Chapter 18 Fearful Surprises

I was in the bathroom during lunch. I didn't have a mirror on me and I was curious to see what I look like. I had my scar from Gertrude, that hadn't disappeared. My hair, instead of being a brown, was black with a slight wave to it. My eyes were still gray, I was thankful for that. But I noticed on my neck I had little knife knicks.

'I need to know what happened to me.' I sighed as I exited the bathroom.

Ron and Harry were waiting for me outside. They were having a great time copying each other as they changed their features. It felt weird not being able to change mine.

I was followed by whispers and I headed towards the Great Hall. Hermione had gone one way and come back another way, but we were quick to link arms. I had to put her on my other side so that the boys wouldn't notice.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"Don't worry. I don't know how you're making it to your classes but I'll try to help it not be so noticeable." I whispered back.

"Weren't you right behind us?" Ron asked.

I stumbled and Hermione and I turned around to look at him. He was frowning as he looked between the two of us and behind him.

"What?" We asked.

"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again." He answered.

"What?" Hermione looked confused for a second. "Oh - I had to go back for something. Oh no -"

Her bag had split at the seam. All of her books had fallen out and we were all kneeling down to help her pick up her stuff.

"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked.

"You know how many subjects she's taking, and she's always at the top of classes. It's by carrying all these books with her." I answered.

"Couldn't you hold these for me, could you?" Hermione shot me a grateful smile as she shoved some books into his hands.

"But -" Ron turned the books over in his hands as I handed Hermione her papers. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."

"Oh yes," Hermione answered vaguely as she packed all the books back into the bag. "I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving." Hermione pulled me forward as she marched to the Great Hall.

Ron murmured something to Harry but I didn't catch it. I was avoiding all the stares as people started to compare the picture of Sirius Black on the 'Daily Prophet' to me.

"It's only a matter of time before someone figures it out." I whispered as Hermione and I sat down.

She pulled out her Muggle Studies book and propped it open.

"And we're still going to be your friends. You didn't have anything to do with Black before and after his escape, it's not your fault." She said it calmly.

But at that moment, it was everything I needed to hear. I got a warm feeling in my chest and I ate my lunch happily.

As we entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, I didn't see Lupin anywhere. Hermione and I sat down and she was browsing through her book and writing down notes as she went. I had taken off my cloak and was trying to do the same as her, but I kept getting distracted by my arm.

It was the first time I wasn't showing off the black flames, and even though Hermione had made me feel better earlier I was still self conscious about it.

"Oy, Cassie." Seamus was turned around in his seat and looking at me.

"Yes?" I looked up.

"Ye look a' awful like Sirius Black." He stated.

He had chosen to turn his usual sandy blond hair to show his house pride. It was striped red and gold. I thought it suited him.

"And when Parkinson was trying to tease Harry, you called Malfoy cousin." Dean had also turned around.

"And?" I asked, a little impressed.

"And we think you're the daughter of Sirius Black the Prophet has been going on about." Dean motioned between the two of them.

Dean had gone for the colors of his soccer team for his hair.

I looked between the two of them thoughtfully, crossing my arms so that they looked down at my black scar.

"Wicked." Seamus whispered.

I chuckled at that.

"I am Sirius Black's daughter."

Nobody around me reacted at first. It did go silent though.

Seamus had opened his mouth to say something, but the door to the classroom opened at that moment.

"Good afternoon." Lupin said as he walked down the room.

He still looked shabby, but he was looking healthier. He must have started to eat on a regular basis.

"Would you please -" He paused.

He had taken a look at me and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to catch his stumble.

"- put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson You will need only your wands."

Hermione and I exchanged curious looks. The last time we had a practical lesson was last year when Lockhart brought in a cage of pixies. And I missed that class period.

"Right then," Lupin nodded once we were all ready, "If you'd follow me."

I waited until he had passed me before standing up. I tried to stay behind in the class but no one wanted me behind them. I ended up in the front just behind Lupin. Harry and Ron were just behind me as Hermione and I linked arms.

As we walked down the deserted corridor I heard a cackling sound, and when we turned a corner, there was Peeves.

