Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Horror's in the Wardrobe

Christmas had come and it had gone, and so had the winter holidays, only a week previous the corridors of Hogwarts had been silent but now it seemed like that had only been a dream. First and Second years talked loudly amongst their friends, the older years owned the corridors, students moving out of their way as they walked around. Gaggles of girls giggled over boys and the boys became baboons, loud and obnoxious. Draco surveyed the corridor while seated on the window waiting for class to start. He was beyond early for his first lesson of the new year but yet he found he just hadn't been able to sleep. So he had arrived early and surveyed the surroundings around him.

He smiled softly as he watched the Slytherin Sixth years walk down the corridor pushing the first years out from under their feet, it had been the very same for him and his friends.

"Wonder if Professor's made bets before the year started," he muttered to himself as he locked on to fifth year Ravenclaw trying to impress the blonde in front of him, just by looking at her posture he knew it wasn't working but Draco mentally applauded the guy for trying. She was way out of his league.

A bunch of second years ran down the corridor, Draco only hearing a few words from what they were saying but he knew they were late for Charms.

"You're early," he heard and he turned to face Hermione.

"Say's you," he chuckled but the grin didn't disappear as she approached. She jumped on to the ledge beside him and looked around.

"What you doing?"

"People watching," he said and she nodded.

"One of my favourite things to do, learnt much?"

"That 1979 is no different to 1998," Hermione rolled her eyes and Draco pushed her, she just laughed.

As they sat in silence the students rushing around started to fade and one by one they were joined by their classmates.

"Have you forgiven Potter and his crew yet?" Draco asked upon noticing them approaching.

"I guess, it's nothing worse then what the Weasely twins would have done and after yelling at them I'd have forgiven them in time." Draco nodded in understanding and followed the other students as they entered their Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom.

He was hoping for a normal lesson today, nothing too extreme. Something nice and easy to get back into the school routine but as he spotted the large wardrobe in the middle of the room he instantly knew today's topic wasn't going to be pleasant, and he was right.

Hermione closed her eyes as she spotted the wardrobe in front of her, visions from her third year DADA lesson with Professor Lupin was coming back to haunt her. The large vision of Professor McGonagall informing her she had failed everything came back to haunt her and as she glanced over to Draco, she knew he was thinking something very similar. Scratched on to the black board in large letters was the word BOGGARTS.

"This will be fun," she heard James say and she wished she shared the same feeling. Boggarts were truly horrifying creatures to face, one of the few mythical beings she hated the most. Give her a Werewolf, a pixie or even a dragon any day over a Boggart.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked from beside her and she nodded but she knew Lily wasn't buying it. "You've gone really pale,"

"Boggarts show your inner deepest fears. I believe today we will all be facing them." Lily's eyes widened and she spun around to face the board.

"You sure?" she asked and Hermione now noted a tinge of fear.

Hermione nodded, "look at the wardrobe, awfully odd thing to have in a classroom don't you think… Boggarts are known to hide in them."

"Oh shit,"

By now other students were beginning to work out the connection between the word on the board and the wardrobe.

"Now, now settle down everyone." Said Professor Kingston. "Yes, there is a Boggart in the Wardrobe and yes we will be tackling the Boggart but we will be going over all the correct techniques."

"Do we have to?" Draco asked and Professor Kingston nodded, Draco slumped into his seat.

The lesson progressed too quickly for everyone, Professor Kingston had quickly had everyone run over the spell to defeat a Boggart and explained the theory behind it. She asked for one brave volunteer and no one raised their hand.

"Mr Black, how about you?" she suggested and Sirius gulped but nodded. He shakily stood from the seat and walked towards the Wardrobe.

"The boggart will jump out and take the form of your fear, the magical word is Riddikulus." Sirius nodded and took a step closer. The wardrobe rattled and outstepped a figure familiar to a few.

"Who is that?" Hermione whispered to Lily beside her but she shrugged.

"His Uncle," Lucius whispered from her other side and Hermione instantly sought out Bellatrix who stared frozen.

Cygnus Black was a tall man with a heavy lidded glare, his mouth was twisted in a snarl and he wobbled on the spot. His hands were clenched tightly in a fist as though he was ready for a fight. Professor Kingston seemed surprised at the figure in front of Sirius.

"Riddikulus," he bellowed and the figure in front rapidly changed. His face was plastered in paint and his black hair was now red and curly.

"A clown," chuckles emitted from the students in the room but Hermione's gaze switched between Sirius and Bellatrix, she couldn't help but wonder when Bellatrix stood would her father appear once more.

Sirius avoided everyone's eye as he returned to his seat.

"Mr Lestrange?" Rodolphus groaned but he stood, his wand was held tightly in his hand as he stepped in front of the wardrobe. Instantly a giant spider appeared in front of him he took a step back as it came towards him, but he quickly cast it away. It was clear he was shaking as he sat back in his seat but for once Sirius didn't mock his seating partner.

One by one students walked towards the Wardrobe and their biggest fear appeared for all to see. She had so far learnt that Bellatrix also feared her father, Peter Pettigrew was afraid of his own Death, Fuschia Criggs of a jack in the box clown. She wasn't surprised to see a Moon appear for Remus when it was his turn, like it had done so many years in the future the moon turned into a balloon and popped.

