Black Spirit • harry potter (AU)

f o u r • boggart

Having woken up earlier than I needed to, I headed to breakfast early with Cacteye perched on my shoulder like a parrot, refusing to leave. I hoped that pets were allowed at breakfast, since owls were always swooping in and out of the great hall, delivering mail. I knew that no pets were allowed in classes except for when they were subjects of transfiguration, so I would have to take her back after breakfast.

Fiona and Cormac were sitting at the Gryffindor table together and I joined them, grabbing some pumpkin and cinnamon tea and a bagel. A breakfast food I loved and reminded me of New York.

"Morning, nice cat." Cormac said, his voice still scratchy from having woken up recently.

"Thanks. So have you had a lesson with Remus yet?" I asked him, chuckling at his mustardy chin.

"Remus..? Oh, professor Lupin you mean? Yeah, he's great." He said, wiping the excess mustard off his chin, he was a messy eater, much like Ron, I had noticed.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm still getting used to calling him professor Lupin." I stated.

"Yes, miss Black?" I heard from behind me. I turned around to see Remus, who had listened in on the last part of our conversation.

"Hi! Don't you look fancy, professor." I said with a grin, standing up to give him a side hug.

"Thank you very much, miss Black." He said, returning my grin. "Your first lesson is with me, I suggest you don't bring little sweetheart here though, we'll be handling boggarts today." He whispered the last part so only I heard, petting Cacteye fondly.

"Ah, yes, she refused to leave my side this morning, I had no choice but to bring her to breakfast." I said.
Remus pulled me aside a little bit, out of earshot of my friends and other students.

"How was your meeting with professor Dumbledore yesterday?" He asked.

"Oh! Uh I guess it was fine. I meant to speak to you before, I just don't know how much I can trust him yet."

"I trust the man with my life, Gwen, but I understand that you don't just yet." Remus said, I nodded.

"I told him the same thing I've told everybody else. That I haven't seen or talked to my father since he was arrested twelve years ago, we moved back just so we could be nearer to the investigation and receive news of his search faster." I stated.

"Understood. I shouldn't keep you longer, go finish your breakfast and I'll see you in my lesson." He smiled and pet Cacteye once more, before motioning for me to return to my friends.

"What did he want?" Fiona asked bluntly as she buttered her owl bagel.

"Just asked me about how I'm doing, switching schools and stuff." I said nonchalantly, taking another bite of my bagel.

Bringing Cacteye to breakfast was a mistake, since I barely made it to my first lesson in time, having to take her back to my dorms.
Remus smiled as I stumbled in to the classroom, last one to arrive just seconds before the bell.

There was an old cupboard that was shaking in the middle of the classroom, I assumed there was a boggart inside as Remus had told me during breakfast. I knew what my boggart would turn into, I wasn't scared of spiders or clowns, I thought they were creepy, but not my biggest fear. My biggest fear was being alone, with all my loved ones dead.

Remus had us all practice the Riddikulus charm, before calling Neville forward. Neville's boggart was professor Snape, the Slytherin head teacher. I had spoken to him only once, I had not yet attended his lesson, but I knew I had potions on my timetable for later today.

"Form a line!" I heard Remus call to the class, and soon everyone began to shuffle around, pushing each other and competing for the chance to face the boggart. I gladly went to the back. I had dealt with boggarts before, I knew what it would turn into and how to defeat one. Malfoy was laughing with his peers, Crabbe and Goyle, who I found to be nasty people with nothing better to do than pick on people smaller than them.