The next day Rachel sat in Defense class with her friends, a piece of parchment and a quill out to take notes. They were currently just doing a review of what they'd covered the first two years, the class volunteering information about what they'd learned so that Professor Lupin would know what topics they'd already covered.

Rachel was only half paying attention. She had woken several times in the night from nightmares, all of them the same hazy frightening memories of dark rooms and pain. It was like the Dementors had opened a crack into memories of things she'd done her best to push away and now it was all leaking out. It made it a little difficult to concentrate.

Professor Lupin seemed okay so far. He was calling on people as they raised their hands, though he directed some questions to those who weren't raising their hands as well. He never pressed for more information than the person had though, asking open ended questions like 'what else do you know about it?'.

Rachel ran her fingers along the fuzzy bits of her quill and watched him. She couldn't see why Severus thought Professor Lupin was dangerous. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties and was thin like he hadn't been getting enough to eat or like he'd been recently ill. He smiled a lot though and seemed encouraging to each student who answered his questions. She supposed that didn't add up to much evidence either way. People were often different than they seemed at first glance.

"Miss Snow, what can you tell me about vampires?" Professor Lupin asked.

Rachel thought she would never forget the lesson Lockhart had given about vampires, especially since it had ended with a head of lettuce shoved in her face. "Vampires are known as the Living Dead. They're often pale and gaunt, though not always. They have sharp incisors, which they use to puncture the skin of their victim to drink blood. Vampires don't need to drink all the blood from someone in order to survive, so they don't have to kill in order to live, though some choose to do so. Vampires are nocturnal and have a strong aversion to garlic," Rachel said, listing everything she could remember.

"Very good, five points to Slytherin," Professor Lupin said, smiling at her.

Rachel gave him a weak smile back.

"For your homework this week I want you to look through your textbook. I'm not assigning any particular reading at this time, I just want you to have an overview of what we'll be covering this year. Class dismissed," Professor Lupin called.

Rachel wrote down the assignment, which was easy enough because she'd already read the textbook for this class, and then started putting things away in her bag.

"Miss Snow, I was wondering if I could have a word with you," Professor Lupin said.

Rachel hesitated. "Yes, sir."

"Rachel, we'll be waiting for you in the hallway," Theo said, meeting Rachel's eyes.

"Thanks," Rachel said, nodding in understanding. If she needed help, she just had to scream, assuming Professor Lupin didn't put a privacy ward up. If he did that, then she'd have to try to run.

Once they were alone in the classroom, Professor Lupin turned to Rachel. "I wanted to ask you how you were, after your encounter with the Dementor."

Oh right, Professor Lupin had been the one who had apparated her back to Hogwarts. "I'm doing fine, sir. Thank you for bringing me to the hospital wing from the train," she said.

"Think nothing of it. I'm glad I was able to get you to safety in time. That never should have happened," Professor Lupin said, shaking his head. "Are you happy, living with Severus?"

Rachel blinked in surprise. She supposed it made sense that Severus and Professor Lupin knew each other, considering Severus' warning. "I am. He's very kind to me."

"Good," Professor Lupin said, nodding. "Lily never would have approved of you living with Petunia."

Rachel blinked again. "You knew my parents?"

"Yes, I did. I was close friends with James throughout our time together at Hogwarts - we were in the same year, both Gryffindors. I was friends with your mother too, of course, though she didn't associate with us until we had grown up a bit," Professor Lupin said.

Rachel hesitated. Severus had said Professor Lupin was dangerous, but still. She wanted to know. "Do you think you could tell me about them, some time?"

"I'd be glad to, once I've settled in here," Professor Lupin said. "Does Severus not talk to you about them?"

"He does, but it seems like he knew my mom more than my dad," Rachel said.

Professor Lupin gazed at her and then nodded again. "He did, Severus and Lily were close for some time. Why don't you run along to lunch with your friends and we'll talk another time."

"Yes, sir. Thank you," Rachel said, her smile more genuine now as she left the classroom.

"What did he want?" Neville asked.

"He wanted to check if I was okay after the Dementor," Rachel said. She wasn't quite ready to share the news that he'd known her parents.

"That makes sense," Hermione said.

"I need to go by the hospital wing and have my bandage changed before I go to lunch," Rachel said. The bandage was now itching and she wanted it taken off.

