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𝐍 𝐎 𝐒 𝐓 𝐑 𝐎 𝐍 𝐆 𝐄 𝐑 𝐃 𝐔 𝐎
𝐓𝐇𝐄 baffling end of Harry's first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson stayed fresh in his mind for the next few weeks, and there was no question why —
Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the boggart.
Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again? Did he think Harry wasn't strong enough, wasn't talented enough?
Like so much else, Harry didn't know.
Melody raved about Professor Lupin's teaching skills non-stop, and even Hermione approved, once again ensuring that Harry was completely baffled: nobody else had noticed anything.
But their new teacher's next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.
Despite the lingering uncertainty of his boggart lesson, Harry had to admit: Defense Against the Dark Arts was quickly becoming one of his favorite classes.
Only Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin. "Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. "He dresses like our old house-elf."
But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. He gave Gryffindor an astronomical amount of House points, and he actually seemed to care about his students.
Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. Worst of all was Potions. The story of the boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire. Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever. Harry was also growing to dread the hours she spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him.
Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.
