Year Three: The Prisoner of Azkaban

Werewolves teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Prisoners escaping Azkaban. Dementors patrolling the grounds at Hogwarts. This is the year of heartache and having to answer iron-clad questions. The year when everything must come clean. When Marie Rogue must own up to her true House...

Chapter Nine-Riddikulus

Draco didn't appear in class until late Thursday morning, halfway through double Potions with the Gryffindors. He arrived after class had already started and his arm was still in a sling, which Marie found peculiar. Madame Pomfrey could heal anything, why would he still need a sling with the nurse's magical remedies on hand? He was sure to attract Professor Snape's attention, complaining of how his injury was preventing him from completing the lesson. Snape assigned Ron Weasley to be his, for lack of a nicer term, assistant. Draco proceeded to tattle on Ron for mutilating his roots, clearly unhappy with their arrangement To which, Snape had the Gryffindor swap roots with the Slytherin, handing over his own nicely sliced ingredients.

They were learning a new potion, the Shrinking Solution, and the class was going rather well as Marie worked diligently on her potion, her hair coming free from the loose ponytail. Unfortunately for Neville Longbottom, his potion was not turning the proper shade of acid green and instead, it had shifted into a sickly shade of orange. Professor Snape, not one to mollycoddle and outright refused to accept mediocre work in his classroom, had challenged Neville's potion brewing skills. At the end of the class he would take a sample of the potion and force the pet toad, Trevor, to drink it. If brewed properly, he would revert in a tadpole, if not, he could very well die.

Clearly panicked and close to falling to pieces, Neville stirred feverishly and Marie could see Hermione whispering instructions when Professor Snape wasn't looking. Praying that Hermione could someone help Neville correct his potion to the proper state, she tried to think up a plan that involved her trading cauldrons with the nervous Gryffindor. With their distance and the way Snape patrolled the rows of steaming brews, even with magic she wouldn't be able to trade out her potion for his. Merlin, she hoped Hermione could help him.

The end of the period drew near and the Potions Master took a small spoonful of the Shrinking Solution and trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. The students were gathered around and Marie clasped her hands together tightly, praying it would be all right. With a small pop, Trevor morphed from toad to tadpole, wiggling in the professor's hand. With a sigh of relief and cheering from the Gryffindors, Snape returned to Trevor to his original state and handed him to Neville.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape decreed, the smiles wiped from the Gryffindors, Marie included. Five points taken? Whatever for? she wondered, surprised.

"I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Marie was quick to pack her things before her friends finished up and she hurried out the door. Spotting Neville just ahead, she noticed how he was walking quickly as well, face bright red with shame from Professor Snape's challenged. Jogging, she managed to meet his stride.

"Neville," she called out, hand touching his shoulder lightly. He flinched and looked at her, surprised or alarmed by the attention, she couldn't quite tell. He was taller than her as well now. Funny, she hadn't really noticed before.

"Good job. With keeping your wits and all, I mean. I understand that Professor Snape is a bit frightening. So, good job." Noticing her friends, she gave once last encouraging pat before vanishing off with her friends.


The last class of the afternoon was their first lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Marie didn't quite know how to feel about the fact. She tried focusing on some of her Charms homework but it became fruitless when she found herself rereading the same paragraph of text for the fourth time and not remembering what she was reading about in the first place. She closed the book and put away the parchment with a sigh. She slung her bag over her shoulder, heavy and weighed down with her books from her extra classes, and she followed her friends quietly, lost in thought.

Would Remus even look at her? Did she want him to acknowledge her? To be perfectly honest, of course she did. She wanted him to see her. With her classmates, wearing her House's colors proudly and unashamed. She wanted his attention, his focus. She wanted him to say 'It's all right, Marie. I understand', and then he would bring her into a tight hug and she would take in his scent and the feeling of home. For a moment, she could pretend that everything was all right after all. Just for a moment.

She hadn't realized that they had slowed to a stop, waiting their turn to enter the room and Marie had bumped into Draco's back, nose now smarting. The blonde looked over his shoulder at the girl, brow raised.

