39. WHAT DO YOU FEAR
"I DON'T GET IT, mate. You like her, and she likes you. It's as clear as day," Micah told Cedric as the two of them and Silas walked through the hallways of the school.
"You two have been in love with each other since like, first year." Silas added with a shrug and Cedric just rolled his eyes, not saying anything. "Frankly, it's exhausting to watch."
Glancing at Cedric, Micah scoffed, snapping his fingers, "Diggory! You listening?"
"Yeah," Cedric nodded with a sigh. "Thanks for the advice boys, but I'm choosing not to listen to it."
"Come on, man!" Micah rolled his eyes. "You've been pining after her for too long!"
"Shut up, Micah, please." Cedric begged.
"Cedric, really, we're not trying to get you upset," Silas promised calmly, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But you two act like a couple already, might as well make it officially."
"Exactly," Micah agreed. "And then you guys can double-date with Poppy and I."
"You've gone soft, Leblanc." Silas scoffed, shaking his head.
"I'm just in love, Darrius," Micah replied back with a smirk and wrapped an arm over Cedric's shoulder. "So is Diggory here, he just doesn't know it."
"Trust me, I know it," Cedric smirked, shaking his head. "Everyone reminds me constantly about my own feelings."
The trio walked into the Great Hall for dinner, making their way towards the Hufflepuff table. As they passed the Slytherin table, they saw Draco Malfoy making a fit about his injury during Hagrid's class. Cedric, Micah, and Silas all exchanged a look, rolling their eyes.
"I feel real sorry for Louis sometimes," Silas mumbled with a smirk. "Having that as a brother."
"Can you imagine? I would rip my own ears off." Micah agreed with a scoff.
"I would run away." Cedric joked as the three made it to the Hufflepuff table. The boy's eyes fell on Thea immediately, as they usually did, and his eyebrows twisted in concern when he saw an anxious look on her face.
"What's up guys?" Micah asked while sitting down next to Poppy, kissing the girl on the cheek and she smiled slightly— Her face matching everyone else's at the table, worried.
"Yeah, what's with the faces?" Cedric questioned, turning to Thea and sitting down next to her. "Thea?"
"Have you heard?" Tommy asked his sister abruptly as he and the two other de Oro boys sat down at the table. "He's been spotted."
"Sirius Black?" Cedric put the pieces together quickly and looked down at the newspaper Thea was looking at it.
"Where?" Ember grabbed the newspaper from her brother as she sat down at the table. "Holy shit, Achintee?"
"That's not far from here." Noelia told the table from besides Sonali.
"That's not far at all, it's actually pretty close!" Eva exclaimed, stress present in her voice while Tommy moved closer to her to calm her down.
"Tom, Tobi, Tea," Teo whispered his siblings' names, his eyes on something behind them. Thea and her other brothers turned around. She held in a gasp when she saw Carina walking up to the Gryffindor table to sat down with Ginny, and the girl showed her a newspaper.
"Crap." Thea mumbled, standing up from the table and running after Carina, who was storming out of the Great Hall. "Carina!"
"He's getting closer!" Carina said as she stopped in her tracks, turning around in the hallway to face Thea. Tobi, Tommy, and Teo approached them with worried looks on their faces.
"Rina, we know, okay? But I promise—" Thea began to speak.
"What can you promise, Thea?" Carina raised her voice, tears filling her eyes. "That he won't hurt me? You can't! You can't promise that!"
"What's going on?" The group of five turned their heads to see Alex and Lily walking up to them.
"Oh great, the whole squad's here, we're just missing Harry," Carina scoffed, crossing her arms and looking at Alex and Lily. "I'm guessing my mom told yours, huh?"
"Yeah, the day before we left for school." Lily confirmed while she signed. "We're not going to tell anyone, Carina."
"I'm not worried about that!" Carina exclaimed while Tommy signed her words for Lily and Alex. "I'm worried that my psychopath of a father might be coming here! And everyone keeps telling me how I have nothing to be worried about when I know that's not true!"
"Carina, you're right, okay?" Remus walked up to the group of teens. "You are right. You have something to be worried about— As much as it hurts me to admit it, but what I can promise is that I will protect you. Your cousins will protect you. As soon as Sirius gets any closer to the school, your mother and Emanuel will be coming here as precautions, we've already spoken to Dumbledore. We're hoping it doesn't come to that."
Carina let out a sigh before hugging Remus tightly, trying not to cry. Remus hugged the girl back, looking at the others and nodding.
"It's going to be fine." Thea whispered to the others.
"How do you know that?" Alex asked.
Glancing at her Uncle Remus again, Thea turned back to the group. She smiled, letting out a sigh, "Because I have hope."
The de Oro boys all grinned, exchanging a proud look as they watched their sister.
~
The next day, Thea stood in her Defense of the Dark Arts class, where her godfather was now the teacher. Next to her was Cedric on one side and Teo on the other. The Hart twins, Silas, the Weasley twins, Alex, Ember, and Flynn surrounded them— As did the rest of the class as they all stood in the classroom.
In front of them was a tall, black wardrobe, which was rattling furiously. Remus stood beside it with a smirk on his face before he spoke, "Scared yet? No? Any guesses what's inside?"
"A boggart?" Ashton and Ember questioned in unison before glaring at each other.
"Twin moment." Silas teased and the Harts rolled their eyes.
"Yes, Mr. and Ms. Hart, you're both in fact correct," Remus smirked and turned back to the class. "Next question, fifth years, what does a boggart look like? Ms. Saito."
