𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | draco malfoy [3]

𝐈𝐗. BIGGEST FEARS

"Couldn't have put it better myself. 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 whatever each of us most fears." Lupin explained.

He ignored Neville's small sputter of terror.

"This means that we already have a small advantage over the boggart before we begin." Lupin turns to Harry, who was also interested. I forgot this was his favorite class as well. "Have you spotted it, Harry?"

"Er- because there are so many of us, it won't know whose fear to turn into?" Harry tried.

"Precisely. It's always best to have company when you're 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."

I laughed along with a few others.

"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." The professor raised his hand. "We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please, Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" We all said together.

"This class is riddikulus," I heard Draco mutter.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But, that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

Wordlessly, the terrified boy walked up, and stood by Lupin. I watched excitedly as Neville approached the man. The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows. 

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

"Professor Snape." Neville said more clearly and I laughed with other students. I wasn't laughing at Neville, just at the fact that his fear was Snape.

Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. "Professor Snape... hmmm... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" 

"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

"S-she always wears the same hat..." He began. " A tall one with a stuffed vulture. A big green dress, a fox scarf.."

"And a handbag?"

"A big red one." The boy nodded.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?" Neville nodded, wondering what was coming next.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry Riddikulus - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

I grinned, excited to see this.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical...."

The room went quiet. I thought for a moment. I didn't know what scared me the most. If anything, the boggart could surely turn into a dementor. Those things terrified me all right.

"Everyone ready?" Professor Lupin asked. A series of "yes"'s called out and Lupin nodded.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward. Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot."

We all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One, two three, now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R-riddikulus!"

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag. There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted,

"Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati walked forward, her face set. Boggart Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising-

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face
forward, and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" Lupin called.

Seamus ran forward.

Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face- a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on everyone's head stand on end. 

"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus. The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Us students had made a line now. I was next to Harry. A few more went forward, the boggart turning into their fears. Ron stepped up and of course, the boggart turned into a spider.

Harry and I were behind Ron. I guess we hadn't established who was in front of who, because when Ron finished, we both stepped up at the same time. The boggart turned into a dementor. It stayed like that for a moment, then switched to the image of Tom Riddle. 

I was about to call out the defense spell, but I was frozen. I hadn't expected to see him. I wasn't afraid of Tom Riddle, but of what he would do to me. I was afraid of the part of him that's inside of me. Afraid it would come alive and control me.

I saw a familiar blonde step in front of me, and Tom Riddle transformed itself into another blonde. Lucius Malfoy. "Riddikulus." Draco muttered.

Lupin stepped forward, and it turned into a moon. I would be confused, but I was too focused on my own fear, and Draco's. His biggest fear was his own father. I felt terrible.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin called, and the full moon turned into a white balloon. Lupin sent the balloon into the closet and closed it, containing the boggart once more.

"That will be all for today. Class dismissed." Lupin explained the homework and sent us off.

I walked with Draco in the hallway. "Who was that? Your fear?" He asked me slowly.

"Tom Riddle." I muttered, earning a confused look from Draco. "A story for another time." I then looked at him. "Your father?"

He became sad and sighed, "A story for another time."