Riddikulus: A George Weasley Fanfiction

4. Embarrassing Boggarts (Y3P4)

A tall wardrobe rattled violently in front of the classroom as Katrina's father, Professor Lupin, stood up in front of his students. None of the them looked very thrilled to figure out what it held.

"Intriguing, yes?" the Professor began, "Would anyone like to take a guess as to what's inside?"

"That's a boggart.. That is." Seamus said, his voice almost hushed as he spoke.

"Very good, Mr. Finnigan. Now, can anyone tell us what a boggart looks like?"

"No one knows." Hermione blurted out.

She caused Ron to jump, and then turn to Harry, "When'd she get here?". To which Harry just shrugged  in response, obviously with no more clue than Ron, that, or he just didn't care.

Hermione continued, "Boggarts are shape-shifters, they take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes it so--"

Her face falls as she was cut off by Remus, "Terrifying, yes" He hummed, looking back towards the cabinet with a small chuckle. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please. Riddikulus!"

The entire class repreated the charm back to him, though it wasn't perfectly timed, so it  just ended up an overlapping chaos of the same word from thirty or so different mouths.

And then there was Draco, mumbling, "This class is ridiculous." This earned him a sharp jab in the side from Katrina, as well as a dark glare. And he mumbled an even softer apology just for her ears.

"Good, so much for the easy part." The professor continued, seemingly not hearing Draco's comment, or overall unbothered by it as he walked along the front of the room. "You see, the incantation alone is not enough, what really finishes off a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing." He looked at the group of students in front of him head-on, before he smirked, "Neville, come up here, will you?"

Neville looked shocked to be called on, and nervously stepped forward. He eyed the wardrobe nervously, and his eyes flickered between the furniture and the Professor. He obviously possessed no desire to be the first one called upon, yet there he stood, hands fidgeting nervously at his sides as the gaze of his fellow students fell upon him.

"What would you say is the thing that frightens you the most?"

"... P-Professor Snape." He stammered, voice quiet.

Lupin laughed, nodding along, his eyes as bright as ever, "Yes, frightens all... Now, you live with your grandmother, yes?"

"Yes.. But I don't want that boggart to turn into her either!"

"No, no. It won't." He reassured him, and he could barely hold back the laughter in his voice, "But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes. Very clearly in your mind, can you do that?"

Everyone watched as Neville closed his eyes and began to describe her, "She.. Has a red handbag..."

"You don't need to tell us, as long as you see it. We will. Now, when I open the wardrobe, Neville, here's what I want you to do..." He leaned forward and whispered something in Neville's ear, which earned a nervous glance from him, both of his eyebrows raised on his forehead as uncertainty tugged at his lips. "You can do this."

Neville nodded and walked towards the cabinet slightly as the Professor moved to open it. "Now," He said, "Wands at the ready, one, two, three." He waved his own at the door and sparks flew out before it slowly creaked open, the sound alone sent a few chills down everyones' spines. The thing that came out of it, though, perhaps spurred a few more.