The Boggart

Defence Against the Dark Arts had always been a boring subject. Mainly because they went through teachers so quickly. But Professor Lupin had turned up, told them to put away their books and that the lesson was going to be a practical one. This had caused a stir of excitement. He had lead them to the staff room. George and Fred exchanged looks with each other, this had been what Anna and the others had been talking about the other day.

'You don't think?' Fred said.

'I think so,' George said.

Sure enough the wardrobe rattled, they both knew what it contained.

'Now,' Professor Lupin said. 'I don't doubt for a moment, that you don't know why I brought you here. Your fellow students may have already spoken about this very lesson. I should know I've overheard their conversations.'

'So I'm not going to mess about asking you, what is in the wardrobe when, you may already know what it contains. For those of you who haven't got friends in the younger years, listen closely. In this wardrobe is a Boggart. It shape-shifter that has the ability to turn into what you fear the most.'

'Defeating a Boggart is rather simple, you force the thing the fear most, into something comical - now the other day one of my younger students forced a rat into the a very flushed face of Mr Weasley rubbing his bottom.'

The class laughed, and the twins looked at each other, they needed no reminder of how the earned that hex from Anna.

'It confused me, until I heard the story - so I want you to all think of what you fear most, then think of how you can turn it into something funny. You will need however an incantation to do so, which is: riddikulus! Does everyone understand, good, let's begin.'

Their fear, George turned to his brother and grinned. That was easy their mother, finding their hidden stash of pranks, they had been working on. George laughed along with the others as Boggarts turned from peoples' worst fears into funny objects or Fred who had his turn a little while ago put their mothers hair on fire. Damn his brother that what he was going to use.

'George you, next,' Professor Lupin called.

And George stepped forward the cockroach that had just been turned into a harmless butterfly stood before him. His wand was raised, and he was ready - ready for his mother - but the Boggart did not change into his mother. His mother finding their pranks was not his worst fear - in the excitement and wrapped up in all the laughter, George had forgotten. His wand dropped out of his hand, and he stood frozen staring at the form in front of him. Voices ringing in his head, of the things he had already heard.

'She could have died!' his mother wailed.

'George, something's happened to Harry, she doesn't look like she's breathing.' Angelina voice said frighteningly.

In front of him lay a dead body of a girl, a girl he knew so well. One he cared for above all others and had been crushing on for the last two years. George's fear was not of his pranks being destroyed, no it was a dead Harianna Potter. His Anna, looking cold and pale, and not breathing. His worst fear come to life. Lupin had dismissed the class, the Boggart was back into the wardrobe. But George was staring at the spot her dead body had been moments ago, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

'Come with me,' Professor Lupin said. 'This calls for a spot of tea. Don't worry about the class, your brother is having words with them.'

Wordlessly he let himself be led into his Professor office and sat down opposite the desk. It felt odd being in someone's office and not being told off for once.

'I'm not going to ask you how you are,' Lupin said. 'That would be stupid of me.'

'So instead I'm going to tell you something instead. A close friend of mine - let's call him James, see he had this really big crush on a girl - let's call her Lily - for a really long time. One day his best friend - Sirius - decided that he should prank James a little payback for giving him fleas for a whole month. Now Sirius was asked to collect a Boggart to place it in the Defence Against the Dark Arts room. He thought he'd get James to "help" him out a little. The payback didn't quite go to plan - James Boggart didn't change into what it normally did - it changed into Lily's dead body - and like you, he froze, he was unable to change it.'

'It took him quite some time to deal with it,' Professor Lupin said. 'For he knew he cared about Lily but he hadn't realised it ran that deep. It was then James knew he loved her, had always loved her.'

'So you're saying that I love Anna?'

Professor Lupin blinked. 'It could be that you do, but I am not you. I cannot tell you how you feel. I just saying that you must truly care about Harry and her welfare.'

'She's just - different - you know -' George said after a moment. 'Always has been, there is something about her, you just can't put your finger on. I still haven't worked out what it is, and I've known her three years. She's never - not once ask for anything and she still helps others. She's never looked down at anyone because of their background. I know other people are like it, but it's nowhere near her level of kindness. She just as a level of understanding others don't - I guess.'

Professor Lupin just softly smiled.

'Professor?'

'Yes?'

'What did her Boggart change into?' George asked. 'She never said.'

Professor Lupin looked taken aback. 'Harry unfortunately never received the chance to go up against it.'

'Shame,' George said. ''Cause it had been You Know Who - she wouldn't have needed to turn it into anything funny - she would have just laughed in his face. I would have loved to have seen that.'

'Harry doesn't fear him?' Professor Lupin asked.

George shook his head. 'Not that I'm aware of, twice she's gone up against him and still she's kicked his - butt. I just wondered what it might have been instead.'

George paused for a moment, there was a question he'd been dying to ask. 'Why did the Dementors affect her like that?'

'That would be because, there are true horrors in her past, that we can only begin to understand - Dementors ... they can make you relive your worst memories and anyone who has been through what Harry has, would make them faint.'

'Thanks,' George said getting up. 'Though I never did quite get that cup of tea.'

Professor Lupin smiled. 'It turned out, you didn't need it.'

Professor Lupin was a decent guy, George thought as he left the classroom. Decent enough to be taken off the pranking list anyway. His brother was waiting for him. No words were needed. They just carried on about their usual routine - well as much as he possibly felt like doing. One day, he'd be able to change it one day. First he had figure out his own head and get together his own feelings. Did he love Anna? Was that the reason why? George had no clue, hell they hadn't even been on a date - that was the answer. Why not go on a date and find out. That's how it had worked out for his parents. One date and they just knew. Or that's what they had told their children anyway.