Disclaimer: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. I clearly don't own it, don't have Rowling's genius. 'Nuff said.

He sensed them coming, a whole pack of them, coming to attack the already injured creature. Running would be a bad choice. Teeth marks had raked the enormous cow's leg, blood still fresh. At the rate the poachers' dogs were running, they couldn't last five minutes without being surrounded. The Re'em gave a grunt, already preparing herself for a fight she knew she couldn't win.

They were backed up against a cliff, with no escape but up. The darkness and lack of moonlight wouldn't help with climbing the steep precipice. And an ox, even this magical one, couldn't just sprout wings and fly.

They were trapped. He had led the poachers here, unintentionally. He had been so foolish. Why didn't he expect anyone to follow him? A stranger who announced he had a lead on the Re'em out of excitement wouldn't spark any interest in the eavesdroppers at all, would it? Especially when its blood could increase the strength of the drinker?

There was no time to dwell on that now. At least he had left his briefcase with a trusted friend. Even Pickett, who was sleeping in his coat pocket when he left, was blissfully unaware that he had left the coat in the case. If he died, his creatures would be safe. The golden beast seemed more anxious now, hooves scratching against the ground, whining. He patted the Re'em, making soft mooing sounds to try to calm her down. An out of control XXXX would not do him any good. The howls grew closer, shadows moving in the distance, weaving in and out of the trees, panting with anticipation.

He needed his Patronus. It was the only way to save the endangered beast from the predators chasing after her. He knew no matter what he wouldn't be able to hurt one, and if he kept them at bay the poachers would eventually find their way to the Re'em. His only option was to scare them away.

Think happy thoughts.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, wand gripped tightly. He went to his go-to memory: Sitting beside Leta in Hogwarts' school library in third-year, enthusiastically talking about every magical creature you could name. Some details were fuzzy; He couldn't remember what kind of chairs they were sitting in, or what the lamp looked like, or the way she had done her hair. It was a bittersweet memory, but it was a joyful one. He raised his wand, yelling "Expecto Patronum!" as loud as he could.

He opened his eyes.

Only a formless silvery wisp had been conjured. It vanished within seconds. And now with his shouting, the dogs had probably pinpointed their location. A mournful moo came from the female Re'em at his failure.

Shock took him. He didn't understand, couldn't comprehend what had happened. Never before had this memory failed him. This was his happiest, even though he sometimes wished it wasn't. It was the memory he was forced to recall when he first produced a Patronus. And every time after that. This had never happened before.

The dogs were on their way, snarling and closing in. The golden cow was even more panicked, kicking its large front hoof against the cliff desperately.

He was much more worried now. Before he was sure that despite the odds they would be able to escape, as his Patronus Charm seemed like a guaranteed spell. If he didn't think of something fast he would be killed and the Re'em would be captured. Adrenaline coursed through his veins.

There had to be something happier, something that would truly fuel the Patronus and bring it to full power.

He closed his eyes tight again, trying hard to think of something, anything.

Tending hippogriffs with his mom...getting his Hogwarts letter...getting sorted into Hufflepuff...his first class at Care of Magical Creatures...being allowed to stay at Hogwarts because of Dumbledore...graduation...transferring to the Beasts division at the Ministry...getting the funds to write a book…

The barks grew louder, twigs snapping violently. He could hear the Re'em trying to suppress her worry. He clapped his hands over his ears. No distractions.

It had to be a memory that came after the last time he used a Patronus. It would be the only reason the one of Leta in the library wasn't working. He let his emotions loose, searching through a stream of good memories looking for the right one.

Finding Pickett...finally catching the Niffler after many, many tries...bumping into Frank...showing Jacob the case...seeing the occamy eggs hatch...spending time with Tina…watching her wonder at the magical creatures... her soft smile at every single one of them...

That was it. He focused his mind on that memory of Tina, holding on to her image and expression. It wasn't hard to remember every detail, he had been watching closely at the time. The curve of her smile, the excitement in her eyes, the way the sunlight lit her face was ingrained in his brain. He remembered every detail, clear as yesterday. He smiled, feeling a giddy kind of warmth. "Expecto Patronum!"

A full-sized corporal Patronus appeared, springing from the tip of his wand. The brightest he had ever conjured. The dogs had only been a couple meters away, ready to pounce. They stopped at the sight of the silvery animal that now faced them. Some skittered away instantly at the sight, intimidated. Others stood, glaring eye to eye with the strange creature. Then they charged towards the man, the cow, and the bright Patronus. The Re'em snorted, almost like it was laughing at the dogs who had dared to come.

The dogs didn't stand a chance. The Patronus had moved faster and more gracefully, pushing them away, forcing the dogs to back up. More dogs scampered away, fearing the mysterious silvery animal that couldn't be injured. The guardian chased after them, off to make sure they didn't warn their poachers.

The Re'em promptly sat down, giving a huff of relief now that that the danger was gone. She yawned and leaned on her side, exhausted. The man, on the other hand, was still standing, more relaxed now, a dopey grin on his face. All signs of tiring were wiped clean. His heart was racing, but not only from the adrenaline.

Perhaps Leta Lestrange wasn't the one for him.

AN: Anyone else who fell in love with the movie? Late for the hype train, but oh well! Hope you enjoyed it.

Edit: Lol, copy and paste failed me when I was moving my document. Hopefully now all the weird code is gone.