Red Lion [2] // Harry Potter// Draco Malfoy

Riddikulus

CHAPTER FIVE: Riddikulus

"I could give him something to really complain about," I said as we walked towards study hall.
Ron snorted,' Git deserves it, especially after last year."
Hadleigh nodded as she walked next to Anthony," I get his dad is a Governor or something but I thought he would have more prideful."
"Unless he's planning something." Isabelle said from next to me," It's Malfoy he could be up to anything under our noses."
At the door of the Great Hall, Isabelle left to go to Muggle Studies as Anthony went to Arithmancy.

Malfoy sat behind us in the Great Hall, with Pug-face pining over him, Crabbe and Goyle sat opposite – looking at Malfoy in worry.
"It comes and goes. Still, I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two, and I could've lost the arm." Malfoy said looking at his arm.
"The little git. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?" Ron snarled at Malfoy.
"Give me five minutes and a book – I'll show him what real pain is like," I growled as I broke the nib of my quill.
"At least Hagrid didn't get sacked," Harry said looking on the positive side.
Hermione stopped writing and looked at us, "Yes. But I hear Malfoy's father's furious. I don't think we've heard the end of this"
"When have we ever heard the end of Keeping up with the Malfoys?" Hadleigh asked," Every year it's him wanting to prove something from handshake on the stairs to the new brooms last year – it was bound to happen."
Seamus ran in with the daily prophet waving in the air," He's been Sighted, He's been sighted!"
"Who?" Ron asked.
Leaning over the table, the crazed phot of Sirius Black took up most of the page. He looked so much like Bellatrix LeStrange it was if they were twins.
"Dufftown, that's not far from here," Hermione exclaimed looking at us.
I looked at Neville," You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?"
"With Dementors at every entrance?" Dean questioned
Seamus looked at us, "Dementors? He's already slipped by them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he can't do it again?"
Dem looked at the paper then us," That's right. Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
I pursed my lips as I picked up my bag from the table," on the happy note, I'm going to class."

Padma smiled as she walked into the room. There were no garlic strings hanging from the ceiling and above the door, or multiple portraits of himself that kept smiling at you at every angle on the walls. It looked like a normal classroom, for once.
Standing with Neville, Seamus and Dean as everyone else walked in as the bell chimed again, I twisted my wand around my fingers.
Professor Lupin looked at us then the wardrobe, "You won't need your book today, leave your bags on the side as you all follow me."

Professor Lupin guided us to the staffroom, Snape looked up from his paper as he saw us come in. Holding his newspaper in two, he left the room with a not so subtle glare at our professor.

"Intriguing, yes? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?" Professor Lupin asked as we huddled around the box in the corner.
"That's a Boggart, that is." A Hufflepuff said in a hushed voice.
Lupin smiled, "Very good. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?"
"No one knows." We looked at Hermione,"
I turned to Hadleigh, "Did you see her come in."
She shuck her said staring at the spot our friend just appeared  in.
"Bogarts are shape-shifters.," Hermione continued, "They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so-"
Professor Lupin nodded at her, "Terrifying, yes. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Bogart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please - Riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" I recited with the rest of the class.
"It's this class that's ridiculous" I head Malfoy say from behind me.
With a sly smirk, I pressed my heel on to his toe – then acted as if it never happened.
"Good. So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart off is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Neville, come up here, will you?" Lupin smiled at my brother.
Giving my brother a reassuring squeeze on his hand, he walked up the Lupin looking extremely nervous.
Lupin looked at my brother in a supportive manner, "What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?"
Neville mumbled something under his breath.
"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," Lupin admits.
Neville gulped," Professor Snape."
There was a round of laughter and I elbowed some people to shut up as they wouldn't like it if we laughed at them.
"Hmmm, he frightens all, yes. Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother and your older sister?" Lupin asked to make sure.
Neville looked up panicked," Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into them either."
" I'm not that scary," I mumbled, "ran, however – the handbag hurts."
Neville laughed as he heard me but turned back around at the professor.
"It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?" Lupin asked looking at directly at Neville
There was a gape of time as Neville pictured our guardian, "She carries a red handbag-"
"Hideous red handbag." I corrected.
Lupin smiled, I saw a small nod and a slight nod of agreement, "That's fine. We don't need to hear it. If you see it, we will. Now, when I open this wardrobe, Neville, here's what I want you to do-"
He whispered something to Neville, and he nods comprehensively.
"Right then. Wand at the ready. One. Two. Three!" Lupin points his wand at the wardrobe and the door swung open.

Snape comes climbing out of the wardrobe, the Bogart had him down to a T- even his not so perfect posture. The way he walked forwards toward us was highly believable.
Neville pulled out his wand, staring at the man who kept putting him down at every chance he had.
"Think, Neville. Think!" Lupin reminded him.
Neville nods and points his wand, "R-r-Riddikulus!"

There was a crack and Snape's normal long black robes turned into grans emerald dree skirt and jacket with the iconic huge red bag and vulture hat.
Lupin dropped the needle of the record player and pointed at Ron.
"Well done Neville," Lupin shouted. "Ron! Forward!"
Snape dissolved and a huge acromantula took its place with a red stripe on it's back and eight spindly hairy legs, Ron whimpered as it gnashed it's pincers together angrily.
"Riddikulus!" He shouted.
The spider gained roller skates, unable to keep its balance – it slid around in one place not moving very far.
Lupin pointed at me and I stepped forwards; twirling my wand in my fingers. The spider to dissolve and what came back was even worse. Bellatrix Lestrange. I stared at her and she at me. Her hair was in a mass of curls, dark hollow eyes stared back at me. She was in the same clothes as before – a black leather corset and laced sleeves
"Little Cellie, a broken china doll, death just follows you doesn't it?" She snarled as she walked around me
I pointed my wand at her, completely forgetting it wasn't real," Shut up."
She faked hurt," Mummy and daddy didn't shut up, they kept crying and you were crying over and over. Then it stopped. Oh, how sweet it was watching them squirm on the floor -"
"Riddikulus!" I shouted.
The figure of Bellatrix disappeared and turned into a clown instead – a red nose with baggy clothes and large shoes.
Walking to the back of the cue with everyone staring – I curled up on one of the chairs.
"Class dismissed." Lupin called from the front, "Collect your bags from the classroom, for next class I want you all to read the first four chapters of your textbooks.
Walking out with Ron, Hadleigh, Hermione and Harry – I turned around when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Bugger off Malfoy," Harry sneered, "We don't care for your arm."
Malfoy rolled his eyes," This might be foreign to you Scarhead, but not everything is about you."
"What?" I asked, my arms still hugging around me.

Malfoy looked at me, "Why are you so scared of my aunt Bella?"
I swallowed," She took something from me during the war – I'll never get that back and she deserves everything she gets."

Not looking back I walked down the hallway, I didn't speak to Draco Malfoy to the rest of term.