Chapter Five - The Boggart in the Wardrobe

Haiden was worried about his brother. Harry had been acting strange for the last few days. At first Haiden tried to brush it off, telling himself that Harry was acting this way because of Buckbeak attacking Draco. However, after actively watching Harry, Haiden could no longer trick himself into believing his lie.

At the start of every class, Harry would give a sharp intake of breath with a jolt, as if he had been holding his breath for a while. And nothing that happened in class ever seemed to faze Harry anymore, as if he knew exactly what would happen before it even happened. Haiden would have thought that Harry's 'Inner Eye' or whatever Professor Trelawney called it was 'open' (whatever that meant) except Harry's ability to 'see' only applied to whatever happened in class. Passing periods still seemed to surprise Harry. Haiden had also noticed that Harry was a lot quicker to annoy these days, but that could be explained away by Draco's absence.

Haiden walked into the Hospital Wing and over to Draco, who was sitting in a bed with one of his schoolbooks propped up on his legs, his right arm covered in bandages and bound in a sling. When Haiden got to Draco, the boy looked over his book at Haiden. The two stared at each other in a tense, awkward silence as they waited for the other to say or do something. After the Dementor's attack on Harry on the train, Haiden and Draco had decided to try and call a truce between them, for Harry's sake.

"What?" Draco snapped out. Haiden took a deep, calming breath to keep himself from snapping back at the boy. He was here for a reason and it wasn't to cause a fight by snapping the boy's head off.

"I know that you've been in the hospital and everything, but I know Harry visits you quite often, and I was wondering if you've noticed anything strange about Harry?" Haiden asked. Draco opened his mouth only to stop and close it making Haiden wonder what snappy remark had Draco stopped himself from saying. Haiden watched as the boy looked back at his book in thought.

"The only thing that's really standing out to me is how Harry's become quick to irritate. But that could be because everything he's been through." Draco told him slowly before turning the page in his book. Haiden stood there and allowed his mind to run through everything that had happened to Harry the past few years.

"Everything… like the com –" Haiden had to quickly dodge out of the way as the book Draco had been reading was suddenly thrown at him.

"Finish that sentence and you can kiss our truce goodbye!" Draco growled out dangerously. It took Haiden a couple of seconds to figure out what had caused Draco to lash out like that.

"I used to not be able to even think of the word com–" Draco threw another book at him, "that was until Mind Healer Krystin told me –"

"I know what that Mind Healer told you! She told me the same thing!" Draco growled.

"She did?" Haiden asked in confusion.

"You weren't the only one to have a damn session with her." Draco told him, refusing to look Haiden in the eyes. Haiden stared at Draco in shock.

"You also had a session with her?" Haiden asked, he had had a session with her (same as Ron and Ginny) because he had been down there and had witnessed everything that night, however, no one had ever hinted at that Draco (or anyone else) had met with Mind Healer Krystin over what had happened. "Why did you have a session with her?" He asked curiously. Haiden watched as Draco balled his hand but said nothing, it was clear that Draco didn't want to talk about his session with Mind Healer Krystin. Haiden had just opened his mouth to change the subject when Draco cut him off.

"I'm not crazy." Draco growled at him.

"I never said you were." Haiden told him awkwardly. Draco was now fiddling with the blanket covering his legs, and Haiden realized that the boy was trying to either gather his words or his courage to continue. Haiden, not wanting to stare at the boy and make him even more uncomfortable, quickly began to search for a chair to sit in and give Draco some time to find either his words or courage.

"My father was worried, and my mother was scared." Draco muttered just as Haiden had sat down. "I – I had freaked out." He whispered slowly. "The night Harry fell into his –" Draco curled in on himself while running a hand through his hair. "I felt it." Draco hissed through his teeth.

"Felt it?" Haiden asked and Draco nodded.

"The second Harry fell –" Draco stopped and shook his head before growling. "I felt the second he was bitten, I knew – It was as if I was there, with him – I knew, and there was nothing I could do – my world had begun to fade – there was nothing – just a void – cold, empty, dark – Harry was falling farther and farther from my grasp – I couldn't reach him – he was fading –" Haiden sat frozen in his seat as Draco talked. "I panicked – I lost it. Professor Snape had to sedate me and take me to my parents – at this point in time no one knew what had happened down in the Chamber, no one knew about Harry."

"I think I understand." Haiden whispered and reached out to lay a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder, his hand froze in mid-air when Draco let out yet another growl and turned to glare at him, his eyes holding an unnatural light to them.

"You understand nothing." Draco told him. "But how could you? How could you understand how it feels to have your soul ripped from you? How could you understand how it felt to have the world around you crumble and fade? How could you understand how it felt to feel your heart stop, to feel yourself die?" Haiden didn't know what to say or do, Draco had felt all that before anyone had gotten any news of what had happened in the Chamber.

