Disclaimer: Nothing from Harry Potter is mine

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Professor Lupin

Diana, Maisie, Luna and Rolf were lined up outside of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"The moment of truth," said Maisie. "We finally get to find out whether Lupin is as bad as Lockhart... or worse!"

"Why do you refuse to believe that he might actually be a good teacher," sighed Diana exasperatedly.

"I hope he's good teacher," Rolf said. "I was most looking forward to Defence Against the Dark Arts when I came here - beside Care of Magical Creatures, of course - so Lockhart was a big disappointment."

The door flew opened and one by one the class entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Good afternoon," said Lupin once they had all sat down. "Will you please put all your books back in your bags? Today's will be a practical lesson."

The class put their books away, and some exchanged looks of curiosity. They had never had a practical Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson before, except for when Lockhart brought pixies into the classroom, but no one ever counted that.

"Right then," Lupin said. "If you'd follow me."

The Second Years followed Lupin to the staff room.

"I thought we'd need a bit of space for this lesson," Lupin explained to the extremely puzzled class. "Inside, please."

The staff room was a long, panelled room full of old, mismatched chairs.

"Now then," Lupin said, beckoning them towards the end of the room, where there was nothing except a wardrobe which the teachers kept their spare robes. As Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about. There's a Boggart in there," Lupin informed them.

Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Anna-Rose Cresswell and Natalie Macmillan squeaked in horror, and Owen Lake eyed the wardrobe with a look of terror on his face.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," explained Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks, cupboards under the stairs," (Diana knew if Dudley were here, he'd call Harry a Boggart). "This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give the First to Third Years some practice.

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

Rolf put up his hand. "It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," praised Lupin. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. It does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when it is alone, but when I like it out, it will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"This means that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin." Lupin continued. "Have you spotted it, Maisie?"

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

"Precisely," said Lupin. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. It becomes confused. What should it become, and 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 itself 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.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please... riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class repeated.

"Good," said Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough."

He took Angus McLaggen from the back row and pulled him to the front.

"Right, Angus," said Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you the most in the world?"

"M-my brother," Angus mumbled.

"Cormac or Oscar?" Lupin asked.

"Cormac," Angus said.

"And I believe your mother is a muggle supermodel?"

"Yes."

"Do you mind telling us what she wears?"

"Well, I've never really met her."

"Have you ever seen a photo of her?"

Angus screwed up his face in concentration, and eventually nodded.

"Good, good. Now the Boggart shall step out of the wardrobe and assume the form of Cormac, and you will raise your wand and cry 'Riddikulus' and if you concentrate hard on the photo, you will see your older brother - poor Cormac - in your mother's clothes."

The class burst out in laughter. None of them had met Cormac McLaggen before, but it would still be funny.

"I would like all of you to concentrate on the thing you fear most, and how you would turn it into something comical..."

Diana concentrated on things she was afraid of. Losing Harry was one thing, but she wasn't sure if she feared that the most. If she were three years old, she would've chosen the imaginary monster hiding under her bed, but she was four times that age.

In the end, Diana settled on a Basilisk. She'd never liked snakes in the first place, but being bitten by a viper and being Petrified increased her fears tenfold, and a Basilisk was a huge snake that could kill with multiple options.

But what was something she found funny. Perhaps Petunia, but with a horse for a face, as she and Harry used to joke about in her childhood. No, that wasn't funny enough.

Diana settled on something she knew would make her laugh.

Rolf was muttering under his breath, "Switch it... switch it..."

"Everyone ready," asked Lupin.

Everyone nodded, and Diana concentrated hard on her source of amusement ever since she was a child.

"Angus, we're to back away," Lupin said. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward... everyone back, now, so Angus can get a clear shot-"

They retreated, backing against the walls, leaving Angus alone beside the wardrobe. He rolled up his sleeves and was holding his wand, ready.

"On the count of three, Angus," said Lupin. "One - two - three - now!"

A jet of sparks shot out of Lupin's wand and the wardrobe burst open. Out came a large, wire-haired fourteen year old, and Angus cowered in fear, before mumbling, "Riddikulus."

There was noise like a crack, and suddenly Cormac McLaggen was wearing a shiny pink dress, a red hat and red high heels.

The was a roar of laughter, and Lupin shouted, "Luna! Forward!"

Luna stepped forward, and there was a crack and a hot pink potion was simmering softly in a cauldron. Luna closed her eyes, and for the first time, Diana saw Luna looking vulnerable and scared. She mumbled something and there was crack and the hot pink potion turned into an animal with horns, and Luna cried, "A Crumple-Horned Snorcack!"

Several people sniggered at her remark, but Rolf glared at them reproachfully and went forward.

CRACK! The potion suddenly became a Hippogriff lying on the floor, and an executioner holding an axe above it. Rolf mumbled shakily, "Riddikulus," and a pumpkin replaced the blade on the axe.

It was Maisie's turn next. She turned a Jack-in-the-Box into a squirrel with a bow tie.

CRACK! It was a mummy.

CRACK! It was a corpse.

"Diana, you next!" Lupin shouted.

Diana walked forward, not eager to encounter the Basilisk again, but there was a crack and a sixteen foot serpent materialised in the staff room, it's yellow eyes looking around menacingly.

Diana gave a small whimper and the Basilisk swooped down at her, its mouth open, ready to kill her. Diana wondered why it didn't just use it's eyes.

It's just a Boggart, Diana thought as the Basilisk came down on her. It's not real.

"Riddikulus!" Diana croaked, and the Basilisk suddenly became very fat, grew a pig's tail, its eyes turned watery blue, and it grew thick, blond hair.

The whole class roared with laughter. Many people had turns with the Boggart, but Diana wasn't paying attention. Soon, the class was over, and Diana, Maisie, Luna and Rolf left the classroom.

"That was bloody amazing!" Rolf said, punching the air with his fist as they made their way back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Did you see the squirrel?" Maisie asked.

Her and Rolf laughed, before Rolf said, "But Diana, your one was the best. Was that supposed to be your brother mixed with a Basilisk?"

Diana nodded, and Rolf and Maisie roared with laughter, but she couldn't forget what form the Boggart took easily, and by the looks of it, neither could Luna.