𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒚

35. Boggart

Amelia left the record room once lunch ended and headed to her next class which was taught by Professor Remus Lupin. Though he wasn't there when she arrived. Her book, quill, and parchment sat ready at her desk. Her table was a little far away from Blaise and Theo who both sat with other Slytherins.

The rest of her classmates were engaged in conversation when Lupin walked in. He smiled vaguely toward the class and placed his old ratty suitcase on his desk. He looked shabby, clothes patched and wrinkled, but he seemed to have more color on his face.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. Not in her two years at Hogwarts has a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher taught a practical lesson before. And letting cornish pixies loose in a classroom and having a student fix the problem didn't count. He spiked Amelia's curiosity. Perhaps Dumbledore finally elected a competent teacher for once.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

The class followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. The Poltergeist didn't acknowledge the Professor until he stood two feet away from him. But even then Peeves broke into a song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin —"

The Poltergeist was rude and always caused mayhem toward the students. But he usually showed some form of respect to the Hogwarts teachers. He would at times tease Professor Snape which caused the hooked nose man to sneer at Peeves. But when Amelia looked at Lupin, he was smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't
be able to get into his brooms." The Poltergeist paid no attention to his discretion. Instead, he blew a loud raspberry at him.

The students watched as Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely." He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

The class laughed. Having never seen a teacher pull such tricks at peeves before. Amelia thought back toward the reports she read and laughed. Now she understands why he would wind up in detention so much. Looking at the professor now he seemed harmless. If anything Amelia became eager to learn from him. He is so far the first professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts to have cast a successful spell. She hoped her assumption of him being an accomplice of Sirius Black were false.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.

The students entered a staffroom. The room was full of old, mismatched chairs, and was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. Amelia raised an eyebrow at her head of the house. Confused with his presence.

As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway, he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."