When the four Gryffindors reached the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom,
the new teacher had not yet arrived. The students picked out seats and
pulled out their classroom supplies timidly, unsure what this year's
professor would have in store.
A few minutes later, Professor Lupin entered the room, looking slightly breathless, swinging his tattered suitcase at his side.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone. I got held up a bit." He gave the class a brief smile as he plopped the suitcase on his desk. He then turned around to face the class and noticed all of their school supplies.
"You may put those away, you will not be needing those. Only your wand is required for this class."
Harry, Tom, Ron, and Hermione exchange unsure looks before they dumped their belongings back in their cauldrons.
"Right then. If you all would be so kind as to follow me," Lupin said, lightly. He walked to the door and waited for a moment as the class scrambled to follow him. Then, with a flourish, they were off down the hallway.
"I wonder where he's going," Hermione murmured, softly.
"This is the way to the teacher's lounge," Tom said. "I wonder what he has down there."
As the class turned the corner, Peeves the poltergeist came into view. He was floating in the air and trying to rotate his foot clockwise while drawing a number six in the air.
Lupin spotted him and chuckled. "Peeves, I've told you a million times that that is impossible to do," he scolded.
Peeves looked up and grinned. "Why, it's Loony Moony Lupin!" He cackled wickedly. "Does the ickle Professor remember the dealy wealy we made in school times?"
Lupin smiled again. "Of course." He reached into his tattered robe and pulled out a Filibuster's firework, then handed it to Peeves.
Peeves cackled merrily and greedily took the firework before he zoomed away. When Professor Lupin turned back around, the entire class was watching him with a mixture of curiosity, amazement, amusement, and scolding.
"Professor, you have a deal with Peeves?" Dean asked, in awe.
Lupin had the decency to blush. "My friends and I were quite the pranksters in my school days. We made a little deal with Peeves, so he wouldn't play tricks on us. We just had to help supply him with his toys."
"So THAT'S why he never picks on Fred and George," Ron said, with dawning realization. "No fair! Wait till I tell Mum. . ."
Lupin cleared his throat. "Right then, let's get back to what we're here for. If you'd just step right this way." Lupin opened the door and gestured for everyone to step inside.
As they entered, Harry and Tom could see Snape was occupying one of the armchairs. He was watching the class disgustedly, though he strangely seemed to avoid looking at Tom. Tom stored that little piece of information away to look at later.
As Professor Lupin made to shut the door, Snape spoke up. "Leave it open, Lupin, I'd rather not remain here to see this." He stalked across the room, his robes billowing menacingly as ever. As he reached the door, he paused to make one last remark. "And by the way, Longbottom is in this class. Whatever it is you plan on doing, be sure to keep him in a barricaded, separate area." With a final sneer, he disappeared.
Neville had gone scarlet, but Lupin gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't you mind him," he comforted. "In fact, just to prove him wrong, let's say you go first at what we're going to do today, huh?"
Neville looked as though he'd rather not go first at all, if his frantic head shaking was anything to go by, but Lupin only smiled warmly and said "Good, good. Now, let's get started."
Lupin walked toward the end of the room where a cabinet stood, and the class tentatively followed him. Lupin knocked on the cabinet three times and was rewarded with a resounding bump and thud from the inside. He gave a satisfied nod, though the rest of the class looked quite startled. Neville was already starting to turn several shades paler.
"No need to be alarmed," Lupin assured. "Inside this wardrobe is a Boggart. Can anyone tell me what a boggart is?" Hermione raised her hand immediately. "Ms. Granger?"
"A Boggart is a shapeshifter that turns into your worst fear," she explained. "They are shapeless, sitting in the darkness until they see a face. That's when they shift. If they see too many faces, they may become confused."
"Very good Ms. Grang-"
"They first appeared in England cerca 1000A.D. They are related to the Bogey, Boogieman, and Brownie."
"That's correct. Five points to Gryffin-"
"The only way to drive away a Boggart is by casting the Riddikulus spell, which changes the Boggart into a funny form. Boggarts hate laughter, so when laughter is present after the funny shape occurs, it will flee."
