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"What is a Boggart?" the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor asked his class, digging his hands deep into his pockets.
The girl standing in the back of the classroom shot her hand through the air. Professor Lupin raised an eyebrow. Looking past the raven curls dangling in front of her face, he saw excitement in her eyes.
"It's a shape-shifter," she answered carefreely, not even waiting for him to call her name. "It will take the shape of whatever it is that scares you the most."
The lot of students in the room turned their heads to look at her, the Gryffindors eyeing her Slytherin uniform.
"Very well, Miss-"
"Black. Marina Black."
"Miss Black," Lupin hurried, looking down at his shoes to avoid eye contact with her. "Could not have put it better myself."
Now laughing, Marina turned to her cousin Draco, who was watching the scene go down with a sly smirk on his face. Was the new professor scared of the Black name?
"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," Lupin continued in a thin voice, pointing a long finger at the wobbling wardrobe next to him. "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 most fears."
A few gasps were heard in the classroom. Most of the students suddenly wore a terrified look on their face. Then, there was Marina, who held her head high and her arms crossed in front of her chest. She knew nothing could scare her...
"Who wants to go first?"
No one said a word. No one moved.
"Oh, please," Marina said after a moment of silence. "Aren't you Gryffindors supposed to be brave? I see nothing but cowards in here!"
"Miss Black," Professor Lupin breathed. "Do you want to go first?"
She stepped forward, the other students making room for her. Lupin nodded slowly before turning to the wardrobe. He pointed his long wand at it, and within a second, its doors had opened.
CRACK
In front of Marina stood a young man, his raven hair falling in front of his dark eyes. She lep out a yelp, recognizing him instantly. In front of her, stood her father, Tom Riddle.
"Marina, you have failed your purpose. You do understand that I have no other choice..." Tom pointed his wand at her, a smile forming on his face. "Crucio-"
"RIDDIKULUS!" Marina screamed at the top of her lunges, lunging forward.
The young man was suddenly dressed in huge shoes, big and colorful clothes, and a red nose. The clown began to dance. Marina stood still for a second with a worried look on her face. Then, she smiled wide. An evil look appeared on her face as she turned around, finding herself meeting eyes with none other than the famous Harry Potter.
And Harry? Harry knew. He understood who it was. He had looked at the young boy before.
However, he did not understand why Marina's boggart appeared to be the Dark Lord himself.
