Visionary | h. potter x oc

3.3

Potions class was far less enjoyable now that Aurora sat with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Snape seemed to snap at her for the littlest thing, like cutting up her daisy roots too thin. The thinner they are, the faster they dissolve, she wanted to argue, but managed to keep her mouth shut. In past years he hadn't cared about what she did in class and she managed to keep top marks.  

Malfoy had milked his injury for all it was worth, managing to get Snape to make Ron and Harry cut up his ingredients for him. By the time he began talking about Hagrid being fired Aurora had had enough. She slammed her knife on the table, making the entire group jump. Draco had shut up quickly after that and Harry found himself wondering why the blonde steered clear of her.

After finishing her own potion she moved on to help Neville, not wanting to see the boy's toad melt or blow up because of his faulty potion. Harry and Seamus talked for a bit, their conversation just quiet enough that Aurora couldn't hear any of it. She cut up Neville's ingredients properly, but before the potion was done Snape had called for him to test it on his own toad. When the professor's back was turned she quickly switched cauldrons with him before dumping the ingredients into her new one and mixing it until it turned from orange to a bright neon-green.

Neville slowly poured some of Aurora's potion down his toad's throat, the animal twitching for a moment before shrinking. While Neville grinned, Snape's frown seemed to deepen. He poured another potion over the toad before speaking, "Five points from Gryffindor. And Ollivander--" Aurora turned towards her professor, who had never had a single issue with her during her time in Hogwarts, "Your new friends will only drag you down. Help him again and it'll be fifty next time." That had put a damper on her mood.

Their next class was defense against the dark arts. While the class crowded towards the back of the room Lupin stood in front of a rattling box. Hermione and Ron stood behind Harry and Aurora, looking over their shoulders to see what was in the wardrobe.

"Intriguing, isn't it?" With a loud rattle many of the students backed up, but Aurora only smiled with anticipation. "Would anyone like to guess what's inside?"

Dean Thomas was the first to answer, "That a boggart, that is."

"Very good." Ron jumped when the box rattled again, taking a small step to hide behind Harry more, "Now can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?"

Your worst fear... Aurora thought, staring at the box to see what awaited her. Hermione explained what it was and how it shape shifts depending on the person.

"A very simple charm exists to repel a boggart." Lupin wandered around the box, "Repeat after me, riddikulus!" The class repeated it quietly, "Good, louder now. And you must be very clear. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" They repeated again.

"Good, but laughter is what really defeats it. You need it to take the form of something you find truly amusing. Neville, will you join me?" The boy stepped up to the front of the group. "When I open that wardrobe I want you to..." He leaned in and whispered to the boy before opening the wardrobe.

Professor Snape stumbled out of the box, walking menacingly towards Neville for a moment before he recited the spell. A bird hat, green dress, and fur shawl appeared on him, making the entire class laugh.

"Form a line. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scared you most and imagine how you might force it to look comical."

Throughout her life Aurora had many childish fears. Spiders, snakes, the dark, but she couldn't think of anything that scared her anymore. Her thoughts were interrupted by Harry shivering and Ron murmuring, "Take its legs off..."