This time Lupin waited until he was sure that Hermione was finished, then he chuckled. "Entirely correct, Ms. Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Hermione beamed happily while Ron muttered 'show off'. Tom simply shook his head in amusement and waited to see what was going to happen next.
"Neville," Lupin turned to Neville who was practically quaking with terror. "Be sure to remember the spell Riddikulus. Now, I want you to get a picture of your grandmother in you mind."
"O-ok," he said, uncertainly.
"Good. Now I want you to think about what she normally wears."
Neville nodded his head after shutting his eyes for a moment.
"Now, I'm going to open this door. Keep that picture in mind while saying your spell. Ready?"
Neville was about to say 'no' when Lupin pulled open the door anyway.
To the shock of the entire class, Professor Snape sprang from the closet. He was at his most menacing, and his eyes held an almost mad look in them as he began to slowly advance.
"YOU STUPID GOOD FOR NOTHING!" He bellowed at Neville. "YOU'LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, YOU WASTE OF A LIFE! IF ONLY YOUR PARENTS COULD SEE YOU NOW-"
Neville, who looked more terrified than ever before uttered in a squeak, "Riddikulus!" In a flash of blue light, and a whip crack going through the air, Snape was suddenly wearing a long, lace trimmed dress and a towering hat with a moth eaten vulture on it. On his right arm he was swinging a bright red hand bag.
The class roared with mirth, confusing the Boggart. It then lunged at Parvati. A blood stained mummy stood where Snape had been, but with another Ridikulus, it unwrapped itself. It went around the room, changing into a giant spider when it reached Ron. After it had come to nearly everyone, Lupin was about to gather it back into the closet, when it made a lunge toward Harry.
Tom, having a bad feeling as to what Harry's worst fear was, threw himself in front of Harry, and watched in morbid fascination as the Boggart changed into his worst fear. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author Notes: Ok, I dunno what's up with Fanfiction.net, but it wouldn't let me post the entire last chapter. So here's part two of part a. . . if that's not too confusing. Please read and review! I'll make you all wait another four months unless I get reviews! Mwahahaha!
A few minutes later, Professor Lupin entered the room, looking slightly breathless, swinging his tattered suitcase at his side.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone. I got held up a bit." He gave the class a brief smile as he plopped the suitcase on his desk. He then turned around to face the class and noticed all of their school supplies.
"You may put those away, you will not be needing those. Only your wand is required for this class."
Harry, Tom, Ron, and Hermione exchange unsure looks before they dumped their belongings back in their cauldrons.
"Right then. If you all would be so kind as to follow me," Lupin said, lightly. He walked to the door and waited for a moment as the class scrambled to follow him. Then, with a flourish, they were off down the hallway.
"I wonder where he's going," Hermione murmured, softly.
"This is the way to the teacher's lounge," Tom said. "I wonder what he has down there."
As the class turned the corner, Peeves the poltergeist came into view. He was floating in the air and trying to rotate his foot clockwise while drawing a number six in the air.
Lupin spotted him and chuckled. "Peeves, I've told you a million times that that is impossible to do," he scolded.
Peeves looked up and grinned. "Why, it's Loony Moony Lupin!" He cackled wickedly. "Does the ickle Professor remember the dealy wealy we made in school times?"
Lupin smiled again. "Of course." He reached into his tattered robe and pulled out a Filibuster's firework, then handed it to Peeves.
Peeves cackled merrily and greedily took the firework before he zoomed away. When Professor Lupin turned back around, the entire class was watching him with a mixture of curiosity, amazement, amusement, and scolding.
"Professor, you have a deal with Peeves?" Dean asked, in awe.
Lupin had the decency to blush. "My friends and I were quite the pranksters in my school days. We made a little deal with Peeves, so he wouldn't play tricks on us. We just had to help supply him with his toys."
"So THAT'S why he never picks on Fred and George," Ron said, with dawning realization. "No fair! Wait till I tell Mum. . ."
Lupin cleared his throat. "Right then, let's get back to what we're here for. If you'd just step right this way." Lupin opened the door and gestured for everyone to step inside.