"I didn't – I'm sorry." Haiden whispered.

"Only Myari, Luna, Professor Snape and my parents knew about what happened to me that night." Draco told him before laying down and turned his head away from Haiden. "I'm tired." It took a minute or two for Haiden to realize what Draco was telling him and stood up. "This conversation never happened."

"What conversation?" Haiden asked as he turned and left the Hospital Wing.

– Lock Me In Your Heart –

Draco didn't reappear in class until late Thursday afternoon in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year. Professor Lupin wasn't there when they had arrived. Haiden shared a small nod with Draco when he walked in with Harry clinging to his uninjured arm and happily chatting away. However, the second the two of them crossed the threshold of the classroom, Harry's eyes became glassy for a split second before his body gave a slight jolt and he sucked in a breath of air. Draco shot Haiden a concerned look only to earn a worried shrug from Haiden as Harry looked around the room before rolling his eyes and dragging Draco to a table.

Haiden and Ron took the table right behind Harry and Draco as everyone (but Harry) took out their books, quills and parchments out. The once quiet room was soon filled with many excited conversations, many students hoping that Professor Lupin was better than their last to DADA Professors. When Professor Lupin entered the room all conversations came to a stop as the man walked over to his desk. He smiled vaguely at them as he placed his tatty old briefcase on the desk. He was as shabby as ever, but looked a lot healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals and a good, long rest.

"Good afternoon." He said, the look in his amber eyes reminding Haiden of the Weasley twins whenever they were planning a prank. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's lesson will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." Professor Lupin informed them calmly. There were a few curious looks thrown around as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts before, not unless you counted the very memorable class last year when Lockhart had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

"Right, then." Professor Lupin said once everyone was ready. "If you would all please follow me." He said before making his way back towards the door. Puzzled but very interested, the class quickly got to their feet and followed after Lupin. He lead them out of the classroom and down the deserted corridor, around a corner where they encountered Peeves the Poltergeist who was floating upside down in mid-air stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away when he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, Loopy Lupin." Peeves sang. "Loony, Loopy Lupin. Loony, Loopy Lupin –" Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect towards the teachers.

"Waddiwasi!" Harry suddenly cried, and (with the force of a bullet) the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril. Peeves whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing Harry. Professor Lupin turned towards Harry; his mouth open to question the boy. "Saw you do it once." Was all Harry said before he passed Professor Lupin to continue down the corridor with Professor Lupin and the rest of the class following him. They found him in the next corridor, stopped right outside the staffroom, waiting for them.

"Inside, please." Professor Lupin ushered as he opened the door for them. The staffroom was a long paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs and was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair sipping on coffee and looked to be grading some papers, he glanced up as the class filed in. Haiden watched as Professor Snape's onyx eyes swept over them only to pause once he had gotten to Harry, who had tensed up the second his eyes landed on an old wardrobe at the back of the room.

"Professor Lupin." Professor Snape greeted, setting his coffee down (eyes never leaving Harry), "Would you like any help with today's lesson?" It was only then did Professor Snape's eyes leave Harry to look at Professor Lupin with an eyebrow raised.

"I thank you, but I believe I can handle the lesson. However, should anything happen, I will send for you, immediately." Professor Lupin told Professor Snape, and it was clear to Haiden that the two men were not actually talking about the lesson, but Harry. After a long moment, Professor Snape nodded before finishing his coffee and gathered up the parchments he was going over. "Well then, I have some essays to grade, if I don't see you after class, then I'll see you at dinner." Professor Snape said as he left the room. Haiden glanced at his brother to see that Harry was paler than normal.

"You okay?" Haiden asked him softly, startling the poor boy who looked over at him with a forced smile.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be? If anything were to happen, we have Rem – I mean Professor Lupin here with us, he'll make sure that we're safe." Harry told him shakily.

"That's right, Harry." Professor Lupin said, resting a calming hand on Harry's shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze before he made his way around the group of students and over to the wardrobe. He beckoned them over and the class followed him only to jump back in shock and fear when the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. Haiden heard Harry give a small squeak of fear and glanced at him to find Harry now trying to hide behind Draco.

"Nothing to worry about." Professor Lupin told them calmy, and Haiden wondered if the man was talking to the class as a whole or just Harry. "There's a boggart in there." The students who knew what that meant all took a step away from the wardrobe. Haiden caught Neville giving Professor Lupin a look of pure terror that was now matching Harry's look, Seamus Finnigan was now eyeing the rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces." Professor Lupin explained. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboard under sinks, in sewers –" the man listed off "– I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one," he motioned toward the wardrobe, "moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Headmaster if the staff could leave it to give my third years some practice." Professor Lupin told them, giving the class a smirk that (once again) reminded Haiden of the Weasley twins after they had caught someone in their prank.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is: What is a boggart?" Hermione's hand flew up, shocking Haiden because he hadn't noticed her in class before that moment. Had he been so focused on his brother that he had accidentally overlooked his own girlfriend? Guilt washed over him; what kind of boyfriend forgot his girlfriend?

