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Remus paced before the classroom, listening as the wardrobe rattled and the students huddled together. After a moment, Remus circled back to the front center and gestured over his shoulder. "Doesn't anyone want to venture a guess?" He ask.

"That's a boggart, that is." Dean Thomas spoke up. "I had one live under my bed once when I was smaller. Thought it was going to eat me."

"Very good, Mr. Thomas. Though I am sorry that you had such an experience. Five points for the correct answer though." He nodded to the boy, then moved and knocked on the side of the wardrobe, causing it to rattle. "Do any of you, other than Dean, know what one looks like?"

"No one knows." Hermione Granger spoke up, startling Ron Weasley, who she stood next to.

"Hmm. Elaborate, for your classmates." He said, waving a hand for her to continue.

"They're shape shifters, and each person facing one has something different. They have minor telepathy that allows them to detect and replicate the worst fear of whoever it is scaring. They feed off fear." The young witch explained. "That's what makes them so-"

"Terrifying, yes." Remus agreed.

"They can hide themselves in any small area that stays mostly dark and secluded, such as closets, trunks, wardrobes..." Hermione finished her answer.

"Very good. Five points to you as well." Remus scratched at his chin, thinking. "I believe they are a good creature to start our year on, as they are part of the classification of creature: Timor Comedenti, that is, Fear feeder." He moved over to the chalk board and jotted a line down.

If a person's greatest fear is having face a boggart- What is the form the boggart would take?

"Now, as we go through today's lesson, I want you all to keep this in mind. My daughter ask me this very question a couple years ago, when one took up in the toy box in her younger brother's play room. I always try to teach my children hands on, which is what I do in my classroom as well, so I allowed her, as the eldest, to watch me get rid of the creature. She ask me, once we were rid of the bugger, what would happen if someone was scared of Boggarts." He paused and looked around the classroom, some of the students seemed confused.

"Now, I know you might be thinking, 'But, how can you be afraid of something if you don't know what it will look like?' and that got me at first too. But being afraid of something that could be anything, and hide itself anywhere- Well. That is the question, isn't it? Boggarts are the idea of fear mad manifest. So, think on my question, and for homework this evening do a short answer to how you think it would go for a boggart to try and scare someone afraid of them." He continued on. "Neville." He said, arms crossed before the class.

"Ye-Yes, sir?" The young boy stammered, stepping forward.

"Would you mind helping me?" He ask, looking the very nervous young wizard over. He smiled inwardly. Neville looked a fair amount like Alice had at thirteen, but his ears and smile were his father, Frank's.

"I, er-" He sputtered, then nodded and walked to the front of the room. Remus smiled at the young boy.

"Hello." He greeted once Neville was closer to him. "Tell me, what is it you see when you think of what scares you the most?" He paused and looked around the room. "Note there is NO JUDGEMENT about a classmate's fear in this space." He looked back to Neville and waited patiently.

"Pr-Pro-Professor Snape." He was finally able to say, his eyes squinted shut. Remus heard a few snickers from the back of the class he knew came from Slytherin students, but he also knew that a normal teacher wouldn't have been able to hear them so he had to let it go. Honestly, it really just pissed him off. Sure, he and Snape had their own issues ages ago. But teachers were meant to keep these children safe and make them want to learn. For a child in his care to actively fear him so bad he would call the man his worst fear burned Remus to think about. He wrapped an arm around Neville's shoulder.

"I am going to tell the class how we fight this thing, and the spell to use. You and I will face it. I will be right here. What I need for you to do, is keep in mind your grandmother's worst outfit. Can you work on visualizing that for me?" He spoke quietly, directly to Neville, who nodded. Remus squeezed the boy's shoulder and then stepped away.

"So," He spoke back up. "How do we fight something who lives off fear?" He pondered aloud. "The answer, with laughter! Repeat the incantation with me, without wands, please." He chuckled to himself. "Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus." The class repeated back. He heard the same Slytherins in the back make a comment, but he ignored it, and continued.

