looked above him and saw the sun again.

It was summer.