Just had 'Muck Up day' or Celebration Day as we now have to call it. Witch is for the people who don't know; is unofficial tradition within secondary schools where graduating final-year students are involved with pranks and other activities on their last official day of school. Mostly we dress up as any charterers. I went as Velma from Scooby Doo.

Well I hope you enjoyed the Thursday the 24th of October as well as I did.

-Doublesims

Chapter Thirteen: The Boggart in the Wardrobe.

Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills and parchment, Lavender Brown had come in with Jack's staff and gave it to him while he setting up –with a spare quill and parchment Sandy had given him over lunch. He thanked her and they were talking when Lupin finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had a few square meals.

"Good afternoon," He said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags? Todays will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books, Jack was full-out smiling, knowing Lupin like to make this fun, from what he has heard from Aster and Sandy, and of course he knows about the fun times Lupin and his friends got up to when they were at school. But the rest of the class were confused they had never had a practical lesson before; unless you counted the memorable class last year when the old teacher had brought a cage full of pixies to class and set them loose.

"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 corridors to the staff-room. On the way they run into the poltergeist. Peeves did not show any respect to their teacher which was odd because he usually shows some respect to teachers. But Professor Lupin did show them a sweet little spell 'Waddiwasi. That can be used to shoot whatever the caster so desires at a target or victim, in this case it was a wad of chewing gum –that Peeves was putting in a keyhole –straight down Peeves' left nostril.

They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. They reached the staff-room door; he opened it and showed them in.

The staff room, 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 his mouth. As Professor Lupin come in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, 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 or Mr Frost is keeping an eye out to help others."

Neville went scarlet. Jack rolled his eye as Harry glared at Snape. It was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers.

"Just because he need help in your classes Professor Sanpe it doesn't mean he does in others." Jack spoke up he was leaning on his staff watching the Professors.

"I see you have your staff back, Frost."

"Of course, the girls didn't want me to freeze anything of importance"

Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows, at Jack's quick comebacks and not afraid to go head to head with the most feared Professor in the school and turned to face the other Professor in the room.

"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's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door behind him with a snap.

"Now, then," Said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class towards the end of the room, where there was nothing except an old wardrobe in which 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, as a few people jumped backwards in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."

'A Boggart …' thought Jack. 'Wait they were Pitch's creatures, they help keep belief in him. Okay they can be something to worry about.' Jack looked around at the class most people seemed to feel that it was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks –I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third-years some practice.

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

Hermione and Jack put their hand up. Professor Lupin pointed to Hermione.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It takes up the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"That's not quite right." Jack spoke up before Professor Lupin could "It knows what your fear is, for its creator is Kozmotis Pitchiner aka Pitch Black is the master of fear. He is also known by Muggle children as the Boogeyman or the Nightmare King. Boggarts as well as the Dermenters –well more the wild Dermenters –are his creations.

"The Boggart helps keep the belief going of the Boogeyman, he may be gone, but his stories and the legend are still going because the Boggart has been mistaken for the Boogeyman more than one occasion."

"Well that was a little more information than I wanted, but yes that's right." said Professor Lupin; giving Jack on odd look. "May I ask how you knew who created them?"

"Tooth and North, would and still tells us stories about the Dark and Golden Ages." Jack said he hugged himself as he remembered the stories that he was told by all five of them after he became a Guardian; Manny's stories and especially Aster's story of the down fall of the Pookas are the darkest of all the stories.

Professor Lupin nodded guessing that having parents as teachers can have its perks. He turned back to the class as a whole going back to teaching the class "So the Boggart sitting in the dark has not assumed a form. He does not yet know who is 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, choosing to ignore Neville's small splutter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, and Jack watching him waiting for his answer was very off-putting, but Harry gave it a go.

"Er –because there is so many of us, it won't know what shape to be?"

"Precisely," Said Professor Lupin, Hermione put her hand down looking a little disappointed, Jack gave Harry encouraging smile. "It's always best to have company when dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused into what he should become. I once saw a Boggart that tried to frighten two people at once and turned into half a slug. Not at all frightening.

