it all ends with us: ruins

017

Chapter Seventeen:

"The universe has a cruel way of working."

Theo was acting like everything was normal the next day. He had bluntly told the group what had happened and asked them for zero pity and told them to treat him as they usually would. It would make it easier for him to cope and they all understood. He joked around like normal and had regained his appetite. People cope in mysterious ways Atlas had thought.

The group all had the same class next. Defence against the dark arts. Professor Lupin had mentioned that they would be revisiting an old topic to make sure they were keeping their standards up. He hadn't told them which topic they would be doing so that left the class curious.

Once they had walked through into the classroom the tables were pushed against the sides leaving a big gap in the middle. A wardrobe stood at the front next to Lupin's desk which left Atlas confused. She wracked through her brain to try and think of what they could be practicing but she had no answers. Students piled up into the classroom including Harry who had waved at Atlas and she waved back.

Atlas had made a beeline towards Apollo and Pansy who stood together snugly. She questioned if they had liked each other but it was too early for Atlas to try and piece together the puzzle right now so she pushed it to the back of her mind. Theo and Lorenzo come in with grins on their face and stand next to Apollo. Ren and Kiera were the last to walk in; they squished themselves next to Atlas who was now sandwiched next to Draco.

"Okay class, can anyone guess what we will be tackling this lesson?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Granger." Lupin motions for her to answer.

"Boggarts sir." She replies curtly.

"Who can tell me what a boggart is?" He asks.

"A Boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of its observer's worst fear." Atlas answers.

"Correct Miss Lennon." He nods his head.

"Can anyone tell me what spell we use against a boggart?" He questions.

"The boggart-banishing spell is Riddikulus." Ren speaks up.

"Correct Miss Rivera." He walks up to the wardrobe holding the boggart. "Would you like to step up here Miss Rivera and have the first go."

Ren steps up nervously. Her hands were shaking due to the fear of not knowing what her boggart to be.

Lupin opens the cupboard and the boggart leaves. It started off looking like a ghoul but then shifted into Fenrir Greyback. He was a notorious criminal who had a habit of turning people into werewolves. Even Lupin looks shocked at what her boggart is but he doesn't say anything.

Ren raises her wand confidently. "Riddikulus." She says and the once scary man had turned into a clown which made the class laugh.

Ren breathed a sigh of relief before going back to her original spot. Lupin called out names of the class mates and almost everyone had gone against their boggart. Harry's was his dead parents and Ron's was Hermione in danger. Hermione's had been a bad grade.

"Mr Nott, you're up next." Theo walked up to the front of the class.

Lupin opened the cupboard. The corpse of an older woman and smaller child covered in blood was the shape the boggart took. It had to be Theo's brother and mother. Theo hesitated but raised his wand quickly. He muttered the spell but nothing had happened. He raised his wand again slightly flustered and said the spell but with more force.