By the time Jerry's little lesson ended, it was almost curfew. They quickly packed up their belongings and headed back to their respective Common Rooms.
Although Harry and Hermione had successfully conjured the silvery-white mist of the Patronus Charm, neither had managed to give their Patronus a solid form. They had not even produced a vague outline.
"Jerry, is there any way to master this spell quickly?" Harry asked eagerly in the corridor. "Or some kind of shortcut, at least so I can fight back the next time I run into a Dementor!"
"See? You're getting impatient again!" Jerry shrugged helplessly. "If there were a shortcut, would I really keep it from you?"
"Still, when you study with Professor Lupin next term, you could ask him to find a way to catch another Boggart," Jerry suggested after a moment's thought. "Since Dementors are what you fear most, you could use it to practice the Patronus Charm."
"Boggarts don't have any particularly impressive abilities, but they're first-rate mimics. Having one put you under pressure might help you master the Patronus Charm faster."
Hearing this, Hermione eagerly asked, "Jerry, what about me? Do you have any advice for me?"
"For you, I really don't have any better ideas!" Jerry spread his hands helplessly. "You'll just have to improve through steady practice! Still, I felt as though you weren't quite concentrating during the lesson. Several times, you were clearly on the verge of succeeding, but you couldn't keep it stable. You need to pay particular attention to that. Concentration is the key to mastering the Patronus Charm, after all."
"All right! I understand." Hermione sighed softly. After all, she could hardly ask Jerry to go out and catch a Dementor to help her train!
The last weekend before Christmas brought another trip to