Nina's Destiny

A Boggart and Sirius

"I was hoping Neville could assist me with the first stage of the operation. I'm sure he will perform it admirably." Sev's lip curled as he left. Professor Lupin rolled his eyes at him and I snorted.

Lupin led us to a wardrobe. It was rattling. I wonder what's in there. "Nothing to worry about." Lupin looked directly at Lav, Vati, and me. "There's a boggart in there." I breathed a sigh of relief. That's not too bad. "Boggart's like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks-I've even met one that lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon. I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione raised her hand. "It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," smiled Professor Lupin. Hermione seemed to glow with pride. That girl really needs to get out more. "So, the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become what each of us most hears. This means that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

"Er-because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely. It's always best to have company when dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug. I once saw a boggart make that very mistake- tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do, is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class said together.

"Perfect. Now, Neville. First things first: what would you say frightens you the most in the whole world?"

Neville murmured something that none of us could hear. "Sorry, Neville, didn't catch that."

Neville took a deep breath. "Professor Snape."

We all started laughing. Even Neville chuckled slightly. "Professor Snape...hmm...Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" Neville nodded his head. "I wonder, what sort of clothes does she wear?"

"Well...always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress...green, normally...and sometimes a fox-fur scarf. Oh, and a big, red handbag."

"Right than. Can you picture those cloths very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind?" Neville nodded his head eagerly. "When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will form Professor Snape. And you will raise your wand and shout 'Riddikulus!" Neville nodded his head again and Lupin opened the door.

Sev stepped out. "Riddikulus!" Neville cried without a moments hesitation. Sev was now wearing exactly what Neville had described. I started laughing with everyone else. I was never going to let him live this one down. The rest of us followed Professor Lupin's instructions and thought of what scared us most. My thoughts flew straight to Agrius. He terrified me more than Ares an Gabe combined. What would make him seem funny? What if I turned him into a guinea pig? Yes, that is funny because of what happened to Percy at Circe's island. Perfect.

"Parvati, forward," laughed Professor Lupin. Snape rounded on her and turned into a dried up hippy mummy. When did she see the Oracle?

"Riddikulus!" the Oracle began to spew green smoke and started choking on it. She collapsed.