"I'll come with you," Millie said. "We'll see you at lunch or in the study room after fourth period."

"See you then," Neville said.

They parted company on the stairway and Rachel and Millie walked down to the hospital wing.

"After all this I'm never going in the hospital wing again," Rachel said firmly.

"We can only hope," Millie agreed.


On Tuesday they climbed up to the sixth floor after lunch for their first Ancient Runes class.

"You know what Hogwarts needs?" Hermione said as they reached the sixth floor.

"Warming charms on the stones of the dorm and bathroom floors?" Millie suggested.

"Elevators," Hermione said, nodding her head.

"It's not impossible that the castle will adapt itself to have them in some form," Theo said. "Hogwarts: A History has some drawings of how Hogwarts used to look."

"Yes, I've seen them. It would probably take a long time for the castle to adapt in that way though," Hermione said.

"The staircase to Professor Dumbledore's office is kind of like an escalator," Rachel pointed out. "Maybe Hogwarts could do that on some of the other staircases."

"Maybe. You're lucky the Slytherin common room is in the dungeons, we have to to go up to the Gryffindor Tower every evening," Neville said.

They entered the classroom that was listed on their schedules for Ancient Runes and found the professor already inside. She had dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders, light brown skin, and was wearing deep red robes.

"Come in and choose your seats," she said.

Their study group took up the first row and settled in to prepare to take notes and reference their textbooks.

A few more students trickled in, but not very many. Like Arithmancy, Ancient Runes apparently wasn't a popular choice of elective.

"Alright, let's begin. I'm Professor Bathsheda Babbling and I will be teaching the course Study of Ancient Runes," the professor said. "While I'm sure you all know each other, I don't yet know you. Let's go around the classroom. When it's your turn, stand up, say your full name, and tell us something about yourself. Start on the left, please."

"My name is Dean Thomas and I support the West Ham United Football Club," one of the Gryffindor boys said.

People continued to take turns until they reached the study group.

"My name is Neville Longbottom and I have a pet toad named Trevor and I live with my Grandmother," Neville said, his face flushing slightly as he sat down.

"I'm Hermione Granger. I like to read and I have a cat named Crookshanks."

"My name is Theo Nott and I'm interested in studying the creation of spells. I want to learn to be an animagus."

"My name is Millie Bulstrode, and I like sugar quills."

Rachel took a deep breath and stood up. "I'm Rachel Snow. I like to fly, read books, and I like chocolate frogs." She could feel herself blushing as she sat down. At least this hadn't happened at the start of last year when she still had trouble talking in front of people.

"Very good. Now as some of you may already know, runes are a form of writing that witches and wizards used hundreds of years ago. Runes provide a deeper connection to magic than writing in latin or in English. Being able to translate runes has many benefits. There are many historical writings and discoveries that have yet to be translated. Runes are also used in fields such as a permanent ward creation, curse breaking, and the creation of magical artifacts," Professor Babbling explained.

"We're going to start with numbers, which will have significance in many runic works, and then progress to a basic alphabet and phonology. From there we will build up your vocabulary. Be prepared to spend time outside of class working on translations and memorizing runes," she continued. "You should have both a Rune Dictionary and a copy of Ancient Runes Made Easy. For the time being open Ancient Runes Made Easy to page five and we'll begin."

Rachel opened her book to page five and held her quill ready to take notes. She hoped they hadn't bitten off more than they could chew by taking both Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

"Well I thought that was quite interesting," Hermione said as they entered their study room on the third floor.

"Hi Ginny, hi Luna," Rachel said, waving to them. They were already set up and doing homework, though they looked up long enough to wave back.

"It's interesting, but does anyone else feel like we're taking too many classes?" Millie asked as she set her bag down on the table with a thud.

"I think it only feels that way now because it's more than we're used to. We'll adjust in a few weeks," Theo said.

"I hope so. I can't believe we have so much homework. We've only been back for a week," Neville said.

Rachel couldn't help but agree. They'd received homework in all their classes except for Care of Magical Creatures. She felt like she was barely keeping up.

"At least we don't have our Slytherin study groups anymore, we can come back here after dinner now," Millie said. "What's first, Potions or Charms?"

"Let's just take a few minutes first and get settled and organized," Theo said.

"I didn't even get to finish reading the paper this morning," Hermione said as she pulled a copy of the Daily Prophet out of her bag.

