A/N: I'm having like major writers block for this chapter but I have a few ideas for the next couple of chapters! :) Leave suggestions and please vote! Thanks!
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I follow Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise back to the castle as they talk about how stupid it was to teach us about such dangerous animals.
"He's a fucking idiot. I bet he'll be fired when Draco's father finds out about it." Pansy says. "It could have been anyone of us."
"I don't even understand why Potter was able to do it." Blaise grumbled. "You still back there, Peyton?" They all turn around to look for me and there I was. I nod as they turn around and continue their conversation. I didn't pay any attention to it anymore.
Potions class was no fun, especially because Snape's lecture, on how dangerous it is to mix Abraxan hair and a dragon heart, seemed to go on forever. When class was finally over I said bye to Blaise and Draco and headed to the library to meet River and Alayna.
They take me towards the west side of the castle to the Ravenclaw tower. I had never been here before and everything felt so right in a way.
They stand in front of an eagle knocker when all of a sudden it moves.
"If eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equal?" It says.
"What?" I ask. Neither of the responds. Alayna scrunches up her nose like I do when I have to think.
"2 o'clock." She says. The knocker disappears and an opening appears.
(For the people who don't get it:
11 o'clock plus two hours equals 1 o'clock,
9 o'clock plus five hours equals 2 o'clock.)
"Woah." I whispered. "You have to solve a riddle?"
"Yeah." River laughs.
"What happens if you get it wrong." I questioned.
"You have to wait for another person to come and solve the next one." explained River as we step in the opening.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"How long do you have to wait?"
"As long as it takes."
"Has that ever happened to you?" I inquired.
"It's happened to me." Alayna says. "That's actually how we met." She said motioning to River.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It was like the second day and she didn't solve it correctly and waited like 2 hours until I showed up and let her in." River laughed.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I got lost and I was trying to go to bed but I didn't pay attention and got it wrong so I waited for someone to show up." Alayna turned red in embarrassment.
"You're lucky I decided to sneak out that night." River says messing up Alayna's hair. All she had to do was run her hand through it and it was perfect again.
"That's harsh."
"You get used to it." River says shrugging like it's no big deal. "Do you know how to play exploding nap?"
"Kinda. I'm dreadful at it though." I say.
"Wanna play?"
"Sure." I laugh.
He leads up up to his room. When he opens the door I see three-poster beds, covered in the house colors with the house crest on them. Two boys we sitting on the bed farthest away from the door.
"Woah River, two girls this time?" One of the boys says.
"Shut it."
"Hi, Jace." Alayna says rolling her eyes. "This is Peyton." I wave but turn my attention back to River. He's looking for something under his bed.
"Did you guys take it?"
"Take what?" The other boy asks.
"My exploding snap cards."
"Oh yeah." Jace says throwing a deck of cards. River catches it and grabs his wand off the bed.
"You wanna play with us? It's funner when more people play."
"Funner is not a word, River. How are you a Ravenclaw?" Alayna jokes.
"If I say it, it's a word."
"Not a grammatically correct word."
"What ever."
I spend the rest of the day playing exploding snap with Alayna, River, Jace and Dillon. News Flash I didn't win.
When I get back to the Slytherin dorm I head straight to my room. I open the door and flop down on my bed, not noticing the figure that lay in the other bed.
"Where were you?" I jump up to see Pansy sitting up on the edge of her bed.
"None of your business." I snapped.
"It is my business." She retorted.
"How so?" I asked.
"Because I'm your sister."
"And?"
"Can we not do this again?" pleaded Pansy. I looked and saw the hurt in her eyes.
"Fine."
"Well where were you?"
"With Alayna and River." I answer.
"Who?"
"My friends."
"You have friends?" She asked sarcastically.
"Haha very funny." I get up and grab my pajamas off my end of my bed. "I'm taking a shower."
(Time skips to potions class later the next day)
"Does it hurt much?" Pansy asks when Draco had finally come out of the hospital wing.
"It comes and goes." Draco said wincing. "Madam Pomfrey said I'm lucky. Another minute or two and I could have lost my arm." Pansy gasped and hugged his un-hurt arm. I wasn't buying it.
Draco turned to Blaise and winked. I just knew he was faking now.
"Settle down, settle down." Professor Snape spoke walking to move in front of his desk. "Start your potions."
"Sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm-" Draco called adding a small wince at the end.
"Weasley cut up Malfoys roots for him." Snape said without looking up.
Ron began cutting Draco's roots roughly making them each different sizes.
"Sir, Weasley's mutating my roots." Draco called.
Snape approached their table and gave a very unpleasant smile.
"Switch roots with Malfoy, Weasley." He said.
"But sir-" Ron said sounding very annoyed.
"Now." Snape said walking away from his table and over to ours.
