★ ★ ★
Late in the month of September, Hope casually strolled down the halls, smiling at any students passing while she finished nibbling on her last biscuit.
She had just left Minnie's classroom after their usual chat and she was now on her way to Defence against the Dark Arts. She was quite excited about this class, already favouring the new Professor that she needs to find a nickname for.
She gives them to all her favourite Professors.
Lupin? Prof Lupin? No that's too boring.
Maybe something to do with his first name. .
She got knocked out of her thoughts when she bumped into someone, the boy falling to the ground. Hope had seen the boy sitting near Atlas, on the Hufflepuff table.
"Sorry! Didn't see where I was going!" Hope said hurriedly as she helps him up, earning a smile in return.
He was handsome to say the least.
"Don't worry about it, Potter." He replied with a bashful smile, earning a grin back from the girl.
"You know me?" Hope says, quirking her eyebrows up a little whilst holding her hand to her hip.
"Of course I do, everyone knows you!" The Hufflepuff replies easily making her smile at the recognition.
"You are..?" Hope says, looking at him for an answer due to forgetting his name.
She can be really forgetful at times.
"Cedric, Cedric Diggory!" The boy known as Cedric says cheerfully, not even caring the girl didn't know her name, making her nod at the remembrance finally getting back to her.
"Well nice to meet you Diggory, see ya!" Hope calls out, sending the boy one last grin before carrying on her journey to her class.
The girl had finally arrived at her Defence class. She opened the door, the entire class turning around, their eyes lingering for a moment before turning back around already used to the girls behaviour.
Remus glanced down towards the door when it opened, he didn't show any sign of disappointment or annoyance due to the fact she was late, already had been used to it in his own time at Hogwarts.
Of course he had to be an adult now, a Professor, but he knew by that one interaction he had with the girl that she was like her father, so he wasn't surprised to see her strolling into the classroom late with a grin plastered on her face.
"Glad to see you have finally graced us with your presence, Miss Potter." Lupin greeted, Hopes grin turning bashful at the mans words, "Please come join us."
"I was with Minnie, I even have a note if you don't believe me." Hope states truthfully as she struts down towards him, passing the note towards his outstretched hand.
His eyes skim through the note before nodding reassuringly with a smile at the girl, "okay come out your stuff away before joining the group, Hope."
She nods before doing as told, her eyes meeting the familiar curly-brown-haired boy at the back of the classroom who was watching her absently whilst doing so. Atlas sent the girl a gentle smile, earning an even larger one back before the girl hesitantly stands between her brother and Ron.
The Professor continued his introduction about Boggarts and what they are. He explains to the class the proper procedure and now to protect yourself against one.
"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires the force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to a shape you find most amusing."
"We will practice the charm without wands first." He asks, "After me, please . . . riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!"
"Very good!" Lupin praises, "A little louder and very clear."
"Listen— riddikulus." He instructs
"Riddikulus!" The class echoed back to their Professor.
"This class is ridiculous." Malfoy mumbles with a scoff, the only person who heard was Hope who sent the boy a nasty stare before turning back around.
Lupin ends up choosing Neville, asking the boy his worst fear to which the boy responds with 'Professor Snape.'
Neville making Snape saunter out the closet before getting his clothes turned into Neville's grandmas outfits making the classroom burst into laughter.
Ron, Harry, Hermione and Hope laughing the most — the Potters even saw their Professor sniggering quietly.
Professor Lupin had put on some background music before calling the next person forward.
It was soon Pavarti's turn whose boggart was a mummy, then Seamus whose was a banshee, then Dean with a crab, then the twins best friend Ron's, who everyone knew was a spider — a replica of the large spider from the one we had fought in second year to be exact. And Hermione's was a stern looking Professor Mcgonagall telling her she failed her exams.
Hope who was in front of Harry, watching carefully as her best friend Atlas, from in front of her, hesitatingly walked up to the wardrobe.
She looks behind her, seeing the some students watching with smirks on their faces which makes the girl scowl towards them before turning around and watching the boy with a cautious look.
