Sign it [Lupin's Daughter]

Chapter 4

The first day flew by for Maddy. She sat intently in the back of the class, watching her father teach. She even raised her hand for the first year lesson, making the eleven year olds look oddly at her. She was only two years younger than them, so she found no need to not show off her book smarts. She learned quite a few things too. One non-academic thing she learned was that she wasn't the most logical person, despite her father's natural aptitude for it. She had tried to answer countless riddles to no avail, and thoughts that were obvious to most nine year olds flew over her head. She never really needed much logic at their cottage, and it seemed her lack of street smart would get to her. She did, however, realize she was particularly good with memorizing. If someone showed her how to do something once, Maddy was able to recreate it within minutes. 

Maddy was excited for the lesson for the third years. She knew it would be about boggarts, and they simply fascinated her. A creature that could manifest itself into someone's worst fear, and be destroyed by something as simple as laughter. Amazing. Maddy had spent the last few minutes with her father setting up the boggart in the staff room. Her father rushed into the classroom full of students and said, "Good afternoon. Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wand." Maddy stood in the front of the room, bouncing on the balls of her feet waiting for everyone to be ready. She couldn't expul a boggart herself, but her father had told her, after her constant nagging, that she could see what the boggart was for her. She knew she would get scared, but she had no idea what the creature would turn into, and how could she get over the fear if it isn't staring her in the face. "Right then. If you'd follow me."

The class looked confused, but interested, and followed her father. Maddy skipped to the front of the line, and stood next to her father. Her father led them down a deserted corridor, and they turned the corner to see a flying ghost like person floating upside down and stuffing a keyhole with what looked suspiciously like chewing gum. He didn't make any notice of the group until Maddy and her father were less than a metre away. When he did, he wiggled his feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," the floating creature sang to her father, "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy, Lupin." 

Confused as to why all the students stood shocked, Maddy tapped the shoulder of the closest person she knew, Hermione, and pointed to the flying, solid ghost, than at the group, trying to convey her unspoken question, What is happening?

Hermione looked at Maddy, before pointing at Peeves. "That's Peeves. He's the Hogwarts' poltergeist. Everyone's surprised because, while Peeves doesn't listen to anyone but the Bloody Baron, he almost never outright disrespects a teacher." 

Maddy nodded her understanding, and turned while her father was saying, "I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves. Mr. Filch won't be able to get into his brooms." In quite a pleasant tone. 

That made Maddy smile, she had met the caretaker the day before, and he hadn't been on meeting her, or seeing her father. His exact words were, "Why would they let one of those blasted troublemakers be a teacher?" His words peaked Maddy's interest, but her father didn't care to elaborate for her. Now his interaction with Peeves made Maddy think that maybe her father wasn't this rule-abiding goody two-shoe that she had believed he was. 

Peeves ignored Remus, and blew a loud, wet raspberry in his direction. Remus sighed and took out his wand, "This is a useful little spell," he told the class, "Please watch closely."

Maddy realized what spell he was using right before he used it. He held his wand at shoulder height, "Waddiwasi!" and quickly pointed it at Peeves. Maddy was laughing already, having seen her father do that same spell on a rat that had invaded their home. Watching the spell again, reminded Maddy why it was her favourite. With great force, the chewing gum shot out of the keyhole, and down Peeves's left nostril. He turned quickly upright, and zoomed away, yelling a few choice words.