Chapter Forty-Five: In Grave Danger
Once Harry and his friends got to defense against the dark arts class, Professor Lupin introduced himself to all of those who didn't already know him and told them that they would be learning about boggarts today. "Now, who can tell me what a boggart is?" He wondered when suddenly Hermione Granger shot her hand up and started speaking beside Ron.
"Boggarts are shapeshifters, they change into the thing that a person fears the most." She replied while Ron turned to look at Harry with his mouth gaped wide open.
"Where did she come in? Did you see her come in?" He whispered in complete and utter shock and disbelief and Harry just silently shook his head while Lupin smiled at her.
"Excellent Miss Granger, ten points to Gryffindor. Now can anybody tell me what a boggart's original form is?" He questioned before her hand shot up again. "Yes Miss Granger?" He questioned her.
"Nobody knows, their original form is unknown." She replied.
"Excellent Miss Granger, another ten points to Gryffindor. Now what really finishes a boggart is laughter following the incantation riddikulus." Lupin explained. "I want you all to form a line and then try and turn the thing that most scares you into something that you find humorous." He told them and had them practice the incantation a few times before instructing them to take out their wands.
Harry already expected that Ron's boggart would wind up being a gigantic spider and he looked just as fearful as he had last year when they almost got killed by Aragog and all of the other gigantic spiders in the Forbidden Forest. With a wave of his wand a bunch of tap shoes were placed onto the spider's feet and the class began to laugh. Ron tagged Hermione and she had pictured Professor McGonagall telling her that she had failed everything.
With a wave of her wand, she was now being praised with awards and rewards. Next it was Draco Malfoy's turn, and this had been the thing that Harry hadn't been expecting. For Draco had pictured his father in a very angry and abusive mood and hadn't been able to finish his turn correctly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all felt bad for him but now it was Harry's turn. Harry started thinking about Voldemort until he remembered the dementor on the train and made one appear in front of him instead.
"No!" Professor Lupin cried out while he raced in front of Harry and withdrew his own wand and the boggart transformed into a full moon. "Riddikulus!" He exclaimed with a wave of his wand and the room began to laugh as the moon turned into a yellow balloon and deflated itself before Lupin directed it back into the wardrobe and locked it up while Harry watched in a state of fright.
"Well, that's enough for today's lesson then." He said as the bell rang for study hall. At the end of classes Harry went to go find Professor Lupin because he still had a question that he had wanted to ask him. He had managed to find him inside his office.
"Professor, I was just wondering if I could ask you something." Harry began.
"You're wondering why I stopped you from facing your boggart earlier today." Lupin began as he looked up from his work. "Well, naturally, given your past I would have thought that the boggart would have taken the form of Lord Voldemort." He explained.
"I did think of Voldemort at first, but then I remembered what happened on the train. You made that thing go away." Harry pointed out.
"I know, but that's because I'm much older and experienced than you Harry." He pointed out.
"You still made it go away and I want to learn how to too." Harry told him before Lupin took a deep breath and sighed.
"Oh alright Harry, but please understand that this is very advanced magic that you're getting yourself into and I still need to bring it up with your father." Lupin told him when suddenly Professor McGonagall had gotten onto the louder speaker just like she had when Ginny Weasley had been taken into The Chamber of Secrets and Harry's heart began to sink and his stomach felt sickish.
"All students need to be escorted into the Great Hall immediately." She said and once Lupin escorted Harry into the Great Hall he quickly found his father and little sister.
"What's going on!?" Harry and Sarah cried out at exactly the same time while Ginny walked over to them.
"It's the Fat Lady, she's gone!" She exclaimed.
"What do you mean she's gone?" Harry wondered. "How are we supposed to get back into the Gryffindor common room?" He asked her.
"You can't." Severus began. "Miss Weasley will be staying down here in the Great Hall with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger and you, and your sister will be sleeping in my room tonight." He explained.
"Wait, why do I have to go? My common room's open." Sarah replied.
"Yeah, and why can't I stay down here with Ron and Hermione?" Harry wondered as their father suddenly grew an extremely serious and worried look on his face.
"He's here in the castle." He began.
"Who is?" Harry questioned him while looking up at him anxiously.
"Sirius Black. He got violent with the Fat Lady when she wouldn't let him in and slashed her picture and broke in instead." He explained. "And now I'm worried that he'll come after both of you, so I want to keep you close to me." He added. "You're in grave danger now."
"That isn't like him." Harry replied with a shake of his head as Sarah began to cry and Severus hugged her tightly to him.
"Shh,.. it's alright Sally. I won't let anything happen to either of you I promise." He reassured her softly while gently rubbing her shoulders and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'll go get you both settled in my room and then get your things and send an owl to your mother to let her know what's going on. So Harry, I'll need Hedwig." He told him while glancing up at him and Harry silently nodded in response while Severus let go of Sarah and then started leading them both back to his room.
