Hogwarts Through A Snake's Eye

Chapter Three

~EDITED~

Dodging and ducking, Zan and I weave through the sea of students on our way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. On the way we run into Sarai and Hally, so we all walk together as the halls get less and less crowded. We slip inside the classroom and choose our seats just as our professor appears at the front of class next to a shaking wardrobe. “Can anyone tell the class what a boggart is?” Professor Lupin asks. Zan and I raise our hands, and we can see Hermione at the front shooting her hand eagerly into the air.

He calls on her and she explains, “It’s a shape-shifter. It takes the shaped of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most.” Professor Lupin nods in approval and goes on to explain the proper spell to use to defend against a boggart-riddikulus. He tells us we're going to practice it, so everyone forms a line. Zan and I manage to grab a spot at the very end of it. But guess who is in front of us? That’s right, the one and only Draco Malfoy. He smirks at us and taunts, “What? This can’t be the all-powerful students from Cresco, standing at the back of the line?”

One of his friends-I’m assuming- adds, “What? Are you too afraid to face your fears?”

“Nah, we’ve done this before and want to give others a chance. What’s your excuse?” I ask innocently.  Zan snickers and the guy scowls at me while Draco raises an eyebrow.

“Well,” he starts, but is suddenly interrupted as there was a screaming at the front of the room; my head snaps up to see a dementor sweeping down upon Harry until Professor Lupin throws himself in front of him. The bogart changes into a full moon, and he turns it into a balloon which flies back into the closet.

“I think that’s enough for today, class dismissed.” Zan and I are swept up in the masses of students eager to get out before he could assign homework.

“Hmmm, a full moon? What do you think that means?” Zan ponders. I shrug, wracking my brain for an answer.

“Um, he’s afraid of werewolves?” I suggest, uncertain. I glance over her head and tell her, “Duck.” I catch a frisbee with vicious looking fangs on it when she complies. “What the heck?” I ask, bewildered.

“Hey! You found-”

“Our frisbee!” what sounded like one voice but was really two shouts. I look up over Zan’s head to see two red headed boys running towards us who look exactly the same. When they reach us, the one on the right speaks, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to throw it at such pretty ladies.”  He winks at Zan who blushed and looked down. “You know, the only thing your eyes haven’t told me is your name,” he continues, looking at her expectantly.

“I’m Zan,” she responds, “This is Emily.” I wave and the same one says, “People call me Fred, but you can call me tonight.” Zan laughs and I grin.

“I’m George by the way, my twin seems to have forgotten I exist,” the one on the left speaks at last.

“Are you full of those cheesy pick-up lines?” Zan asks Fred, amused.

Fred’s grin gets bigger and he replies with, “You tell me. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.”

“Sorry, but N and O are already there,” Zan answers, smirking.

“Aw, you don’t mean that,” Fred whines. George and I stand there awkwardly, being the third wheels here.

“Come on Emily, let’s get to class,” Zan says, tugging me away. I wave at George before turning the corner.

“Oooh, someone’s got a not-so-secret admirer,” I tease Zan on our way to Charms. She smacks my arm as we sit down.

“I do not, he’s just a flirt,” she retorts.