The 6th year student taking NEWTS Defense Against the Dark Arts shuffled into the classroom, taking their seats before class started. Sadly, this includes Potter, meaning I won't be able to take points from him for being late.
"Today class, we will be going over the boggart," I paused for a moment, waiting for objection, especially from Potter, claiming that the Wolf had already taught them that Sadly, no one said anything, so I did not get any excuses to take points from the son of my soulmate who rejected me and my greatest enemy, whom she rejected me for.
"I know that you have gone over the boggart in 3rd year, but we will do a short review for the dunderheads in the room." I said while looking at the Gryffindors.
"Who can tell me how you defeat a boggart?"
Of course, Ms. Know-It-All's hand was the first to shoot up.
"Mr. Malfoy, how do you defeat a boggart?" I asked, ignoring Ms. Know-It-All's disappointment.
"The spell Riddikulus, Sir." Draco responded easily.
"Very good. 5 point to Slytherin"
"So this," I said while walking over to the cupboard, "is where the boggart is"
"Well, what are you all waiting for? Line up!" I ordered.
Draco ended up at the front of the line while Potter took the back. Lazy, just like his father.
Overall, the boggart practice was going well without incident. And the line dwindled and dwindled until it got to the one that I truly wanted to see: Potter. If I knew his fear, then I could use it against him, merlin knows he deserves it.
Potter stepped up to the cupboard with a bit of fear peeking out of the determined mask he held on his face. The cupboard rumbled before opening to release the boggart, which started shifting from fear to fear too fast to identify any form it took before it finally settled. It emerged as an unfamiliar teenage boy with pale skin and dark hair. Strangely, he was also wearing what looked like old-fashioned Slytherin robes.
The boy walked up to Potter and stroked his hand over Potter's scar and down to his cheek, saying, "I can touch you now, my dear."
"Tom," Potter gasped in what seemed to be a mixture of confusion, horror, and longing.
"Oh darling, I don't see why you try so hard to keep yourself away from me. Wouldn't it just be easier to give into what you want? What do webothwant?" The boy -Tom- laughed.
"You know exactly why I need to stay away, Tom. You.You're the reason I need to stay away." Potter's response had an undercurrent of anger in it.
"Don't you miss me, Harry?"
"Of course, Tom, always,"
Why is it that this is Potter's greatest fear? Nothing bad is happening, other than what seems to be a reuniting of lovers after a fight. Granted, the next words did give me a bit of pause.
"Of course you do! You belong to me, " Tom proclaimed.
"No, I don't!" Potter responded, somehow managing to sound both petulant and like he was trying to convince himself that the words coming out of his mouth were true.
This Tom does seem to be quite a bit possessive, but nothing of much real alarm. This Tom figure seems to be quite smitten, and Potter doesn't truly seem to disagree with his possessiveness. He sounded petulant, and like he honestly agreed, when Tom told Potter that he belonged to him, so that isn't the cause of Potter's fear. ...So, what is?
"Darling, you belong to me. Mind, body, and soul."
Tom put his hands on either side of Potter's face before saying: "Mind: The majority of your thoughts are about me. They belong to me."
"Body:" Tom said, moving his hands to Potter's hips. "I know my name is one the tip of your tongue whenever you bring yourself pleasure. Even now, you're leaning into my every touch."
"And soul:"
Tom held Potter's wrists in his hands. "My name is on your wrists."
Tom... was Potter's soulmate? He couldn't be his greatest enemy. That honor would go to the dark lord. Besides, Tom keeps calling him pet names. But... why did he say names and wrists plural ? The names could make sense as being first, middle, and last names, but why would he say wrists? Unless... his name was on both of Potter's wrists, but that would be utterly ridiculous.
Then why would Potter be afraid of his soul mate? He may be an insufferable brat, but he has seen more horrific scenes than even some fully grown adults. What could be so terrifying about Tom, that he, Potter's soul mate, would be Potter's greatest fear.
Potter cut off my pondering with his next words: "Tom, I'm sorry, but I need to finish this. Riddikulus!".
Tom turned into a dairy of all things. I got a glance at the name Tom M. Riddle decorates the cover in gold lettering before Potter banishes it away with a hysterical sounding laugh.
Potter walked out of the vicinity of the boggart, over to the wall where he pulled down his sleeve, looking at the names of his soulmate and his greatest enemy before saying "Why am I more afraid of his humanity than his monstrosity?"
Surely enough, his left wrist said Voldemort.
His right one read Tom Marrvolo Riddle.