He was floating upside down as he stuffed a piece of chewed up gum into a keyhole. He didn't look up until we were two feet away from him. The first person he saw was Lupin. His face broke out into a grin and he started to sing.

"Loony, loopy, Lupin. Loony, loopy, Lupin!"

I looked up at Lupin, Peeves usually had respect for teachers. But Lupin didn't look up upset, he was smiling instead.

"I'd take that gum out of keyhole if I were you, Peeves" Lupin's voice had a pleasant tone to it. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."

Peeves blew a raspberry.

Lupin gave a sigh and pulled out his wand. He looked back at us as he raised it.

"This is a useful little spell. Please watch closely."

He held his wand at shoulder height, "Waddiwasi!"

The gum shot out of the keyhole and down Peeves left nostril. I flinched and Hermione and I both put a hand to our noses. Peeves shot up and zoomed away letting out curses.

"Cool sir!" Dean said.

"Thank you, Dean. Shall we proceed?" Lupin put his wand away.

"Where do you think he learned that?" Hermione whispered to me.

"He's been to Hogwarts, he probably learned it while he was here." I whispered back.

Lupin lead us to the teacher's room. He gestured for all of us to go inside and sitting in an armchair was Snape. He sneered at me, but it got deeper when Lupin came in and made to close the door.

"Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness it." He stood up and his robes billowed behind him.

Just as he got through the doorway he turned on his heel, "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."

I turned to see Neville had turned red. I stepped forward and laced my arm through his.

"Don't let it get to you." I whispered into his ear.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," Lupin spoke up. "I'm sure he will perform it admirably."

Neville's face turned a deeper red and his turned to match, he kept his gaze lowered though. I was glaring at Snape who closed the door with a snap.

"Now then." Lupin beckoned us to the end of the room.

There was an old wardrobe there, but it was wobbling.

"Nothing to worry about." Lupin said calmly, several students had jumped from the sudden shock.

"There's a boggart in there."

Neville gave a small gasp and went to take a step back but I held him in place.

"I don't think Professor Lupin will purposefully set it out. He knows he's got to teach us how to be prepared, unlike the other guy." I said.

I meant to say it to comfort him, but he just shook. Harry and Ron, however, were snickering behind us.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," Lupin started.

"I wish I brought my notes." I whispered to Hermione.

She nodded in agreement.

"Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under the sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff could leave it to give my third years some practice."

I couldn't help the grin on my face. Lupin saw it and he had to look away real quick.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?" Lupin asked the class.

Hermione put her hand. I noticed that she had changed her hair to be a lighter color than what she usually had.

"It's a shape-shifter, it can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Lupin smiled.

Hermione gave me a glowing look and I giggled.

"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."

Neville let out a sputter of terror and his hair had turned white. Gerturde flashed through my mind for a split second, followed by Sirius Black.

"This means, we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Hermione was bouncy on the balls of her feet, with her hand in the air.

"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?" Harry answered.

"Precisely!"

"Good answer." I whispered behind Hermione's back.

He gave me a smile and nodded his thanks.

"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."

Neville was still trembling next to me. I tried to make myself feel like a comforting presence but it didn't seem to work.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires a force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes off a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first… After me please. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" The class repeated after him.

"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."

Neville was trembling so bad, I had to push him forward. Lupin noticed and nodded at me.

"Right, Neville. First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

I didn't hear Neville answer, I was starting to wonder if he even had answered.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry." Lupin said rather cheerfully.

Neville looked around and his eyes were wide with fear.

"It's okay." I nodded and gestured with hands to get him to answer.

He turned back around and said, barely in a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed, but I didn't. When he looked back at me I gave him an encouraging smile.

"Professor Snape… Hmmm… Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er, yes." Neville nodded, "but I don't want it to turn into her either."

My heart broke to hear that. Was every adult terrifying to him?

"No, no, you misunderstand me," Lupin shook his head while smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

I flashbacked to when I met her this past summer. She had a long dress on and that awful hat was all I could really remember.

"Well…" Neville started to answer. "Always the same hat,. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress...green normally...and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" Lupin prompted.

"A big red one." I didn't mean to answer it but I remember seeing it on her elbow.

