Elysia Riddle [A Harry Potter Fan Fiction]

Chapter Twenty-Two ~ Routines

Cursing (and receiving a stern look for doing so), I wrote down my last note before following the swarm of students out of the room. Throwing the books in to my shelf in the Common room, a shelf in which I had put an enchantment on to only hold my books, I rushed back to lunch.

Neville beckoned me to a seat beside him, which I readily took before Sarah could spot me. Sitting close to him, as was required with such a busy bench, I kept my food meagre on my plate as I waited for the Boggarts.

I didn't know what mine would be... and I hoped that I wouldn't have to let the entire class see... It could ruin everything. It was all a very close call, seeing as Dumbledore had announced Tom's name on the end-of-term feast last year.

Nobody suspected the relation, but that wasn't definite either. Chewing hard on my lip, I tried to pump myself for the lesson, as I had been all morning, but I couldn't shake that feeling of dread, heavy on my chest. Biting into a fleshy green apple, I smiled as Neville spoke of Herbology.

I was so happy that he had a topic that even Hermione Granger couldn't beat him in, whether she knew it or not. Speaking of Hermione, she had just walked through the doors, looking surprisingly alert. Unusual for her know.

Soon, all of her topics would bear hard on her. I knew, more than most, how much Ron's anger affected her. Sometimes, I wondered if I knew more about her feelings than she did... I definitely knew more than Ron, he was hopeless!

Lunch was finished too soon, and I followed Neville hesitantly to the Defence Against the Dark Arts room. Maybe we'd focus on Tibetan Tea-Cup Tigers instead? I thought of the ferocious, miniature tigers, and loosened up enough to laugh.

Chuckling as I entered the room, I sat beside Nev and waited for Lupin to enter. When he did, and he was a bit late too, he seemed almost as tired as Hermione, though I didn't know of his excuse. I had noticed strange sickness patterns, and my suspicions arose, but I suppressed them.

His lips moved, showing that he was introducing the class. Soon, they chanted 'Riddikulus!', the counter-curse that I knew too well already. Sitting back, I watched Neville's firm concentration as he glared at his wand and repeated the phrase.

 Soon, we were whisked away into an empty classroom, where a large wardrobe waited for us. This must be where he was keeping the Boggart... I watched intently as Lupin asked Neville to demonstrate first. My heart lurched as he was given the challenge.

Could he do it? I crossed my fingers and hoped that he would succeed. Lupin seemed highly confident in him, and I knew that he had the potential, so I waited.

To my surprise, Snape emerged from the wardrobe. To be honest, my heart sank slightly as I saw that it had nothing to do with me... Who cared? It wasn't like we were more than best friends any way... But even then, I was his best friend, wasn't I?

Biting hard on my lip, I ignored that nagging voice in the back of my head, and forced a laugh out of my throat when Snape was transformed in to an outfit that I had seen his Grandmother wear... more than once. Now my laughs were real as I compared the two.

They were both pretty scary. I couldn't help but feel slightly defensive as I heard everybody laugh at Snape in a dress. He wasn't all that bad... But he brought on the students hate by himself, I suppose.

The line shifted as students went through one by one, their greatest fears being ridiculed. The line had shrunk to Hermione, Harry, me and a few other students. Lupin dismissed the class casually, informing us that an excellent lunch would be waiting for us.

No turn? Sighing, I wished that I had had a chance to defeat my own fears... My shoulders sinking, I turned and trudged out of the room. As I was passing through the open door, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I saw the shabby teacher giving me a weak smile.