Parvati Patil sighed. It was three years after the war, two years after she finished her eighth year at Hogwarts and got the NEWTS to be an Auror, and she had just been promoted to an Auror the previous month, after finishing a seemingly endless internship. She was still only really doing house raids, she never got to fight or drag anyone away to Azkaban, but it was only a matter of time before they realised she could do more.
Parvati had just Apparated into view in front of the shabby, dirty front door of a flat in a building on Knockturn Alley. Another house raid. This time the home of a thief, nothing too interesting. She had come with two other co-workers who barged into the flat before her, wands aloft. She drew her own wand wearily, knowing that there was never anything really dangerous.
Entering the cramped room, she saw her fellow Aurors already opening cupboards and drawers, pulling out items and waving their wands in front of them as they perform revealing charms.
"Patil, take a look at the other room," one of her colleagues, Simon Webbler, glanced up at her and nodded vaguely towards the tiny hallway.
The girl nodded and went into one the rooms, a filthy bedroom with a small bed pushed up against the wall and clothes, along with various random items, scattered around. To the left was a wardrobe with the wood peeling off, to the right was an old chest of drawers. She flicked her wand, all the drawers flew open and she began to look through them.
After a few minutes, she closed the drawers and turned to the cupboard. Paravati began to notice the faint rattling coming from it, she pointed her wand at it and the door swung open.
She gasped. There, in front of her, was Fenrir Greyback. Behind the beast was the body of Lavender Brown, her face turned away and her limbs dripping blood. Parvati dropped her wand without a second thought and rushed to her friend's side, her eyes welling up.
"Lavender!" She screamed. All other thoughts were pushed from her head. This was her best friend. A low growl came from behind her, whipping her head round, she saw the werewolf approach her sinisterly. The stench of blood and sweat filled her nostrils. She collapsed in tears and slumped over her friends body, burying her face in her hands.
The sound of thundering foot steps, Parvati didn't look up from her cowardly position.
"Ridikulus!" Looking up timidly, the girl saw Greyback stagger in a dress with make-up smudged onto his face. She turned and saw Simon and the other Auror, Alex Truesay, standing in the doorway. Alex pointed his wand at the werewolf again and it twisted and zoomed into a pouch that Simon was holding open. The body of Lavender faded and Paravati sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"Was-was that a Boggart?" She stuttered.
"Yes, but it's fine now," Alex wrapped his arms round her shoulders and helped her up, leading her from the room. He didn't ask any questions.
She began to remember Defence Against The Dark Arts in her third year, the first time she ever faced a Boggart. It had turned into a snake. What was a snake compared to what she'd seen? Not just Greyback, but the whole Second War, the Battle Of Hogwarts. She would happily take on ten snakes if it meant she would get her friend back.