Rachel caught sight of a picture of Sirius Black on the front page. "Wait, what does that say?"

"Oh, muggles spotted Sirius Black in Inverness yesterday, but he got away before aurors could arrive," Hermione said.

"Is Inverness near here?" Rachel asked.

"Well, it's in the highlands, so it's closer to here than England is," Hermione said. "Are you worried Sirius Black is going to come here?"

"That's the last thing he should want to do. He should be trying to get to the Continent and away from settlements of witches and wizards," Theo said.

Rachel looked down. She'd been avoiding telling her friends about this. "Sirius Black is supposedly coming here for me."

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Why would he do that?" Millie asked.

"Sirius Black was friends with my parents. Like, so much so that he was the best man at their wedding and they named him my godfather," Rachel began.

"So he wants to come be your godfather?" Luna asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No, I don't think so. He was partially responsible for my parents deaths. And Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape think he's after me because I'm kind of the reason the Dark Lord - well, not died, but his body died I guess. And Black was saying that I was at Hogwarts in his sleep before he escaped from Azkaban."

Hermione put her hand over her mouth.

"How was he responsible for your parents' deaths?" Ginny asked.

"He was a spy for the Dark Lord. My parents were hiding and he told him where to find them," Rachel explained.

"And that's why the Dementors are here, because they think he's coming to Hogwarts because you're at Hogwarts," Theo said, his fingers tapping against his Ancient Runes textbook.

"That's awful," Millie said. "Do they really think Hogwarts is the safest place for you right now?"

"I guess so. I don't think Professor Snape would have brought me here if he didn't think it was safe," Rachel said with a shrug.

"I suppose, with the Dementors guarding the grounds, it's probably safe. I wouldn't go out alone though," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"I'm not planning to," Rachel said. "I can go out with Imogen for Quidditch practice and with you all when we visit Hagrid."

"Good," Theo said. "I think Hermione and Professor Snape are right. With the Dementors outside the gates, I don't see how Sirius Black could get in, but it makes sense to use precautions just in case."

"Just be careful," Neville said. "My Gran has talked about some of the things Black did and you don't want to be anywhere near him."

Rachel nodded. "Professor Snape told me as well."

"No wonder my parents were acting so funny when we went to Diagon Alley, they must have been worried that Sirius Black might come for you," Ginny said.

"Professor Snape thought it was unlikely that he'd choose to come to Diagon Alley. Too many trained witches and wizards on hand who would recognize him," Rachel explained.

"That makes sense," Hermione said. "Well, we'll all keep a lookout for him, obviously."

"Thanks," Rachel said, relieved that they weren't upset with her for not telling them before.

"We should decide who is doing which topic in the two-way books for our notes," Theo said.

Rachel welcomed the change of subject. "I'd kind of like to do Care of Magical Creatures. I know Hagrid isn't likely to assign us much in the way of homework, but I can do extra research on the animals and take notes."

"I'll take Arithmancy," Millie said. "I think I'll do better with that than with Ancient Runes."

"Which is good, because then I can take Ancient Runes, because I think I'll do better with that than with Arithmancy," Neville said.

"That was easy enough," Theo said. "So we can potentially do Charms now and then do Potions after dinner?"

"Sounds good to me," Hermione said.

"Me too," Rachel agreed.

"Let's get started," Millie said.

"Twelve inches on the Freezing spell, which of course is different from the Freezing charm," Neville said, looking at his notes.

Rachel nodded. This much she could do at least.


It had been over a week since her encounter with the Dementor on the train and Rachel was still having nightmares. She woke up every night, her pajamas sticking to her sweaty skin as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. She'd started using a mantra about being at Hogwarts and being safe at Hogwarts, even though she very well knew that Hogwarts was not always safe.

But she was safe in her dorm room. Gemma had reminded them that there were spells on the doors that prevented boys from entering and that they shouldn't try to invite any of their male friends inside. Rachel wasn't afraid of any particular student, but it was a relief to know that boys couldn't even come in the girls' dorms.

Some nights she was able to fall back asleep again, some nights she propped up her pillows against the headboard and read by wand light until it was time to get up for breakfast, with Millie's cat Midnight for company. On the nights she stayed awake after the nightmares she made sure to extinguish her wand before anyone else woke - she didn't want the others asking why she was up so early.