"Mr. Zabini, I suggest you cut your roots smaller before putting them in your cauldron." Snape spoke quietly. Blaise nodded, turned back to his roots and began cutting his roots in half. Snape turned to me and Pansy. "As for you two. Good job." Then he strutted away.
I caught Draco looking at me out of the corner of my eye and when we locked eyes, he smiled at me. I gave a half smile; still mad he was putting up all this effort for some stupid reason.
(Time skips to end of class)
"Everyone gather 'round" Snape called. "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution his toad will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he had done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."
The Gryffindor's stood there holding their breath as Snape took a spoon as poured Neville's solution into Trevor's mouth. It shrunk and became a tadpole flopping around in Snape's hand. The Gryffindor's cheered and clapped.
"Five points from Gryffindor." He spoke boldly. The smiles wiped off of their faces. "I told you not to help him Ms. Granger. Class dismissed." I grabbed my things and followed everyone out.
"Draco!" I called. He turned around and walked back to me.
"Hm?" He said grabbing my top piece of parchment. He examined it before I grabbed it back.
"Why are you faking your arm thing?" I ask. He raised his eyebrow at me and smirked.
"Who said I was faking?" He said motioning for me to start walking.
"I just know you are." I grumbled having no proof. He looked over at me and smirked extra big.
"Mhm." He chuckled. We walked to class in silence, but I could tell me was smiling from ear to ear.
We sit down at our seats for DADA. I looked around for Professor Lupin, but he wasn't here. Then he walked through the doors at the back of the classroom.
"Good afternoon," He said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."
A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books.
"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."
What was he doing? We all got up and followed Lupin. He led us along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing we saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.
"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin —" Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.
"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get into his brooms."
Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand. "This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."
He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.
"Cool, sir!" said Dean Thomas in amazement.
"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. "Shall we proceed?"
He led us down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door. "Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in.
As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."
He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him.
At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."
Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows. "I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably." Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap.
"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes.
As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. I gripped Draco's good arm just like at Care of magical creatures.
He turned around and whispered, "There better not be a Hippogriff in there." I giggled as I felt his minty breath on my ear.
"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly . "There's a boggart in there." Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.
"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks — I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and 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 put up her hand. Of course she did. She knew everything.
"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."
"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "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. This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"
Harry looked nervous as he replied, "Er — because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"
"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. Harry gleamed and looked over at Draco who was now glaring back at him.
"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. 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!" said the class together.
"This class is ridiculous." Draco said rolling his eyes. I giggle and turn back to listen.
"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."
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. Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape." Everyone laughed and even Neville grinned apologetically. 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." The class let out another burst of laughter.
"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I wonder, can you picture the clothes she wears, very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"
"Yes," said Neville uncertainly, plainly 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. The class let out yet another laugh.
"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 your grandmothers clothes."
There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently. "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 my hardest on what scared me the most. I thought long and hard. I came to the conclusion that I was scared of the Devil. I remember watching a muggle move and the Devil scared me and I had nightmares for weeks. This was only a few months ago.
"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin. The class nodded as I gripped Draco's arm once again.
"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-R-Riddikulus!" squeaked Neville. 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. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a blood-stained, 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!" roared Professor Lupin. Seamus darted past Parvati. 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 my head stand on end — "Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus. The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone. Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then — crack! — became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before — crack! — becoming a single, bloody eyeball. "It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!" Dean hurried forward. Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab. "Riddikulus!" yelled Dean. There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.
"Wonderful! Peyton!" I stepped forward as the boggart took the shape of the Devil from the movie, I stood there.
"Riddikulus!" I screamed as the boggart melted into a rug on the ground.
"Excellent! Ron, you next!" Ron leapt forward. Crack! Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly.
"Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet. He raised his wand, waiting for the boggart to change but then-
"Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. Crack! The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily. Crack!
"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined. "Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.
"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. . . . Let me see . . . five points for every person to tackle the boggart — ten for Neville because he did it twice . . . and five each to Hermione and Harry."
"But I didn't do anything," said Harry.
"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me . . . to be handed in on Monday. That will be all." Talking excitedly, we all left the staffroom.
"Peyton, I didn't know you were afraid of the Devil from that movie." Blaise said. We all laughed as we walked to the great hall.
(Time skips to after DADA class the next week in the library)
"He seems sketchy." Draco said. "And look at his robes, he dresses like our old house elf."
"It doesn't really matter how he dresses." I said at the same time. Draco just gives me a confused look.
"What I'm saying is, his classes are fun, so it doesn't matter how he looks." I say. Draco doesn't say anything and looks back to his book.
"You guys going to Hogsmeade?" Blaise asks filling the silence.
"Yep. I was planning on going with River and Alayna." I say. Pansy holds out the paper that our parents had signed before we left.
"Draco?" Blaise asks. "Hello?" Draco looks up from his book.
"Oh, um ya." He mumbled and went back to the book.