Third year, part two. Let's go!

We were in the D.A.D.A. classroom with yet again another professor. We were all thinking the same thing: How long would Lupin last? Judging by his predecessors, a bit less than 10 months.

All the students of our year were gathered before a closet with a mirror on the front. The only problem was that the closet was shaking.

"Intriguing, isn't it? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"

"That's a boggart, that is."

"Very good, Mr Thomas. Now, can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?

"No one knows." Hermione said."When did she get here?" I heard Ron ask."Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so..." she continued."So terrifying, yes, yes, yes..." The wardrobe shook again. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now, without wands, please. After me. Riddikulus!" he said, and we repeated the charm.

"Riddikulus!"

"Very well, just a little clearer. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" we repeated."This class is ridiculous." Malfoy muttered. He was leaned against a wall, his arm in a sling, a scowl in his face, about as deep as a ravine."Good, now that was the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you truly find amusing. Let me explain. Ah, Neville, would you join me, please? Come on now don'tbe shy, come on." Lupin said.Neville hesitantly stepped forward."Neville, what frightens you most of all?" Lupin asked."Prfffsr snp..." Neville whispered so quietly, we didn't understand what he was saying."Sorry?""Professor Snape." Neville said loudly this time, and everyone in the classroom started giggling.

"Professor Snape." Lupin repeated. "Yes, frightens all. And I believe you live with your grandmother."

"Yes, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her, either." Neville said, shaking his head.

"No... it won't." Lupin assured him.

How did he know that? How did he know what form the boggart would take? Could he sense it, or maybe forsee it?

"I want you to picture her clothes. Only her clothes, very clearly on your mind."

"She carries a red handbag..."

"We don't need to hear. As long as you see it, we'll see it. Now, when I open that wardrobe, here's what I want you to do." Lupin stepped next to Neville and whispered something in his ear that made Neville turn around and look at him in shock.

"Can you do that?" Lupin asked." Yes, wand at the ready! One, two, three."

The wardrobe's door opened, and Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes somehow swirling with madness while being hollow, revealing no soul, at the same time. He walked threateningly towards Neville when he yelled, 'riddikulus' and Snape's clothes started changing until he was wearing old lady clothes. An ugly fur coat, matching with that hideous hat that, for some reason, had an... eagle? glued on top of it. And of course, in his right hand, he held a red handbag.

Everyone, even Lupin, burst into laughter with this riddikulus (pun intended) version of our teacher.

"Wonderful, Neville, wonderful! Incredible! Okay, to the back, Neville. Everyone, form a line." Lupin said, and of course, everyone rushed to form a line. They were all eager to turn their fears into something laughable, I... not so much. I mean, I was enjoying myself, and I did find this spell really interesting, but what I didn't find interesting was the form the boggart would assume when my turn came... I didn't know what my biggest fear was, and I didn't want to find out. So, of course, I made to stay at the end of the line.

Several students had their turn, and it was all fun and games until Harry's turn came.

The clown, in which Parvati had previously turned her biggest fear, a basilisk, suddenly turned into a dementor that launched at Harry, so fast, he wouldn't have enough time to defend himself if Lupin hadn't stepped in front of him, in a protective stance, yelling "here". Then the dementor turned into...what? A moon? Yes, it was a full moon. That was Lupin's fear? Then the moon turned into a white balloon that quickly started deflating before he locked it up in the closet again.

Lupin turned around, seemingly chill, but I could see that he was shaken. Like he had just let on an important piece of information that he didn't want anyone to know about. He quickly dismissed the class despite the disappointed grunts and protests.

]

I was about to enter my common room, when, yet again, a hand grabbed me and pulled me into an empty classroom.

In the dim light coming from the only window the classroom had, I recognized Ernie's face.

"I didn't do anything, talk to anyone or plan to do something. I just want to return to my room, I promise." I quickly blurted out.

"Woah, I didn't say anything." Ernie said, raising his hands im front of his chest as if to defend himself.

"I... I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. For all the weird and rude things I've done this year... and partly of what I did last year." he said.

I couldn't believe my ears - or my eyes. Ernie was apologizing ? Not that he was too proud to apologize or anything. Quite the opposite. If he was wrong, he would admit it. But for some reason, I hadn't seen this moment coming.

"Things have happened, and I know that's no excuse. I was in the wrong, with my whole behavior. But, it just made me... suspicious of everyone around me. Unsafe. Like I needed to shield myself from everyone, including my friends. And because you are friends with Potter... and because he is pretty much as dangerous and suspicious as it can get... I was suspicious of you. I didn't trust you. But now I know how paranoid I was, and I wanted to apologize, and I also was kind of hoping we could be... friends. Like before everything." he continued.

He talked so fast, as if he was trying to catch the words before they fled away. And now he was looking at me like a lost puppy, but still, I had the feeling there was something else he wanted to say...

"It's okay, Ernie, you don't have to apologize. Not to me, at least. I understand, and of course, we're still friends. Don't worry. Just, you know, don't shove me into a classroom again, and we're fine." I said.

He looked taken aback.

"Really?" he asked. "You'll just forgive that easily?"

"Yeah? I mean, what else was I supposed to do? Punish you?" I asked.

"Yes." he answered.

He held my gaze as I was trying to process just with how much ease he had answered positively.

Not to be that kind of person, but it smelled like childhood trauma. And a lot of it, to be honest. I knew Ernie had problems with his parents, but I hadn't given it much thought in the past years.

"No, Ernie." I said.

He looked at me for a moment with an unreadable expression, then looked outside the window and finally said, "We should head back to the common room."

And so we did.

]

Various things happened in the next few days. We had even more classes and went on a field trip to Hogsmead. Ernie was being a know-it-all. He was annoying Susan at every given opportunity and even cracking the occasional "joke." They weren't really jokes, just a bunch of trivia he found funny and would usually make a pun with. Of course, none of us laughed, but we pretended to find it midly funny as to not break his heart.

Some time after that, we discovered that the fat lady, the one in the painting that led to Gryffindor's common room had been attacked, allegedly, by Serious Black.

I'd heard his name so many times at that point, and I still had no clue who he was; other than that, he was dangerous and that he escaped Azkaban.

Well, he must be pretty dangerous because once the professors heard that he might be in the school, they locked every gate and possible entrance to the school and started searching the entire castle. Of course, they didn't find him. He wouldn't linger for them to find him. But that night, we all slept in the great hall, with professors watching over us, making sure there weren't any other surprises coming our way.

But still, how did he manage to enter the castle? It's supposed to be amongst the safest buildings in all of Britain. At least for us young wizards. A man - no, a mad man that can bypass Hogwarts' security...

Well, I know one thing. I do not want to meet Sirius Black.