The first week of classes passed in a blur. New classes on Tuesday meant several new opportunities to use the Time-Turner, and several questions as to how you were managing your schedule. Quickly, you fell back into the normal routine.
There was a slight schedule change on Wednesday. At lunch, McGonagall informed the fifth years that Care of Magical Creatures was to be replaced with another Transfiguration period.
No one questioned the sudden replacement. Since his disastrous first class, Hagrid had been absent from all meals. No one had seen him walking the halls or out on the grounds. It seemed he was hiding away in his cabin. You didn't blame him, but you wished you could offer him some encouraging words amongst the Slytherin's harsh demands that he be fired.
There was an apprehensive feeling in your gut as you got dressed on Thursday morning. The day loomed over you in a way the others hadn't. First, you had Double Transfiguration. After lunch, an overlapping Potions and Astronomy. The day ended with Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Last year, Defense Against the Dark Arts had been nothing but a burden, a waste of an hour listening to Lockhart talk himself up more than he did teach. You weren't at all worried that Professor Lupin was going to be worse than him. He would have to try exceptionally hard to do as poorly as Lockhart. In fact, you'd heard that the new teacher was doing an exceptional job.
It wasn't Lupin who had you nervous, but you yourself. Nearly running into him in the hallway had been off-putting enough. How you were going to keep your undivided attention on him for an entire hour, you didn't know. The idea of him asking you to stay behind after dismissing the class nearly made you consider skipping all together. Even seeing him at the staff table at breakfast chatting politely with Professor Flitwick left you uneasy.
Long after the plates cleared and the owls had come and gone, the Hall started to empty. As the morning classes grew nearer, your nerves eased. Once Professor Lupin had gotten up from the table, leaving to prepare for his first class, you felt yourself relax completely.
You'd deal with Defense Against the Dark Arts when it happened, you decided. No point in wasting a perfectly good day.
As you gathered your things, a conversation with Lee about the upcoming Transfiguration period was interrupted as the teacher herself stopped by the table.
"Ms. Y/L/N." McGonagall said, handing you a sheet of paper. "The Prefect's patrol schedule. Let me know if you have any questions."
Head Boy and Girl patrolled the halls alone for the first week, which Percy had been bragging about during dinner for the past few days. Now, you and the other prefects would join him. In McGonagall's swirled script, names had been scrawled under various days of the week; you started on Monday. Luckily, you hadn't been partnered with the Slytherin prefects. In fact, most of your nights were with Cedric.
"Looks like I'll be saving all my troublemaking for Monday." Fred said as he examined the schedule over your shoulder.
You shot him a fleeting look of annoyance, grabbing your bag and starting for the door. Your friends followed.
"Now, here's a question." Fred continued thoughtfully, falling into place next to you. "If you catch us outside of bed at night, what are you going to do?"
"Keep in mind, there is a right answer." George piped up, appearing on your other side.
"Do what I always do." You said airily. "Mind my business."
They grinned as you exited the Great Hall. It was here where you ran into Oliver Wood.
Despite having been at school for a week and sharing a common room, this was the first time you'd seen him since arriving back at Hogwarts. Although Oliver was a good year older than you, both Fred and George towered over him. Wood made up for the height difference with his broad shoulders and a higher authority in holding the title of Quidditch Captain.
"Alright, you three?" Oliver asked. He didn't leave much time for any of you to answer before he continued. "I've put a practice schedule up in the common room. I managed to get first dibs on the pitch, so we're starting after dinner on Monday. Don't be late."
Without a goodbye, he continued on into the hall.
You sighed heavily. 'Quidditch practice' was now on the list of Monday's responsibilities, stuck between homework and patrol. "I was going to finish my Astronomy essay on Monday night."
"So." Fred started casually as you started up the stairs. "Still not going to tell me how this schedule of yours is working out?"
With each passing day, his pestering as to how you were managing such a seemingly unachievable schedule grew more persistent. George seemed to understand that in due time you'd tell them, and after a day or so he'd stopped asking. His brother, on the other hand, was insistent that there was something going on.
"Nope." You replied simply. It was the same response he'd gotten every day since Monday, only now a bit more teasing. You couldn't help but enjoy how much it was bothering him that you wouldn't let him in on your secret.
Double Transfiguration was spent introducing O.W.L. level animal transfigurations. Raccoons half transformed into badgers lounged on desks as incantations filled the room. Normally, you had no trouble in McGonagall's class, but today's lesson proved difficult. You only managed to turn your raccoon's tail into the stubby one of a badger before the bell for lunch rang.
