Thank you so much for your patience! Alas, Grandpa passed away on the 1st of February. So, after a week of prepping for the funeral and attending it, I slowly had to get the creative juices flowing again. Rest in peace, Grandpa Alchemist.

Enjoy!

Chapter 11

Worst Fears

Stephen Swain had finished morning services and went to the market to fetch his houseguest lunch. His health had really improved since Mephisto brought him to Godric's Hollow. He left a huge mess in the bathroom when he freshened up the morning after his arrival, which made Swain wonder if he was ever given a chance to bathe while in Azkaban. He also nearly cleaned out the refrigerator, so Swain knew that the food in the wizarding prison was between completely inedible and hardly edible.

Swain ordered a meatball sub for himself and a footlong roast beef sandwich for his guest. He had only been staying at the clergy house for a few weeks and he still ate with the speed of a starving man. Swain then stopped at the drugstore and bought some vitamins. As much as his magical guest is eating, he'd need other nutrients too. He wondered if wizards had such things or if they got all their vitamins from potions and such.

After greeting some passersby on his way home, he entered the house and immediately made a beeline to the basement.

"I'm back! I brought some lunch for you," Swain announced. The place was silent but he assumed his guest was sleeping. Swain knocked on the storage room door. "Are you awake? You hungry?" He opened the door and discovered an empty room. He dropped the bag of sandwiches. He stepped further inside and found a note sitting on the pillow on the cot located in the far corner of the room.

Dear Reverend Swain,

Thank you for offering your home to me these past few weeks. Unfortunately, time is of the essence and I must continue onward towards Hogwarts. No doubt the Azkaban guards, the Dementors, are searching all over the United Kingdom, including Godric's Hollow, for me. Since you are a Muggle living in a magical community, you will not be able to see them. Surely, someone from the Magic Branch of the True Cross can help you see the signs so you can avoid them.

Be sure to thank Sir Pheles for me as well. While he is quite a character and I have no idea what his true motives are, I am very grateful for his help. I also wish I could have seen Shiro Fujimoto again. I wanted to tell him that I was inspired about that one chapter in the book he gave me twelve years ago. I still reread it to this day. I'll also search for some books about World War II from the Wizarding World's point of view. Those books you lent me were very interesting reads.

Thanks again for your hospitality.

Padfoot

Swain's eyes widened after reading the note. Dropping the note, he ran upstairs and saw the window in the dining room was open. He was gone! And he was heading to Hogwarts! He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Sir Pheles, it's Swain. He's escaped!"

~0~0~0~

"Good afternoon," Professor Lupin greeted. He was as shabby as ever but he looked healthier than he was on the train. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags? We're having a practical lesson today. You will only need your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put their books away. They hadn't had a practical lesson in this class since last year's teacher brought a cage full of Cornish pixies to class and set them loose.

"Right then," said Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

Puzzled but excited, the class followed their teacher out of the classroom. He led them through an abandoned corridor and around a corner where they saw Peeves the poltergeist floating upside down in front of a door, stuffing chewing gum into the keyhole. When he noticed that he had company, Peeves broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin…"

Rude as always, Peeves usually showed some level of respect towards the teachers. Everyone looked at Lupin to see how he'd take this behavior. To their surprise, Lupin was smiling at the poltergeist.

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

"And if Filch isn't happy, no one is happy," Rin muttered to Seamus who nodded in agreement.

Argus Filch was a Squib (a non magical person born into a wizarding family) who was the school's bad-tempered caretaker. He had raged a war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. The only one Filch got along with was Professor Shura, who was also a Squib.

Alas, Peeves's only response to Lupin's words was a loud, wet raspberry. Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful spell," he told the class. "Watch carefully." Rin leaned forward so he didn't miss anything.

Lupin raised his wand to shoulder height and pointed it at Peeves and said, "Waddiwasi!" The gum shot out of the keyhole with the force of a bullet and up Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

"Cool, sir!" Dean Thomas said in amazement.

"Please teach us that spell!" Rin pleaded, stars of admiration twinkling in his eyes.

"Thank you, Dean," Lupin said, putting his wand away, "and another time, Rin. Shall we proceed?"

He continued leading the class who started looking at their shabby-looking professor with a newfound respect.

"Class hasn't even started and I already love it!" Rin exclaimed, doing his best to keep his voice down. Lupin then finally led them to the staffroom. It was a long, paneled room full of mismatched chairs, and was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair. He sneered when he saw the class file into the classroom.

Lupin was about to close the door when Snape stood up and said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and added, "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. Dean, Seamus and Ron grabbed Rin's robes in case he decided to start an 'argument' with Snape. Harry glared at the Potions Master; it was bad enough Snape bullied Neville during his own classes.

Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I was hoping Neville could help me with the first stage of the lesson," he said, "and I'm sure he'll perform it admirably."

Neville's face went even redder, if that was possible. Snape's lips curled into another sneer and he left, shutting the door with a snap.

"Jerk," Rin coughed.

"Now then," Lupin started, beckoning the class towards the end of the room where there was an old wardrobe where teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin stood next to the wardrobe, it wobbled, startling the students. "Nothing to worry about," he assured them. "There's a boggart in there."

"Like the American actor?" Rin asked Hermione.

"That's Humphrey Bogart," she clarified.

"Who?" asked Ron

"We'll explain later," said Harry, who had seen bits and pieces of some of the mentioned actor's films when it was on television while living with the Dursleys.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed places," Lupin explained. "Wardrobes, under the bed, the cupboard under the sink - 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 would leave it to give my third year students practice.

"So, the first question is what is a boggart?"

Hermione put up her hand.

"It's a shapeshifter," she answered. "It can take the shape of whatever we fear most."

"Excellent! I couldn't have put it better myself," Lupin praised. Hermione glowed at this. "Thankfully, there's a simple charm to repel it. Remember that a boggart's number one weakness is laughter. Now repeat after me, 'Riddikulus!'"

"Riddikulus!" the class repeated.

"Good," said 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. Neville did as well.

"Now, Neville," Lupin started as he beckoned the poor boy forward. He did so as if he were walking to the chopping block. "First thing's first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you the most?"

Neville mumbled something but no one heard him say it.

"I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?" Lupin asked cheerfully.

"P-Professor Snape," Neville repeated barely above a whisper.

The whole class burst out laughing. Even Neville smiled a little. Professor Lupin, however, looked deep in thought.

"Professor Snape…hmmm… Neville, you live with your grandmother, correct?"

"Er, yes," Neville answered nervously. "But… I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no," Lupin said, now smiling. "You misunderstand me. Can you picture your grandmother's clothes?"

"Well… she has a handbag -"

"Don't tell me. Just keep those clothes in your mind," Lupin instructed. "When I release the boggart, it will see you and assume the form of Professor Snape. When it does, I want you to raise your wand and shout, 'Riddikulus!' and if all goes well, you will see Professor Snape wearing your grandmother's clothes."

There were snickers and giggles throughout the class. Rin had to cover his mouth with both hands so he would burst out laughing. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.

"Now, everybody form a line! The boggart will be facing each of you in turn!" Lupin ordered the class. "I want you all to think of what you fear most and how you will force it to look comical."

Rin wracked his brain at what his worst fear was. He was scared of what Professor Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about this evening, but lots of kids got nervous or scared when they were called to the principal's office. Whenever Yukio got really mad at him, he always had a terrifying look in his eyes that always scared Rin to his core, but that didn't feel like his worst fear. Then Rin suddenly remembered all the times people in Tokyo would say he was a demon whenever he lost his temper.

"That boy's a demon!"

"How could you raise such a violent child, Father Fujimoto?"

That was it. That was Rin's worst fear. He was afraid that what all those people said were true. Now how could he make that fear funny?

"Maybe take its legs off?" Ron muttered to himself. He was obviously thinking about his fear of spiders.

Hmmm… Rin thought about people's typical depiction of a devil or demon; horns and a tail complete with pointed ears. He could use that to counter whatever the boggart thought was a demon but was that funny enough? A memory from last year suddenly appeared in his mind…

"Everyone ready?" Lupin asked everyone.

Rin rolled up his sleeves and got his wand ready. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Harry seemed nervous. Was he not ready?

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

They all backed away, leaving poor Neville standing alone in front of the wobbling wardrobe. "On the count of three, Neville," said Lupin who was pointing his own wand at the wardrobe's handle. "One…two…three!" He shot a light at the wardrobe's door handle. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stalked out of the wardrobe, his eyes flashing at Neville who backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly.

"R-riddikulus!" he squeaked.

There was a noise that sounded like the crack of a whip. Snape stumbled; he was now wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a red handbag.

There was a roar of laughter. Boggart-Snape stopped in confusion.

"Next, Ron!" Lupin shouted.

Ron stepped forward hesitantly. The boggart straightened itself out and in a blur, it became a huge, hairy spider. It started advancing on Ron and for a moment Harry and Rin thought he had frozen up.

"Riddikulus!" Ron bellowed. Roller skates appeared on the spider's legs. It struggled to stay standing but in the end it fell to the floor. More laughter ensued.

"Rin, you're next!"

Rin slowly stepped forward. The spider then changed into what was almost a mirror image of Rin, except his hair was a silvery white, his eyes were red and blue vortexes, two tongues of blue fire sat on his forehead, and a white tail with blue fire lighting the tip of it stood in front of Rin. He froze. Was this how he'd look like as a demon?

"Hurry, Rin!" Lupin ordered.

The boggart was slowly advancing towards him. Lupin's voice snapped Rin out of it and he raised his wand.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted. Boggart-Rin suddenly changed into a catgirl wearing a maid outfit, complete with fuzzy ears and a matching cat tail. The laughter Rin heard behind him meant he did the spell correctly. It made him feel even better when he realized that no flames came out of his wand.

"Excellent, Rin! Well done!" Lupin praised as Rin joined the others.

Rin smirked at Ron. "And that, my friend, is what a catgirl looks like."

"Harry, your turn!" Lupin exclaimed.

The catgirl smiled mischievously, beckoning Harry to come closer. In a blur, she then turned into a dementor. Harry froze, forgetting everything. He felt only fear as he stared at the dementor. The cloaked figure slowly approached Harry, its rattling breath coming from a black hole that was supposed to be its mouth.

Lupin jumped in front of Harry and the boggart suddenly changed into a glowing, white orb that looked eerily like the moon.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin said almost lazily. The orb suddenly changed into a red balloon. As it deflated, it flew around the room until it burst into tiny wisps of smoke.

"Great job, everyone! Class dismissed! Five points to Gryffindor for every person who tackled the boggart," said Lupin. "For homework, please read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me, due Monday. That will be all."

The students filed out of the room. Rin and Harry didn't feel as cheerful as the rest of the class.

I tried making the boggart scene original but aside from Rin's turn, it's a basic retelling. I combined the dialogue from the book with the dialogue from the film. I hope I did it right.

Hehehe! What did you think? A reference to the manga, if I do say so myself!

Trivia: James Potter was a little jealous of how much time Lily was spending with Shiro. It was short-lived, however, after Shiro gave James a black eye for the accusation. Shiro assured James that he had nothing to worry about because married women were off-limits. Shiro has standards, you know.