"Perfect!" He clapped his hands together again, then stepped back to Neville. "For this spell, and the humor with it to work, you must think of what scares you, and make it something funny. Neville will now demonstrate for us." He leaned back in with Neville, lowering his voice. "You have an outfit in mind?" He whispered.

"Yes, sir." Neville nodded. "But I don't-" He started to expand. Remus put a hand up.

"I want you to picture Professor Snape in your grandmother's clothes." He whispered even lower. Neville's eyes widened, but Remus winked and gave him a nod. "Count of three?"

Neville nodded, so on three he flicked his wand over to the wardrobe and the knob clicked open, and the Boggart took it from there. A dramatic hand snaked around the door and it swung open, Severus Snape's identical double stepping out. His nose shot to the air and his eyes cut at poor Neville, but Remus stood right behind him. "Focus Neville. Now." He said gently.

"Riddikulus." Neville said, wand aimed at the Snape double. The sound like a cracking whip broke the air and Snape double stumbled back as his clothes changed from black dress robes to an emerald green dress and feathered hat with a taxidermied bird on top. It was accented with a fox-fur stole and red dragonhide handbag. Remus couldn't help the deep belly laugh that exploded from him as he joined the classes guffaw. The Snape double looked totally embarrassed, but angry.

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Neville, That is an excellent cast!" He complimented. "Students, single file. Step on up." He moved over and propped himself on the desk, setting a record to play some upbeat music. He watched as a giant snake was 'crack!' turned to a clown, a huge, hairy spider was 'crack!' put into 8 opposite facing roller skates and made to try and stand. The students kept going, and Remus kept mental track, but then near the end of the line, he saw Harry coming up. He picked up the needle from the record and the class froze. The giant fire ant in a yarn wig and shoes standing before Harry started to move forward to take his fear in, but with the flick of his wand, Remus banished it back to the wardrobe.

"Looks like we're getting short on time. Please remember the assignment on the board, it will be for credit. Class dismissed!" He called, not missing the disappointed look on his nephew's face. He moved over to the wardrobe and locked it as the class left the room.


Claire stood in the shower, letting the water run over her, eyes closed. She could not make the worry, the fear she held constantly. Her back ached from being tensed. Every noise around her home caused her panic. She sighed, hands bracing her against the shower wall, as she let the hot water pour over her. The relief the heat gave only lasted for a moment, because the door clicked open and she took her wand from the shampoo rack and spun around, ripping the curtain to the side but kept herself covered and wand concealed. Caleb stood, slightly startled, in front of the door. "Mummy?" He questioned.

"Yeah, baby?" She said, sighing with relief.

"Daddy is calling. Jamie is talking to him but he says for me to say for you to come to the phone." The four year old explained.

"Oh!" she sighed, nodding. "Thank you, sweetie. Did you get to speak to him?" She ask, reaching out and grabbing her dressing gown to pull on.

"I went first!" Caleb said proudly.

"Good." She nodded along, following behind her son, wrapping a towel around her sopping hair.

"Yes, sir." She heard Jamie say into the receiver as she came into the room. "Mummy is out now. Right. Love you, too." He held the phone out and Claire put it to her ear.

"Rem?" She greeted.

"Bonsoir ma chérie." Remus replied. Claire sighed again at the sound of her voice. She hadn't seen him face to face in nearly three weeks, but these phone calls were her saving grace. But her fear and exhaustion was beginning to wear her down.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear from you." She confessed. "Mummy is going to take this into the bedroom, and get into some jimjams, yeah?" She said, and both young boys nodded. She moved down the hall.

"Are you okay? You sound kind of, well, off." Remus remarked.

"I wish I could say I am. But- I can't sleep. I lay awake and listen, I make the boys sleep with me in our room. I take my wand in the shower and when I do manage to doze off it is in my hand. I don't know what to do. I haven't even been able to take on a single new case at work." She felt herself come to the verge of tears.

"I'm coming to get you. All three of you." Remus said firmly. "Jamie can home school, and they can both stay in my office while I teach if you do want to take on new clients." He said.

"Yeah. Maybe that is for the best." Claire sighed. "I don't want to-"

"Claire." Remus interrupted her. "You are nearly a thousand miles away and still this afraid. You're coming with me. You three should be where I can protect you, anyway."

