Author's Note: Holla! This is for UbiquitousTime's "Irrational Fears" Challenge! I pulled Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff fame (Puff pride!) and... Well, you'll see! It's incredibly short... But there's only so much one can get out of... As I said, you will see.
The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw 3rd years had arrived to Defence Against The Dark Arts expecting a theory lesson but were definitely excited when Professor Lupin told them the lesson was going to be practical. The students had heard about Slytherin and Gryffindor's boggart lesson and assumed the teacher would have removed it. Luckily for them he had found another one in an abandoned classroom and was going to allow the others to have a go at it, too.
Being the arrogant 13 year old that he was, Zacharias Smith stepped up to the banging closet first. Lupin opened the door, the creature that came out was a large barn owl and the whole room burst into fits of laughter.
"Where your wand, boy?" Remus asked as Zacharias grabbed at his wand and pointed it at the bird.
"Riddikulus!" he shouted with as much gusto as possible and the large owl started clucking and acting like a chicken.
"Miss Patil, you next." Lupin let the girl step forward and the chicken became a grindylow in a tank, reaching out over the top. Padma's face paled and she froze before Anthony Goldstein nudged her in the back and she eventually managed to shout the spell and the grindylow became a small goldfish.
People were excited for their turn, all of them wanting to find out what they found most terrifying – though by thinking about it, many figured it out because it was did not want to appear.
Ernie Macmillan didn't want his turn. Not only was he very afraid of what would appear, he was embarrassed by his irrational fear. No one knew about it and due to it never being seen near Hogwarts most had decided that he was fearless and actually belonged in Gryffindor. He knew otherwise. The thing with fears is that you generally know your fear is irrational or stupid yet you're still afraid of it.
He – Ernie – kept moving back in the line until eventually he was at the end. He hoped someone would cause a Dementor to appear like Harry had done and the lesson would be cut short. He wasn't in luck, though, because the whole class had faced their fears and it was his turn to face the Boggart.
"Mr Macmillan! Don't be shy!" Ernie was sure the Professor's statement was going to be followed by 'it can't be any more ridiculus than Stebbins' caterpillar!' but it never came and Ernie was forced to move to the front of the room while the whole class watched on.
The boggart changed so many times before his eyes his that Ernie was sure it was about to explode before him. He hoped it would anyway. He saw the shapes of everyone's fears before it finally turned into his.
Right in front of Ernie Macmillan with its shiny blades and loud noises was…
"A windmill?" Justin asked incredulously, "You're afraid of a bloody windmill? My best friend is a pansy!"
Said pansy reached his hand into his pocket frantically to grab his wand and remove the windmill from his presence but before he could even touch it, Ernie Macmillan fainted.
Several years later after the Battle of Hogwarts, Ernie married a Muggle woman named Christian. He, stupidly, kept his magical capabilities a secret until the day before the wedding and almost lost her. More stupidly than that was keeping his biggest fear a secret.
Christina Macmillan, upon getting over her husband being a wizard, forced Ernie to join her on a trip around the countryside for their honeymoon.
The countryside meant windmills.
Despite his serious fear, Ernie didn't have the heart to tell his wife because she was so excited to get to travel the country. In his fear, Ernie had searched high and low for some sort of calming potion but nothing that was safe was strong enough to combat his nervousness.
"You look incredibly pale, Ernie." Christina frowned.
"Not... I'm not feeling too well."
"Did you want to stay here? I think I can handle the first one on my own." Ernie wanted to say yes. He wanted to stay as far away from that windmill as possible.
"No, I'll be fine." He had to be a man about it. What woman wanted a husband who was afraid of windmills of all things?
With the courage he had mustered up, Ernie Macmillan exited the car and took a deep breath. Christina watched with amusement as he psyched himself up. Instead of asking him what he was doing, Christina's plan was to get him to admit it.
She knew, of course she did. Justin, Ernie's best friend, had had a talk with her upon hearing of the couple's honeymoon. Ernie – in a panic – had called Justin and began to freak out. Christina hadn't cancelled the honeymoon because she wanted – call her cruel if you wish - to see how long it would take for her husband to admit his fear.
With every step closer to the windmill – which was thankfully hidden behind a small forest – Ernie's breathing got quicker and sharper.
"Tina…" he said as the windmill finally came into view. It was large, red and even worse than the one he had faced in his third year. He was about to admit to his wife that he was absolutely terrified of windmills. He, however, passed out before he could get the words out.