Elektra Black III

Chapter 3 | The Boggart

Author's notes:

This chapter is rated MATURE. Please read on with caution, or don't read at all. Also, check out this amazing artwork for the chapter by rosebethp. How cool!

"Now, repeat after me, Riddiklus!" Remus shouted to a new set of third years over the rumbling racket coming from out within the big trunk behind him where a Boggart sat. "Riddikulus!" The children shouted back. Remus clasped his hands together, nodding his head, "Very good. Now, let's try this again, shall we? Jonathan, you're up." He told a shy blonde-haired boy at the back of the class to come forward to where the trunk rested.

After a little while of going down the line of notably apprehensive children, the door to the Transfiguration classroom swung open, with a curious Sirius Black leaning up against the wall watching on at them. Remus glanced his way, politely nodding as he finished with the last student whose Boggart was a flock of crows.

"Right, that's it for today. Pack up your things and get going before the feast begins." He instructed the students who were more than happy to leave the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. He found it odd that the lot of them weren't remotely interested; perhaps, they would come out of their shells over time, or perhaps, his teaching wasn't as good as it once was. They weren't like Elektra and Harry's year when they were learning about Boggarts. That was a memorable lesson.

"Professor Black-" Remus started, remaining professional as the last few kids packed up their belongings. Sirius moved into the middle of the vast room, his arms crossed over his black satin shirt covered chest, whilst he observed his husband. "You do it better than I do, that's for sure." Sirius chuckled, recognising the case behind him. "Boggarts. Never forgot that lesson." He carried on, moving towards it as Remus gently followed behind. "Who was it that taught us, again? Professor Merrythought, was it?" Sirius lightly sighed as a smile formed on his lips, "She hated James and me. One wrong look at her, and she'd give you a month's detention." The two glanced at one another with a desire to say more; they still hadn't made up from their fight in Sirius' classroom. Small talk could only last so long.

"I'm gathering your Boggart has stayed the same?" Sirius asked, walking back to where Remus stood. He nodded his head gingerly, "The moon, as it will always be." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll never forget yours. I'm certain it brought Merrythought to tears." Sirius chuckled, raising his eyebrows as he reminisced about the day. "My mother was a vile woman; it couldn't have been much of a surprise." He muttered, stepping forward slightly, "Let's see if it's changed, shall we?"

Before Remus could intervene, knowing Sirius wasn't in the right mindset to handle whatever the Boggart turned itself into, Sirius lunged for the trunk and lifted the lid. Before it could pop out in front of Sirius' face, Remus jumped in front, blocking him and turning it into a full moon.  "Give over. I'm a grown man. I want to see." Sirius joked, elbowing Remus out of the way and with the flick of his wand, the moon disappeared. Remus pushed him back again, his whole body towering over Sirius' to block the view of the trunk. "Padfoot, this is not to be messed about with." Remus ordered, now treating Sirius as if he was a student. "There's no harm in it!" Sirius promptly began again, but the two of them froze in their tracks when little footsteps appeared from behind them. The two men swung themselves around as the Boggart had already lifted itself out of the trunk whilst they were busy play-fighting like children.

In a dishevelled manner, standing barefoot, was a lone girl in dirty clothing, with scars from what appeared to be Werewolf fights, up and down her arms with deep purple bruises all over her legs.

But the Boggart wasn't simply any girl.

"Elektra..." Sirius breathed out, forcibly pushing Remus out of the way as he near enough ran to her, with Remus' long, boney arms instantly wrapping around him, "NO! She isn't real!" He yelled, trying to pull him back, but Sirius was far too strong as he escaped his husband's grasp and fled to his daughter, whose mouth subtly stretched open as if to say something, yet no words came out. Boggarts couldn't speak, that was a fact Sirius knew, but the sight of his poor, terribly hurt daughter sent tears falling down his cheeks.