The twins were busy with homework they hadn't completed for their next classes, leaving you and Lee to talk about Quidditch while you ate. The bell rang eventually, and you were off to Astronomy. For an hour, you took notes on star patterns, only to slip into a secluded hallway, spin your Time-Turner back once and rush downstairs to Potions.
You got a few odd stares when you arrived a few minutes late and Snape didn't immediately give you detention. Him and the rest of the staff were aware of the Time-Turner, and you had to thank the device for being your saving grace from his persistently unfair punishment.
After nearly falling asleep to Snape's drawling tone, you couldn't help but feel relieved when he announced it was time to pack up. You, Fred and George left quickly for the final class of the day.
All the way out of the dungeons, you complained about Snape's homework. It was as a distraction, stopping your worries about Defense Against the Dark Arts from resurfacing as the room grew closer and closer.
However, about halfway down the second floor hallway, both Fred and George froze. They left you to walk alone a few steps before you realized they had stopped.
"What?" You asked once you turned back around, confused.
Neither of them responded. Instead, they motioned their heads to something behind you.
You turned, scanning quickly through the crowds before your eyes landed on Filch. The caretaker was eyeing the passing students suspiciously, as if looking for someone to punish. Had he seen Fred and George, he would've had a field day.
You turned back around. The boys were weaving their way through the crowds, putting as much distance between them and Filch as possible. Over the heads of the passing students, George pressed a finger to his lips, swearing you to secrecy. Fred winked. Then, they were gone.
An amused smile spread across your face as they disappeared. Then, you continued on, making sure to walk as close to the wall as possible to avoid Filch questioning you about your friend's whereabouts. As the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom came into view, the worry from the morning started to bubble up again.
However, relief washed over you when you saw that the room was already half full, students ready and waiting for the start of the class. No chance for Lupin to try to pull you aside before the lesson started. Soon, you realized that the Professor himself had yet to arrive.
With time to spare in Lupin's absence, you did a quick look around the room. All of Professor Lockhart's large portraits had been removed. The desks, although you were sure it wasn't a permanent set up, had been pushed neatly to one side. This left a large amount of floor space in front of a wooden wardrobe with a dingy mirror on its door.
With a collective shuffle, several students filed into the room. Lee, accompanied by Fred and George who had once again successfully slipped by Filch, were amongst them.
"Hey." You whispered to the twins as they came to stand with you. Curiosity that had started yesterday finally got the best of you. "What have you done?"
They cracked identical, mischievous grins.
"Just the usual." Fred replied casually.
"Dung bombs in Filch's file cabinets." George revealed. It really was the usual.
"Can you try to not get expelled on our second day?" You asked, exasperated.
Fred shrugged. "We've made it this far, haven't we?"
"We think he knows it was us." George said.
"But what's he going to do if he can't catch us?" Fred added.
Neither of them sounded at all bothered, although they never did when it came to trouble. Lee couldn't have seemed more amused. Even you cracked a smile, frankly surprised it had taken them so long into the week to start messing around.
A hollow banging sound filled the room. Your head snapped towards the front where the old wardrobe was. You were sure that it had been the cause of the sound. Sure enough, it wobbled on its clawed feet, emitting the hollow banging once more. A few students gasped, stepping away from the wardrobe. It sounded like something was inside. Lupin still hadn't arrived.
"You don't reckon he's locked himself in there, have you?" Fred questioned.
The wardrobe gave another shake. You felt confident that Professor Lupin hadn't locked himself inside, but you couldn't guess what was inside as you watched it teeter on its legs.
"Intriguing, isn't it?" A voice asked.
Heads turned away from the shaking wardrobe. Standing above on the landing outside of his office was Professor Lupin. He was leaning on the banister, looking down at all of you mildly. The wardrobe gave another feeble shake, but Lupin didn't even glance in its direction.
He started down the stairs. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?" He asked as he came to stand next to the wardrobe. It wobbled once more, which filled the silence that had followed his question as people pondered what creature was behind the door.
"A Boggart." A Ravenclaw student standing off to the side answered. "They like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks -"
"I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock." Lupin cut in. "Very good. Now, can anybody tell me what a Boggart looks like?"
This puzzled the class more than the first question. Boggarts had been studied briefly in a Care of Magical creatures practical lesson and once or twice in History of Magic. The minimum information clearly hadn't stuck in many people's minds, as the room was silent.
You, however, were perfectly confident you knew the answer. It was a mental block that was stopping you from sharing it. The realization that if you were to answer, a fact about a Boggart would be the first full sentence you would speak to your uncle in twelve years.