Eva smiled, as she was the first to raise her hand, of course. "Boggarts have the ability to take form of whatever the particular person fears— So no one knows what they look like, Professor."
"As always, correct," Remus confirmed and observed the look on his students' faces. "Sounds horrifying, yes? But never fear, there is a charm to repel the boggart. Without wands, let's practice— Riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" The class repeated and Thea smiled at her godfather.
"While the spell may be easy, in order to truly succeed you need to turn the boggart into something you find amusing— Laughter repels it further." Remus explained. "Mr. Mitz-Blanchet! What would you say the thing you are most afraid of it?"
"Um, loosing my sight, Uncle— Professor." Alex answered while signing, holding back a laugh when he messed up. "I have less then half my hearing, not being able to see would really suck— I would just be in complete darkness."
"That does sound scary, Alex," Remus agreed, softening his tone for a moment just because of his nephew. "Is there a way we can make it amusing?"
"Light-saber fights." Thea fingered spelt to her cousin and Alex nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it, Professor." Alex spoke up and Remus nodded.
The professor took a few steps closer to Alex and he signed to his nephew, "I am going to open the wardrobe, you say the spell, and then imagine the light saber fight. Deep breaths, okay?"
Teo and Thea exchanged a look as Remus went to open the wardrobe. Every Christmas, the mini-Marauders would rewatch all the Star-Wars movies. After, they have light-saber fights with their fake lights- sabers that Tommy charmed to look more real.
The door to the wardrobe swung open and a cloud of black darkness flew out. It got closer and closer to Alex, surrounding him from seeing anything else. Taking a deep breath, Alex reached into his robe and pulled out his wand, "Riddikulus!"
All of a sudden, three light-sabers appeared and began to swing at each other. Alex grinned softly as he remembered all the winter breaks with his cousins.
"Very good, Alex!" Remus applauded with a proud smile and directed the class. "Form a line, please! One-by-one!"
"I cannot get anywhere near that thing," Eva grabbed Thea's arm, whispering to her with panicked eyes. "What happens when it turns into my parents?"
"Back of the line with me, Ev," Ember walked up to the pair and linked arms with the girl. "The last thing I need is for our entire class to find out that my worst fear is Ashton disappearing."
"Aw Em, that's so sweet!" Thea teased with a grin and Ember rolled her eyes before her and Eva went to the back of the classroom.
Next up in line was Silas, who stood in front of the Boggart and it turned into a large clown. Silas' eyes widened in terror and he took a few steps back, shaking to pull out his wand. "Riddikulus!"
The clown turned into a ball with the face of a clown on it, bouncing around the room. Silas stifled a laugh before walking back to his friend and Cedric patted his shoulder.
"Scared of clowns, Darrius?" Teo questioned.
"Listen mate, I had a traumatizing experience one time," Silas defended with a pointed look. "Now pay attention, Barlowe's up next."
Immediately turned around, Teo gave Flynn an encouraging look as the Ravenclaw boy approached the Boggart. Transforming into a night sky with bright full moon in the sky, Flynn let out a shaky breath. Teo glanced at his uncle, who was standing to the side of the classroom with wide eyes.
"Riddikulus!" Flynn shouted, pointing his wand. The bright full moon blew out of the sky, turning into a balloon.
"Really, Barlowe? Afraid of the dark?" Silas smirked.
"Shut up, circus freak." Teo replied before Flynn could.
"Yeah, I'm scared of the dark." Flynn mumbled with a slight smile, glancing at Teo.
"You got this, love." Cedric whispered to Thea, squeezing the girl's shoulder as she walked towards the front of the crowd. Teo turned again quickly, nerves rising into his chest as his sister approached the Boggart.
Thea took a deep breath and the Boggart transformed. The creature changed from an innocent balloon to a scene of a dark, sinister graveyard. Multiple gravestones could be scene, the names carved into them as clear as day. Tobias de Oro. Teodor de Oro. Thomas de Oro. Cedric Diggory. Evanora Saito. Fred Weasley. George Weasley. Alexander Mitz—
"Oh my god," Thea gasped as she held her stomach, a wave of nauseous hitting her. She gripped tightly to her wand, but her hand didn't move. Her coffee-colored eyes were wide with terror, tears brimming them slightly.
On the other side, Teo watched his sister carefully as he realized her worst fear— Everyone she loved...Dead. Her being alone. He grew worried when he saw his sister frozen in place.
Similar to Thea, Cedric's eyes were wide as saucers as he stared at the girl he cared so deeply about. He could hear her mumbling "No" over and over again. Cedric held in his breath— Thea couldn't tell this wasn't real.
"Thea— Luna, say the spell," Remus spoke up, walking towards his niece with a fearful look on his face, but it was as if the girl couldn't hear him. "Thea!"
"Thea, say the spell!" Cedric called after her, yet the girl continued to be frozen in place. The Hufflepuff boy shook his head before standing in front of the girl, towards the Boggart.
The monster changed from the graveyard to a pair of light brown eyes disappearing, and then an image of a girl walking away with a boy alongside her. Cedric managed to glance at Thea for a moment before pulling out his wand, "Riddikulus!"
The girl and the boy disappeared and the pair of eyes turned into two frisbees, flying around the room. Cedric turned around, placing his hands on Thea's shoulder, "Thea, darling—"
"You're alive." Thea whispered, looking up at him in shock. "You're not dead."
"I'm here," Cedric told her softly and lifted his hand, interlocking their pinkies. "Promise."
"Promise." Thea nodded, letting out a shaky breath as she glanced around, seeing her brother and her friends. "None of you are dead."
"No, we're with you." Teo promised his sister with a comforting smile.