Chapter 73. Boggart

The next day, while we were studying our books on Third Year potions in Snape’s class, I couldn’t remove the image of last night from my mind. I was already done copying the information, and with nothing left to do, I walked over to professor Snape’s desk as he continued to grade papers. “Professor?” I called to get his attention, he barely suffered me a glance before continuing his work. “What is it, Mr. Peterson?” I cleared my throat, remembering a few pages I was able to read about Dementor’s in the library, however few there were. “If one were to drink an Essence of insanity, would a Dementor still ‘kiss’ the person beyond saving?”

He paused writing for a moment, before resting his scowling gaze onto me. “No… And I would have to imagine that anyone who’d try an idea such as that, would be insane before they drank a drop… Dementor’s do not care of one’s mental state of those they feed on… Only that they feed…” I gulped as a shiver ran down my spine and nodded at him as he focused on his papers again. The bell then rang, signifying the end of class.

“Have you heard that Sirius Black was seen in Dufftown?” Draco asked both Pansy and I as we headed to our next class. “You mean the black wizard in league with ‘you know who’? Do you think he’s coming here?” Pansy asked, silently grasping onto my robes as her voice faltered a bit. “That’s what the dementors are for, right?” I said, biting my bottom lip. “I don’t trust those things.” Pansy immediately answered back, tightening her grip on my robes. “They are disgusting creatures. I wonder how he managed to slip by them.” Draco muttered as we entered the classroom.

To our surprise, the classroom had all of its tables and chairs pushed aside to the edges of the room, and all that remained in the center was a large wardrobe cupboard. “What is this nonsense?” Draco asked as we entered the back of the room, everyone else standing around in confusion until a lanky man in his 30’s descended the stairs to his office. I felt the same strange sensation as I had previously with Chiara, however not as much. I glanced over at the strange Hufflepuff, our eyes meeting, the same feeling growing once again. “It’s him!” Pansy yelled, and I looked at her in confusion, urging her to explain. “He’s the man that drove off that dementor on the train.” “Ah.”

“Alright everybody! If I could have you all gather around! On your feet! On your feet! We’ll start class soon!” He raised the students sitting on the ground by motioning his hand. The cupboard then suddenly shook, everyone silently jumped a bit from fright, glaring at it as it continued to randomly shiver and bang around, ready to run if something came out.

The bell rang, and soon the room became silent as we all stared at the shaking shuddering cupboard. “Alright! Everyone, take your books, and the rest of your things and place them in the back of class, we won't be needing them for this lesson just yet.” Everyone was cautious at first, each of us still keeping an eye on the moving cupboard. Once we were done, professor Lupin introduced himself, and he began right away with the lesson. “Now! Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?” He asked, casually waltzing around the room as he pointed at the mirrored cupboard.

“That’s a boggart that is.” One student yelled as we all jumped from the cabinet’s sudden bang, the creature inside reacting to our voices just outside the enchanted wood. “Very good, Mr. Thomas. Now can anybody tell me what a Boggart looks like?” I pondered for a moment, Boggarts were something I had only heard from bedtime stories, I never knew they were truly real. “No one knows!” Hermione suddenly called out beside me, as she moved further up in the class to meet her friends. I blinked my eyes a few times at her sudden appearance, assured I never saw her earlier, surprised to think such a studious girl would ever be late to class.

However, despite my confusion, she continued on. “They’re shapeshifters, they take the form of whatever someone fears the most, that’s what makes them-” “So terrifying, correct! 5 Points!” Professor Lupin finished her sentence, and granted points as he stood beside the shaking cabinet. “Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let’s practice it now. Without wands please!” He quickly added, waving his hand to dispel any wands that students were trying to take out.

“Riddikulus!” He yelled, and motioned for us to try. “Riddikilus!” We all yelled back, some more accurate than others. “Very close! Try it again! Very clearly, listen! Riddikulus!” “This class is Riddikulus…” Draco muttered, making Pansy and I scoff before saying the pronunciation again. “Alright! Now… Neville! Could you come up here please?” After a little prompting, Neville finally made his way to the front of the crowd, and told of his fear. “P-Professor Snape.” He muttered, causing most of us to chuckle.