"What's up with you today?" he asked. "You've been really quiet."

"Mm?" she answered, touching her nose gingerly. "I'm all right. Really tired, to be honest. How's your arm doing?"

"My arm? Oh, it's fine." He glanced about to make sure no one was looking and lifted his arms up from the sling's support and wiggled his fingers at her.

"Father needs me to play it up for a few more days. Though this sling is bloody annoying." Marie sighed loudly at his antics and he gave her a teasing look.

"Aw, what is it, Marie? Worried for my well being?" he smirked. She returned the look easily enough, spirits lifting with their banter.

"Well of course I was, but Draco," she looked around as well, lifting her hand to hide her whispered words, "we all know you're faking."

"What? You do not!" he returned, surprised. "I'll have you know, Marie Rogue, that I am a phenomenal actor. The best there is, in fact." She giggled as he became bothered, doing his best to display his superiority over lesser actors.

"Yes, yes, of course. It was your acting, but the fact that Madame Pomfrey can heal anything. A scratch from a hippogriff is not beyond her skills," Marie reasoned.

"It was more than a scratch! Bloody thing about ripped my arm off!" Draco defended. Shushing him, they entered the classroom, quickly securing seats.

"Yes, but you could have avoided the whole thing if you had simply paid attention when Professor Hagrid said that hippogriffs are proud creatures that do not take kindly to being insulted," she explained. The Malfoy huffed loudly.

"I am afraid that I cannot continue this conversation. Your words are hurting my arm."

"Oh yes, of course, I'll keep quiet then," she teased.

As soon as the classroom had settled, Professor Lupin walked into the room. His robes and briefcase were still as shabby as ever, but he looked brighter, as though he had a few good meals in him. This relieved Marie as she was always worried that he was too thin. At least the Hogwarts meals were being good to him. Before she could open her book, he made an announcement to the class.

"Good afternoon. Would you please put all of your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands."

Curious, Marie began to put her belongings away, securing the cap of her inkwell as other students gave similar looks of confusion and apprehension. A practical before teaching? Last time that happened, a whole cage of cornish pixies were let loose on the classroom while the fearless teacher ran to hide in his office.

The students followed the teacher out of the classroom and down the empty corridor since everyone else was in class. Everyone save for Peeves the Poltergeist who was floating upside down and jamming a door's keyhole with chewing gum. The trickster didn't bother to look up until Remus was two feet from him, and when he did see the teacher, he wiggled his toes and began to sing,

"Loony, loopy Lupin," he cackled. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin..." Marie shared and questioning look with Millie. That was quite strange. Though Peeves was notorious for picking on students and causing incidents and harrasing Filch the caretaker, he usually showed teachers some respect. Everyone looked to the professor to see how he would handled the rude ghost.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he suggested, tone pleasant. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." Peeve's didn't seem to take any care to Remus' words and promptly blew a loud, wet raspberry in his face. Appalled, Marie looked the worn wizard as to how he would take care of this. Peeves couldn't be so blatantly rude to a teacher!

"This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

He raised his wand to shoulder height and said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed his wand at Peeves.

The gum that was previously tampering with the keyhole suddenly launched out of it's place and rocketed into Peeves' left nostril with surprising force. The poltergeist whirled, cursing as he zoomed away.

"Cool, sir!" declared Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor.

"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, wand away. "Shall we proceed?"

They continued on their way until the had turned down a second corridor and entered the staff room. The staff room was a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs and the room was empty save for the one teacher sitting in a low armchair reading a book. He closed his book quietly and rose to his full height, eyes glittering dangerously as he sneered. Remus made to close the door behind him but Severus interrupted.

"Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He strode past the class, black robes waving behind as they always did, adding to his intimidating air. As he passed, his dark gaze met Marie's and she gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. It conveyed the message easily enough. That she was going to be all right in Remus' class. That she wasn't going to become hysterical like she had at the welcome feast. He spared Lupin a sneer before shutting the door behind him with a sharp snap.