"Yeah." Neville nodded.

"Right then," Lupin nodded. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," Neville answered in uncertainty.

"When the boggarts burst out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape, and you will raise your wand - thus - and cry 'Riddikulus!' - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape, will be forced into the vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

There was a great shout of laughter and even Neville showed me a crack of a smile.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift 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…"

Gertrude popped up in my head, and as much as I tried to think of how to make her funny, I couldn't. So I tried as best as I could to change my most frightening thing.

"Everyone ready?" Lupin asked.

I wanted to ask for more time, but everyone was already nodding and rolling up their sleeves. Harry and I both shared a panicked look and I was relieved he was in the same boat as me, but then I started to think. If the boggart took a turn at either of us, what would happen?

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

"What did you pick?" I whispered to Harry.

"A dementor, but I don't know how to make it funny." Harry whispered back.

"I can't pick a thing." I admitted.

"On the count of three, Neville," Lupin was over Neville's shoulder.

Harry pulled me behind him. I knew it was to give me time to think of something to have the boggart take the form of.

"One -" I couldn't get my mind off of Gertrude.

"Two -" Sirius Black was looking at me with crazy in his eyes.

"Three - " Gertrude was back.

"Now!"

There was a flurry of red sparks and the door opened.

Snape stepped out of the closet.

"You've got this Neville!" I said from the back.

I really hoped he heard me, because Lupin did and he had a small smile on his face.

"R - r - riddikulus!" Neville squeaked.

There was a whip crack noise and Snape stumbled. His black robes were replaced with a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture. A huge crimson handbag was swinging from his hand.

I slapped a hand on my mouth. Harry turned around and shared a wide eye look with me.

"Parvati! Forward!" Lupin gestured for Parvati.

Another crack sounded and a blood-stained, bandaged mummy. The boggart transformed fast.

"Riddikulus!" Parvati cried, waving her wand.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet. It got tangled up and tripped. It's head fell off. I was grossed out by it rather than finding it funny.

"Seamus!" Lupin roared from the side of the room.

Seamus hurried forward.

Another crack. A woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face. She opened her mouth and an unearthly shriek that made my hair stand on end.

"Go ahead of me." Harry was quick to push my in front of him.

I looked back at him in panic.

"I still don't -!"

I missed what happened in those split seconds but when I turned around, there was a hand trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!" Lupin gestured.

My heart froze for a second. There was a huge spider in front of us.

I put a hand on Ron's back, "you can do this." I whispered.

"Riddikulus!" Ron bellowed and the legs vanished.

I laughed as it rolled over to my feet since I was next.

It paused for a second and there was another crack.

Gertrude stood in front of me. She was the same eleven year old chubby girl I remember. Her brown eyes flashed and her mouth widened into a terrible smile. She raised the knife she was holding.

"Baby, baby baby." That voice echoed in my head.

Something cracked in my head. I felt a pain behind my right eye, the side where my scar was.

"Riddikulus!"

Her pants she was wearing suddenly stretched over her head. I let out a hearty laugh and Ron pulled me to the back of the line.

"Here!" Lupin shouted.

I turned around to see a silvery-white orb hanging in the air. Harry didn't get a chance to go after the boggart.

There was a pain behind my eye and I put a hand to where it hurt to try and put pressure on it.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked.

His voice was low and I think he was trying to be soothing but my head…

I shook my head and leaned against the door. The Slytherins in the back of the room were all looking at me and talking amongst themselves while pointing at me.

Harry soon joined us and he was leaning against me so I put my head on his shoulder.

There was a flurry of tiny wisps of smoke and the boggart was gone.

The room erupted into applause and Lupin started handing out points.

"Can we go yet?" I whispered.

"But I didn't do anything." Harry said suddenly.

I looked up and watched Lupin blur.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry." Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Ron was quick to open the door, and I was surprised to see Trewlawney waiting outside.

"Cassie, dear, you didn't show up for dinner the other day." Her voice was still airy.

"I forgot." I said, holding my head as Ron practically held me up.

"Come with me." Her eyes got clearer just for a second.

"But - " Harry started.

