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Prompt: Bright
Crossover: The Dresden Files and Harry Potter
Harry Dresden had never seen anything like the shining stag. It stood in the section of the NeverNever that he was currently trapped in, glowing so brightly that he probably could have read by the light from the thing. The tainted ground under its hooves was sizzling slightly, but it didn’t seem to inconvenience the thing in the least.
He should have been at least a little wary. The spider-things that had been approaching him had scuttled back and were shrieking as they went when the light touched them. Anything that could cause that kind of reaction from eldritch spiders needed to be regarded with caution. And still Harry felt calm, at peace, even moderately joyful and loved. Once the little shelobs had retreated, another figure stepped into the ambient glow of the stag.
He was dressed in a leather jacket that reflected the light oddly, and he looked at the twisted forest with an expression of distaste and disgust. “I hate when I end up in places like this,” the stranger said, British accent making the words crisp. He kicked at the charred remains of the one that Harry had managed to take out with fire.
“Yeah, I’m not feeling particularly happy to be here either,” Harry commented. The stranger eyed him but didn’t say anything, a wand in his hand rather than a staff. “What brings you to this awful corner of the NeverNever?”
“I’m not sure what that is,” the stranger admitted. “I was investigating a magical disturbance and got pushed through a portal. I could feel the dark magic almost immediately, so I sent up my patronus.”
Harry mentally rolled through his limited Latin. “Your lawyer?”
The stranger looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I assumed you were a wizard, given the fire you were using earlier.”
“Oh, I’m a wizard. Just not sure why you would need a lawyer for this.”
“Do Americans just not bother learning about things like the Patronus charm?” The stag vanished without warning, leaving the space around them feeling colder. “Expecto Patronum,” he said, his wand jabbing at the air. The stag reappeared, not as bright as before. “I mean, I know you don’t have to worry about dementors in the States, which is a nice bonus I suppose, but I’ve always found the Patronus to be useful against all dark magic that effects the mental and emotional state.”
“Never heard of it,” Harry said. “Really interested in learning now.”
The stranger shrugged. “I can try teaching you, mate, but it’s one of those things that adults have trouble learning. The spell is calling for a defender, and it’s mostly based on the emotions of love and protection. You call up every happy memory of the people you love, doing the things that you love together, and you throw that out there with the incantation and your magic. I’ve been teaching this since I was fifteen years old and I’ve had better luck training preteens than full-grown adults.
Harry hadn’t truly been happy in years. He’d been content, but that was the best he’d managed. “I still want to try,” he said.
The other man nodded. “It’s an outward manifestation of love and protection. Everyone wants to be able to do it. But it’s exhausting and you’d be better off doing it somewhere safe and warm and with a lot of chocolate at hand. I’m pretty sure I can get back home from here, if you want to come along.”
Harry debated as he brushed off the snow and gathered his wizarding gear. It sounded like this could take him away from Chicago, possibly for a very long time. He had responsibilities in Chicago, along with his friends and his brother and his life in general.
He wanted to learn this. He might even need to learn this. But he couldn’t walk away from everything else, not right now. “Happy memories, you said?”
“Specifically with the people you love. But it’s more about the feelings of love than the details of the memory.”
Harry nodded. “I’ll see what I can do on my own, then.”
“Good luck with that, mate.” The other man nodded and turned away. “Look me up if you’re ever in London.”
“Look up who? I never got a name.”
The man smirked. “Harry Potter.”