If anyone says anything I swear— Her thoughts were broken as she watched the Professor go over to the boy with a look of concern.
Professor Lupin who was standing at the side of the classroom noticed the boys distress and immediately stepped forward.
He recognised the boy, he looked like his cousin who he hadn't seen in about 12 years. The last time he had seen her was when meeting the girls son for the first time.
Was this him? He didn't know, but he saw the nervous look on the boys face and immediately felt protective over him.
"Atlas, isn't it? It's alright, you don't have to do it if you don't want to— don't feel pressured into doing it or guilty if you don't."
"That's bloody rubbish Sir! Is the little boy scared he is going to cry!" A familiar Slytherin calls out, one by the name Aaron Walbury.
He was always jealous of Atlas and Hopes friendship, when that's all it was, a friendship. Either way, he always tried to make the girl cut ties with the boy— he never succeeded— and I guess this was his payback.
Lupin went to scold the boy but paused when suddenly the slytherins entire uniform was suddenly soaked with water as he was levitated off the ground and into the air. The boy shrieking and wiggling around as he tried to escape the hold someone had held on him.
Professor Lupins eye almost immediately turned over to where the spell could've come from. He looked towards Harry, who was sniggering slightly, but it wasn't him who had done it — he obviously just found it funny.
He then turned to the boy next to Harry who was also sniggering at the sight, but he was in the same situation as his best friend.
His eyes then caught the girl next to them who was silently laughing from behind her hand as she looks away from the scene.
Hope was known to be powerful with her magic. From a young age, she was able to do accidental magic but obviously hadn't realised until 11 when Hagrid had told her she was a witch, the realisation from those situations finally clicking in her head.
She knew she was able to do non-verbal spells and have been able to do so for a while but she had found out, not that long ago, that she also able to do wandless magic.
She couldn't do it much, not having the hang of it but after practicing certain spells she was able to do so. They weren't normal spells either, they were harder and more extreme and that's why she was with Professor McGonagall earlier — to see how she has magic like that.
She was told not to use them all the time and stick with her wand for now, but after the comment by that boy was made she couldn't help it.
She laughed at the sight.
Remus noticed the innocent look her father used to pull as she subtly looked around the classroom, ruffling up her already messy hair up a little.
"Who did that?" Professor Lupin asked but the answer was left unsaid making him let out a theatrical sigh that no one seemed to grasp was fake, "Perhaps you shouldn't be making such unflattering comments then Mr Walbury, You can show yourself to Snape's office." The man states as he lets the boy down with a flick of his wand before pointing towards the door.
Everyone's mouth fell open, even Hopes who knew that he saw it was her.
He is definitely her favourite now — along with Minnie of course!
It was then Hope's turn who confidently walked towards the platform, as she got closer she was suddenly more nervous than intended.
What was she most scared of?
Voldemort? Maybe. . After the second year it changed her perspective over him.
The pain he put her through was astronomical — she couldn't talk about it much.
Or wait—
She was knocked out of her thoughts when it soon transformed into her biggest fear,
A door.
A normal looking door, something you would find in a house, though this door had 1-9-8-1 written in bright red numbers on a gold plaque that was hanging in the top middle of the door.
There was a a small familiar looking drawing on the door frame, as if it was stuck in there — like a drawing stuck to the fridge by a magnet.
That's the drawing she made to her father from that night.
Does that mean. .
The class on the other hand, took no notice and fell into deep laughter, her biggest fear was a door?
She was about to shout out the spell but the boggart soon changed making her flinch.
The date on the door had transfigurated, changing itself into the front door at the potters aunt and uncles house which made the twins stare at the door in shock. Her uncle Vernon waddled out of the door, taking everyone— including Hope, by surprise.
His eyes were on the girl, his face full of hate as he glared menacingly at her, holding his fists up in the air as if he were about to hurt her, "you are such a disappointment child, you are lucky your not my child, girl or you would be gone already! GONE!"