With Snape gone, Remus made his way over to a wardrobe that gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall with a loud noise.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly due to the few that had jumped at the sound, Marie included. "There's just a boggart in there."

Just a boggart? It may have been Marie's personal opinion, but that sounded like a fair reason for concern. The doorknob began to rattle and the students were watching, all apprehensive.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," explained Remus. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks-I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give to my third years some practice." He gave a good natured smile and Marie began to relax a little. She knew that look. That meant this boggart only sounded far scarier than it actually was. If Remus wasn't concerned, she didn't need to get riled up. That theory worked well for her so far.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Marie had to fight the impulse to raise her hand, allowing Hermione's to be the only volunteer.

"It's a shape shifter," she answered. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Remus, and Hermione glowed. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of fears most."

But with a whole class of students, wondered Marie, brow furrowing in thought, how will he know what form to take?

"This means that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" asked Remus. Marie looked to Harry, waiting for his answer. Why didn't Remus call on her? She could have answered his question. Harry took a moment, trying his best to ignore Hermione's raised hand next to him.

"Er-because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should take?" he guessed.

"Precisely! It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake-tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. Now, we will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" recited the class.

"This class is ridiculous," muttered Draco. Marie gave him a swat on the 'injured' arm for good measure. Last time he chose not to pay attention he had gotten badly hurt and she wasn't about to witness that a second time.

"Good. Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville." Remus motioned for Neville to step forward and for the rest of the class to form a line behind the shaking Gryffindor. The pair exchanged whispered words while the other students murmured about themselves, wondering how to change the thing they feared most into something laughable.

How was she suppose to face a werewolf?

It was a curse that warped the body and mind of her beloved caretaker, forcing him to kill Captain Tess, her very guardian and his friend. How could she possibly do something like that? Only Tess could stand up against such a creature-

She gave a small gasp as an idea came to mind. It was so obvious, it's a wonder she didn't make the connection earlier. To overcome a feat worthy of Tess' caliber, Marie had to become Tess. She had to channel that easy stance and solid confidence. The eyes that could see past illusions and fear, directly in the heart of the matter. Marie took a few deep breaths to collect herself. There was no time to be scared of the fake werewolf to come. Tess was never scared. She would set her feet and tackle the thing head on, never yielding.

Shifting through her pockets, she came across her hair tie and quickly ran her fingers through her long hair, pulling it up it a high ponytail. Giving an extra tug, she took another breath to ready herself, staring determinedly at the wardrobe. She was tired of being sad. Of being scared and haunted by images of what happened that night. She was tired of missing Remus or fearing of what he might think of her now that he found out her secret. She was tired of it, and the boggart was not about to take her down. She had bigger things to worry about than some shapeshifter.

"On the count of three, Neville," warned Remus. "One-two-three-now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Remus' wand, unlocking the rattling wardrobe which then burst open. Hook nosed and scowling, Professor Snape emerged from the wardrobe, eyes flashing at Neville. The Snape boggart began to reach into his robe for his own wand when Neville managed to stammer the charm.

"R-r-riddikulus!" Suddenly with a noise like a whip crack, Snape stumbled in his new outfit. A long, lace trimmed dress and towering hat topped with an overstuffed vulture, and to pull the whole look together was a bright red handbag swinging from his arm.

There was a roar of laughter and the boggart paused, confused by his new situation and Professor Lupin called the next student.

"Parvarti! Forward!" There was another crack and where Professor Snape once stood was now a blood stained, bandaged mummy, dragging it's feet while it's sightless eyes focused on Parvarti.

"Riddikulus!" The bandages unraveled, tripping the mummy and it's head popped right off.

"Seamus!" The boy dashed in past Parvarti.

Crack! Now a woman with floor length black hair and a skeletal, green tinted face stood before them. As soon as she opened her mouth wide to release a long, piercing wail, her status as a banshee became clear.

"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus. The banshee rasped, clutching her throat as her voice was lost.