She supposed she could have asked Severus if it was normal to still have nightmares after encountering a Dementor, but she thought that Severus would then want to know what the nightmares were about. Same thing with Torey, and she got the feeling that if she talked to Torey about her nightmares, Torey would want to tell Severus.

Severus had been very upset about Leander last year, so much so that he'd ensured Leander was expelled and put on trial. She couldn't imagine what Severus would do if she told him about this. It was better for him not to know. Besides, she wasn't sure she could speak of it even if she wanted to.

Friday morning was one of the mornings where she couldn't fall back asleep, so instead she reread sections of her Defense textbook because Professor Lupin had asked them to look through it. She wondered if he was going to give them a quiz to see how well they'd read it the same way Lockhart had - though at least it was only one book instead of seven.

"Rachel?" Millie asked.

Rachel raised her lit wand. "Did I wake you?"

"No. Is it time to get up already?" Millie asked, sitting up in her bed.

"No, we've still got an hour," Rachel said, glancing over at the clock on Daphne's bedside table.

"Why are you up?" Millie asked.

"Just reviewing in case Professor Lupin gives us a quiz today," Rachel said.

Millie shook her head. "You're going to turn into Hermione. Go back to sleep."

"I will if you will," Rachel said. She set her book on her bedside table. "Nox."

Rachel set her wand down on her book and settled back in against her pillows. She could review in her head for a little while. The nightmares were far enough away now that she didn't need the immediate distraction of a book.


"We'll be having a practical lesson today, so you can put your books and things away. You'll only be needing your wands," Professor Lupin said once the entire class was assembled.

Rachel glanced at the study group with a small feeling of trepidation. The last time they'd had a practical lesson in Defense, Lockhart had set pixies on them.

"Alright," Professor Lupin said when everyone had packed their stuff away. "Follow me."

"Where do you think we're going?" Theo asked as they trooped down the main staircase.

"Maybe onto the grounds," Hermione suggested.

However, when they reached the ground floor they took one of the side hallways and came to a stop in front of a room with the door guarded by two stone gargoyles. Rachel recognized the room as the staffroom where she'd taken her make-up exams just before the start of her second year.

"Come inside, please," Professor Lupin said.

They entered in a group and Rachel saw Severus sitting in one of the armchairs with a book open on his lap. He got to his feet and gave Professor Lupin a stern look before he nodded to Rachel.

Rachel smiled at him and watched as he left the room.

"Very well, over here," Professor Lupin said, waving them toward the end of the room where a wardrobe stood. The wardrobe suddenly wobbled and bumped into the wall.

Rachel took a step back, her mind combing through the possibilities of what could be in there.

"Not to worry. There's a boggart inside," Professor Lupin said.

Rachel exchanged glances with Millie. While it definitely could be worse, she didn't think that they were ready to take on a boggart. She knew the spell, but she hadn't ever tried to cast it. Hopefully he'd at least give them a little warning before opening the door to the wardrobe.

"Boggarts like enclosed spaces, preferably dark. Wardrobes, under the bed, cupboards that aren't often opened. I once found one that had settled in a grandfather clock. This boggart showed up yesterday and I asked Professor Dumbledore if he could leave it so my third years could get some practice," Professor Lupin explained. "Now, what is a boggart, exactly?"

Everyone in the study group put up their hands, along with a few other students.

"Hermione," Professor Lupin said.

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They will take the shape of whatever will frighten you the most."

"Very good," he said. "No one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone. However, when I let it out, it will become whatever you most fear. This gives us an advantage. Rachel, can you tell me what it is?"

Rachel thought quickly. "There's too many people. It won't know what to become first."

"That's right. You should always have company when you're dealing with a boggart because the boggart can become confused. Should it become a mummy or a clown? A clown covered in bandages is not frightening at all," Professor Lupin continued. "The charm to repel a boggart is very simple, yet it requires a prepared state of mind. What actually finishes off a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find amusing. Without wands, please, the incantation is Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus," the class repeated.

"Now that is the easy part. What comes next is not so easy. Let's see. Neville, could you come up here and help me out?" he asked.

Neville glanced back at the study group before he went up to the front to stand with Professor Lupin.

"Alright, Neville. What would you say frightens you most in the world?" Professor Lupin asked.

Rachel thought that was a very rude question to ask in front of a group of people.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville said quietly.

