Draco hadn't appeared in the first half of their double potions lesson the following morning and Bella was beginning to get worried. Minutes after the bell signalling the second half, he strode into the classroom, his usual, arrogant expression firmly in place. His arm was still wrapped in bandages and was now suspended from his neck in a sling.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

Draco opened his mouth to reply but Bella caught his eye. She had a blank expression on her face, waiting to see how he would reply.

"No, it's not that painful anymore."

He took his seat after that and Harry and Ron turned to Bella with their eyebrows hiding in their hairline.

"Did you see that?" asked Ron, amazed.

"Yeah, I did." replied Bella.

"That injury must have messed up his brain." laughed Emily.

"Yeah, must've done." laughed Bella awkwardly.

The rest of the class passed without a word from Draco, no matter how many times Pansy asked him how much his arm hurt. Harry and Ron were still amazed by the time the bell rang for break and they followed closely behind him, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

"I've got nothing." said Ron as he met up with the girls in the courtyard.

"He looks exactly the same to me." said Harry at Ron's back.

"Maybe he's just decided to stop being a brat?" said Freya.

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

"Nah." said Ron. "I don't buy it."

Bella rolled her eyes but didn't respond. The fact that Draco hadn't acted like a big baby showed that he had listened to her and he was trying, Bella had to give him that. The bell signalling them to head to class rang out around the courtyard and they followed the crowd back into the castle. Bella wasn't watching where she was going and she walked right into Ron's back in the middle of the staircase.

"Ron, what are you doing?" asked Bella.

"Hermione?" said Ron, looking from left to right. "She was right here."

Ron pointed to the empty space beside him on the stairwell and looked to Bella with a confused expression.

"How did you do that?" asked Ron as Hermione appeared behind them.

"Do what?" she asked.

"One minute you were right beside me, the next you were at the bottom of the stairs again." replied Ron.

"Oh. I had to go back for something." said Hermione. Ron didn't look convinced but continued up the stairs.

Professor Lupin wasn't there as they arrived at their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, pulled out their books, parchment and quills and waited for their Professor to arrive. They were talking when he arrived and he smiled vaguely at them, and placed his tatty briefcase on the desk. He looked even shabbier than he had on the train but he looked healthier, as if he had had a few good meals.

"Good afternoon." he said. "Would you please put away your things. Today will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wand."

The only practical Defense lesson they had ever had was the day Lockhart brought a cageful of Cornish Pizies to class and Bella hoped this lesson would be nothing like that.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin when everyone had packed away their stuff. "If you'd like to follow me."

With a renwed interest, the class followed Professor Lupin out into the corridor. He led them down the corridor and around the corner, where they saw Peeves, the Poltergeist, hanging upside down and filling the nearest keyhole full of chewing gum. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was less than two feet away.

"Loony, loopy Lupin!" Peeves sang with a massive grin on his face. "Loony, loopy Lupin. Loony, loopy Lupin -"

Bella had never seen Peeves act this way towards a teacher. As mischevious as he was, he usually treated the teachers with respect. Everyone stared at Professor Lupin to see how he would react and to their surprise, he grinned.

"I'd take the gum out of that keyhole if I were you, Peeves." said Professor Lupin with a smile. "Mr Filch won't be able to get in to get his brooms."

Peeves paid him no attention, blowing a raspberry at him and wiggling his fingers in front of his nose. Professor Lupin softly sighed and pulled out his wand.

"This spell can be quite useful." he said to the class over his shoulder. "Watch carefully."

He raised his wand to shoulder heights, said "Waddiwasi!" and pointed his wand at Peeves. As quick as a flash, the chewing gum shot from the keyhole and straight down Peeves left nostril; he whirled the right way up and zoomed away down the corridor, cursing.

"Cool, Sir!" said Dean excitedly.

"Thank you, Dean." said Professor Lupin, tucking his wand back into his pocket. "Shall we proceed?"

The class now looked at Professor Lupin with a new-found respect. They followed after him down another corridor and he stopped, right outside the staff-room door.

"Step inside, please." said Professor Lupin, opening the door and standing to the side.

Bella and her friends had already seen the inside of the staff-room. Being inside brought back the fear she felt that night and seeing Professor Snape sitting in a low armchair in the middle of them room made the bile rise in her throat. He sneered at the class as they filed into the room. Professor Lupin made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." Snape strode past the class, his black robes billowing dramatically behind him. Bella rolled her eyes, yes he could be scary but he could also be a drama queen. At the door, Snape 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."

Neville went scarlet. Bella patted his shoulder comfortingly. Snape bullied Neville in his own classes which was bad enough but to do it in front of another teacher was even worse. Professor Lupin riased his eyebrows.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of my class today." he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Neville's fact went an even redder shade. Snape sneered at Professor Lupin but left without another word.

"Now then." said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class to the end of the room, where there was a cupboard Bella and her friends knew all too well. As Professor Lupin stopped next to it, the cupboard shook, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about." said Professor Lupin, calmly. "There's a Boggart in there."

Bella felt as if she had just been dumped into a bath of ice cold water. A Boggart? It was something she never wanted to see. Her father had told her all about Boggarts and what they did and she had hoped she would never come across one.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces." said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, cupboards under the sink - I once came across a Boggart that had lodged itself in a Grandfather clock. This particular Boggart moved in yesterday and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it for you all to have some practice."

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

Hermione put up her hand. "It's a shapeshifter." she said. "It can take the shape if whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have out it better myself." beamed Professor Lupin."So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within had 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 fears most."