As they entered, Harry and Tom could see Snape was occupying one of the armchairs. He was watching the class disgustedly, though he strangely seemed to avoid looking at Tom. Tom stored that little piece of information away to look at later.
As Professor Lupin made to shut the door, Snape spoke up. "Leave it open, Lupin, I'd rather not remain here to see this." He stalked across the room, his robes billowing menacingly as ever. As he reached the door, he paused to make one last remark. "And by the way, Longbottom is in this class. Whatever it is you plan on doing, be sure to keep him in a barricaded, separate area." With a final sneer, he disappeared.
Neville had gone scarlet, but Lupin gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't you mind him," he comforted. "In fact, just to prove him wrong, let's say you go first at what we're going to do today, huh?"
Neville looked as though he'd rather not go first at all, if his frantic head shaking was anything to go by, but Lupin only smiled warmly and said "Good, good. Now, let's get started."
Lupin walked toward the end of the room where a cabinet stood, and the class tentatively followed him. Lupin knocked on the cabinet three times and was rewarded with a resounding bump and thud from the inside. He gave a satisfied nod, though the rest of the class looked quite startled. Neville was already starting to turn several shades paler.
"No need to be alarmed," Lupin assured. "Inside this wardrobe is a Boggart. Can anyone tell me what a boggart is?" Hermione raised her hand immediately. "Ms. Granger?"
"A Boggart is a shapeshifter that turns into your worst fear," she explained. "They are shapeless, sitting in the darkness until they see a face. That's when they shift. If they see too many faces, they may become confused."
"Very good Ms. Grang-"
"They first appeared in England cerca 1000A.D. They are related to the Bogey, Boogieman, and Brownie."
"That's correct. Five points to Gryffin-"
"The only way to drive away a Boggart is by casting the Riddikulus spell, which changes the Boggart into a funny form. Boggarts hate laughter, so when laughter is present after the funny shape occurs, it will flee."
This time Lupin waited until he was sure that Hermione was finished, then he chuckled. "Entirely correct, Ms. Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Hermione beamed happily while Ron muttered 'show off'. Tom simply shook his head in amusement and waited to see what was going to happen next.
"Neville," Lupin turned to Neville who was practically quaking with terror. "Be sure to remember the spell Riddikulus. Now, I want you to get a picture of your grandmother in you mind."
"O-ok," he said, uncertainly.
"Good. Now I want you to think about what she normally wears."
Neville nodded his head after shutting his eyes for a moment.
"Now, I'm going to open this door. Keep that picture in mind while saying your spell. Ready?"
Neville was about to say 'no' when Lupin pulled open the door anyway.
To the shock of the entire class, Professor Snape sprang from the closet. He was at his most menacing, and his eyes held an almost mad look in them as he began to slowly advance.
"YOU STUPID GOOD FOR NOTHING!" He bellowed at Neville. "YOU'LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, YOU WASTE OF A LIFE! IF ONLY YOUR PARENTS COULD SEE YOU NOW-"
Neville, who looked more terrified than ever before uttered in a squeak, "Riddikulus!" In a flash of blue light, and a whip crack going through the air, Snape was suddenly wearing a long, lace trimmed dress and a towering hat with a moth eaten vulture on it. On his right arm he was swinging a bright red hand bag.
The class roared with mirth, confusing the Boggart. It then lunged at Parvati. A blood stained mummy stood where Snape had been, but with another Ridikulus, it unwrapped itself. It went around the room, changing into a giant spider when it reached Ron. After it had come to nearly everyone, Lupin was about to gather it back into the closet, when it made a lunge toward Harry.
Tom, having a bad feeling as to what Harry's worst fear was, threw himself in front of Harry, and watched in morbid fascination as the Boggart changed into his worst fear. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author Notes: Ok, I dunno what's up with Fanfiction.net, but it wouldn't let me post the entire last chapter. So here's part two of part a. . . if that's not too confusing. Please read and review! I'll make you all wait another four months unless I get reviews! Mwahahaha!