Professor Lupin paused, his expression uncertain. "Yes, I can understand why that would be. Do you wish to proceed?"

"Yes," Neville said, looking at the study group.

Rachel gave him a nod and a small smile that she hoped Neville would interpret as encouragement.

Professor Lupin nodded. "What we need is to find a way to make Bellatrix Lestrange funny. Do you happen to have any ideas?"

Neville hesitated for a moment. "Yes. I want to see her clumsy and weak. She drops her wand when she tries to cast a spell, and she trips when she tries to walk."

"Very good," Lupin said. "Can you picture this in your mind? Can you see it clearly?"

Neville closed his eyes and then nodded. "Yes."

"When the boggart comes out of the wardrobe, it will assume the form of Bellatrix Lestrange. You will raise your wand and say Riddikulus while you're concentrating hard on making her clumsy. If all goes according to plan, you will see the boggart proceed to act clumsily," Professor Lupin explained. "If Neville is successful, the boggart will shift its attention to another person. I want you each to take a moment to think of what frightens you the most and how to make it appear comical."

Rachel considered that. Uncle Vernon was certainly a contender, though she wondered if she would be as frightened of him now as she used to be. She supposed it would depend on whether or not she was allowed to use magic.

The Dark Lord was also an option, though she didn't know what he looked like. She wondered if the boggart would actually turn into what the Dark Lord looked like or what she imagined he looked like.

She thought about Sirius Black for a moment and then dismissed that idea. She wasn't really afraid of him so much as she was angry at what he had done to her parents and to the life she could have had.

Then she thought about the Dementors and the way they'd made her feel before she'd passed out. Out of all the things that were likely to be able to still hurt her, Dementors were definitely at the top of the list. But how could she make them funny?

Rachel frowned as she thought about it and she looked around the room. Many people had their eyes closed.

"Everyone ready?" Professor Lupin asked.

Around her people nodded and said "yes". Rachel didn't want to ask for more time. She thought briefly about having the Dementor's cloak come off, but decided that was probably not the way to go. Maybe she could light it on fire?

"Everyone back away so the boggart has room to focus on one person. When I call your name, come forward," Professor Lupin instructed.

They all backed up and Rachel watched Neville. He looked worried, but he wasn't backing down. Rachel thought she wouldn't do as well with facing a Dementor.

"I'll count to three, Neville. One, two, three!" Professor Lupin sent sparks from his wand that hit the doorknob of the wardrobe.

A woman with pale skin stepped out. Her black hair was shining and her lips were accented in blood red. She was in a long black dress and she held her wand up, ready to strike.

Neville pointed his wand at her. "Riddikulus!"

Bellatrix brought her own wand down "Cruc-". She stopped mid-spell as she dropped her wand. When she bent down to pick it up she tripped over the hem of her dress.

"Ha!" Neville said, a furious look on his face.

"Neville, back. Parvati, forward." Professor Lupin called.

Parvati, one of the Gryffindor girls, stepped forward, her wand raised.

The boggart changed form into a mummy with bloodstains. It started slowly making its way toward Parvati, it's arms outstretched.

"Riddikulus!" she shouted. The mummy tripped over its own bandages and fell over. When it hit the floor, its head fell off.

Rachel thought that was a bit gruesome, but Parvati seemed to enjoy it.

"Next, Seamus."

The boggart turned into a banshee, which Seamus made lose its voice.

They continued through the class, the boggart becoming a rat, a giant spider, a rattlesnake, and a huge bloody eyeball.

"It's becoming confused now. Draco, forward!" Professor Lupin called.

Draco stepped forward. The boggart became a tall bulky man with grey hair and pointed teeth, someone Rachel had never seen before, though she saw Professor Lupin flinch.

"Riddikulus," Draco said as the man howled and started to transform into a beast. The beast shrank to the size of a small dog. It had been transforming into a werewolf, Rachel realized.

"Millie, you're up," Professor Lupin said, looking steady again.

Millie stepped forward, wand drawn. The boggart turned into a woman who was sitting on the floor.

Rachel was confused. She stepped closer to get a better look, and then realized that the woman was giving herself stitches over a big cut on her arm with a huge needle.

"Riddikulus," Millie said, her voice wavering.

The needle flopped over as if it were nothing more than thread and the woman got up and faced Rachel.