"Alright." She agreed.

"I'm coming now. So pack the boys and yourself up. I'll be there within an hour or so. Its a two floo stops until I am close enough to safely apparate." He informed her.

"Yeah, okay. I'll go pack them now." she agreed again. "Je t'aime."

"I love you, too. Try to relax. I'll be there soon." He said, and the phone clicked off. She sighed, the weight of trying to keep her nerves suddenly lessened by his insistence he come to get them. She'd tried not to let him know that she was so fearful, to let him focus on settling into a new school and new faces, but she was glad to have him in the know about it now.

Claire was still packing the boy's room when she heard the door click open and both boys cheer, "Daddy!" and a small grunt where they both landed on him.

"Mes garçons!" He greeted in reply, equally excited. Claire came around the corner and found him trapped still in front of the door, the boys hanging from their father.

"Tu nous as manqué, Daddy." Jamie said, "Especially Mummy."

"I missed you all, too!" Remus laughed at his son's honesty. He squeezed them both again, then moved on into the house and came over to Claire, who fell heavily into his arms. "Especially Mummy." He echoed the boy's words. He held her tightly.

"I'm sorry." Her resolve finally falling, and a few tears escaped her eyes.

"Shh. Don't be." He kissed her forehead. He gently let her go and turned to the young boys. "Are you ready to go?" He ask.

"Yes!" Caleb cheered.

"Is it really a castle?" Jamie crossed his arms, eyebrow raised. "Chantelle said it is." Both Claire and Remus laughed at how much it made him look like his father.

"Yes, son. An old one." He nodded. "You'll go to school there, too, when the time comes." He confirmed. Jamie did not look entirely convinced, but he seemed to accept his answer for now, and took Caleb's hand and headed to their room to wait for their things to be shrank for the move.

"Chérie, vraiment..." Claire sighed. "I'm so sorry. Its late. You need to rest for Monday night." She reminded him about the full moon.

"Its only Friday, now. No class tomorrow. And." He wrapped his arms around her again. "You three are more important. I told Ellie you were coming. She seemed relieved as well." He guided her down the hall. "I shouldn't have allowed you three to stay, honestly."

"We had to try. I can't believe I am letting him make me so crazy. I wanted vie normale for the boys. And you two, too. As much as we could." She sighed and covered her face with her hands, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm so mad at myself. This is just... Shameful."

Remus gently took her hands in his and brought them down from her face. He knelt before her. "We have been through hell. You have every right to be frightened. There is nothing shameful." He kissed her hands. "Okay?" She nodded. "Le bein. Let's get your things, and the boys, and go get some sleep. Some real sleep. The first thing you're doing is taking a dreamless sleep. Non negotiable."

"Yeah, whatever." She huffed, shrugging on her jacket as Remus shrank her packed luggage and sliding them into his pockets.

"In the morning, I have a case I want you to look at." He called back to her as he stepped into his sons' room and shrank their things as well.

"A case?" She questioned, picking Caleb up. Jamie took his father's hand, both of them growing quiet as they grew more sleepy.

"Er- Yeah. Hagrid is going to need a good lawyer." He nodded. Claire stopped walking, confused and concerned.

"Is he okay?" She prodded.

"He's fine. It's one of his creatures. Sleep first." He said. "Come on. There is quite a bit to do before we get there. And with these two, we'll be better off catching the bus." He helped her onto the curb and bent down, catching Jamie and scooping him up where he could swing him up onto his back. He then held his wand out and the large, three decked bus zoomed to a halt before them mere moments later. He settled Jamie in one of the beds on the second deck next to Caleb. Claire settled on a couch and Remus sat beside her, pulling her close in.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"What for?" He ask, genuinely perplexed at the statement.

"Taking care of us." She replied with a yawn. Remus chuckled, stroking her hands with his thumbs.

"You're adorable. Dormir, I will watch you all until we get to where we can floo back across the pond." He smiled as Claire yawned largely again and snuggled into his shoulder, and he watched her and his sons sleep.


More for this story- other than my new one it is my current fav in my Harry Potter ones.
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