The mans threatening screams towards the girl flew around the classroom as the man suddenly switched into young Tom Riddle, the memory of that night in second year showing for everyone to see— Hope getting hit by another unforgivable curse, the word crucio echoing around the room sending shivers down everyone's spine.
He then ends up showing all her loved ones dead on the floor, leaving her all alone, making Hopes hand quiver before finally shouting out Riddikulus.
Remus and Harry were rushing towards her, Harry got there quicker who stood in front of his sister, the boggart turning to him instead. It soon changed into a Dementor, who suddenly hauled at the sight of the Potter twins but before it could do anything Professor Lupin finally had enough and stood in front of them, pushing them back softly as he changed the boggart to his own.
The black creature soon disappeared and shape shifted into a silvery white orb hanging in the air in front of Professor Lupin, the girls brows furrowing at the sight.
Although everyone looked towards Lupin with questioning eyes, as they pack away their things, no one seemed to notice the exchanged glance between the dark red-haired girl and the quiet curly-haired boy at the back of the classroom.
Afterwards, without waiting for any further attention, she rushed out the classroom, the eyes of Remus, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Atlas watching her do so with looks of pity that make her feel sick.
The girl ended up by the black lake, needing a moment to herself before going to the Great Hall for lunch.
She takes out a cigarette from her bag, the girl had started to use them to cope with the stress.
She didn't like using them, she knew it was wrong but she couldn't help it, they soothed her, especially in situations like these.
After calmly enjoying her cigarette, she takes her last puff before finishing it, throwing it in the bin before standing up easily after finally calming herself down from her upcoming panic attack.
★ ★ ★
As she confidently strutted into the Great Hall, her usual arrogant smirk on her face, as she struts towards her usual seat beside her friends.
The rest of the hall who had soon found out about the incident didn't say anything to her, knowing they didn't want to catch the girls wrath and just let her be.
Others were talking about how awesome Professor Lupin is, which Hope would agree with, and how he was being called a "legend" in the teaching at Hogwarts. It was no surprise after his teaching today in the classroom, it was the first time they hadn't used books at Hogwarts for a class which was odd considering it was a magic school.
Her friends watch as she sits down in her usual space, sharing a look, before greeting her and continuing their lunch as normal.
Hope definitely agreed with the rest of the school, he seems like a cool man, and has earned her respect after the conversations she's had with the man.
"Did you see me take on that Banshee?"
"— and the hand!"
"And Snape in that hat!"
"— and my mummy!"
"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?" Lavender Brown pondered with a thoughtful expression on her face.
Everyone stares at the girl for a moment, agreeing with the question, all of them wondering the same thing. Dean Thomas who was sitting across from Hope saw the girl with a frown on her face as she sat quietly in her usual spot on the table.
His questioning face dropped at the sight, Hope Potter was known for being many things, but one of them is always being happy, despite everything she has gone through, she always kept some sort of smile on her face.
He stared at her for a moment before speaking up, "Hope, what do you think it is?" He asks, making the girls curious face turn to him before letting out a giggle.
"If any of you have any brains, no offence mione, you would know that it wasn't a crystal ball," Hope shares making Dean lips twitch up involuntarily as the girl goes back to her usual self, "Duh!" She adds whilst flicking her curly hair over her shoulder.
"What else could it possibly be?" Seamus exclaimed from in front of Hope and on the left of Dean.
"Maybe it was like. . a ghost?" Harry shares making Hope slap her face at her brother's stupidity.
And everyone said he was the smarter Potter. .
"Merlin, how are you so thick in the head but I'm so smart and fabulous?" Hope wonders making Harry give his sister a dirty look.
"Oh yeah? What is it then, oh great and mighty one." Harry retorts sarcastically making her steal the last piece of his treacle tart and swallow it, laughing and dodging the large chicken leg that comes her way when Harry launches it at her.
Hope might not be the most smartest person, she can have her moments— but she was very observant. And after seeing what she think she saw, the girl too has similar secrets she didn't want getting out.
★ ★ ★