Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 54

"Ooh, what are we doing today?" I ask Sirius, haphazardly dumping the stack of books in my arms along with my shoulder bag onto the floor in the corner of the DADA classroom. All of our tables have been removed leaving a big empty space in its place.

"Dunno, maybe practice duels?" He suggests with a shrug. The crowd of riveted students part like the Red Sea to let me and Sirius pass to the front where Professor Graham stands awaiting the arrival of the rest of the students.

Once everyone's made an appearance, he claps his hands together. "Good afternoon! As most of you have noticed by now this will not be a theoretical class. No," He grins widely. "Before I delve into things, could anyone tell me what a Boggart is?"

Lily's hand shoots into the air along with Remus', albeit at a less-enthused pace. "Mr Lupin if you please."

Remus nods curtly at the man and clears his throat. "A Boggart is an amortal shape-shifting being that takes on the form of its observer's worst fear."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor!" Graham exclaims, pointing a finger into the air. "Could anyone else tell me what a Boggart looks like?"

Again, Lily's hand speeds to meet air and finally the professor smiles knowingly at her. "Oh I know you know the information, Ms Evans. I'd like to give others a chance at it." He looks around the room though no one else makes a move to answer. "No one?" He tuts in amusement. "Very well, go on."

Lily smiles with all her perfectly straight teeth showing. "No one knows what it looks like when it is alone because the moment a Boggart encounters someone they instantly take on the form of the encounterer's greatest fear."

"That's right." He turns on his heel and lugs a large trunk into view. "I've managed to borrow a Boggart for today's lesson. Something fun to jot down is that, when facing a Boggart, it is best to have someone else along to try to confuse it. Facing more than one person at once makes it indecisive towards determining what form it should take on, usually resulting in a not quite so frightening combination of the victims' fears." He paces the floor merrily as he goes on.

Professor Graham is my favourite Defence Against the Dark Arts professor we've ever had so far. He's an exceptional teacher as well as a provider of entertainment to his class. It's a shame every year this position is filled by a new professor. Rumour has it the position is cursed but I'm not convinced. Why would someone go through the trouble of cursing a teaching position of all things? If it were me, I'd do something much more creative like cursing the toilets to spray water up peoples behinds every time someone tries to take a dump.

Merlin, I'm awful. I hope no one in this class is a Legillimens. This would be terribly awkward for them to overhear.

"...right you are, Mr Stevens, the Boggart-Banishing Spell is Riddikulus. Simple enough to say though there's more to it than repeating an incantation and flicking a wand. It also involves picturing the creature changing into something less threatening. If the caster is able to laugh, it will disappear at once. Today's exercise is not required of everyone to take part in, but I expect it to be a fun way to end off the day. Anyone who wishes to face this being may simply form a line and have a go at it."

People rush to centre of the room, desperate to try it for themselves. I turn to Remus who stays put and doesn't seem to enthralled with the idea. "Rem? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just..." He leans into me to whisper, "I think my Boggart might turn into myself as a werewolf and I can't have anyone seeing that—for obvious reasons."

I rub his arm comfortingly. "Of course, you don't have to. I can stay with you if you'd like." I suggest, though subconsciously flicking my gaze out longingly to where Sirius and James are nudging each other in excitement as they wait.

He smiles back at me. "No, it's okay. Pete doesn't want to do it either so I'm not entirely lone. You go on and have fun."

I smile at him one last time before racing off to cut James in line. Professor Graham releases the Boggart and I watch in awe as it morphs into creatures ranging from gigantic spiders to scary clowns.

It isn't too long before I take place as the first in line. Excited nerves bubble in my stomach as it transforms. My once carefree smile disappears at the sight of my own little self kneeling over the unconscious bodies of all my friends as well as my siblings. Bile creeps up my throat but I swallow it down to keep from embarrassing myself. The knowledge of this not being real is doing nothing for it looks real and that's enough for it to hurt. Boggart-me faces in my direction from over James' dead body and through choked sobs she whimpers, "I have no one left." A tear trickles down my cheek as the realization of my fear hits me; I'm most afraid of being alone.

It's only when I feel a strong hand slipping into mine that I look behind me to see James standing there, alive and well, looking down at me in concern. He offers me a smiling nod of reassurance as if to tell me I can do it and I muster up all of the courage inside me to picture this all being a joke. They are playing dead. Yeah, that's all this is. I'm not alone. "Riddikulus!"

On cue, they all stand up off the floor and turn to me with matching grins. I release a laugh mostly out of relief and the Boggart is sent away.

Professor Graham walks up to me with a less contented expression than he usually is seen wearing. "Chiara, are you okay?" He places a gentle hand on my shoulder and I nod up at him, wiping the single shed tear off my cheek. "Why don't you walk it off?"

I nod again. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"We'll take her, sir." Sirius adds, stepping out of the line to loop his arm in mine as James does the same with my other arm.

"Certainly, off you go."

The boys lead me out of the room eyeing me carefully and not saying a word, probably afraid I'll break if they do. "I really am fine you know? No need to walk on eggshells."

"That was intense, Keeks." James finally admits before abruptly swaddling me in his signature safety hug. I return the gesture by tightening my arms around his waist and burying my nose into the crook of his neck. "I love you. Promise you'll never forget it?"

"Promise." I smile against his warm skin.

When we pull away and begin to walk again, Sirius' fingers tickle lightly across my palm and I immediately grab ahold of his hand in mine.

I hate the idea of the people I love most not being here with me and I hope I never have to deal with that until I'm really old and death is inevitable.