The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

20. Drowning

"Everyone ready?" Lupin asked. Turning back to Neville, he said, "Neville, we're going to back away. Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back now so Neville can get a clear shot. On the count of three, Neville." Pointing his wand at the handle of the wardrobe, he said, "One - two - three - now!"

The moment the boggart stepped into the open, it was already assuming the tall form of Professor Snape. Neville took a step back, but Althea was pleased to see a determined look on his face.

"R-r-riddikulus!" he cried.

Instantly, with a sound like a cracking whip, Professor Boggart Snape stumbled, now dressed in clothes exactly how Neville had described his grandmother's. Everyone laughed heartily.

"Parvati, forward!" Lupin called, smiling proudly in Neville's direction.

With a set expression, she did so, facing the boggart looking worried. With another crack, it shifted again, this time changing into a bandaged mummy which began to approach her.

"Riddikulus!" she cried. The bandages quickly unrolled, pulling the mummy to its feet before the head fell off.

"Seamus!" Lupin prompted.

The moment he stepped into sight, the boggart shifted again, this time on its feet. Althea had only just enough time to cover her ears before the shriek of a banshee reached her ears.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted. Her voice instantly disappeared.

With a series of cracks, it transformed from a rat to a rattlesnake, before going into a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused! We're getting it!" Lupin cried excitedly. "Ron, you next."

Ron quickly obeyed, looking pale. Several people screamed as a huge spider appeared before them.

"Riddikulus!" Ron shouted.

The spider's legs instantly disappeared, causing the body to roll toward Althea. Before she could prepare herself, everything around her turned to almost total darkness. Althea felt tense, but she knew something had to be wrong. She didn't like the dark, but was she so afraid of it that-

She shrieked. Something had touched her. Turning, she had just enough time to see a mangled form before it lunged at her. Letting out a scream, she fell to the ground just as Lupin stepped in front of the boggart. It shifted again, changing into a white orb in the sky before he banished it into the wardrobe. Everyone was staring at where Althea was sitting, shaking, on the ground, her head in her hands. Lupin quickly dismissed the class before crouching down beside her with a look of concern.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine," she said shakily, finally lowering her trembling hands. "I didn't know boggarts could do that."

"It's certainly unusual," Lupin admitted. "But, you should know that many full-grown witches and wizards struggle with boggarts. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Althea laughed, getting to her feet with Hermione's help as she said, "Believe me, Professor, being ashamed of myself is the last thing on my mind."

When they had left the staffroom, Hermione asked, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Athea said confidently. At Harry and Ron's sceptical looks, she repeated, "I'm fine. It just rattled me."

Curiously, Harry said, "What happened in the dark? We heard you scream, but we could see inside."

"Something came at me," Althea explained. "I don't really know what it was."

"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" Ron said excitedly.

"He seems like a really good teacher," Hermione agreed. "But I wish I could have had a turn with the boggart."

"What would it have been for you?" Ron asked, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"

He turned to Althea, expecting to see her smiling in amusement, but her eyes were directed at Neville with a glowing smile as she saw he looked for the first time to any of their memory happy a teacher had paid him more attention than the rest. Smiling wider, she sped up slightly, approaching Neville and nudging his elbow slightly.

"Althea!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Did you see me face the boggart?"

"I saw you slay that boggart," Althea said, causing Neville to grin in a shy, pleased sort of way, casting her a quick look. Quieter, she added, "As I knew only you could."

There was no mistaking the blush on Neville's cheeks as she slowed down enough to rejoin Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

.

September 1976

A rhythmic dripping reached Amara's ears. Drip. Drip. Drip. On and on it went, never growing in volume or growing in intensity. She focused on the sound, curious as to where it could possibly be coming from.

Jerking awake, Amara quickly glanced at the clock. Cursing under her breath, she quickly got up and dressed, slinging her bag over her shoulder before heading out of the dorm, quickly using her wand to first straighten and then curl her chestnut brown hair. After she had grabbed two bundles of food, she quickly got back to her hair, curling it as quickly as she could as she rushed up staircases and through hallways. Finally, she reached the Astronomy Tower, finishing the last strand of her hair just as she reached the top steps. James was already there, sitting on the floor and staring out over the rail at the horizon.

"Sorry I'm late," she said quickly, handing him his food. Pausing for a moment to flip her hair, giving the curls a more natural fall, she sat down beside him, digging into her own food. "I just had this weird dream and didn't sleep well, but I'm here now."

"It's all right," James replied, pulling a book toward him as he finished off the first piece of toast Amara had gotten him. "So, becoming an animagus. First things first. The whole idea that you can't choose your animagus is completely wrong. You have the ability to choose your own form. However, you have to be extremely intentional about it. Think about what you hope to get out of being an animagus and then decide what you want to transform into."

"So, for me, something smaller would probably be better?" Amara guessed.

"Spying is generally easier that way, yes," James replied. "You also want to be inconspicuous."

"What about a finch?" Amara suggested.

"That could work," James agreed. "But think about it. Once you do this, you can't change your mind. I won't tell you what to do next until you've spent the next two weeks thinking about it."