Title The Boggarts Meaning / / / Rating M

Chapter 01 - Facing The Facts

Summary During the examination that Hermione was taken for her Third-Year Defence Against the Dark Arts study, she encountered a Boggart that has morphed into the shape of her head of year, Professor McGonagall. Why was Hermione scared of the Boggart?

Pairings Harry/Hermione, Neville/Ginny

Warnings Features a character death, Ron bashing and some swearing. This story also contains some sex in later chapters…

-The Boggarts Meaning-

Outside the Herbology Classroom, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland

24th June 1994

It was the second to last exam for Harry, Hermione and Ron on Thursday morning and it was Harry's favourite subject, Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Their professor, Remus Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a boggart that he had persuaded the caretaker to acquire.

"Excellent, Harry," Lupin muttered as Harry climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."

Flushed with his success, Harry hung around to watch Ron and Hermione. Ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P - P - Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh - she said I'd failed everything!"

Remus took the bushy haired girl away from the remainder of the third years in order to get her reasoning for why she had run away from the boggart.

"What do you mean when you said that professor McGonagall had told you that you had failed?"

"She…she told me that…Harry didn't love me as much as I love him." Hermione said, frowning.

Remus looked at the bushy haired girl and instantly knew what she meant, especially as he had seen her on several occasions make slight touches and similar, to his best friend's son on several occasions.

Remus had to laugh in a way at the thought of what was going through the mind of Hermione Granger, especially as Hermione reminded him of Lily Evans, headstrong yet unsure of herself

Resolving to solve the problem and to get his best mates son to realise what he had in front of him, Remus watched as Hermione left the examination area, Hermione being the final person to take his DADA test. Heading quickly through the corridors, he went to visit the office of Minerva McGonagall, his former Head of House when he was a student.

The Great Hall, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland

24th June 1994

Professor McGonagall had just seen her prey, Harry Potter, her favourite student in Gryffindor House. Following her discussion with Remus Lupin, she could see from reviewing her Occlumency memories that Harry was close to Hermione, but not in a girlfriend/boyfriend position…yet.

She could tell, however, that unlike Harry's father James, Harry was more mature compared to the late James Potter, who would no soon as prank you as to look at you. Minerva could see that as she approached Harry, that he would look really nervous, looking as though he was in trouble for something.

"Follow me Mr Potter" Professor McGonagall said, escorting him to her office.

"Why Professor?" Harry said, confused as to why the Transfiguration Professor wanted him to follow her. "Why do you want me Professor? Have I done something wrong?"

"Not really Mr Potter, its just that Professor Lupin and I have noticed something that affects you and Miss Granger." McGonagall said, smiling. As they approached the front door, McGonagall said one thing that shocked Harry. "You and Miss Granger…you…you remind me of two people I have not seen in years,"

Harry looked shocked at the insinuation that the professor was making. In a way something that she was saying made sense to him as even though he was scared to say it, he was in love with Hermione Granger.

Entering the deputy heads office, Harry saw on the wall a trio of portraits. The first one, he did not recognise, despite the similarity between it and the second one, but the other two recognised instantly as being portraits of his parents.

"Mom...dad..." Harry whispered, shocked that he had saw a portrait of his parents. Harry would later come to admit that he would be having a discussion about things such as his relatives with the portraits of his parents. Little did he know that Hermione was going to be having a discussion with Remus Lupin

-The Boggarts Meaning-

Coming up in Chapter 2, Harry admits his feeling to Hermione, and a prophecy is made…

Disclaimer I don't own the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only. Any text used from the Harry Potter series is used under the fair use allowances of various copyright acts

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Type Multi Chapter / Status WIP

Distribution FFN, AO3, GryffindorTom Online

Story ID 214 / Publish Date 26/12/2016