It's just a class, you reminded yourself. Just another teacher who's going to give you assignments and homework and reward you with points if you answer his questions correctly.
There was no point in leaving him under the impression you weren't exceptionally smart. No point in withholding the answer that no one else knew. Maybe he'd be impressed.
"No one knows." You spoke up.
Lupin's eyes flicked towards you. There was a sort of mild surprise on his face, looking like he hadn't been expecting you to answer. Just as surprised as you that you had answered.
"Boggarts are shape-shifters." You continued. The seal was broken. "They take the shape of whatever a person fears the most. That's what makes them so -"
"So terrifying, yes, yes, yes..." Lupin finished for you, nodding. He turned to the class without another look your way. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now. Without wands, please. After me. Riddikulus!"
There was a chorus of "Riddikulus!" as you and the rest of the class echoed his word.
Lupin nodded, satisfied. "Very good. A little louder and very clear. Listen: Riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" The class shouted again.
"Very good." Lupin said. "So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me demonstrate."
He stepped in front of the wardrobe, pointing his wand at the door. "One, two, three."
Prompted by a wordless spell, the door creaked open hauntingly. The Boggart climbed out, only none of you could see it. Then, out of thin air, a silvery-white orb appeared, hanging in front of Lupin. Glowing in a faint light, it reminded you of a crystal ball from Trelawney's classroom.
Then - "Riddikulus!"
The silver orb fizzed, collapsing in on itself. It had turned into a white balloon, shooting backwards, zooming around the room as it pushed its air out. People laughed.
"Everyone, form a line!" Lupin instructed the class. "Form a line!"There was a shuffle as everyone situated themselves in a line in front of the wardrobe. The deflating balloon was still soaring around the room, but it was getting closer to the front again.
"Picture the thing you fear the very most, and turn it into something funny." Lupin told everyone, eyes on the balloon as it grew nearer. He motioned for the first student in line. "Next!"
A Ravenclaw girl stepped up. The balloon froze in midair in front of her. Lupin muttered encouragements of 'concentrate' and 'be brave.' Then, the Boggart dematerialized, reduced to a whirlwind of beige dust. As quickly as the balloon had been there, another form appeared.People gasped, stumbling over others in the line as they moved back in shock. A large bear stood at the front of the room. Its claws dug into the wooden floors, teeth bared in a deep growl.
"Wand at the ready." Lupin told the girl.
She pointed her wand up. "Riddikulus!"
With a pop, the bear became an oversized teddy with bright pink cheek patches and a red ribbon tied around its neck. The class exploded with laughter. Although an inanimate object, the stuffed bear looked absolutely mortified. Lupin shouted for the next person in line.
With every passing student, you grew as nervous as you did excited for your turn. You wondered what the Boggart would be. Out of several things that made you uncomfortable, there wasn't one fear that stood out. On occasion, heights made you queasy. Small insects that crawled up your legs while you sat outside made you itch. A few childhood fears. A muggle horror movie you'd watched over the summer. A brief thought was spared to the Dementor on the train.
"Yes!" Lupin said excitedly, watching the outcome of the last student's riddikulus. "You see? Very good, very good! Marvellous! Absolutely, very, very enjoyable! Next!"
The boy was quickly replaced by a Gryffindor girl. The Boggart changed seamlessly. It was a ghost, but not like the ones that walked the Hogwarts halls. It looked like a person who hadn't meant to become a ghost, but was now eternally stuck as one. There was no life to this ghost, which would've made sense had you not been used to lively characters like Nearly Headless Nick. He was a deep grey, with hollow eyes and a mouth open in a soundless scream.
"Riddikulus!" The girl cried.
Your nerves reached full potential as she successfully charmed the Boggart; It was your turn next. The ghost had turned into a linen sheet, falling into a heap on the floor. People laughed.
"And next!" Lupin said. "Step up, step up!"
You did just that, stepping up to where the last girl had just been. The sheet gave a feeble wiggle as the Boggart realized it was facing a person with a different fear. The sheet disappeared, and once again became a whirlwind of beige dust as it tried to find the right thing to turn into.
The Boggart figured it out before you did, but unlike the others, a form didn't appear. Instead, the lanterns along the wall were reduced to the size of a small candle flame. Even though the long windows along the side of the room were open, the room went almost completely black.
"Oh." Was all you managed out, blinking around in the sudden darkness. People whispered behind you. You were certain you had done something wrong.
"Interesting." Professor Lupin said, sounding not at all worried. "And your fear would be..."