After Professor Lupin whispered into Neville's ear, he stepped back and waved his wand at the cabinet. The metal handle creaked as it turned, and a sudden hand appeared, gasping at it, flinging it wide open to reveal Snape scowling at us all. ‘Is that really Snape?’ I wondered, but suddenly I heard Neville shout out the spell, and saw Snape’s clothes dramatically change into a horrible concoction of color blind fashion. Draco, Pansy, and I, along with the rest of class burst out into laughter at the sight while Lupin explained. “Laughter is what really drives away a Boggart! Think of something funny to change it into, and you’ll find it's gone before you’re done holding your stomach!”

We watched as Snape leapt back into the cupboard, closing it behind him as it suddenly started shaking again. “Alright! Everyone form a line! Form a line to the back of the class!” Lupin announced and many of us seemed excited to try out our own funny spells, each person trying to cut in front of others. However, I was not one of them. I already knew what I feared the most, and part of that had to do with others finding out about me. My fears may become real if it somehow knows what words to speak.

Luckily since we were in the back of the class to begin with, we were already far behind everyone else. Draco was ahead of Pansy, and Pansy was ahead of me. All that remained behind me was the wall. However, I then noticed another set of light footsteps, carefully sneaking their way to the back. Glancing outside of the line, I could see the short silver hair of Chiara, meekly making her way to the back of the class a few feet away from me. Her eyes glanced to the front of the class, at the cupboard, but I noticed her gaze silently moved towards professor Lupin as he walked near the windows to the classroom, giving him a small, thankful nod. I watched as he returned the favor, giving a singular nod one would miss if they weren't already paying attention to his gaze, a gaze that for some reason met with mine for a brief second.

He looked at me for a moment, judging me for some reason before he woke himself from his thoughts, turning to the Phonograph. Music began filling the room as Lupin explained for the next student to picture something they feared, and think of something amusing instead. After that, many students had fears of banshees, ghosts, spiders, snakes, Ron Weasley being the largest black widow over the size of Gaynor, and the line continued to move forward. As it did, I began fearing what excuse I could make for not participating, the lessening line was like a hourglass, each grain of sand sinking to my own demise. However, another fear appeared, one that gave me pause just looking at it. “Is that…?” Pansy muttered in confusion, along with a few others glancing back at me to verify their suspicions. ‘That’s me.’

Hermione blinked a few times in confusion at the sight before her. Her greatest fear had materialized itself into the image of Lucas. Normal Lucas. ‘If it transforms-!’ She suddenly thought, fearful that if her fear was him transforming and hurting her, then everyone in class would know of his curse. She quickly grasped her wand, pointing it at him, but he opened his mouth, scowling deeply at her. “Filthy mudblood.” His words caused her falter, her body became stiff, her chest clenched as she internalized what he said.

As she stood in confusion, the Boggart Lucas crossed his arms, slowly shaking his head at her in disgust. “Never should have trusted you. That’s all you are, you mud-”  “Riddikulus!” She yelled, not willing to hear another word from him, not wanting this sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach to worsen. Before her eyes she watched as Lucas’ mouth was sealed shut, like she had used a silencing charm. He began screaming while pointing at his forced shut mouth, many other students from every house, aside from Slytherin, all laughed and chuckled.

Hermione left the line, moving to the back of class, her chest still in pain just hearing that dirty word. At the back, she sat beside Ron and Chiara, who was avoiding the lesson all-together by hiding in the back with the finished students. “Wish you did that on the real thing.” Ron snickered while tapping her shoulder. Hermione nodded while receiving comforting pats on her back from Chiara. Chiara slowly tried to ease Hermione from facing her fear, something Chiara was much too scared to attempt herself. “I-It’s okay… You… You’re an amazing witch…” Hermione couldn’t help but smile at Chiara’s carefully made words of comfort, quietly thanking Chiara, but still feeling the strange stinging in her chest.