"The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet 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."

'Making fear fun! Laughter and fun that's what defeats fear' thought Jack 'That's why Pitch, wanted me to join him, Without me being… well me; the Guardian of Fun, Pitch would have won that Easter.'

"We will practice the charm oh without wands please. Jack? Can you leave your staff to the side please? Okay after me please … riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good" said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he was heading for the gallows.

"Right Neville," Said Professor Lupin. "What frightens you most?"

Neville's lips moved but nothing was heard.

"Sorry didn't quite catch that."

Neville looked around for help, before trying again.

"Professor Snape" he said just enough to be heard. Some of the class gave a laugh.

"Professor Sna- yes, he frightens all." Professor Lupin had a thoughtful look on his face "Now I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Yes, but I don't want that Boggart to turn into her either." said Neville nervously.

"Trust me it won't" Said Professor Lupin giving the wardrobe a quick look. "Now I want you to picture her clothes only her clothes."

"Well she wears a big hat with…"

"Ah I don't need to know" said Professor Lupin quickly "Now here's what I want you to do." He came to Neville's side and whispered. "I want you to picture Professor Sanpe in your grandmother's clothes" he stepped back. "Can you do that?"

He turned to the class "If Neville is successful; the boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you the most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical…"

The room went quiet.

'What frights me most?' Jack asked himself. '… being alone again but how do I make that comical?'

As Jack tried to work out his problem to make his fear comical Harry had the same problem.

"Everyone ready" asked Professor Lupin.

'Nope oh well, I could just always freeze It.' thought Jack.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have the clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward… everyone back, now Neville can get a clear shot –"

They all retreated, backing against walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing he own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One –two –three –now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and mean-acting, Professor Snape stepped out his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed way, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R-r-riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip-crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and swinging a huge crimson handbag from his hand.

There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati walked forward, her face set. The Boggart Snape rounded on her. There was a swirl of what looked like fine black sand, and where he had stood was a blood-stained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and began to walk towards her, very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising –

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.

A bandage unravelled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus darted past Parvati.

Swirl of black sand and were the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face –a banshee. She opened her mouth wide, and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek which made the hair on everyone's head stand on end.

"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise clutching her throat; her voice gone.

Swirl of sand. The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then –more sand – it become a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before –more sand – it became a single bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" shouted Professor Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"

Dean hurried forward.

Swirl of sand! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over, and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, your next!"

Ron leapt forward.

A swirl of black sand.

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment it looked like Ron had frozen and this time it wasn't Jack's fault. Then –

"Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider had eight pairs of roller-blades on its feet and looked like it was trying to do the shuffle to gain its balance.

"That's it, Jack your turn."

Jack was pushed forward from behind right in the front of the Boggart. He looked at the Boggart with his head on its side 'Okay than. What are you going to turn int…'

The sand covered the giant spider and its place was a rabbit that stood between six to seven feet tall, with greyish-blue fur, flower-like imprints on both its forehead and shoulders, and bright green eyes. It was wearing leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which was carrying a couple of boomerangs, and leather wrappings on its feet. And it didn't look pleased or happy it looked disappointed.

"Bunny?" Jack whispered. Hermione looked between Jack to the giant rabbit in confusion she looked around and saw that no one else heard what Jack called it.

The Boggart Pooka shock it's head "We should have never trus.."

"Riddikulus" Jack yelled, cutting it off.

The Pooka folded onto it self and shank. By the time it looked back up to Jack it was the form of a normal rabbit and looked cute. The class laughed but Jack just stood there looking in disbelieve and frightened.

"I… I didn't … Bunny?" Jack turned sharply and run though the class picking up his Staff on the way out of the room. Mumbling; "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

He didn't see Professor Lupin jumping in front of Harry and the Boggart, seeing that Harry was the closest to the Boggart after Jack ran out. He also didn't see Lupin's fear of the full moon.