"It's a shapeshifter." She said once called upon. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most." Haiden sucked in a breath, it now made sense as to why Harry was afraid. If there was indeed a boggart in that wardrobe then anything from a Basilisk, to a Dementor, to even a dog could appear before Harry. Haiden moved closer to Harry as if to protect him from the boggart.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Professor Lupin said and Hermione glowed from the praise. Harry mumbled something into Draco's back. "What was that, Harry? I didn't quite catch that?"

"Some scholars believe that boggarts and Dementors are related, and that both come from something called 'The Fallen One'." Harry repeated, removing his face from Draco's back to be heard better. Professor Lupin nodded looking thoughtful.

"Yes, I had heard about that theory. I'll look further into that theory whenever I have the time." Professor Lupin said. "Right, so, the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. It does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody has ever seen what a boggart looks like when it is alone, but when I let it out, it will immediately become whatever each of us most fears." Neville let out a small sputter of terror, but Professor Lupin carried on as if he never heard it. "That means we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Haiden?" Professor Lupin asked as Haiden glanced over at Harry.

"Er –" Haiden snapped his head back to the front to look at Professor Lupin who was looking at him expectantly, he quickly went over everything that had been said to try and figure out what their advantage was. However, trying to think about the answer to a question with Hermione next to him, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, and his worry for Harry floating in the back of his mind wasn't easy. But Haiden took a guess anyway. "Because there are so many of us that it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely!" Professor Lupin told him and Hermione put her hand down, a look of slight disappointment of not getting to answer in her eyes a second before she smiled at him. "It's always best to have company with you when dealing with a boggart because it will become confused. Which thing should it become: a headless corpse, an evil clown, or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake – it tried to frighten two people at once and turned itself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening." Professor Lupin said, a nostalgic look in his eyes before he shook himself out of whatever memory he had remembered.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing." Professor Lupin before smiled at them. "Right, we will all practice the wand movement without our wands. Repeat after me" He told them and everyone slowly put their wands away before watching Professor Lupin slowly move his hand as if he were drawing a smiley face in the air. Once he was sure they had the wand movements down, Professor Lupin smiled at them. "Now the spell is: Riddikulus. Repeat after me."

"Riddikulus!" Everyone said together.

"Good." Professor Lupin said. "Very Good. However, that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word and wand movement alone isn't enough. Mr Longbottom, would you please stand in front of the wardrobe." Neville squeaked in fear before he walk towards the wardrobe as though he were heading for the gallows, pausing every time the wardrobe shook. "Right, first things first, Mr Longbottom I'm going to need you to take a few, calming deep breaths, I'm not going to allow any harm to any of you." Professor Lupin informed the boy calmly as Neville took a few calming breaths. "There you go." Professor Lupin said as Neville's body relaxed a little.

"Now that we're all calm down a little, tell me, what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?" Professor Lupin asked. Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out. "I didn't quite catch that, Neville, sorry." Professor Lupin said, looking as if he were biting back laughter while looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Neville glanced nervously around the room before, in barely more than a whisper, said "Professor Snape." Nearly everyone laughed at that, even Neville was grinning apologetically. Professor Lupin, eyes shining brightly, just tried to look thoughtful.

"Professor Snape, yes, he frightens all I fear." Professor Lupin joked with a smirk. "And I believe you live with your grandmother, yes?"

"Er – yes." Neville said nervously. "But I don't want the boggart to turn into her either." At that Professor Lupin let out a small laugh.

"Neither would I." Professor Lupin joked, and Haiden wondered if the Professor had met Nevilles grandmother before. "But you misunderstood me. I wonder, could you tell us: What sort of clothing your grandmother usually wears?" Neville looked started.

"Well, 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." Neville recounted.

"And a handbag, perfect to whack someone with?" Professor Lupin prompted, and Haiden was quite certain that Professor Lupin had, at one point in time, met Neville's grandmother.

"Yes, a big red one." Neville told him with a nod.

"Right then." Professor Lupin said before maneuvering Neville so that he was directly in front of the wardrobe. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eyes?"

"Yes?" Neville said uncertainly as Professor Lupin backed away from the boy once he was in position.

"Good. Now, when that boggart bursts out of the wardrobe, Neville, and it sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape." Professor Lupin told him. "And what I want you to do is raise your wand and use the spell Riddikulus on it. And as you cast the spell, I want you to concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart-Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat and green dress while holding the big, red handbag." There was a great shout of laughter from the class at that. The wardrobe shook more violently.

