The next morning came and Ellie woke up early as she was excited for two things today. One, she had her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with her Uncle and two, she was going to watch her first Quidditch match. Mainly she was excited to see George play but she wouldn't admit that to anyone. She quickly got dressed and put her robes on before grabbing her wand and books and heading down the stairs into the common room.
Hermione had left earlier to get some extra study time in so she only saw Ron and Harry waiting for her. She smiled at them both and greeted them, "Good morning!"
"Excited for Lupins class today Ellie? Or maybe you're excited to drool over my brother in Quidditch?", Ron teased her making her gasp and hit him on the arm, "I do not drool over him!", she said as the two boys laughed at her as they made their way to the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom. Once they got there she quickly searched for the two red head twins and found them seated at a table with an empty chair in the middle. She walked over to them and placed her books down, gaining both their attention. "Well hello there Ellie bellie, quite excited for class today aren't we?", Fred asked her with a teasing smirk. She playfully scowled at him and shoved him slightly, "Don't call me that, ever."
Fred laughed at her before turning towards his friend and chatting. Ellie looked to her other side and saw that George was already looking at her. He gave her a charming smile and she gave one back, "I'm pretty excited to watch this Quidditch match today", she said. George nodded his head, "That's good to hear because I'm going to need all the luck out there. Maybe you'll be my good luck charm El", he said with a smirk as he saw her blush. Before she could say anything back, Lupin had begun to speak about his lesson.
"Intriguing isn't it?", Lupin said as all the students looked at what seemed to be an old cabinet that had something inside of it trying to get out.
"Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"
"That's a boggart, that is", Dean Thomas said as Ellie and the twins made their way to the group of students from their seats. "Very good, Mr. Thomas", Lupin said as another thud was heard from inside the cabinet. "Now, can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?"
"No one knows", Hermione said, suprising Ron, "When did she get here?", he whispered as Hermione continued on, "Boggarts are shape shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so-"
"So terrifying. Yes. Yes."
More thudding is heard from the cabinet, "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now, uh, without wands please. Now, repeat after me. Riddikulus!"
The class repeats the charm, "Very good. Well 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." Lupin continues his explaination before having the students get in a line to face the boggart. Neville is first and his boggart is Professor Snape who he then turns into Snape wearing his grandmothers clothes, making the class laugh.
Soon it is Ellie's turn as she eyes her Uncle and walks up to the cabinet. The boggart begins to turn to smoke as a figure begins to take shape. Ellie tilts her head, trying to make out what it will be, and looks in shock as she sees herself staring back at her. The boggart Ellie's eyes are bright red, just like they were in the forest with Buckbeak. A skeleton-like hand is seen placed on the boggart Ellie's shoulder as creepy whispers are heard throughout the classroom. Ellie is stood frozen as she watches herself begin to lift her arms up as red glowy magic begins to flow out of the boggart and around the classroom. Ellie quickly pulls out her wand and yells the incantation, "Riddikulus!" turning her boggart into a clown. She lowers her wand and looks at her Uncle with tears in her eyes before turning away, grabbing her things, and rushing out of the classroom.
She soon finds herself in the courtyard sitting in the grass with her legs held up to her chest. What could that boggart have meant? She knew she was scared of ever hurting anyone with her powers but this seemed different. She must have been so in thought that she didn't hear the grass cruch behind her as someone sat next to her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the red hair and knew just who it was.
George couldn't describe what he saw from Ellie's boggart but he knew that she needed someone to comfort her and ran out after her to find her in the courtyard. She was staring straight ahead into the forest as he sat down next to her.
"I don't understand what that was.", she said quietly. George took her hand in his making her turn her head towards him, "Whatever it was, it's over now, right? And you're not alone Ellie. If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here.", he said. She smiled at him before leaning her head on his shoulder and looking out at the sky.
"There's a lot of things I want to tell you Georgie. I know that I can trust you and I feel close with you ever since we met. I just don't know where exactly I would start."
George listened to her as she spoke, "Whenever you're ready El", and the two of them stared up into the sky in peace.
Before heading to her dorm to get ready for the Quidditch match she got a note from her Uncle asking her to meet him in his classroom. As she walked in she noticed that the cabinet with the boggart was gone. Remus looked up from his desk at his niece as she walked in and stood in front of him.
"Uncle Remus, how much do we really know about the Scarlet Witch legacy?"
Lupin looked up at her and sighed, "Well, dear, everything we know about you and your powers is in that book your mother left you."
Ellie began to feel herself getting upset, "But I've read the book over and over again and nothing mentions the red eyes or the things I'm seeing in my head. What if theres so much more about this than we know? I'm getting scared", she whispered the last part but he still heard her.
"The most we can do right now is study up on it. Try and find anything new that we don't already know from your book. I know this must be very scary and frustrating for you but this is all I can say right now. I know you miss your mother and your father but I am doing my best to find him and to help you understand all of this", Remus said to her.
"Does dad know more about this?"
Remus nodded his head, "After your mother passed he made it his life mission to figure out what was happening to you and why it was happening. You just have to remember that he did all of this to protect you."
He then remembered something and decided to bring it up, "Did Mr. weasley find you after class?", he said with a small smile as he saw his niece look flustered at the question.
"Yeah, he did. We sat out in the courtyard and just talked and it was nice. It felt peaceful. I wish I could tell him everything Lupin.", she said with a sigh. Remus felt for his niece as he knew what it felt like to keep a secret that big to himself. Ellie looked at the time and realized that she had just about a couple hours to get ready for the Quidditch game. "I have to go get ready for the match now", she said to her Uncle before giving him a quick hug and heading towards the Gryffindor common room.
When she reached the staircase leading to the Fat Lady painting she saw the trio along with Fred and George waiting on the stairs with other students, "What's going on?", Ellie asked as she made her way up the stairs and stood in between Fred and George. She heard another voice excusing himself as he made his way to the front of all the students, "Excuse me, I'm head boy, get back all of you. No one is to enter the dormitory until it has been fully searched.", he said and she quickly learned from George as he leaned down and said that the boy was their older brother, Percy.
Ginny Weasley walked down the stairs and stood in front of Ellie, "The Fat Lady! She's gone!", she explained. Ellie pushed her way through the other students to get a look at the door to see giant slashes running through the painting creating rips so big almost the whole painting was destroyed.
"Headmaster's here!", Percy exclaimed as Ellie turned to see Dumbledore moving quickly up the stairs. Ellie lost her footing and almost fell back before someone caught her and pulled her into their chest. She looked up to see George behind her, holding her tightly as he watched Dumbledore reach the door.
Dumbledore examined the painting and ordered Filch to get all the ghosts together to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady. Filch says theres no need for the ghosts as he points out where the Fat Lady is causing all the students to scramble up to the painting.
Dumbledore reaches the painting, "Dear Lady, who did this to you?", he asks and the Fat Lady peeks out from behind the pig in the painting. She begins to explain, while sobbing and shaking in fear, "Eyes like the devil, he's got, and a soul as dark as his name. It's him Headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here! Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black!", she cried out making the students gasp. Ellie listens in shock, why would her father come to the castle? He's supposed to be staying hidden and away from anyone who could capture him.
"Secure the castle", Dumbledore says to Filch before turning to the students, "Everyone remain calm. We will all continue to the Great Hall and today's Quidditch match shall be rescheduled."
Ellie heard George groan from behind her as she turned around to face him and see him pouting. She had to admit that he looked rather adorable with his little pout. "Come on then, you heard the man", she said to him before grabbing his hand and pulling him with her to the Great Hall. He smiled at their hands together and walked alongside her as Fred watched from behind with a smile on his face.