Shawn held his coffee cup and drained the chocolate milk in one go, then let out a long, warm breath.
"Whew! Thank you, Professor."
Seeing that Shawn had recovered somewhat, Vita spoke gently.
"Although I don't know why you've left Occlumency unused, I won't pry. If you really don't have any especially happy memories, imagine your future instead. Convince yourself that your dreams have already come true."
Shawn nodded but offered no explanation.
He hadn't learned Occlumency himself. Since it involved his mind, he naturally had all the more reason to learn it again from scratch.
Only after starting over did he discover just how difficult this spell was, and how much it depended on talent.
With other spells to practice as well, he could only work on Occlumency before bed each night. So far, he had barely reached the threshold.
He considered Vita's suggestion.
Imagine the future?
Although he had always "arrogantly" thought about ruling the world and making wizards and Muggles prosper together, was that truly the dream he longed for?
Perhaps.
Should I try?
Seeing Shawn's expression, Vita hesitated briefly before continuing.
"I couldn't produce a Patronus at first either, but I tried a little trick: combining several memories into one. Merge an imagined, beautiful future with real happy memories to create a scene you'll never forget. The emotions it produces are especially powerful."
A gleam flashed through Shawn's eyes. After considering it for a while, he spoke resolutely.
"I've recovered, Professor. Let's continue."
Vita affectionately ruffled his short black hair.
"This spell really isn't that important. It doesn't matter if you can't cast it. Don't push yourself."
Looking into Vita's doting eyes, Shawn felt his heart give a sharp tremor. An impulse nearly made him cry something out.
But his lips moved a few times, and