"I'll go." I nodded.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, turning my body to face him.

"Yeah, she and I need to have a talk anyways." I tried to smile reassuringly at him.

"We'll see you at dinner." Hermione was the one to pull Harry away from me.

I gave them all a wave good-bye. As Trewlawney and I walked down the hallway, I noticed a lot of third years and older kids were enjoying changing their appearance. A lot of them had figured out how to change their noses or mouths into some sort of animals and were having fun. I was glad to see it through the halls.

I felt their eyes as they followed me and Trelawney.

"How is your head, dear?" Trelawney asked.

"It feels like a door is trying to burst open." I answered honestly.

"Of course. Professor Snape was kind enough to explain your situation to me." Trelawney took a turn and suddenly we were at the bottom of the stairs to the North Tower.

"Really? I didn't think he would say anything to you." I didn't mean to sound rude but when it came out of my mouth, I knew it did.

"You are a unique child. Not unique like Mr. Potter, but unique." Trelawney said as we took a few steps up.

"Hold on for a second." She paused.

I leaned against the cold rail and put my forehead on it. I gave a little noise of relief as the cold touched my face.

"Motus Supra!" Trelawney said.

The staircase started to move so I let myself slump down on the step I was on. There was a sudden banging in my head, like the memories had fists and were trying to pound out of my head.

"Ugh." I groaned.

"Come on, dear. Just up the st-"

"Professor!" Lavender and Parvarti had decided to come up.

"Hello dears, I'm afraid I cannot host you tonight. Miss Zwart will be my guest." Trelawney said.

I turned my head to look at them. I saw Lavender glaring at me, but Parvati had a look of disappointment.

"But -" Lavender started.

"Have a good night dears." Trelawney was firm with them.

I sighed when they huffed and walked away.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure they're great company." I mumbled as I started to slump on the steps.

"Don't fall down, I won't be able to pick you up." Trelawney pulled my arm through hers.

"Sorry." I scrunched my eyes together to try to keep the tears at bay.

"Here we are, just up this last bit and you can sit." Trelawney pushed me towards her attic stairs.

I forced myself to crawl through them and I couldn't seem to get back on my feet. My head was starting to weigh me down and I had started to cry from the pounding.

"Drink up." Trelawney's voice sounded like it was just a faint whisper but her hand was the back of my head.

I got most of the tea she was offering me on my uniform but what little that I did manage to swallow was a temporary relief. I laid back down and tried to relax my head but it wasn't working.

"Professor -" I started.

"I know, just a moment dearie." I turned my head and I saw she was putting a crystal ball next to me.

She sat on the other side of me and closed her eyes.

I struggled, but I managed to sit up and I copied how she was sitting. I also moved the crystal ball so that it was between the two of us. I also closed my eyes and tried to relax my mind.

"Take a deep breath, and hold it." Trelawney started to instruct me.

I did as she told me.

"Now slowly let it out." She started to breathe with me.

I don't know how long we sat there just breathing, but the pain had finally started to lesson just the tiniest bit.

"Look into your mind, picture a door." Trelawney's voice was smooth, and I was glad it was airy.

I imagined a door that looked like the ones in the Entrance Hall. Tall, solid oak, with the metal hinges on the one side. However, I didn't imagine the cracks with a faint light behind them. They were already there.

"Now open the door."

I saw the knob start to turn and I suddenly didn't want to know what was behind the door. But it was too late. The door opened and my memory was back.

Here is a long chapter to make up for all the short ones! Next week we finally find out what happened to her!

Shout out to zamzym for following the story!

Shout out to DoTheHarlemShake for following the story!

Shout out to leafstone for following and favoriting the story!

Shout out to AnnaMariaNordlade for following the story!

Shout out to Pamela Hutchins, katie owl and afkz94 for leaving reviews!

Pamela Hutchins: I wanted her, at first, to subconsciously look like her mom because she didn't know about Sirius at first and so she wouldn't take on his attributes.

katie owl: I hope you're not too disappointed! The one's closest to her have already known about her parentage. It's when he finds out about what happened to his parents that you should be looking forward too!

afkz94: And there's plenty more!