𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡27⎦

I sat across to Draco during breakfast the next day. The pug-faced goon and Theo came over.

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy asked with fake sincerity in her voice. I glanced up from my book to look at him.

"It comes and goes. Still... I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two... and I could've lost my arm. Couldn't do anything possibly for weeks."

I raised my eyebrows at him. He looked at me. Pansy tried to touch it gingerly.

"Please. Don't touch it" he said to her. I rolled my eyes and snorted quietly, turning to look at Seamus who was running into the Great Hall.

"He's been sighted! He's been sighted!" Seamus exclaimed.

"Who?!" Ron asked.

"Sirius Black!"

I raced around the tables to reach where everyone was and read the paper.

"Dufftown? That's not far from here!" I exclaimed.

"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville asked.

"With the Dementors at every entrance?" asked Dean. I looked at them.

"He's already slipped by them once... who's to say he can't do it again?"

"That's right Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Or trying to catch smoke with your bare hands." Bem said. I put my book into my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

"Bye guys," I said as I walked to the DADA classroom.

I got there early and leaned against the wall reading my book. I bunch of Hufflepuff guys passed by laughing and joking around. Some of them wolf whistled at me. I stiffened and shut my book. I caught one of their eyes. One stunning pair of gray eyes. I breathed in through my nose and turned on my heel into the classroom. There was a wardrobe in the middle of the room shaking. I stood there watching it as people started to trickle into the classroom.

"Intriguing, isn't it?" Professor Lupin asked as the wardrobe shook again. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?

"That's a Boggart, that is." Dean said.

"Very good, Mr. Thomas." The wardrobe shook one more. "Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?" Lupin asked.

"No one knows." Hermione replied. "Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes them so-"

"So terrifying, yes. Yes yes yes. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now. Without wands, please. After me, Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" We all said in unison.

"Very good. A little louder. Very clear. Listen. Riddikulus"

"Riddikulus!" We all said again.

"This class is ridiculous." I heard Draco say next to me to his goons.

"Very good. Well so much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart is... laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me explain. Uh, Neville, will you join me please?" Lupin asked.

Neville's eyes widened and he looked behind him as though he might be calling someone else.

"Come on. Don't be shy." Lupin urged. "Come on." Neville reluctantly walked up to the front of the room. "Neville what frightens you most of all?" 

"Profter... Snafpt..." He muttered.

"Sorry?" Lupin asked.

"Professor Snape." Neville said. We all laughed.

"Professor Snape. Hm. Frightens all. And I believe you live with your grandmother."

"Y-Yes, but I don't want that Boggart to turn into her either." Neville replied. We all laughed again.

"No. It won't. I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind."

"She carries a red handbag..." Neville started.

"We don't need to hear. As long as you see it, we'll see it. Now, when I open that wardrobe, Here's what I want you to do." Lupin walked over to Neville and leaned close to his ear. He whispered something which caused Neville's eyes to widen and him to look at Lupin with shock.

"Can you do that?" He asked. Neville nodded.

"Wand at the ready. One. Two. Three." Lupin flicked his wand at the wardrobe. The knob turned with a click and it opened steadily. Slowly, Snape appeared and started to climb out of the wardrobe.

"Think, Neville. Think!" Lupin said to Neville.

"Riddikulus!" Neville exclaimed. Snape stumbled backward and grew a green dress, red handbag, some kind of bird-shaped hat, and a rodent type scarf. Everyone started laughing.

"Wonderful Neville! Wonderful! Incredible! Okay. To the back Neville. Everyone form a line." We all rushed into a line. Pushing and shoving occurred as we got our place in line.

"Form a line. I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most, and turn it into something, funny" He started to play upbeat music. "Next. Ron." Ron walked up to the front of the room. "Concentrate. Be brave!" Snape immediately transformed into a huge spider. Ron whimpered and put his hand in his wand pocket. "Wand at the ready Ron. Wand at the ready." Ron pulled out his wand and flicked.

"Riddikulus!" Rollerskates materialized onto the spider's hairy feet and it began to shuffle crazily in its place. Instantly, Ron relaxes as we all laughed.

"Yes! You see? Very good! Very good! Marvelous! Absolutely very very enjoyable! Hazel!" Lupin exclaimed. I walked up to the spider failing to stand up. I walked forward. I wasn't afraid of much, but I was extremely worried. The spider suddenly turned into continuous flashes of green light. My fear was the Killing Curse. I stepped back and widened my eyes. I put my shaking hand in my robes and felt for my wand. I grabbed it and whipped it out.

"Riddikulus!" Suddenly the flashing turned into a rainbow that whizzed around the room and messed up my hair.

"Wonderful Hazel! And next! Step up! Step up!" Lupin exclaimed. I went to the back as Harry went up. My rainbow stayed in its arch shape in the front of the room. It started to circle around extremely quickly and lost its color. My rainbow was now a Dementor. Lupin jumped in front of Harry with open arms, yelling. The Boggart quickly turned into a silver sphere with fog covering it.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin flicked his wand towards the Boggart which caused it to turn into a balloon losing air. It circled around us and back to the front of the room. Lupin opened the wardrobe with his wand and the Boggart went in.

"Alright well. Sorry about that. Uh- that's enough for today if you would all like to collect your books in the back of the class. That is the end of the lesson. Thank you." Everyone who didn't get a turn started to groan. "Sorry! You can't have too much of a good thing." I left class happy I got a turn. What some hectic first days back.