"That would be the dark." You revealed, sounding somewhat surprised. The Boggart was manifesting as something you hadn't even considered: a childhood fear of the dark. The longest lasting, most prominent fear you'd ever had.
"Why?" Professor Lupin asked curiously.
"I reckon it would be the absence of light, sir." You replied coolly. Your classmates laughed. In the dim light, you saw the corners of Lupin's mouth twitch into a smile.
"This is an excellent example of what happens when the Boggart comes across a fear that is not a physical object." Professor Lupin addressed the class. "It can transform its immediate environment." He turned back to you. "Alright, wand at the ready. Point it right at the Boggart."
"And where is that, exactly?" You asked. There was nothing in front of you except vague shadows and overall darkness. Once again, the class laughed.
"Straight ahead will do." Professor Lupin told you, and even he sounded amused. "And..."
"Riddikulus!" You yelled.
It was silent. Dark.
The, there was a pop, a whiz, and you were nearly blinded by a bright red flash. A firework. A display of them started going off in midair with even louder pops, sending large multicoloured sparks around the room. People laughed as they flew down the line and towards the ceiling.
The darkness disappeared as they reignited the lamps along the walls, unblocking the sunshine from the windows. You stared up at the fireworks in awe, watching as they blossomed and spun around. If possible, they made the room brighter than it had been before.
Professor Lupin clapped, something he hadn't done for the others. "Wonderful, wonderful!"
The eager smile on his face wasn't that of a teacher applauding their student for good work. It was an uncle smiling at his niece, proud of her accomplishments. It was a look you didn't have stored away in your memories, and something deep inside you made sure to hold on to the feeling it brought.
From yours, the Boggart turned into a coffin with a vampire inside, a nest of baby spiders, a giant snake and a dragon. It shifted rapidly, growing more and more confused. Eventually the first Ravenclaw girl reached the front again and the Boggart didn't know what to do.
"And to finish it off..." Professor Lupin said, taking the lead. He stepped in front of the Boggart once more. The crystal ball-like object reappeared, and then was quickly banished back into the cabinet as a deflating balloon. The wardrobe's wooden door slammed and locked behind the now defeated creature.
There was a beat of silence before a great deal of applause broke out. There wasn't a student around you who wasn't clapping for the Professor and his lesson. Even you couldn't help but feel he deserved every bit of recognition he was getting. Although hesitant, you began to clap along.
Like he had at the welcoming feast, Lupin gave a humble sort of bow. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Five points to everyone who defeated the Boggart, and an extra five to Mr. Davis and Ms. Y/L/N for answering my questions at the start of class."
This was met with more applause. His faint smile grew larger for a moment before the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. There was part of you that couldn't believe you'd been dreading the class. Now, you were disappointed it was over.
"Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me, to be handed in on Monday. That will be all." Lupin called as you and the rest of the class collected your things.
Talking excitedly, the class started out of the room. You grabbed your bag, shooting a final glance towards the front of the room. The wardrobe had stilled.
Lupin had ascended the stairs, lingering outside his office door to watch the leaving students. Only, he wasn't really watching the rest of the class. He was watching you.
When your eyes met, he didn't look away. Part of you urged yourself to break the contact immediately, but there was something about his face that kept your attention. There was no look of meaning in his eyes, no indicator of anything he was feeling or wanted to say. He wasn't asking you to stay, questioning if you had a moment to speak. He was simply looking.
On your end, there were no nerves. No worries or deep seeded resentment that you had felt on the train or during the feast. Your gaze was mostly curious, wondering what he wanted.
Part of you was warming up to the idea of him being around. Maybe it was the satisfaction you felt when he almost seemed proud of you for doing so well. Maybe it was how the class had gone by without acknowledgment of who he had once been to you. Maybe, it wouldn't be so hard.
But, there were things that couldn't be solved simply because he had taught one exceptionally good lesson. Twelve years of absence wouldn't be made up for by successfully teaching you how to get rid of a Boggart and rewarding you ten points for doing so.
Then, he gave a small nod.
It was almost as if your thoughts had been in his head as well. That the two of you had come to an unspoken agreement. Things needed to be sorted, but they would be sorted in due time. That there was no point in rushing anything, trying to mend a relationship that had barely existed. That a new relationship could be formed, but that for now, nothing needed to be done.
For now, he could just be your teacher.
The unease was gone. Although you couldn't yet muster a smile, you nodded back. As you turned to leave, you felt a contentment you had been searching for since the train.
