"What kind of something?"

"Some kind of something. I'm gonna sit and watch you guys for a bit," he declares, and sits down on the ground.

Bella continues trying. She varies between getting mist and nothing at all, depending on whether she tries the mysteriously correct birthday present or anything else.

Tony improves slowly but steadily with practice.

"Hello," says Sherlock.

"Hi. We've been practicing Patronuses but I can't get anything more than mist and I only get that much if I specifically concentrate on the book you got me when I turned eleven, nothing else does it. Feral and Tony are both way better at it. Do you want to see the spell?"

"Yes," says Sherlock.

Bella shows it to him from where she copied it into her notebook. "It's supposed to make a spirit animal guardian. Feral's definitely had, like, limbs, before I gave up. They're good against Dark creatures and also you can send them with unfakeable messages, when they're all formed up. I don't know why mine won't work."

"I see," he says. "Do you mind if I practice this tonight?"

"As long as you don't start till I'm asleep saying random words, it shouldn't wake me up. You aren't shouty with your incantations," shrugs Bella.

"All right."

Bella goes to bed shortly after, and doesn't take long to drop off and start saying things like "gray spire suet box".

Bella peers at him to see if he's gotten a shape to his yet.

"Good morning," he says.

"Morning. Were you patronusing all night?"

"Did you get a shape?"

He shakes his head.

"Is that why you won't let me see?"

He nods.

"Well, tell me what it is when you know, I guess." She hops out of bed and sets about getting ready for the day.

"I will."