"This means," said Professor Lupin, ignoring the small splutter of terror from Neville. "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart. Have you spotted it, Harry." Harry looked confused as Hermione bounced on her feet beside him, her hand stuck up in the air.

"Because there are so many of us, it won't know what to turn in to?"

"Precisely!" said Professor Lupin. "It's always better to have company when dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. What should he become? a blood-thirsty zombie or an angry clown? The charm for repelling a Boggart is simple, yet it requires concentration. You see, the thing that really finishes off a Boggart is laughter. What you must do is force it to become a shape that amuses you."

"We will practise the charm first without wands." said Professor Lupin, beckoning them to gather around him. " After me, please... Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"This class is ridiculous." said Draco under his breath and Bella kicked his shin from where he stood behind her. He let out a small groan of pain but didn't speak.

"Good, very good." said Professor Lupin. "But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where I need your help Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, but Neville shook harder. He walked towards the cupboard as though this would be his last moments.

"Right, first things first, Neville: what would you say frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved but no sound came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry." said Professor Lupin with a smile.

Neville looked around with wide eyes, silently begging someone to help him. He then said in a vice no louder than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville had a small grin on his face but Professor Lupin looked deep in thought.

"Neville, am I right in thinking you live with your Grandmother?" he asked.

"Y-Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either." replied Neville.

"No, no, you misunderstand me." chuckled Professor Lupin. "I wonder, could you tell us what kind of clothes your Grandmother usually wears?"

Neville looked confused but answered, "Well... always the same hat. A tall one with a stuff vulture on the top. And a long dress, green normally. And sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" asked Professor Lupin.

"A big red one." replied Neville.

"Right then." said Professor Lupin, clapping his hands together. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind?"

"Yes." said Neville, looking confused by the entire interaction.

"When the Boggart burts from the wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape. And you will raise your wand and cry 'Riddikulus!' - and concentrate hand on your Grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Boggart Professor Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, green dress, and that big red handbag."

There was a roar of laughed from the class, the wardrobe shook, more violently this time.

"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn." said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment and think what you fear the most in this world, and imagine how you would make it look comical."

The room went quiet. Bella couldn't think what she feared most in this world. Ron chanting 'take it's legs off' in her ear didn't help either. One of her greatest fears was water but she couldn't imagine how a Boggart could turn into an open body of water. She supposed she would see how when it came to her turn.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin.

Everyone around her was rolling up their sleeves and brandishing their wands; Bella copied them with a sense of dread, how would she make water seem less frightening? Professor Lupin ushered the rest of the class back away from the cupboard to give Neville some space. He stood alone in front of the cupboard, looking pale and nervous, yet he had rolled up his sleeves and his wand was pointed at the shivering cupboard. A jet of spark flew from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the handle of the cupboard. The cupboard burst open. As though he had really been hiding in the cupboard, Snape stepped out, his eyes locked on Neville. Neville backed away, tripping over his feet. Snape was advancing on him, reaching into his robes.

"R-riddikulus!" yelped Neville.

The was a noise like a whip-crack. Snape stumbled forward: he was now dressed in a long, lace-trimmed green dress, a large hat with a moth eaten vulture atop and swinging a large crimson bag from his arm.

There was a loud roar of laughter; the Boggart looked around, confused and Professor Lupin shouted "Seamus! Forward!"

Seamus walked forward, his wand arm extended. Grandmother Snape dissappeared and in it's place stood a woman with floor-length blac hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a Banshee. She opened her mouth and let out the most unearthly wail. "Riddikulus!" yelled Seamus and the Banshee croaked grabbing her throat - her voice was gone.

"Freya! Forward!" yelled Rpofessor Lupin cheerily.

Frya stepped forwards, raising her wand arm shakily. The Bnashee locked it's eyes on Freya and with a loud crack, it transformed into another woman. This woman looked like Freya with long, light-brown hair and a soft smile. The smile disappeared when she opened her mouth.

"Look at what you've done!" the woman cried as Freya shrank away from her. "I told you for years, you never believed me and now look at me!"

"R-riddikulus!" cried Freya and the woman shrank into a small white mouse, scurrying along the floor.

Freya backed away to the back of the room and Bella stepped forward, ready to face her boggart. Crack! The small white mouse transformed into a large, shaggy man. His hair was unkempt and he had a thick, matted beard. His piercing green eyes were glittering as his eyes sought Bella.

"You!" he growled, advancing towards her. "You're a stain, vile, not worthy of the breaths you take."

Bella stumbled backwards, her breath caught in her throat. She had no idea who this man was or why he was saying these things to her but she wanted him as far away from her.

"Riddikulus!" said Bella forcefully and the large man shrank into the form of a small kitten.

Bella fell to the back of the room where Freya was still trying to catch her breath. Bella placed a comforting hand on Freya's shoulder and Freya flinched away from her.

"Who was that?" Ron asked Bella as he appeared behind her.

"I don't know." she answered quietly.

"Come on, you must know." he said.

"I don't know, Ron, okay?" snapped Bella.

She stood beside Freya, shuddering slightly. Freya was still taking heaving breaths to get some air to her lungs and she pushed away from the wall, running from the room. Bella ran after her but Freya was too quick and she lost her in the corridor. Bella walked down the corridor and sat at the first window she found. She pulled her knees up to her chest and cradled them, looking out onto the school grounds. Moments later, she felt a hand on her shou;der and jumped in surprise.

"Are you okay?" asked Draco, sitting down opposite her.

"Yeah I'm fine." she replied.

"Can I ask you something?" said Draco.

"Sure." replied Bella, looking uncertainly at him.

"Why was my uncle your boggart?"