The Snake, the Witch and the Wardrobe
"Griselda!" Augusta yelled as she hurriedly dressed. They had accidently slept in on an important day. It was the start of classes in their third year at Hogwarts.
Augusta normally was uptight about being on time, or even early to every class. She was particularly excited for the new classes they were allowed to take. She had wanted to take all the extra classes she could, but to do that Augusta would need a timeturner and there was no way the Ministry would allow a thirteen year old to have one.
"What?" Griselda murmured as she rolled over in her bed.
"We slept in!" Augusta exclaimed. She finally fit her shirt over her head, and ran over to Griselda's bed. Augusta groaned when she laid eyes on her sleeping friend.
"Alright, here we go." Augusta whispered as she stared at her friend. Reaching out with her hands Augusta pushed Griselda out of her bed.
A scream pierced the air as Griselda hit the cold floor.
"What in Merlin's name was that for?" Griselda fumed as she stood up to face Augusta.
"Class starts in ten minutes and you're not dressed!"
"You can't be serious?"
"I am!"
"You got me up for class?"
"What?"
"Augusta, breakfast starts in ten minutes." Griselda said after checking her watch.
"Are you sure?" Augusta asked still worried she would be late to her first class.
"Yes!" Griselda exclaimed. "Honestly Augusta you worry too much. You need to relax the school year just started. It's not like you're failing any classes."
"Not yet..." Augusta looked down at the ground and grimaced.
"You'll get better at charms, I promise." Griselda walked over to her friend and wrapped her arms around her.
"Hopefully," Augusta said smiling at Griselda. "Let's go eat."
Griselda smiled and walked over to her trunk to get her robes on. "Augusta, don't forget to put your robes on"
Sighing Augusta hurried back to her trunk to get her robes. Some days she would try to hard to be perfect that she forgot her robes, and in her rush to get ready she nearly forgot them again.
The pair of friends walked to the Great Hall to find nearly the whole school enjoying breakfast. They hurried down the Gryffindor table, looking for a place to sit. They finally found one next to Minerva McGonagall.
"Minerva," Augusta greeted her as they sat down.
"Hello Augusta." She replied with a small smile.
"Excited for the new year?"
"Oh of course I am!"
"Which classes are you taking?"
"Well all the required ones and then some of the others."
"Right, but which ones?" Augusta asked irritatedly.
"Umm," Minerva said nervously.
"Fine, you don't have to say. I'll just see if your in any of mine."
Minerva turned away her face turning red.
"What was that about?" Griselda asked.
"No idea," Augusta said as she piled food onto her plate.
"You eat like a pig." She teased.
"Thanks." Augusta said with her mouth full of food.
They finished eating then headed off to their first class of the day, potions.
"Good morning!" a more than happy Professor Fawkes said as the class settled down. Potions took place in dungeons, so the room was always cold and murky. Augusta like potions well enough, but it wasn't her favorite class.
All they did in class was review what they had learned the year before. Augusta got bored halfway through the class and resorted to doodling in her notebook.
Their next class was charms, in which of course Augusta hated every minute she was stuck in the room. Why she had to take that class she would never know. She accepted the fact that she would probably fail the class again.
By the time the pair of friends reached their final class, they were worn out. Augusta was hoping that their last class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, was going to be easy.
When they arrived to class, the two decided to sit towards the front of the class. They both had a liking for defense against the dark arts. Even though they were tired, Augusta looked forward to the beginning of class.
Professor Armando walked in and the class quieted. Nearly all the girls swooned over Professor Armando. He was tall with tanned skin and black hair. He had bright blue eyes that sparkled when he taught his classes. It was quite easy to see why so many of his students, mainly girls, liked him. Augusta admired the way he taught his class, and his intellect. She did not, unlike everyone else, swoon over him.
"Hello class," Professor Armando greeted them smiling. "I have a treat for all of you today."
The classroom filled excited chattering; which annoyed Augusta.
"Quiet down," He said with a small chuckle. "I know most of you are probably tired from all your other classes. Which means I will have little of your attention."
Wrong, he most definitely had the girls attention.
"I have prepared a lesson, one that does not consist of reviewing the last two years."
At those words Augusta perked up. Finally something new to learn.
Professor Armando rolled out an old looking wardrobe. The wardrobe was light brown and decorated beautifully. The edges were carved with swirls and flowers. Even the handles were carved with similar looking designs. The strange thing about the wardrobe was that it shook uncontrollably.
Augusta didn't know what to think of the wardrobe. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.
"Does anyone know what this is?" Professor Armando asked the class.
No one spoke up.
"Right then," He said after a minute. "It's a boggart."
Augusta had read about those, they were to transform into what the person feared the most. After realizing this her face paled.
"A boggart turns into whatever the person in front of it fears the most." Professor Armando explained to the class. "Augusta, would you come here please?" He called.
"M-me?" Augusta asked nervously.
"I do believe you are the only Augusta in the class," He smiled.
Trying to calm herself down Augusta stood up from her desk. She walked over to Professor Armando standing as straight as she could.
"Augusta here is going to demonstrate how to get rid of a boggart." He told the class.
"I don't know how to." Augusta said nervously.
"That is why I am going to teach you." Professor Armando chuckled. "It's really quite simple, all you need to do is imagine something funny then wave your wand and say 'riddikulus'"
"That's it?"
"That's it. Why don't you try it?"
Augusta swallowed hard as she walked to the front of the wardrobe.
"I'm ready," She lied. She knew exactly what was going to pop up. However, she couldn't think of something funny.
Professor Armando opened the wardrobe and out slithered a snake.
Augusta freezed up, she couldn't do it. How in the world was she supposed to make a snake funny?
"Concentrate, remember it's just a boggart pretending to be a snake."
"I don't do well with snakes." Augusta replied. "Riddikulus!" she cried thinking of a balloon. The snake started to bloat and float in the air until air escaped out of it, creating a whistling noise as it shot back into the wardrobe.
"Well done," Professor Armando said clapping.
Augusta smiled, and sat back down. Her first day of her third year at Hogwarts was a success.
AN: Short story about Augusta Longbottom in her third year of Hogwarts.
Chaser 2
Tutshill Tornados
Prompts:
6. (word count) 1,234
8. (creature) Boggart
9. (dialogue) "I don't do well with snakes."
Words: 1,234