Crack! The banshee turned into a rattlesnake that slithered and withered. Crack! A bloody eyeball. Crack! A severed hand that crawled until it became caught in a mousetrap. Crack! A zombie that then began to sprout large, colorful flowers like a bush.

"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there!"

Harry made to step up next and Marie hurried forward, deliberately cutting him off, her wand tightly in hand. The boggart focused on her and it shifted from the small hand to the large, towering form of her werewolf. The thing stood on it's hind legs, adding to his height, looking down his snout at her. Taking a breath, he lifted his head to give a loud howl. Keeping focused, she took an advancing step, stomping her foot with a bit more force to keep focus and to hold it's attention.

"Riddikulus!" she shouted. Crack! A puppy yipped and chased its tail until he flopped over.

Remus then jumped in front of the boggart and it shifted into a silvery-white orb that floated in the air. He gave a flick of his wand, casting the charm almost lazily. "Riddikulus!"

Crack! The moon was now a cockroach, stuck on its back.

"Forward Neville and finish him off!" instructed Remus. Crack! Professor Snape was back again, advancing toward Neville with a scowl on his face. Neville stepped forward looking determined.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted. Snape was in the frilly dress for only a split second before he suddenly exploded into wisps of smoke, defeated.

"Excellent!" declared Remus as the class broke out into applause. "Excellent work, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...five points to everyone who tackled the boggart- ten for Neville since he went twice...and five to each Harry and Hermione."

"But I didn't do anything," said Harry, glancing over at Marie who pointedly avoided eye contact.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the beginning of class, Harry," answered Remus lightly, "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in Monday. That will be all."

Talking excitedly, the class began to exit the staff room, each reanimating their own boggart encounters. Marie lingered to the back of the group, allowing others to pass her by. Soon she was the only student left, the door closing behind the previous person. Nervous again, the temporary Tess confidence slipping away, she glanced over to see Remus fixing up the wardrobe, making sure it would still shut properly.

"Remus," she heard her voice call out. He turned at his name and his gaze softened when he looked at her, his ward. Her lower lip trembled and she dropped her schoolbag to the ground, breaking into a run. Tackling him with her full strength, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, nose burying in the material of his robe.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I'm sorry I never told you, I really should have, I know, but I just couldn't because you were just so proud that you thought I was in Gryffindor and I didn't want to disappoint you, I just couldn't, and I'm so sorry, I never meant to lie to you," she apologized frantically, tears slipping due to embarrassment, shame and frustration. "I'm sorry, I should've known that it was the full moon, I shouldn't have let Tess take me home, I'm sorry I didn't remember, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

His arms circled and embraced her, securing their hold. She felt him lean down and kiss the top of her head.

"Marie, don't apologize to me. This entire thing is my fault, and it was wrong of me assume your House, to put you under the pressure of going along with my assumption. Please...please don't apologize to me..."

Her voice cracked again. "But we can't be together anymore..."

"That's correct. I violated the agreement I signed when I became your guardian," he clarified. "But at least you're in a good home now-" She shook her head, eyes tightly closed.

"But they're not you, Remus!" she protested. "I don't care about a good home, because I just want to be with you, because I love you, I love our family, and you're all I have left..."

Fortune was on their side as the staff room remained undisturbed, allowing them their moment together. Once they left the room they would have to return to their roles as student and teacher, going on as if they never even knew each other before Hogwarts.

He was her caretaker, her guardian, the one who always looked out for her. She was his ward, his girl, his little Marie. He was the one who picked her up when she fell, explained the definitions of words in her books, and held her as a baby until she would finally go to sleep. A mismatched pair whose paths in life happened to cross, forever entangled.


REVIEW! Whew, finally an update! Hey, at least it's a long chapter! We get some drama and bad temper from Marcus Flint, hints pointing out the curse, and some Remus and Marie reconciliation. Yay!

Next time, a certain criminal breaks into Hogwarts!

Hope you enjoyed and I hope to hear your lovely thoughts! G'night!