Rachel readied her wand though she still hadn't figured out what to do to the Dementor.

"I've got it," Professor Lupin said, stepping between Rachel and the boggart. The boggart turned into a silvery-white orb in the air. "Riddikulus."

The orb deflated and landed in front of Ron Weasley and turned into a giant spider again. "Riddikulus!" Ron shouted. The spider's body made two bounces without its legs as Ron laughed and then exploded into wisps of smoke and then it was gone.

"Very good everyone, very good. Let's see. Five points to everyone who tackled the boggarts, ten to Ron since he did it twice, and five points to Hermione and to Rachel for answering questions at the start of class. For homework, write a summary of the chapter on boggarts, due next Friday. You're dismissed."

They left the staff room in a group, the class chattering eagerly among themselves.

"We've still got an hour until lunch, let's go up to our study room," Hermione said.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked Neville once they were away from the rest of the class.

Neville nodded. "I am. It wasn't as bad as I expected, to see her. I mean, it would be worse in real life, obviously. But, I was still able to do the spell."

"You did really well," Hermione said.

"You did. Are you okay, Millie?" Rachel asked.

"It was unsettling, but I'm alright," Millie said.

"What was that, anyway?" Theo asked.

"My mom told me about it. She had to do a course on how muggles do healing and she told me about how they can't heal wounds right away, they have to sew them closed with a needle. There was a picture in her book," Millie said, shuddering.

"Wait, really?" Theo asked.

"I've had stitches before, they aren't that bad," Hermione said. "I fell on the playground at school and cut open my knee. The needle they use isn't like that at all, it's much smaller and thinner, and they give you an injection first so you don't feel them do the sewing."

Millie shook her head. "Still. I think I'll stick with magical healing."

"It's definitely easier and quicker," Hermione agreed.

"I wonder why Professor Lupin didn't let me face the boggart," Rachel said once they reached their study room. "It came right at me."

"I don't know, maybe you should ask him," Hermione suggested.

Rachel nodded as she got out her book, intending to do the Defense homework immediately while it was fresh in her mind. "I think I will."


By Saturday, Rachel was a little less certain of her plan to ask Professor Lupin about the lesson with the boggart. Maybe he thought she was weak. After all she'd gotten sick from the Dementor and no one else had. Maybe after seeing that he thought she wasn't up to handling a boggart.

She had just left the library with Hermione and Luna when she saw Professor Lupin turning down the Defense corridor. "Do you really think I should ask him?" she asked Hermione.

"What's the worst he could say?" Hermione asked.

Rachel didn't have to think about that. "That he thought I couldn't handle a boggart."

"Then if he says that, tell him you can," Hermione said. "And, you can tell him that those of us who didn't get a turn would like one, if he manages to find another boggart. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I can do it alone," Rachel said.

"That shows you aren't afraid of him and wouldn't be afraid of boggarts either," Luna said.

It was mostly so that if Professor Lupin said something embarrassing no one else would be around to hear it. "I'll join you in the study room in a few minutes."

"Good luck," Hermione said. "We'll come looking for you if you don't show up in a little bit."

Rachel nodded. She hadn't forgotten Severus' warning either.

Holding the book she'd gotten out of the library tightly, Rachel turned down the Defense corridor and then knocked on the Defense teacher's office door. The last time she'd been in this office, Lockhart had tried to obliviate them.

The door opened and Professor Lupin smiled when he saw Rachel. "Rachel, how are you?"

"Fine, sir. I had a question for you," Rachel said.

"Come in," Professor Lupin said, opening the door wider and stepping back.

Rachel peered around his office curiously. There were a few creatures in cages and tanks.

"Was your question about the lesson?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Kind of," Rachel said, pulling her attention away from a Grindylow that was floating around a tank and over to Professor Lupin. "The boggart came right to me in class. Why didn't you let me take a turn?"

"Because I thought your boggart would be You-Know-Who and I didn't want to panic the class, particularly after the appearances of two Death Eaters," Professor Lupin said.

"Oh," Rachel said, relieved and then confused. "Two Death Eaters?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange, of course, and then Fenrir Greyback," Professor Lupin explained.

Rachel thought for a moment. "Draco's boggart?"

"Yes," he said. "Neville is a friend of yours, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Rachel said, nodding firmly.

"How is he doing after yesterday's class?" he asked.

