I unfortunately do not own the world of Harry Potter.
I would just like to say a quick thanks to Allen Pitt, SplodeyYourFridge, secretlyconfused, Celeste Belle, Princess-Lazy-Chan, Twilightluver919-TonksandLupin, jadekate, Loonynamelass, DaydreamerNightwriter, Forest Grrl, reader-babe, TianMoXing, CinnamonMintiMoon, Fred-Weasley-Isn't-Dead, and Renrinrin.
This is my first fan-fic. Hope you like it! (And if you haven't guessed by now, reviews are greatly appreciated!)
Just so you all know - I am also writing two other fan-fics - Mysterious Last Name (my second), and Caught Between Worlds (my third). I would really appreciate it if you would check them out. Thanks!
Chapter 22:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Just as she expected, Draco Malfoy used his injury fully to his advantage. Just the period before, Snape had made Harry, and Ron, (and of course, Areilla without really having to ask) help him prepare his potion while he smirked the whole time. Stupid git!she thought as she made her way from potions to Defense Against the Dark Arts. But as she approached the door and took her seat, her curiosity got the better of her. What was the new teacher like? Would they actually learn anything this year? Professor Lupin entered the classroom at that moment. She, along with everyone else, had taken their books out and set them on their desks. He told them that they could put them away, however, because they would be having a more practical class today. She, along with the rest of her classmates, exchanged looks of surprise and misgiving.
"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."
Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.
Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.
"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin —"
Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.
"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." Of course, Peeves didn't listen, so Professor Lupin took out his wand, and said over his shoulder,
This is a useful little spell. Please watch closely." He raised the wand to shoulder height, said,
"Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.
"Cool, sir!" Ariella heard said Dean Thomas in amazement, and she couldn't agree more. She was certanily looking foward to class.
"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. "Shall we proceed?" They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.
"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.
The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said,
"Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said,
"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear." Ariella glared at the Potions teacher. It wasn't his place to say things like that. Neville's face had gone red. Apparently, Professor Lupin knew how to deal with coments like these, or just with Snape in general, for he replied with:
"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably." Neville turned even redder at this comment, but Ariella smiled, really starting to like their new teacher.
"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.
"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there." Ariella was now looking at the door with a bit of caution, knowing vaguely what a boggart was, but not sure of the details. Lupin continued by asking,
"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?"
Of couse, Hermione Granger's hand was already in the air.
"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most." she said, once more sounding as if she were quoting straight from the textbook, (which she most likely was).
"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.
"This means," said Professor Lupin"that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" (He kept calling on the Gryffindors as they were near the front of the class, and the Slytherins were in the back. Ariella was at the front of the Slytherin group, so that she could be close enough to hear whatever was said.
"Er — because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"
"Precisely," replied Professor Lupin.
"It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a 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 himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening." Everyone laughed, (well the Gryffindors plus Ariella).
'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. After me, please… riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" said the class together. Professor Lupin then called Neville foward. His greatest fear was Professor Snape. He made his boggart funny by making the Potions Master boggart wear his (Neville's) grandmother's clothes. Everyone laughed. And so the fun began.
"Ms. Lyons, you next," Professor Lupin called, beckoning her forward. Ariella gulped, and stepped in front of the boggart. The boggart changed shapes, but paused mid-air, undecided, confused, for Ariella had two separate fears in her mind at once. One was of that thing, the dementor, on the train. The other, of Lucius Malfoy, torturing her. The boggart combined the two, changing into a tall, dark, robed figure, hands like the dementor's. The form partly sucked the life from her. In one of these hands, there was a wand, in the other, a whip. The hand with the wand in it rose, and a cold voice issued out from the robed figure.
"Crucio!" She fell to the ground momentarily. The whip cracked above her head, and she slowly, her face ashen white, trying to tell herself that this wasn't the real thing (or things), as bile rose in her mouth, she stood up, shaking, and in an unsteady voice, said,
"Ri – Riddikulus!"
The boggart shifted in mid–air, from the dark cloaked, demeanor–like man torturing her, to a clown, wand and whip becoming balloon animals. But Ariella just stared ahead, not really seeing the boggart change, in shock, and slowly, and almost subconsciously lowered her wand. Shaking, vaguely she heard Professor Lupin saying,
"Alright, who's next?" As Harry Potter came to stand in front of her, he gave her a quick, questioning, and slightly worried glance. Ariella blinked, and shook her head twice before turning to go back to her spot at the back of the "classroom". On her way back, she chanced a glance at Draco Malfoy. His face was steely cold, but his eyes held confusion. He glared at her as she passed, and, (though under "normal" circumstances, she wouldn't have) she shuddered.
The class ended a few minutes later with Professor Lupin stepping in front of Harry, preventing him from taking a turn. The Defense teacher's boggart was an off–white orb, which turned to a deflating balloon. As the class filed out, Ariella being one of the last, she distantly heard a voice say,
"Ms. Lyons, please stay a moment." And so Ariella hung back.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked tentatively.
"What exactly was your boggart?" Ariella paled, and, speaking softly, she responded,
"I-it was a combination between two fears, sir." Lupin's face creased in confusion, but a moment later, comprehension crossed his face.
"Ariella, was one of your fears a dementor?" Ariella, in a shaky voice, replied,
"Yes, sir," then, after a pause, she asked, "Sir, is there any way to defend myself from one?" This time, it was Lupin who paled.
"Yes, but it is very advanced. Most grown wizards can't do it."
"I - I understand. Thank you anyway." Then, she turned to leave, but, hand on the doorknob, she paused.
"Professor? If you change your mind, I'd really like to learn." Lupin hesitated, then nodded once.
"Thank you," Ariella said softly, then left the room, leaving a very quiet and puzzled Professor Lupin.
Quotes are from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Thanks to all who are reading, and liking it. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please feel free to review/private message me. Also, if you have any ideas at all, or would like to see something happen, let me know, and I'll consider putting them into a chapter. Thanks! ~ Leanora