You joined your friends, who had been waiting for you at the door. From the classroom to the common room to drop off your bags, they complimented Lupin and his spectacular lesson. On the walk down to the Great Hall to do homework before dinner, they began boasting about their turns with the Boggart.
"Did you see me take it?" Lee asked excitedly from next to you.
"Yeah, you were brilliant." George, who was walking behind, replied.
"No offence, mate." Fred said, coming up beside you and casually slinging an arm over your shoulder. You grimaced under the weight his arm brought, but didn't tell him to move. "But Y/N's was the best out of everyones."
Lee nodded. Several people in the common room had told you that your Boggart's display of colourful fireworks was the most impressive transformation of the class.
"You only liked it cause you're a pyromaniac, Freddie." You teased.
He made a face at you in response, which you returned.
"I wish mine had looked like that." George complained.
"Lupin, though." Fred sighed, removing his arm from behind your neck. "Never had one like him. It was great, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." You agreed, and you didn't feel like you were lying. "It was."
Stepping into the Great Hall, all intention to continue the conversation fell away as your eyes swept over Hagrid's empty seat at the staff table and found something off to the side of the room. You came to a halt in the entrance way. Your friend seemed to see it at the same time. George cursed lowly. Fred dropped his arm back down to his side.
"Oh, god." You sighed out.
Draco Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table, looking happier than you had ever seen him in three years. With a bandaged arm secured in a sling, he was smirking as if he had survived some sort of traumatic, terrible ordeal.
No one except the Slytherin's were bothered with him. Every head was turned towards, pestering him with questions and asking him to retell the horrid attack. The other houses kept to themselves, eating and talking. The Gryffindor's didn't engage, but you and your friends glared in his direction as you headed for your seats.
"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked him worriedly.
"It comes and it goes." Draco said loudly. "Still, I consider myself lucky. Madam Pomfrey said another minute and I could've lost my arm. I can't do homework for weeks."
It didn't take a particularly bright person to observe that it was all an act.
"Listen to the idiot." Fred grumbled as he sat down.
"There's no way he isn't faking it." You said confidently. "Madam Pomfrey can regrow bones."
A gash, no matter how deep, was no match for Madam Pomfrey's vast knowledge of healing spells and potions. After a night in the hospital wing, Draco should've been in better condition than he had been before the hippogriff attack, not whimpering in a cast.
"At least Hagrid hasn't been fired." George said, trying to be optimistic.
"Yet." You added pointedly. "Draco's dad, remember? He's going to do something, I'm sure of it."
The four of you fell silent, but only for a few seconds. Thoughts of Lucius Malfoy getting Hagrid in trouble for Draco's injury were interrupted as Seamus Finnagin ran into the hall.
"He's been sighted!" He yelled, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet. Yours and various other heads turned towards him as he ran frantically towards the table. "He's been sighted!"
"Who?"
"Sirius Black!" Seamus replied.
People began to whisper, the Gryffindor's crowding around Seamus. After exchanging worried glances between each other, you and the twins leaned over to see the paper. The familiar screaming black and white photo of Sirius Black was on the front page.
Hermione reached for the paper. "Dufftown?" She read aloud. "That's not far from here."
Dufftown was the next town over from Hogsmeade. A sinking feeling settled in your gut.
Neville glanced around nervously. "You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?"
"I don't think so, Neville." You said comfortingly, although not feeling very confident in what you were saying.
"With dementors at every entrance?" Hermione pointed out.
"Dementors?" Seamus replied dismissively. "He slipped past them once. Who's to say he won't do it again?"
Seamus was right. For a moment, you wondered what Dumbledore had been hoping to achieve by stationing the Dementors around the grounds. They'd proven unsuccessful in keeping Black inside Azkaban, so how would they do any better at keeping him out of the school?
"That's right." A third year student agreed darkly. "Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
The atmosphere changed in the wake of the newest revelation about Sirius Black. The entire hall had heard Seamus run in. Copies of the paper were being passed around for people to see for themselves if his proclamation had been true. You'd gotten a hold of one, but barely made it through the first paragraph before you handed it off to someone else.
As the tables started to fill with golden plates and goblets, the staff arrived. Several looked more solemn than usual, which meant the Daily Prophet had made it into the staff room. The students seemed to have split down the middle. Half whispered, wondering where Black was now. The other half had fallen silent in worry. No one seemed to have an appetite.
You tried to stay positive as you talked to Angelina and Katie about Wednesday's upcoming Quidditch practice. All the while, a guilty feeling lingered, one you couldn't shake for lying to Neville when you'd told him Sirius Black wouldn't be trying to get into Hogwarts.