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—"BUT THAT WAS THE EASY PART, I'M AFRAID. YOU SEE, THE WORD ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH. THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN, NEVILLE." CONTINUED REMUS, LOOKING AT THE SAID BOY. The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he was heading for the gallows.
Alexandria shared a look with Pansy, both of them simultaneously rolling their eyes from the lack of Gryffindor bravery.
"Right, Neville. First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"
Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.
"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Remus cheerfully.
Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."
Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Remus, however, looked thoughtful.
"Professor Snape.. Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"
"Er – yes," said Neville nervously. "But— I don't want the Boggart to turn into her, either."
"No, no, you misunderstand me. I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"
"That's what he said," said a whisper behind Alexandria, making her turn around.
She glared at the boy, who gave her a wink, which made her slap his injured arm roughly.
Draco immediately hissed in pain.
Neville looked startled, but said, "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."
"And a handbag?" prompted the Professor.
"A big red one."
"Right then. Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"
"Yes," said Neville uncertainly, plainly wondering what was coming next.
"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," explained Remus. "And you will raise your wand– thus– and cry 'Riddikulus'– and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, that green dress, that big red handbag."
There was a great shout of laughter. Even the Slytherin heiress let out a small chuckle.
The wardrobe wobbled more violently.
"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn," said Remus. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical.."
The room went quiet.
Alexandria thought... What scared her most in the world?
She didn't have much time to think as Remus asked, "Everyone ready?"
Everyone nodded, but Alexandria noticed Harry Potter, who was across the room, deep in thought.
On other thoughts.. what scared Harry Potter most?
"Neville, we're going to back away," said Remus. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward... everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot—"
They all retreated, backing against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe.
He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.
"On the count of three, Neville," said Remus, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One – two – three – now!" A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Black's wand and hit the doorknob.
The wardrobe burst open.
Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.
Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly.
Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.
"R-r-riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.
There was a noise like a whip-crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and swinging a huge crimson handbag from his hand.
There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Black shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"
Parvati walked forward, her face set.
Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk towards her, very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising—
"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.
A bandage unravelled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forwards and its head rolled off.
"Seamus!" roared Professor Black.
Seamus darted past Parvati.
There was another crack; Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face— a banshee. She opened her mouth wide, and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek which made the hair on Alexandria's head stand on end—
"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.
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.
The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over, and began to creep along the floor like a crab.
"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean.
There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.
"Excellent! Ron, you next!"
Ron Weasley leapt forward.
Crack!
Quite a few people screamed; A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly.
Alexandria rolled her eyes again. The Gryffindors had the most meaningless fears possible.
For a moment, Weasley looked frozen. Then "Riddikulus!" bellowed Weasley, and the spider's legs vanished.
It rolled over and over;
Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry Potter's feet. He raised his wand, ready, but—
Most of the students frowned in confusion, while Alexandria and Remus shared a look.
Harry Potter's boggart had turned into a teenager.
More specifically, a teenage girl.
..a teenage girl with long dark brown hair, green eyes, plump lips. But the life in her eyes were nowhere to be seen. It was gone. Her face had scratches all over it. Her arms were bleeding.
Harry let out a shaky breath and took a few steps forward. "..Ava?" He whispered.
