omega at Hogwarts

49

Me and Draco spend another day in our dorm rather than return to classes and I am all for the extra cuddles with my mate as I get to spoil him instead of the other way around for a change- of course the others are still spoiling me as usual so its not that different. 

During our potions lesson due to Draco's arm being in a sling and therefore unusable, I cut up and prepared his ingredients for him earning me many kisses in return, causing a smile to stay fixed upon my face for the whole day. 

After Lunch we head off to our first defence against the dark arts lesson of the year, luckily I didn't miss any while I was off with Draco. As we sit down at our desks professor Lupin walks in and heads to his. 

"Good afternoon, would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands." Upon hearing his words I swiftly return my books to ring and grab my wand. "Right then, if you'd follow me." He says once everyone has done as he asked. 

We all get to our feet and follow the professor out of the classroom. When we round the corner we come across Peeves the Poltergeist who promptly makes fun of Professor Lupin. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin, loony loopy, Lupin."

To our surprise Lupin just smiles. "I'd take that gum out of the keyhole, if I were you Peeves. Mr Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." Peeves did not heed Lupin's advice and instead blew a raspberry.

"This is a useful little spell." Lupin begins. "Please watch closely." He then raises his wand to point it at Peeves. "Waddiwasi." With the force of a bullet the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and right up Peeves' left nostril causing the Poltergeist to curse and zoom away. 

"Cool sir." Dean Thomas says. 

"Thankyou Dean. shall we proceed?" We all proceed to follow the man into the staff room a few corridors away. Snape is in the staff rooms when we walk in and quickly leaves with a snide comment that causes Neville to go bright red. 

"Now the." Lupin says as he leads us to the end of the room where a wardrobe rests wobbling and banging off the wall. "Nothing to worry about. There's a Boggart in there." At his words my eyes widen along with my smile while everyone else appears to still be concerned about the creature in the wardrobe. I was quite excited to see what my biggest fear actually is. 

"Boggarts like dark, enclose spaces." 

"Guess your similar than Ari." Harry says jokily and I punch his arm. "Ow." 

Professor Lupin lets out a chuckle at the exchange. "Yes, but unlike our schools only Omega Boggarts prefer wardrobes, the gap beneath bed, the cupboards under sinks- I once met one that has lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice." 

"So the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?" Me and Hermione both raise our hands. "Arianna." 

"It's a type of shape shifting creature that takes upon the form of whatever it thinks will frighten us most, and Ari is fine Professor." 

"Couldn't have put it better myself." He says with a nod. "So the Boggart sitting in the Darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us fears most.

"This means, that we have a hug advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotter it Harry?" 

"Er- because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?" My brother guesses. 

"Precisely. It's always best to have company when dealing with a Boggart. he becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh eating slug? I once say a Boggart make that very mistake- tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. not remotely frightening. 

"The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. you see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is Laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me please, Riddikulus." 

"Riddikulus." We all call together. 

"Good, very good. But that was the easy part I'm afraid. You see the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville. Right Neville, first things first: What would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?" After a moment he speaks up again. "Didn't catch that Neville, sorry." 

"Professor Snape." Neville whispers a bit louder this time causing most of the class to laugh. I just reach over and oat Neville on the back. 

"Professor Snape.... hmmmm..... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" Lupin asks the blushing boy. 

"Er- yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either." Neville replies nervously. 

"No, no, you misunderstand me, I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?" 

"Well...... Always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress... green, normally... and sometimes a fox-fur scarf." 

"And a handbag?" Lupin prompts. 

"A big red one." 

"Right then, can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your minds eye?" 

"Yes." 

"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape, and you will raise your wand- thus- and cry Riddikulus- and concerntrate on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that Vulture topped hat, that green dress, that big red handbag." 

This causes everyone to shout with laughter. "If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical." The room looks quiet and I freeze. 

I am pretty sure I could guess my worst fear but have no idea how to make it comical. "Everyone ready?" Lupin asks after a moment of silence. "Neville, we're going to back away, let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward. everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot." We all shuffle back. "On the count of three Neville, one-two-three now!" 

Lupin fires a spell at the wardrobe causing it to open and Snape walks out. Neville cries out the spell and successfully makes the Boggart Snape wear his grandmother's clothes. The sight causes laughter to erupt and the next person takes their turn. 

When my name is called my hand tightens on my wand and I step forwards. The boggart turns on me and shifts, seeming to struggle for a moment before taking the form of a small person curled into a ball sobbing. I freeze and take a deep breath, stepping forwards as its eyes meet mine and I find myself staring at an exact replica of myself.