The Patronus Charm is a powerful defensive spell that is cast to fend off Dementors and Lethifolds, two magical beings against which there is no other known defence. It is an extremely complicated spell that needs intensive training and great concentration to master. A white mist or fog is conjured from the tip of the caster's wand that, if powerful enough, will drive off the attacking creatures.

The Patronus Charm is taught in Hogwarts from Sixth Year onwards. Only those who have truly mastered this spell can cast a corporeal Patronus: one that instead of being intangible white mist, takes on the appearance of an animal, a tangible form that offers a stronger protection. This animal represents the innermost character of a witch or wizard and reveals to the outside what a person is like on the inside. Although every Patronus is as unique as its caster, it is very unusual for a Patronus to take on the form of the favourite animal of its master.

It is usual but not necessary for a corporeal Patronus to take on the appearance of an animal commonly found in its caster's native lands. In contrast, it is uncommon, but not unheard of, for a person to produce a Patronus animal that they do not know of, or that is from a species that has become extinct. The rarest of Patroni are those that become magical creatures, such as phoenixes or dragons.

A Patronus is created from the happiest memory a person can conjure and can change should a person create a new happiest memory. However, a strong emotion is necessary to cause this change, and it is not something that will happen lightly.

How to learn the Patronus spell:

• through the First Lesson of Sixth Year DADA class OR
• the 5th Year Prodigal DADA Learner ability OR
• graduation to 7th Year

How to learn to cast a Corporeal Patronus:

• to write an RP of 500 words of your student learning the spell in this thread [link]

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It should be noted that your Corporeal Patronus should make sense for your PC—you have to be able to explain why it fits their character. Whether or not iNPCs will be able to have their own Patronus will be decided once the scope of the moderation effort is assessable to staff.

The corresponding RP thread will be available to Sixth Year and above students, but leave everyone the option to acquire the actual spell in any way they wish to. The ability "Prodigal DADA Learner" applies to this spell, and Fifth Year students with this ability will be able to do the Corporeal Patronus RP thread.

All further detail about the Corporeal Patronus RPs will be announced site-wide once the RP thread comes up. Specific details are subject to changes should the need arise.

Written by Elaine Pendrast