Better Destiny - Severus X Oc (Modern Girl)

ch 7

At the front of the classroom, there stood a large, quaking closet. Remus Lupin strolled around the room, posing a question to his students, "What do you think might be lurking inside there?" The class softly responded, "A boggart," suggested by one of them. "Yes, indeed, but what might it appear as?" Lupin inquired further. Hermione explained that no one knows the true form of a boggart because it changes to what the person fears most. Lupin appeared pleased with her response.

"You will need a spell called Riddikulus. Repeat after me," instructed Lupin, leading the class in practicing the incantation. Freya overheard Draco's sarcastic (famous) remark, "This class is Riddikulus." After several attempts when Lupin was satisfied with their progress, he elaborated, "But a spell alone is not enough. To repel or defeat a boggart, it must be laughed at. The Riddikulus spell can compel the boggart to take on a more comical form based on the caster's imagination."

"Okay, let's try it out," Lupin said, scanning the room. Spotting Neville, he smiled. Freya knew is that because he knew Neville feared Snape the most. Wanting to intervene, she quickly stepped forward with a sweet smile. "Can I give it a try, Professor Lupin?" she asked.

"Certainly," Lupin responded after a brief pause, his brow furrowed with a thoughtful hesitation. "Your eagerness to participate is truly appreciated. Please, step forward and have a go at it."

Freya smiled, noticing Lupin's brief hesitation, but paid it little mind. "When I open the door, you say the spell 'Riddikulus' and think of something funny," he explained while standing behind her. At that moment, Freya realized she hadn't thought this through. She had never used a spell or any magic before, except perhaps when she was in Snape's class. But she hadn't been the one to perform the magic, so she wasn't sure if it counted. Additionally, she didn't know her greatest fear. Was it losing everything, her beloved Potions Professor, or failing to save him? Or ...

"Are you ready?" Lupin asked before opening the door. She couldnt even answere when a gigantic, skeleton-like figure in a long black robe emerged, wielding a large scythe. It was Death. Freya's focus narrowed solely on the figure as it slowly advanced. She raised her wand and uttered "Riddikulus," envisioning Jack from Halloweentown. Nothing happened. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't perform spells properly. 'Useless.' Despite her abilities, she couldn't cast a simple spell.

Lost in thought, Death drew closer. Looking at the figure, she felt an unusual sensation. 'I mean, he's kinda hot, though,' she thought, and the creature shifted its demeanor. The boggart-Death figure leaned on the scythe, raised an eyebrow, and posed for her. "Damn," she couldn't believe her eyes. 'Okay, he's not a hot 'dilf,' but still,' she mused, trying to focus but distracted with the thoughts of Supernatural's Death and then hiw Dean killed him so then her thoughts gone around Dean Winchester. To her suprise the boggart immediately transformed into Dean Winchester, flashing his sweet smile as he approached. Before anything more could happen, Lupin intervened with a firm "Next." Freya looked around, feeling as though she was emerging from a dream, confused about what just happened.

As the next student entered, Freya moved back a bit within the class, her thoughts racing. 'Why couldn't I cast the spell, and how did i changed the boggart?' Unaware of the curious looks from a particular hot professor and an annoyed blonde boy, she remained deep in her contemplations. Several more students entered before Harry's turn arrived. Lupin's attention shifted towards the boy. As Freya expected, the boggart transformed into a dementor when it was Harry's turn. Seeing Harry freeze, Lupin intervened and the boggart changed into Remus's biggest fear, the full moon. He froze for a moment before shutting the boggart back into the closet. Dismissing the class, Lupin then asked, "Freya, can I have a word with you, please?"

After every student left, Lupin stepped closer to Freya. He cleared his throat before speaking up, "As I have seen, your spell didn't work," he started, and she looked up at him, nodding. "What I didn't understand is how your fear became something 'else' without a spell," he said carefully. "As I saw, the second 'man' wasn't your fear, was it?" He asked slowly. Freya sighed. "No, it wasn't. The first one was Death. I think I'm scared of death, not Death itself. When I saw him, I wanted to change him, but it didn't work. Then I thought, 'Wait a minute, he's cute,' and then he started acting like he was flirting with me. But then I thought, 'Oh, this Death is cool, but not the same as Death from SPN.' And then I thought, 'Ah, yeah, but Dean killed that Death,' and I thought, 'Ah, Dean.' So yeah, ADHD brain.'" She shrugged her shoulders, while Lupin made a face, looking like he'd lost from the start.

"Your fear of death turned into... a series of thoughts and associations," Lupin started, a look of bemused confusion etched on his face. "It's quite a unique turn of events. I must admit, I'm a bit perplexed by how the spell managed to elicit such a response." He shook his head slightly, struggling to comprehend the complexity of her experience.

"I understand it must have been quite a challenge for the spell to address such a complex array of thoughts and connections," Lupin continued, trying to grasp the situation. "We'll need a different approach, perhaps a more focused approach next time?" He offered a faint smile, indicating his determination to help despite his confusion about the unexpected outcome.

Freya smiled, "I will try my best. Is there any chance that I could have a go with one of those boggarts?" She beamed sweetly at the man, who looked at her as though she was insane. But who could blame him?

Lupin's brow furrowed slightly, taken aback by Freya's request. "Obtaining a boggart for practice is, well, highly irregular, Freya," Lupin replied, a mix of surprise and concern in his expression. "It's not typically something we allow students to interact with directly due to the potential dangers involved." He hesitated, contemplating her request. "Perhaps we can find an alternative method to help you confront and work through your fear in a safer manner." Lupin suggested, aiming to offer a more secure approach while trying to dissuade the idea of interacting directly with a boggart.

Freya chuckled, "Oh, it's not for my fear. I just wanted to see if I could make him change into Crowley from SPN and other yummy things," she said, winking at him.

Lupin couldn't help but crack a slight smile at Freya's mischievousness, though his expression retained a hint of concern. "I appreciate your creativity, Freya, but manipulating a boggart for such purposes might not be advisable," he responded, his tone gentle yet cautious. "The boggart should be treated with respect, as it tends to manifest the deepest fears. It's important to use it for confronting and managing fears rather than for, well, entertainment."

He tried to convey the importance of treating the boggart with the seriousness it warranted while gently steering her away from using it for playful or frivolous intentions.

The girl sighed, "Understood. But the possibilities, though," she dreamily mused for a few seconds. Shaking her head, she continued, "Thank you, Professor. I will try my best to focus," as a plan formulated in her mind. Lupin smiled at her, "If you ever need help, feel free to ask me. I can teach you after the classes if you want." But Freya had already devised a plan, so she smiled back and replied, "Thank you, Professor Lupin. I'll let you know if I ever need an extra lesson." Then she turned around and left the class, ready to confront the myriad stairs once again. "Ugh."