"Mr Malfoy," Lucius groaned but slowly stood, she noticed how Draco seemed very interested in this and she also watched. What was Lucius Malfoy afraid of?"

Seconds later a large black creature floated out of the wardrobe and the room instantly turned cold. A Dementor? She was shocked but not quite as shocked as Draco, who sat with his mouth gaping open. Lucius cried Riddikulus and in seconds the Dementor vanished and instead a black cloak now hung on a coat hook.

He took his seat and Hermione looked at him and she couldn't quite shake the feeling inside of her. Had Dementors always been Lucius' deepest fear or was the thought of a year locked in Azkaban that had caused them. She didn't have much time to think when her own name was called.

At 14 years old she had stepped in front of a Boggart and watched as her Head of House stepped out with a Giant F on a piece of paper. As the Boggart started to form the room instantly darkened and similarly to Bellatrix and Sirius a person stepped from the wardrobe but this time it wasn't Professor McGonagall.

It appeared after the horrors of the last year the fear of failing in class was no longer her biggest fear.

"Iddy biddy Mudblood," She heard the intake of breath around her as the Boggart spoke, it was rare Boggarts actually spoke but it wasn't unheard of.

Her face was covered but there was no mistaking the sickly high pitched voice and the mess of black hair. The leather outfit covered her body and there was a knife dripping blood in her hand, and a dead house elf in her other.

She thought she'd moved on from this, she thought she had overcome this horror but as Bellatrix Lestrange stepped closer she waved away the mask and she saw the eyes that haunted her.

Draco watched in horror as his Aunt stepped closer to Hermione who had clearly froze in her spot. He glanced to Bellatrix and her eyes were filled with unshed tears as she stared at herself. The Boggart circled Hermione mocking her, playing with the knife that seemed to have more blood on it than before and she dropped Dobby on to the floor.

"No," he heard Lily whisper. He wanted to stand to help her, take her place like Professor Lupin had done for Harry in their third year but he was frozen to his own seat.

The Boggart stopped behind her and a knife instantly came to her neck, Hermione gasped shaking. He could see Professor Kingston ready to step in front but the image started to change. One by one the ground started to litter with bodies, bodies with faces he knew. There was Harry and Ron, Neville and Ginny, both Weasley twins and their parents, Luna Lovegood was in front of him her eyes open staring up at him. He could see himself with blood leaking from his back in the corner, along with his parents. He could clearly hear Hermione crying but she didn't move.

"You killed them, you let them all die, NO! I killed them! Killed them all!" The Boggart cackled loudly, one by one the bodies stood, they all turned towards Hermione and started to walk closer. He could hear her crying increase and the Boggart shaped as Bellatrix continued to taunt her.

More and more bodies started to appear, Lavender Brown and Dean Thomas, Cho Chang and Viktor Krum, Bill and his wife Fleur. The Prewett twins and Mad eye, Professor Snape and McGonagall, one by one all the bodies came closer. Chanting that it was her fault. Hermione screamed and she didn't stop even when the image changed into a cockroach.

The wardrobe was locked and Professor Kingston rushed towards the screaming girl on the floor. She was broken, slowly almost like he wasn't in control of his own body Draco pushed himself from his seat and over to Hermione. He dropped to the floor and reached for her face. Hermione's eyes were wild and he knew she couldn't be reached. He raised his wand and with a close of his eyes she fell silent. Her body slumped against his, and he just hoped the sleep he had forced her into would help calm her.

Draco cradled her body as he clenched his eyes shut. "Class is over," Professor Kingston quickly said. She was shaking herself. "Everyone out, NOW!" Suddenly student packed their belongings and rushed from the room, girls left in tears. Bellatrix being the first. She ran out of the room followed by Rodolphus.

"Mr Malfoy!"

"I'm gonna help Draco take her to the hospital wing," he said and Draco was amazed how calm his father's voice was.

Professor Kingston nodded and she rushed off to inform Professor Dumbledore of what had happened.

"Is she going to be okay?" Lucius asked and Draco now noticed the tone change in his voice.

"I hope so, when we first faced Boggarts she had Professor McGonagall standing in front of her telling her she had failed everything, I take it that fear of failure hasn't gone away but has instead increased." Said Draco as he lifted her into his arms, together Draco and Lucius hurried towards the hospital wing.

"Do you think Bellatrix will be okay?" Draco asked and Lucius sighed.

"I don't know, she's just become Hermione's Boggart how does one move on from that? Fair enough it's not obvious it's her because of how much she's changed but we knew it was her."

"I'll talk to her," said Draco and he looked down at her Hermione.

He barged through the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey came rushing towards them, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Kingston standing a little way back watching as Madam Pomfrey worked her magic. Draco stood in silence looking down at the bravest and most intelligent woman he had ever had the pleasure to meet and he only wished he could have moved from his seat that second quicker to help her.

It feels a little rushed but for just over an hour's work I'm quite happy with it, hopefully you all enjoyed it.

Please let me know what you think :)

Lottie