PA12: The Patronus – Harry Potter Lexicon

"The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon – hope, happiness, the desire to survive – but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can’t hurt it."
-- Remus Lupin

Both Harry and Ron are angry with Hermione for reporting the Firebolt to Professor McGonagall, Oliver Wood tries to get it back, classes resume, Professor Lupin teaches Harry the Patronus Charm to use against Dementors, Harry asks repeatedly about his Firebolt and finally gets it back, and makes up with Hermione just as Ron finds bloody traces of what he thinks is Scabbers.

Calendar and Dates

January and February 1994: classes for the new term start and "Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of term (PA12)." The upcoming Gryffindor match usually falls in February.

Interesting facts and notes

As indicated by the chapter title, the most notable event in this chapter is Harry's first tutorial with Lupin on the Patronus Charm to ward off Dementors.

Classes started again the next day.

Since Care of Magical Creatures and Divination are referred to as being one of the lessons on the first day, the first day of term may be the same day of the week as the first day of the previous term, possibly a Monday.

It was Defence Against the Dark Arts that Harry was keen to get to....

Since the first point in the week that Harry has Defence Against the Dark Arts is Thursday afternoon, after Potions (PA7), this should not be the same day as the first day of term, given the classes Harry had that day (see above). There has been no mention of a new timetable being distributed, so we are operating under the hypothesis that this term has the same timetable as the previous term.

"How about eight o'clock on Thursday evening?"

Since the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson of the week for Harry is on Thursday, this is a strange way for Lupin to put it - one would expect him to say "tonight" if the conversation took place on that Thursday.

… and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry’s wand, to hover between him and the Dementor, and though Harry’s legs felt like water, he was still on his feet … though for how much longer, he wasn’t sure …

Not an easy spell to master, then.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Lupin forcing the Boggart back into the packing case with his wand; it had turned into a silvery orb again.

There is a moon-like orb whenever the Boggart and Professor Lupin interact.

Terrible though it was to hear his parents’ last moments replayed inside his head, these were the only times Harry had heard their voices since he was a very small child.

How very sad that is.

"Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch on it first. Honestly, the way she was yelling at me...you'd think I'd said something terrible."

Oliver Wood asking Professor McGonagall for Harry's new Firebolt to be returned without full testing shows his single-mindedness. In one way, his priorities are completely understandable - especially if he expects that his entire career is going to revolve around the sport of Quidditch. And, after all, he isn't the only wizard who has no regard for potential injury or danger to self or others.

However, Harry does get his broom back.

BLOOD!’ Ron yelled into the stunned silence. ‘HE’S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?’
‘N-no,’ said Hermione, in a trembling voice.
Ron threw something down onto Hermione’s Rune translation. Hermione and Harry leant forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.

But then, disaster strikes.

Exceptional character moments

Oliver Wood, who really has got his priorities wrong where Quidditch is involved.

Harry trying to find happy memories to use for his Patronus Charm. There are so few.

Professor Lupin answering questions by leaving things out about himself and his past.

Hermione's enthusiasm about her extra subjects, even though she is struggling to cope.

Memorable lines

The moment when he’d first found out he was a wizard, and would be leaving the Dursleys for Hogwarts! If that wasn’t a happy memory, he didn’t know what was …

"She [McGonagall] - er - got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch on it first. Honestly, the way she was yelling at me...you'd think I'd said something terrible." [Oliver Wood]

As far as he [Ron] was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage.