Hello, sinners. Welcome back to another installment of Devil of a Wizard. And Before we go any further, let everyone know that a poll is up for who Harry should take to the Yule Ball. I will close the poll close to the end of the arc or if there are no continuous votes. So let's answer some reviews.
Gamelover41592: Surprised you, didn't I? But I am gonna mix some stuff between books, movies, and my own personal ideas.
The1Myth: If there is one thing the Dementors fear more than anything, it's the Devil himself.
Spantidem7: okay let me answer this in the best way possible.
Yes, Alastor is stronger than Voldemort. But since he is a sinner and not a Hellborn demon. I can't be sure if he can go to Earth, like how the royal family and I.M.P. can. Maybe with the right conditions.
Never crossed my mind and I'll let it be.
Harry knows about the crime family. Since he is the Prince of Hell, he needs to be aware of them.
Question for a later time.
Read to find out.
No. No demons will be teaming up with Voldemort.
I would like to see that, but I'm keeping demons on the low level.
Somewhat. Lilith had the idea of opening a sanctuary for their pets.
Yes.
They will have nothing to do with one another, so it's "I don't bother you, you don't bother me."
Nathair1: They will be furious.
Iamshinydragonmist: Not gonna spoil but will say on the right track.
Anyway, let's dive into Hell!
Chapter 27: Talons, Tea Leaves, and Terror
After everyone was finished with dinner, Harry walked with his fellow Gryffindors to their Common Room. Along the way, Charlie caught up with them and signaled to Harry so that she could speak with him. "I'll catch up with you guys, later," he told Ron and Hermione as he walked towards Charlie.
"Surprised to see me here," Charlie asked as she gave her dark-haired sibling a knowing smirk.
"Yes," Harry told her. "Do Mom and Dad know? Why are you here in the first place?"
"Yup. They know about this job. And as for why I'm here, Dumbledore asked me to be an assistant to the teachers since the previous two years were outrageous," she said as they both walked through the halls alongside one another.
"It's so you can keep an eye on me, isn't it," Harry asked in a deadpan tone.
"That's just a benefit. I only want to be a teacher for once. Maybe if I help out you and your classmates here, I can try figuring out something to help stop the yearly purges," explained Charlie.
'Still trying to figure out a way to redeem sinners, huh? That's definitely something I'd want to help you with,' Harry thought to himself. "What classes will you be helping out with?"
"Quite a few. Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes," she said listing them off.
"Seems like you have your hands full," Harry chuckled. But after he did, he had a more worried look on his face. "So did you talk to Mom and Dad lately?"
"While you were on the train," she nodded. "You're wondering if Sirus Black is coming after you. But don't you worry, I'm here, as well as Dumbledore."
"Did you hear what happened to me on the train?"
"What happened on the train," Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow.
Knowing how his sister was when it came to his safety as a child, Harry knew that if he didn't tell Charlie all the details he knew, she'd be clinging to him like a leech all year. "A Dementor attacked me. It was like it was trying to suck out my soul," Harry explained.
Once Charlie heard that, her eyes gave off a slight twitch before they turned into a deeper red and she screamed with a demonic echo in her voice that shook the hall. "I am going to destroy those things!" The heir to Hell's throne was nearly storming out of the castle to find any Dementors, ready to shred them to ribbons. Harry tried to hold her down, but he was being dragged like he was nothing but her coattails.
"Hey, take it easy. Professor Lupin was with me and he drove that thing off," he said as to let her calm down.
"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Charlie asked, looking calmer. "Well then, I'll have to thank him personally when I'm helping him with class. But I'll be seeing you for other classes tomorrow first." After the siblings finished their talk, Charlie led Harry up to the Gryffindor House dorms.
"Thanks, Charlie," Harry said to his sister.
"If you need to speak to me, my office is on the third floor," Charlie told him before she left. "And I meant it earlier. I'm going to be a teacher first and a big sister second. No causing trouble or you'll wish Mom and Dad would be punishing you instead," she said strictly as she held out one finger in the air.
"Alright, but trouble seems to find me first," Harry pointed out to her.
Charlie was about to argue but put her finger to her chin as she thought about it. "Touche, little brother," the princess admitted. "In any case, get some rest. I hear that McGonagall's going to explain why she can turn into a cat for your next class with her."
"I have been wondering about that since my first week," Harry muttered before he continued upstairs and saw his friends waiting for him. After they gave the password, the trio entered the Gryffindor Common Room once again.
The next day after breakfast, Harry and his friends were getting ready for their first lesson of the year after George gave them the schedules for third years. After the typical actions of the Slytherin snobs trying to make fun of him, Harry only pointed out Malfoy's new black eye to shut him and the other antagonistic Slytherins up. With the haughty 'purebloods' silenced, Harry was marching ahead of his friends to reach the North Tower for their 9 am Divination class.
However, none of them knew where the classroom was only that it was located in the north tower. "We're going to be late," Hermione said as she didn't know the location.
"You're going to be late for your other classes anyways," Ron stated, still disbelieving that Hermione had so many classes for her third year.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Ron? I can handle everything thanks to Professor McGonagall helping me figure things out," the young witch told him.
"You'd think living here for two years would mean we'd know more about the castle," Harry said in a wry tone. "I blame curfews."
"Yeah. Would have given us more time to explore," Ron agreed. Soon enough, the trio went to what they thought was the North Tower and climbed an exhausting seven flights of stairs. "My legs are on fire," Ron complained.
"No wonder Wizards in the Dungeons and Dragons games are considered the physically weakest class," Harry muttered aloud. "They use magic too much for everything. I'm sure Charlie would say we need to not skip out on physical training. We might need it for some magical creatures in Hagrid's classes," he said, getting nods of agreement from the others.
"Hail! Who goes there," a knight in a painting said as he drew his sword that was too long for him, resulting in falling off his fat horse.
No matter how many times Harry saw the paintings in Hogwarts moving around, they always amazed him. Especially when they could visit other frames. Remembering that detail, Harry realized the knight could guide them the right way. "Greetings, Sir. We humbly ask that we be guided to the Divination class taught by Sybill Trelawney," Harry told the knight, knowing how to address him from history lessons back home about the royalty of the past.
"Ah! A quest. Then follow me, brave travelers," the knight said as he was willing to assist the children, seeing them be of no harm. But as he tried to mount his horse again, he slipped and fell once again. With that failed, the knight picked himself up as if nothing happened. "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady," he declared as he went out of the frame.
Thankfully, the knight's clanking armor could be heard while he went between picture frames, making it easy for the trio to follow him. As they found and went up a spiral staircase, they soon saw a trapdoor in the ceiling that had the teacher's name on it. "My gratitude, noble knight," Harry thanked the knight, who bowed before taking his leave. "Now, how in the name of Morgan le Fay do we get up there," Harry asked Ron and Hermione.
Just as Harry asked that, the trapdoor opened and a silvery ladder extended toward them, stopping at his feet. "After you," Ron said.
"Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! For if you need any help then call one Sir Cadogan," the knight in the painting said before falling off.
"Yeah, we'll call you if we need anyone mental," Ron muttered before climbing up the ladder.
As the trio climbed up the ladder, Harry's first impression of the classroom was a combination of a typical grandmother's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. The room had twenty small circular tables that were crammed in the room, all surrounded by a chintz armchair and fat little pouf ottomans. Everything was lit with a dim crimson light as the curtains at the windows were all closed, the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves, and the fire from the mantelpiece was giving off a sickly perfume smell as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves were running around the circular walls with dusty feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless crystal balls, and a huge array of tea cups.
"Where is she," Ron asked as he looked over Harry's shoulder.
"Welcome. How nice it is to see you in the physical world," a voice said as it turned out to be their Divination Teacher, Professor Trelawney.
Harry's first impression of the teacher made him think of a back alley fortuneteller that got lost in her carnival or a hippy that was lost in the 1960s. Her thin frame and large bug-eyed glasses helped give that vibe off. Especially with all the many beads and chains that hung around her neck while her arms and hands were covered in bangles and rings.
"Sit, my children, sit," she gestured to the class as they awkwardly sat on armchairs or poufs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at the same round table. "Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may have not seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."
'I get the feeling she takes pot or mushrooms in her spare time with this talk. Maybe both,' Harry thought to himself as no one said anything.
"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of magical arts," Trelawney said as she explained the class to everyone. "I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can only take you so far in this field…"
At these words, Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, who was just as clueless as them to start as she shrugged in confusion. "Don't look at me," she whispered to them.
"You tend to be buried in a book from time to time," Harry whispered back to make a point.
"Like you're one to talk, Harry. You're practically reading about advanced magic every chance you get," Hermione snapped back at him before they returned to focusing on their teacher.
"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Trelawney stated. "Today, we will be covering the basics of Divination this year. Our first style of seeing beyond the veil together will be devoted to Tessomancy, which is using tea leaves to determine somebody's future. The shapes of how the loose tea leaves gather at the bottom of your mostly empty cups will determine what events may take place in your future," she explained.
As Trelawney explained the style of fortunetelling, she instructed everyone to get their copies of the 'Unfogging the Future' textbook out while she prepared the tea for them to use. After the students were all set up, they had their drinks and went to work on determining what their futures held. Both Harry and Ron chose each other as a partner for the lesson and Ron decided to let Harry read his fortune to start. "What do you see in mine," Ron asked the Prince of Hell.
"A load of soggy brown stuff," Harry dryly remarked as this was nothing like the divination practices Stolas showed him back home. Swirling the cup around, Harry watched the leaves move into a more coherent set of shapes. "Okay, now I got something. I see a crooked sort of cross…" he said while he looked through his Unfogging the Future textbook. "It says you're going to have trials and suffering and over here is the sun which means 'great happiness'. So you're going to suffer, but you're likely gonna be happy about it in the end."
"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me," Ron said and they both stifled a laugh. "Okay, my turn…" Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. "There's a blob a bit like a top hat. Maybe you're going to work for your dad… but turn it this way, it looks like an acorn," he muttered aloud while scanning his copy of Unfogging the Future. "'A windfall, unexpected gold.' Bloody Hell you can lend me some… and there's a thing here… it looks like an animal. A sheep, no…it looks more like a dog…"
"Let me see that my dear," Professor Trelawney asked as she heard what Ron said. Within a second of peeking into the cup, Professor Trelawney let out a gasp as she hastily put the cup back on the table and looked at Harry. "My dear boy… you have the Grim."
"The Grin? What's the Grin," Seamus Finnigan asked from the class.
"Not the Grin, you idiot. The Grim. 'Taking the form of a giant spectral dog. It is one of the darkest omens of our world. It is an omen… of death'. That's not good," one Griffindor read from the book.
Harry took a look at his cup and saw that the tea leaves did resemble a dog, reminding him of before he got on the Knight Bus. Everyone, but Hermione, gasped at this news. "We will leave the lesson here for today," Professor Trelawney said to the class. "Please, pack away your things…" Silently the class took all their books and headed toward their next class.
"Do you really think that Grim thing is true with Harry," Ron asked his two best friends. "Have you seen a great black dog?"
"I did," Harry said as the trio were walking to their next class. "Just before I took the bus to get to London."
Ron ended up dropping his Transfiguration book out of fright upon hearing that, but Hermione caught it for him and handed it back. "Probably a stray. Don't be ridiculous, Ronald. If anything, Harry's avoided death more times than anyone his age. Do you honestly believe he's got the Grim," Hermione asked him.
"It happened to my Uncle Billius. He believed he saw a Grim and the next day, he died," Ron explained.
"Just a coincidence," Hermione dismissed, not believing Harry was going to die at all.
"You don't know what you're talking about," said Ron, knowing Hermione didn't know everything about wizarding culture like he did. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards."
"There you are, then," Hermione stated. "They see the Grim, then die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death. And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to think 'Oh, there's a bear-sized black dog! Might as well have a heart attack out of fear.' You'd expect that in some sort of comic."
"Well, if I did die, I'm pretty sure my parents would pull me out of whatever hole I was put in," Harry laughed. Still, that black dog couldn't have been some coincidence. It may have not been the Grim, but it was like a warning of something. But he didn't have time for thinking about that now. Harry soon waved off the thoughts and sped up down the hall.
"Never thought I would see Harry this excited for something other than Defense Against the Dark Arts class," Ron muttered to Hermione as the trio went to their Transfiguration class before lunch.
"Maybe it's because his sister is going to be in class with us," Hermione whispered.
"If you two are that curious, we're going to find out McGonagall's secret to how she transforms into a cat and back," Harry said as he overheard them.
"Really? Then what are we waiting for," Ron said as he ran at the same pace as Harry. Following them, Hermione did the same thing as they were a minute early for class.
The trio made it in time for Professor McGonagall to be in the room with Charlie by her side in red robes. "Settle down, settle down now," the Transfiguration teacher said to the class as they all took their seats. "Now then, today we are going to learn a certain type of Transfiguration. Now, who can tell me what an Animagus is?"
Immediately, Hermione's hand shot up as she answered the question. "An Animagus is someone who can transform into an animal at will. The process is a difficult one as there are several complicated steps you must perform. You must hold a Mandrake leaf in your mouth for a month without spitting it out, use it in a special potion, recite an incantation on a daily basis, and drink the potion during a lightning storm."
"That is correct, Miss Granger. 10 points to Griffindor," McGonagall stated. "Animagi are indeed wizards or witches that use that method to gain the ability to transfigure themselves into an animal. The process is a difficult one and if not done the correct way, they will become half man and half beast."
"Like a werewolf," Dean asked.
"Not exactly, Mr. Thomas. A werewolf has no choice but to change during certain conditions, which includes the full moon," Charlie told the third-year Griffindor. "The Animagus transformation is voluntary, but one wrong move and you're stuck. As some of you may know, Professor McGonagall's Animagus form is a cat. That means she can transform at will," the Princess of Hell said as the Transfiguration teacher transformed into her cat form as many of the students applauded.
"Now does anyone have any questions?" McGonagall asked before turning back.
Harry rose his hand as he was picked upon. "Can someone change the form of an Animagus they previously change into?"
"Excellent question, Mister Magne. I'm afraid to say that the answer is no. The animal form that they may change between is all determined by their personality and what suits them best," McGonagall answered, making the class mutter as they wrote the notes down.
"How can you tell if somebody's an Animagus," Neville asked.
"Good question, Neville. You really can't. They blend in very well," Charlie told him. "But, their animal forms do have distinct markings that reflect their usual appearance. Professor McGonagall's cat form has markings around her eyes that resemble her glasses if you noticed earlier. And if somebody like… oh, maybe Harry was to become one, he'd probably have his scar in animal form too."
"There's also a strict registration nowadays to keep track of who has done the ritual to become an Animagus," McGonagall added. "I became one at 17 with help from Dumbledore. Doing so illegally could get you severely punished by the law. However, I have heard of people not registering themselves after they acquired the skill. Some wizards like their secrets," McGonagall warned.
"Have there been any famous Animagi in history," Hermione asked.
"Morgan le Fay could turn into a bird," Charlie said with a grin. Transfiguration continued with discussions and notetaking about Animagi until the end of class. After the students were dismissed, Charlie spoke to them as they were leaving. "Anybody who has Care for Magical Creatures will be seeing me for this afternoon's lesson," she told everyone as the trio went to get some lunch.
After lunch, Harry and his friends walked down the stone pathway that lead to Hagrid's Hut just outside of the Forbidden Forest. As they descended, they could see Norbert sitting on one of Hagrid's flowerbeds snoring loudly as smoke came out of his nostrils. There they saw Hagrid standing in front of his hut gathering students from all four Houses around him as he carried a bundle of dead polecats by his hip. Charlie was now out of her red robes from Transfiguration and currently sported a white button-up shirt and a small coat for the occasion as if she was ready to get dirty. "Alright now, gather round. I got a real treat for you. A great lesson," Hagrid said as everyone attending the class was present.
"You're going to love it," Charlie told everyone.
"Now follow me and Charlie here," the half-giant instructed as he stepped forward to lead everyone into the Forbidden Forest. All the students followed the two teachers as they were guided to a spot not too far into the forest. In fact, they could see the castle and even the lake from the area they were in. "Alright, you lot. Form a group over there and open up yer books to page 49."
"And how are we supposed to do that," Malfoy asked plain rudely, holding up the Monster Book of Monsters by the belt strap. The book itself was growling like a rabid animal, ready to shake itself loose from Malfoy's grasp and attack him like an angry pomeranian.
"You stroke the spine, of course," Hagrid told the Slytherin as he went off deeper into the woods. "Charlie, keep an eye on them."
Everyone did as they were told and stroked the spine of their books before opening them up. Everyone but Neville, of course, who got attacked by his own book when he didn't stroke the spine fully. "I'm okay," he said before the book jumped him again.
"Okay, that's kinda funny," Hermione admitted as she saw Neville get attacked from his book a third time before he and Charlie finally calmed the book down.
"Yeah, really funny. Hilarious," Malfoy said aloud, overhearing Hermione. "This place really has gone to the dogs. Wait until my father hears about this. Letting that oaf teach classes."
"Malfoy, nobody cares. Besides, your father got fired last I heard. Does he have a new job yet," Harry asked, both insulting Malfoy and curious.
"That's none of your concern, Magne," Malfoy spat at him.
"Ah, he's still unemployed. Oh well! None of my concern," Harry shrugged off.
"Dementor! Dementor" Malfoy shouted as he pointed behind Harry to make him and everyone else look back to see that no Dementors were there. Malfoy and his cronies made them all look and he and the other Slytherins pull up their hoods and made moaning sounds of ghosts.
The Prince of Hell rolled his eyes at their childish behavior and ignored the Slytherins as he walked over to his friends. Moments later, Hagrid came back as he loudly cleared his throat. "Da Da-Da Da," he sang as Charlie came right behind holding a chain of a creature that looked like a mix between an eagle and a horse. It had white and grey feathers, dark grey feet on the front black talons, and hooves at its rear. The creature also had golden eyes, a gray beak, feather wings at its sides, and a black horse tail. "Isn't he beautiful? Say hello to Buckbeak," Hagrid introduced as tossed a dead polecat at the bird-horse, which Buckbeak caught in his mouth and started to swallow in seconds.
"Hagrid, what is that thing," Ron asked as he didn't know what to think.
"That is a hippogriff, Ron. The first thing you should know about hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may be the last thing you'll ever do," Hagrid warns them in a strict tone before his tone change to a cheerful one. "Now, who wants to say hello?" He asked as he turned around to check if Charlie was holding Buckbeak's chain tightly. Immediately, everyone took a big step back while Neville simply ducked behind a rock, leaving Harry the only one still in the spot he was standing. As Hagrid turned around he saw that Harry was the only one in front. "Ah, Harry. Well done!"
The Prince of Hell saw that his classmates were behind him and sighed in frustration at how chicken the others were. "Cowards," he muttered to himself. Seeing he had no other choice, Harry stepped forward. 'This shouldn't be too hard. I mean, it took me an entire year for Sebastian to trust me. Even if Dad pushed it on me.'
Charlie unhooked the chain and stepped to the side as she instructed Harry on what to do. "Now, Harry you have to let him make the first move. Be polite that way. So all you have to do is give him a bow and see if he bows back," she said as Harry slowly approached. "Go on, take your bow."
Harry halted and gave a low bow to Buckbeak. The hippogriff saw him and gave off a warning screech as he flapped his wings. "Back off, Harry. Back off," Hagrid warned Harry, telling the boy to keep his distance. "That's it, keep still. Keep still," the half-giant said as Harry kept his head lower than the hippogriff's, still eyeing the creature. Buckbeak stomped at the ground a little before walking forward and returning the bow, seeing that Harry wasn't a threat or insulting him. "Well done, Harry," Hagrid said before throwing a dead weasel to reward the hippogriff with a treat for behaving himself.
"You can pet him now," Charlie said to her brother. "Don't worry, he's not gonna bite. Unless you insult him."
"Thank, sis," Harry muttered sarcastically as he slowly approached the creature. Harry made sure to do it as calmly as possible since the creature doesn't know him. Staying still and letting Buckbeak come to him as Hagrid was carefully instructing, Harry brought his hand up slowly as Buckbeak sniffed at him first like a dog getting used to a person's scent. When the hippogriff was close and knew Harry wasn't going to hurt him, Buckbeak let Harry pat his head.
"Well done, Harry! Well done," Hagrid said as he, Charlie, and most of the students applauded. "And now you can ride him."
"Wait, what," Harry asked as he was lifted by Hagrid from behind like he was nothing but a kitten. "Hey, hey, hey! Hagrid!" The Prince of Hell tried to complain, but the half-giant placed him on the hippogriff's back as Charlie handed him the chains to his collar.
"Just think of it like riding a horse with wings," Charlie told her brother as she slapped Buckbeak's leg, prompting the hippogriff to screech and run to gain speed before taking flight into the air.
Harry tightly held onto the reins as he and Buckbeak soared above the forest and headed toward the school. Buckbeak flew higher and higher than any of the towers of Hogwarts. After flying between the towers and above the castle walls, the hippogriff and his rider made their way over the Black Lake. Buckbeak descended lower and began to glide over the lake, skimming the surface of the water with his talons. After the initial bumpy start, Harry was enjoying himself on Buckbeak's smooth glide. Ever since he was a kid, he always did love to fly and be in the air. The Prince of Hell let go of the reins and held his arms out to the side, making it feel like he was gliding alongside the majestic beast. Harry gave an excited whoop of joy before Buckbeak ascended again making the Prince of Hell take the reins once more as the hippogriff circled around back to the forest.
Whistling for the hippogriff as soon as he saw the two come back, Hagrid watched as Buckbeak returned with Harry. "Well done, Harry. And well done, Buckbeak," Hagrid said, approaching them both and lifting Harry off the hippogriff. "So, how was my first day?"
"Brilliant, Professor," Harry complimented the half-giant as he gave off a sheepish smile of embarrassment.
"That's a nice hippogriff," Charlie said as she began to pat Buckbeak.
"You're not dangerous at all, are you? You great ugly chicken," Malfoy said as he approached Buckbeak. The hippogriff was immediately offended by the boy's words and reared up, trying to claw at Malfoy. But before the Slytherin was turned into shreds of Draco jerky, Charlie pushed both back and the only real damage to Malfoy was to the sleeve of his robe.
"Easy, Buckbeak. Don't listen to him," Charlie said as she was calming down the hippogriff, petting his head to control him. "Good boy," she said while patting him, then focused her attention on the blonde boy. "Mr. Malfoy," Charlie yelled as the blonde flinched. "Have you not been paying attention to what Professor Hagrid and I have said!? We told you not to insult a hippogriff and you called him an ugly chicken! Luckily for you, it was just your robes that got ripped and not your entire arm. Not to mention, you didn't even bow to him," she yelled, keeping a tight hold on to the hippogriff's chain and feeding him a dead polecat. "5 points from Slytherin for disobeying the teacher's instructions and another 5 for sheer stupidity," she yelled again with her hair nearly standing on end like an angry cat as the blonde was frozen in fear. "Let this be an important lesson to you. Listen to your instructions."
"Yes, ma'am," Malfoy whimpered as he quickly got to his feet and ran back to the students.
"Well, who wants to actually listen and take a ride for themselves," Hagrid asked. His question was met with a few hands being raised while the rest were hesitant from Buckbeak nearly lashing out earlier or from Charlie's scolding.
"See, guys. This is why I don't try to anger my family. Charlie gets a lot from Mom and Dad," Harry stated as another student followed Hagrid's instructions about bowing to hippogriffs.
"I can see why you don't want to get on her bad side," Ron gulped as he looked at Charlie. "On the bright side, I think Malfoy wet himself."
"Can't say I blame him. He did deserve that scolding," Harry chuckled as he watched Buckbeak fly around with another student on his back.
A day or two after their first lesson with Hagrid, Harry, and his classmates were heading to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class and getting to know more about their new teacher, Professor Lupin. "I think we're in for a treat today," Harry told his two friends as they walked through the corridor.
"Well, it is your favorite subject Harry," Hermione said before checking the time. "Hold on, I have to handle something quick. I'll be there soon," she told the boys.
"Okay, I guess," Ron replied. "See you there."
"She's been doing that a lot lately. Have you noticed," Harry asked the red-haired wizard as they walked to class.
"Yeah, and for some reason, I heard she was in two classes at once," Ron said as he looked confused. "How can that be?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Harry told him as they entered the Lupin's class. Just a few seconds later, Hermione walked through the door. "Handle that thing already," he asked.
"It was more difficult than I thought, but not a real problem," Hermione dismissed before she and everyone else's attention was on a large mirrored wardrobe in the center of the room.
It was shaking violently like something was trying to get out and failing with every attempt. "Intriguing isn't it," Professor Lupin asked as he and Charlie were standing right behind the class, startling several of the teens. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?"
"That's a Boggart, that is," Dean Thomas answered the professor.
"That is correct, Mr. Thomas. Now, can anyone tell me what a Boggart looks like," Lupin continued as he circled the room with Charlie staying in a close corner.
"No one knows," Hermione replied. "Boggarts are shapeshifters that take the form of what the individual they face fears the most. That's what makes them so-"
"So terrifying, yes," Lupin said, interrupting Hermione as he continued the lesson. "Luckily, a simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now. Without wands, please. Repeat after me. 'Riddikulus'. Now you."
"Riddikulus," the class repeated.
"Very good, now louder. Say it clearly. Riddikulus," Lupin said as the class repeated loudly. "Very good. The incantation alone is the easy part, but not enough. What finishes a Boggart off is laughter. You must find a shape you think will be amusing. Let me explain. Uh, Neville, would you join me, please?"
Seeing that he was the first volunteer, Neville Longbottom was nervous as he stepped forward to receive instructions from Professor Lupin and Charlie. "Neville, what scares you the most," Charlie asked when the Gryffindor finally stepped up. Neville mumbled something softly with Professor Lupin asking to repeat it louder.
"P-Professor Snape." Neville's answer got a few laughs from some of the class, but Charlie and several Gryffindors understood that Snape's harsh behavior was one reason that he was scared of the Potions Master.
"Yes, I can understand. Knew him back when I was a student. He's definitely changed since then," Lupin remarked. "Now, I understand you live with your grandmother?"
"I don't want it to turn into her," Neville said, fearing having to be face-to-face with his grandma.
"No, no, no. It won't," Lupin told the boy. "What I want you to do is picture her clothes. What she wears very clearly in your mind. Now, we don't need to hear it. Just picture that outfit in your head, then as Miss Magne opens the wardrobe, here's what I want you to do," Lupin said as he stepped next to Neville and whispered in his ear. "Imagine Professor Snape in your grandmother's clothes," he said quietly, surprising Neville. "Can you do that? Wand at the ready. Miss Magne, open it up."
Charlie opened the wardrobe and stepped aside as Neville held out his wand. Soon, the same shadowy figure of Snape got out of the wardrobe and approached Neville in his trademark inky black robes. As the double of Snape menacing strolled forward, Neville pointed his wand at him. "Riddikulus," Neville shouted at the Boggart of Snape. Suddenly, the black robes he wore were replaced with a green overcoat with a dead fox around his neck as a scarf, an oversized red handbag, a hat with an entire stuffed vulture on it, and a pair of black pumps that were not flattering to Snape at all. Overall, the entire sight was hilarious enough that the room burst into laughter immediately.
"Wonderful work, Neville. Now, if everyone could form a line," Lupin instructed as Charlie helped ensure that the students didn't shove everyone around like ragdolls. "Now I want everyone to picture the thing they fear most and turn it into something funny," the teacher said as he started some music on an old record player. "Next, Ron! Now… concentrate and be ready."
As soon as Ron got closer to the crossdressing Snape, the Boggart then condensed in on itself and took the shape of what Ron feared most; an Acromantula. The giant black widow spider snapped its mandibles at Ron as it approached him. Ron, fighting through his fear and flashbacks of Aragog's nest, held his wand at the ready and shouted "Riddikulus!" Soon, the spider's eight legs were now wearing roller skates and its crawl became a failing attempt to stay balanced.
Next up was Seamus Finnigan as the Boggart took the form of a Banshee. "Riddikulus!" At the spell's casting, the Banshee's screaming mouth was turned into a zipper before it zipped closed. The monster tried and failed to pull it back as everyone laughed, leading to Seamus heading back and giving somebody else a turn.
Parvati Patil's Boggart took the appearance of a mummy covered in blood-soaked bandages coming towards her. When she used the spell, the mummy began spinning like a top with its bandages coming undone before it fell into a pile of dust.
When Dean Thomas went, the dust reformed into a severed hand that was moving around like it was an insect. When he used the spell, a mousetrap appeared in front of the hand. It stopped moving and pointed like it was saying 'HA!' before it flipped off the trap and smugly jumped over it, failing to notice a banana peel pop into existence somehow and make it slip back onto the mousetrap. With the trap snapping shut on the hand's finger, it jumped in pain before the entire floor was covered in mousetraps that began snapping all at once like dominos being toppled. The class was doubling over in laughter at what could be described as a Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry skit brought to life with magic.
Hermione was next in line as the Boggart took the form of Professor McGonagall holding a scroll that had 'FAIL' over a photo of Hermione. "Riddikulus," she said, making the paper burn away and replace it with a solid gold trophy.
When Hermione was done, Parvati's sister in Ravenclaw was next. Padma Patil's turn had the Boggart change into a giant cobra that hissed and loomed over her. When she cast the Boggart-Banishing Charm, it began to get tied into a series of knots before it ended up licking its own tail.
Harry was the next one up, but he couldn't think of what he feared the most. It sure wasn't Voldemort, that's for sure. It could be his parents, but that's only when they were mad at him. As he thought over what he really was affected by, two thoughts popped into his head at the same time and the new form of the Boggart instilled a new feeling in him; terror. It wore a black cloak like a Dementor, but it had a mechanical body with fiendish horns, a pointed halo, and dark feathery wings. The Boggart's new face was covered by a mask that glowed like it was filled with LED lights. The masked figure was smiling like a serial killer as it pointed a massive sickle at him, ready to slash him through the chest.
"HARRY! NO," Charlie screamed in fear as she recognized the main body of the new shape of the Boggart. Immediately, she grabbed the first thing she could find and threw it at the Boggart as hard as she could. The distraction was stopped by the mechanical monster and it speared a forgotten copy of Gilderoy Lockhart's autobiography from last year.
Luckily for the siblings, Lupin stepped into the fray and the Boggart's new menacing form was replaced by something obscured by thick clouds. As Harry watched them part and begin to glow, Lupin cast the spell. "Riddikulus!" Upon the incantation, Lupin's unseen fear quickly changed into a deflating balloon that flew around the room until it went right into the open wardrobe.
Charlie was quick to act and slammed the door shut, then snapped her fingers for a series of thick black chains to ensnare the wardrobe and lock it tightly. After that, she rushed to her brother. "Harry! Are you okay?! I saw what that thing looked like a-an-and… I didn't want to lose you," she began to cry and tightly hugged her brother. Despite the confusion as to what those last shapes the Boggart took were, everyone winced when they thought they heard Harry's spine and/or ribs crack under Charlie's overprotective embrace.
"My back," Harry muttered as he fell over limp in his sister's arms.
"Alright… that will be the end of the lesson. class dismissed," Lupin said as the others groaned in annoyance. "Sorry, but this is a family issue as you can see." As Charlie was holding on to Harry, his mind wandered back to when he first saw an Exorcist in Hell.
Hell, December 31, 2005
A five-year-old Harry was clinging to his mother's dress as she lead him to Lucifer's office. "Don't worry, honey. Just stand by mommy," Lilith told him as they both entered the King of Hell's quarters where Lucifer and Charlie were standing. "Luci, is this really necessary?"
"It is, my dear. After all, he's a member of this family and he has every right to know," Lucifer stated as he was standing next to the window with the curtains still covering them.
"Luci, he's still a child. At least let him wait until he is older," Lilith pleaded to her husband.
"And for what? He was around the same age when Charlie found out," Lucifer argued.
"I was technically a few hundred years old, he's five," Charlie said as she didn't want her brother to witness the horror she saw all those years ago.
"It doesn't matter. I made my decision and that's final," Lucifer said as he didn't want to have a full argument with either of them. The King of Hell gestured to his son to stand next to him. Harry didn't want to but Lilith walked by him so that she and Charlie were prepared and stood next to the King of Hell. "Harry, son, what I'm about to show you is the most important day in Hell. Something that God and I agree to annually. Today is what we call the Extermination. Do you know why that is?"He asked Harry, who lightly shook his head. "Then let me show you," Lucifer said as he let the curtains open.
What Harry saw, he didn't like. Many of the sinister-looking angel soldiers known as Exorcists or Exterminators were flying around the city. They were slaughtering any sinners and hellborns that they could see. Their spears pierced into the flesh of others, stabbing holes into the demon bodies. Their swords and axes cut down any foe they saw and sliced them into pieces. Harry wanted to look away but for some odd reason, he couldn't. It was like watching a train wreck and not knowing what to do in response to it. Even if he looked away, the image of demons being slaughtered was fresh in his mind. Just then, one of those monstrosities came up to the Window out of nowhere and grinned at the Royal Family with its LED mask. The sight of it scared Harry to the point that he started to cry. Charlie's sisterly instincts kicked in and held him close to shield him from the angel. "It's okay Harry, everything will be fine. We won't allow them to harm you."
As Harry kept watching the carnage outside, he thought he saw one of the Exorcists look much different than the other ones. This one had more of a white and gold appearance as he held a guitar and spread his golden wings. His mask had a golden face that was laughing like a rock star playing a packed show. Ever since this day, Harry had a justified fear of the Extermination and its enforcers.
The next day, Harry was poking at his breakfast as the image of the Exorcist in a Dementor's cloak still haunted him. "Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked him as if worried.
"Yeah, I'm just tired," the Prince of Hell lied but wasn't fooling her.
"Harry, it's fine if you don't want to talk about what the Boggart took the shape of. Honestly, it looked like the Grim Reaper," Ron remarked.
'If only you know what the Grim Reaper really looks like,' Harry thought as wasn't focused on the abomination from before at the moment. "Thanks, Ron," the Prince of Hell said as he started to eat breakfast. "Death is a scary thing to think about when it isn't your time."
"I can imagine. Seeing the Grim Reaper is enough to make anyone tense up," Hermione said.
After the trio finished their talk, Seamus Finnigan came running in with the latest copy of the Daily Prophet. "He's been sighted! He's been sighted! Sirius Black has been sighted," Seamus said as he placed the paper down for all his fellow Gryffindors and some other students to see as the cover's headline was 'Sirius Black sighted in Dufftown. Ministry in high pursuit.'
"Dufftown? That's not far from here," Hermione read as the cover shows Sirius Black's animated mugshot, which had him look like he was roaring in anger as Aurors held him back.
"You don't think he'll come to Hogwarts do you," Neville asked his fellow classmates. "Even with the Dementors around?"
"Dementors. He got passed them once. No doubt he'll do it again," Seamus said to his classmates.
"That's right, Black can be anywhere. It's like catching smoke. Trying to grab it with your bare hands," said another classmate.
Harry knew Black could be coming for him and he knew that he couldn't hide from Black. Hopefully, the Dementors or the teachers could get to him first. Heck, if Charlie caught him, he'd be going to Hell as soon as he showed violence toward Harry. Still, Harry couldn't help but stare into the eyes of a madman, feeling like there was something else besides anger in that expression.
And this is where we are leaving off. Big thanks to WaterDragonMaverick for editing and beta reading. And this time, Buckbeak doesn't get in trouble to the point his life is on the line. While that means Harry, Ron, and Hermione don't have an excuse to visit Hagrid to comfort him, we'll cross that bridge and handle the Christmas chapter differently.
Now for the Boggart scene. Me and WaterDragonMaverick decided that it would be more amusing if the spells cast worked less like an instant thing and focused on the info of them being weakened by laughter. As such, more funny moments like the mousetraps and the balloon animal knots. And as for Harry's Boggart, it was a combination of a Dementor and an Exocrist. As Harry witnessed the Extermination as a kid, he would have a completely rational fear of the fact even those living in Hell could die once again. And with the recent Tweet about Hazbin Hotel's upcoming show having a leader for the Exorcists, a cameo by them was fitting at the end of the flashback scene.
With this new manifested form of Harry's fear taking on traits of both, the best name for it would be "Executor". And because of its appearance, everyone will initially mistake it for the Grim Reaper and believe Harry has a fear of dying. He wouldn't disagree with that if asked about it as it does fit with his canon fear of fear and despair itself, also taking the form of a Dementor.
And as Always, I hope you guys enjoy and stay tuned because next will be the Quidditch match, Harry trying to head off to Hogsmeade, and Lupin's past with Harry's parents. Until then, I will see you all in Hell and Happy New Year!