The Snow Fox

Boggarts and Black Outs

The train arrived and Venus and her friends got into the carriages and headed to the castle. The feast began with Dumbledore's warning about the Dementors and the introduction of their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin.

The man looked disheleveled and worn with hair on his face untrimmed. Venus hoped he would be the exception under the curse of the position.

The students then retired for the night and regrouped the next morning to start classes. Hermione and Venus though, were called out of their rooms together and met up in front of Professor McGonagall's office.

"Ms.Granger and Ms.Snow, you two are the schools top students, I got the Ministry to make an exception for you both because you have a specific roster of classes, so you will each receive these."

The woman held out two necklaces with a small hourglass inside. Both girls looked at each other and whispered.

"Time turners."

"Yes, now these are for your classes ONLY. Please do not make me regret this." McGonagall said sternly.

"Of course ma'am." Both girls replied. After the woman walked away they turned to each other and squealed.

"Oh my god, we have a whole schedule together!"

"This is so cool!"

"How will we explain this?"

"We don't." Hermione stated confidently. "I know Harry and Ron won't ask me so I don't have to explain anything. If Willow or Ethan ask you, tell them."

"That's a good plan."

Both girls would spend more time together, sharing classes that weren't exclusive to their houses. Ancient Runes for instance, both girls were surrounded by upperclassmen who gawked at the two third year girls that would walk in speaking fluent Latin. Venus knew many languages, courtesy of her fathers books and teachings and her mother's knack for wanting global communication skills. She was happy with her classes, particularly she was excited for her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year.

Many of the third years were as they heard from older years how brilliant the new teacher was at his subject. It was exciting to finally have a competent teacher. As the Ravenclaw third years walked into the room they were greeted with a tall wooden wardrobe.

Oh no. Venus thought as her chocolate eyes rested on the furniture. Not a-

"Who has ever heard of a boggart?" Their teacher announced, Professor Lupin walking in, a smile on his face.

Most of the class raised their hands in response and he called on one of them to answer his questions. After rehearsing the new spell he had taught them, they all lined up to take turns on the boggart. Venus put herself at the end of the line in fear and precaution. She debated stepping aside and speaking to their teacher but by the time she was at the front, her bravery escaped her.

A person stepped out of the trunk in the form of Venus herself. Her eyes were pupiless and white, her aura cold and icy. Her hair was fully white and long, falling over her pale face.

"Riddikulus!" The real Venus cried, flicking her wand at the girl, but she didn't disappear. Instead, the room grew colder and colder as frost began to form on every surface. The girl started to walk to her ravenette counterpart ominously.

"Everyone get out now!" Professor Lupin cried, rushing the class away. "Ms. Snow! You must conquer this fear!"

"I- I can't! I'm scared of myself! How do I stop that!"

"Believe in yourself! You will not hurt your peers or loved ones, you are a witch! A protector for the good!"

"R-riddikulus!" The bogart shrunk back into the wardrobe it came from and hid away. Venus collapsed on the floor as the room grew warm again. Professor Lupin helped her to her feet and dismissed the class. Her classmates watched through the doorway in fear as she gathered her things.

She ran out of the room and towards the astronomy tower as soon as she was out of sight of her housemates. Her safe haven. Once at the top, she shut the trap door and looked around at the scenery. She could see the quidditch field below to her left and the rest of the castle on the right, including the tree tops of the forbidden forest and the expanse of the great lake.

She put her hand on her heart and felt it squeeze. She tapped her fingers on the stone wall, matching it to her heartbeat. Whenever she felt overwhelmed, her mother had taught her to release her energy through positive means, like singing.

"The feelings got lost in my lungs...They're burning; I'd rather be numb...and there's no one else to blame...so scared I take off in a run...I'm flying too close to the sun...!" Tears streamed down her face as frost covered the floor of the tower top under her feet. "AND I BURST INTO FLAAAAAAA, FLAAA, FLAAAAAMES!"

Her hair and eyes had turned white as ice formed around her, shielding the stone wall under her fingertips. Venus took a deep breathe and felt the breeze blow past her as she clutched into her necklace with one frigid hand.

"You make me glooowww...but I cover up won't let it shoooww...so I'm, putting my defenses up, cause I don't wanna fall in love, if I ever did that, I think I'd have a HEART ATTAAAACCCKK!" She screamed as the frost spread down the tower quickly, like a virus.

Venus screamed as she felt something hit her hard on the head. She awoke in the infirmary with her teacher in the chair beside her.