"Neville's fine," Rachel said. "Though, I think it's a little embarrassing for people to have to reveal their deepest fear to their classmates, especially since a lot of the Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't even friends."

Professor Lupin nodded. "Yes, that's understandable, and I have to admit I did hesitate about giving the lesson, especially after Neville told me what his boggart would be. However, I feel that practice is an important part of the Defense curriculum and that people are better prepared when they've had a chance to try the spell in a controlled setting. Boggarts can be dangerous. While they can't cast spells when they are in the form of a witch or a wizard, they can still attack. For creatures this can be especially problematic."

Rachel nodded. It probably was better to practice. "I'm not sure that my boggart would be the Dark Lord. I don't even know what he looks like."

"In that case, the boggart would take the form of your worst imagining of what You-Know-Who would look like. I believe Neville's version of Bellatrix was based on the newspaper picture of her before her trial," Professor Lupin explained. "What do you think your boggart would be?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Rachel said. "But I think it would be a Dementor."

"Very wise, to fear fear itself," Professor Lupin said.

Rachel shook her head. "No, it's more about the way the Dementor made me feel and what it did to me."

Professor Lupin smiled and nodded.

"I know you said you needed time, but I was wondering if there was anything you could tell me about my dad. The way you met him, maybe? Or what he was like?" Rachel asked, deciding that she might as well ask since she was already here.

"I met James on my first day at Hogwarts. We'd just been sorted into Gryffindor and after the Welcoming Feast we all went up to the dorm together. As you know, your dad was quite well off, but he never made a big deal over it, especially when he saw that most of my things were second hand. That night, James, Peter, Sirius, and I all stayed up talking, telling each other who we were and what we wanted to do at Hogwarts. It didn't take us long at all to become fast friends," Professor Lupin said, his gaze focusing on the wall behind Rachel.

"Sirius Black," Rachel said. "He was your friend too."

"He was, though he and James were particularly close. They were among the top students in our year, brilliant at everything they touched," he said. "Has Severus talked to you about Sirius?"

"Yes. I'm not scared though," Rachel said, thinking about Sirius. "I hate him, for what he did to my parents. For what he did to my life."

"I can understand how hate eclipses other emotions, but I want to warn you to be cautious. Sirius Black is a powerful and a dangerous wizard. He killed thirteen people with a single spell and he gave no thought to innocent bystanders. You must stay away from him, even if you want vengeance. Throwing your life away is not what James and Lily would have wanted for you, I can guarantee that," Professor Lupin said firmly.

Rachel nodded. "But he can't get into Hogwarts, right? Because he'd have to go through the Dementors."

"That's the idea, yes. But nothing is certain in this world, so you must be on your guard. Promise me, if you see Sirius Black, run and get away as fast as you can and get someone to help you," he said, meeting Rachel's eyes.

"I promise," Rachel said. She had no illusions that any spells she could cast would be a match for Sirius Black.

"Good. Now I've kept you late enough, go be with your friends," Professor Lupin said.

"Yes, sir. Thank you for telling me more about my dad," Rachel said, heading out of Professor Lupin's office.

"Of course. We can talk more another time," Professor Lupin said, smiling at her before closing the door.

Rachel leaned against the wall next to the door and thought for a moment. Was she afraid of Sirius Black? Maybe a little bit. She certainly didn't want him to find her. And, like Professor Lupin had said, she didn't want to die for no reason.

She went back to the study room and found everyone busily chatting.

"What did Professor Lupin say?" Millie asked.

"About what?" Rachel asked, her thoughts still on Sirius.

"The boggart," Hermione said.

"Oh, he said he didn't want the Dark Lord to appear in front of the class," Rachel said.

"That makes sense," Theo said.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Neville agreed.

"Did he say if he was going to get another boggart?" Hermione asked.

"I forgot to ask. We can ask him when we're setting up to review," Rachel said.

Hermione looked disappointed, but she nodded in agreement.

"Rachel," Ginny said. "I'm thinking of trying out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Seeker."

"That's great, but what happened to Allison?" Rachel asked.

"She quit the team because it's her OWL year and she's taking ten classes," Ginny said. "You wouldn't have a problem playing against me?"

"No, I think it would be fun. I hope you get the spot," Rachel said. "It will be good to have another Quidditch team member in the study group."

Ginny smiled. "Good. I hope I get it too."