Forgotten Memories (Draco Malfoy x Reader) DISCONTINUED

Year 3// Tutoring

(2989 words)

Your first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was that Thursday with the Ravenclaws, and Lupin decided to have a practical lesson instead of doing theory. Your class had gone to the staff room, which was rather peculiar.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for a single wardrobe. Lupin went to stand beside it.

"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class to where he stood. The wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. You jumped in surprise - you had always been easily startled.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."

You felt that this was something to worry about. Ernie gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Justin eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks — I've even met one that had 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?"

A Ravenclaw put up her hand.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Exactly," said Professor Lupin. "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 most fears.

"This means," said Professor Lupin, "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Has anyone spotted this?"

You put up your hand hesitantly. "Because... uh, there are so many of us, so it won't know what shape it should be?" You answered.

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and you sighed in relief that you got the question right. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw 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!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And now, a volunteer, please?"

Michael Corner stepped forward reluctantly, pushed by his friends.

"Fantastic! Michael, was it?" Professor Lupin asked. Michael nodded.