had halted -- 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 -- 

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward. 

There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the dementor; he sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted as if he'd just run a mile, and felt his legs shaking. 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.

Amelia stood up and applauded.

 "Excellent!" Lupin said, striding over to where Harry sat. "Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!" 

"Can we have another go? Just one more go?" 

"Not now," said Lupin firmly. "You've had enough for one night. Here --"

 He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate. 

"Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?" 

"Okay," said Harry.

"Is it my turn now?" asked Amelia, standing in the corner.

"I dare say so," said Lupin, walking back over to the chest.

Stepping into the center of the room, Amelia drew a deep breath, voices, and thoughts filling her head with memories she hadn't cared to look back on in many years.

"You are a witch, Amelia,"

"So I'm not crazy. It is real!"

Not that wouldn't do. It was a happy memory, very, one of the best days of her life, but not emotional enough. Then it came to her, sunshine, laughing, the taste of lemon-lime soda. The days before her adoptive parent's wedding, sitting on a wooden pew bathing in the sunlight of the sideyard where the wedding would take place. Laughing with her brother and late Grandmother who thought it a good idea to give her grandchildren their first sip of soda.

A smile etched Amelia's face at the memory. She didn't remember much of her grandmother, not her voice, or her smell; but she would always remember those brown pants and blue flower blouse and how her grandma had tricked her into sniffing the flowers on the wedding cake.

"Are you ready?" asked Lupin.

Amelia gripped her wand holding it out in front of her, glowing as it had done since the day she first held it over three years ago.

"Ready."