"When Neville, here, is successful, the boggart is likely to shift its attention to each one of us in turn." Professor Lupin warned. "So, I would like all of you to take a moment to think of the thing that scares you most, and then imagine how you might force it to look comical." There was a small whimper of fear from Harry causing Professor Lupin (along with Haiden and Draco) to look at him in concern before the professor continued the class. "Everyone ready?" There was a small murmur of confirmation from the class.

"Neville, we're going to back away now." Professor Lupin informed Neville who gave his own whimper of fear. "Let you have a clear field, all right?" Professor Lupin turned his attention to the rest of the class before ushering them back and forcing them into a single line. "Once Neville is successful, I will then call the next person forward." Neville was now alone beside the wardrobe, he looked pale and frightened, but there was a glimmer of determination in his eyes as he pushed up the sleeves of his robe before he held his wand up at the ready.

"On the count of three, Neville." Professor Lupin informed him as he pointed his own wand at the wardrobe. "One – two – three – now!" A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the door knob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing gold before fading to onyx black as they locked onto Neville. Neville started to back away, his wand up, and mouth moving wordlessly. Professor Boggart-Snape was beating down upon Neville as he reached inside his robes.

"R-r-riddikulus!" Neville forced out. There was a noise like a whip crack. Professor Boggart-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 huge, crimson handbag. There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted.

"Parvati! Forward!" As Parvati shot forward, Neville took that chance to run and hide at the back of the line. Professor Boggart-Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where Professor Boggart-Snape had once been now stood a bloodstained, bandaged mummy. It's sightless eyes shining gold before fading to black as it turned to Parvati and began to shuffle towards her.

"Riddikulus!" Parvati cried. A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled and fell face forward, its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" Professor Lupin called out. Seamus darted past Parvati. There was yet another crack. Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor length black hair and a skeletal, green-tented face – a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hairs on Haiden's head stand on end –

"Riddikulus!" Seamus shouted. The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone. – Crack! – The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail, in a circle, then – Crack! – became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before – Crack! – becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" Professor Lupin informed them with a wide smile. "We're getting there! Dean!" Dean hurried forward. – Crack! – The eyeball became a severed hand, which flopped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!" Dean shouted. There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mouse trap.

"Excellent! Ronald, you're next!" Ron shot forward. – Crack! – Quite a few people screamed as the hand became a giant spider (Aragog!) ten feet tall and covered in hair. All eight of its eyes shining gold before fading to black as they locked onto Ron and began to advance on him, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a fearful moment, Haiden thought Ron had frozen. Then –

"Riddikulus!" Ron bellowed and suddenly the spider was on quad skates. As Ron quickly made his way back to line, he accidently bumped into Harry, causing him to fall right into the sight of the boggart. – Crack! – The spider became a large dog. But not just any dog: a large, black, shaggy dog. The very same dog Haiden had caught sight of in the alley way beside the Magical Menagerie.

Harry laid frozen on the ground as the dog stalked closer to him, fangs bared and ready to rip his brother into shreds. At seeing his brother helpless and frozen in fear, Haiden shot forward, acting on instinct. He quickly placed himself in between his brother and the dog so that he was now the one in the eye line of the boggart. – Crack! – The dog changed into a Dementor that loomed over him, freezing Haiden as memories of what this thing had done to his brother on the train overcame him. – Crack! – Haiden blinked and found himself staring at the back of Professor Lupin's cloak.

"Riddikulus!" Professor Lupin growled out and seconds later a pale yellow balloon was flying around the room releasing the air inside it until Professor Lupin magically opened the wardrobe and forced the boggart back into it before he quickly locked it with a shaky breath. "Right." Professor Lupin said, forcing a smile onto his ashen face. "Well, then, I'm sorry about that. But I believe that is enough excitement for one day. Class is dismissed early, feel free to collect your things from the classroom, and I shall see you in our next class together." Professor Lupin said as he quickly swept back across the room to where Haiden and Harry were. He knelt down in front of Harry as his eyes scanned him, checking for any injuries. As the rest of the class (minus Hermione and Draco) left the room with groans of disappointment.

"Are you two all right?" Professor Lupin asked, his eyes moving from Harry to Haiden as he began to check him over as Hermione and Draco made their way over to them.

"I'm fine." Haiden heard himself say, but Harry was still frozen in his spot, terrified eyes still locked on to where the dog had once been.

"Harry, do I need to send for Severus? Do you need your Mind Healer?" Professor Lupin asked, but Harry still did not respond. Without another word, Professor Lupin swept Harry into his arms. "Go alert Severus that me and Harry will be waiting in the Hospital Wing for Mind Healer Krystin." Professor Lupin ordered Haiden before he swiftly left the room with Harry. Haiden took a moment to understand what had happened before he bolted out of the room in search of Professor Snape.