The Younger Potter

9

She stood there, tears appearing in her eyes, trying to turn his body, this boggart, into something funny.

"Ridikkulus!" she shouted, hoping it would turn into something else. Anything else. Instead, his body turned into Lily's dead body.

The tears were now rolling down her face and her professor was standing there, eyes wide, trying not to sob at Lily's body. She waved her wand once more and the body turned into James' body.

That was the breaking point for her. She stood there trembling, eyes blurred with tears, before her vision went black and she collapsed, her wand falling from her hand as her professor rushed over to her before her head could hit the floor.

He stood in front of the boggart, that was now a moon. "Riddikulus!" he says, the moon turning into a balloon and flying back into the closet.

He puts her head in his lap as he checked over Charlotte. "Somebody go get Professor Mcgonagall!" he shouts. "Class is dismissed!"

The students grab their stuff and rush out of the room, except for Samantha and Lindsay, who opted to sit beside Charlotte with worried looks on their faces.

"She'll be okay, won't she?" Samantha asked.

"Yes. I don't see any injuries." Lupin replied, reassuringly.

A few minutes later, Mcgonagall burst through the door, rushing over, looking at Charlotte.

"What happened?" Mcgonagall asked.

"We were practicing Boggarts, when her turn came up, she was trying to turn her boggart into something funny, but it didn't work. After that she fainted." Lupin explains.

Mcgonagall nods.

"It's best if we take her to the hospital wing to let Madame Pompfrey check on her."

Charlotte lets out a groan, opening her eyes.

"Charlotte? It's okay. We're going to take you to the hospital wing. Does anything hurt? Can you stand?" Mcgonagall asks.

Charlotte slowly stands up, before instantly falling again, Professor Lupin instantly catching her.

"Oh dear. Lupin, are you okay with carrying Miss Potter to the hospital wing?" Mcgonagall asks.

"Of course." Lupin nods, gently holding her in his arms. "Go ahead to your next lesson, girls. Charlotte will be in good hands."

Lindsay and Samantha nod, grabbing their things and Charlotte's, taking one last look at their friend before leaving the room.

The two professors made their way to the hospital wing where Lupin set the young girl on one of the beds.

Madame Pomphrey did a full check up, before looking at the two waiting professors.

"How is she?" Professor Lupin immediately asked, when she turned to them. The lady gave a soft smile at the boy she almost always had when he was in his youth.

"She's stressed. That may have been what caused her to not be able to change the Boggart. I'll let you two have a talk with her, but then I'll give her a sleeping potion, so that she'll be able to sleep. She hasn't had a full night of rest in a day or two."

The professors thanked the lady before sitting near Charlotte, who didn't look up, playing with the sheets of the bed.

"Miss Potter. You can talk to us. That's why we're here." Professor Mcgonagall said gently and she looked up with tired eyes, tears in them.

"I'm just stressed." Charlotte answers.

"Would you like to tell us what about?" Professor Lupin asks, rubbing the girls arm, something he knew, sometimes calmed her mother down.

"I'm worried about Harry. I noticed he hasn't really been the same after his broom flew into the Whomping Willow and nothing can fix the broom. It was a special gift to him." She whispered.

"Is there anything else?" Mcgonagall asks.

"I, my aunt and I, have a tradition, where every year, we go to my parents grave. I guess, I'm feeling kind of guilty about not going this year." she answered in a small voice.

"Charlotte. You've been keeping these feelings locked up, from your brother, from your friends, and from the teachers who care about you. Never feel that you can't speak to us about anything." Lupin told her, letting her hug him while she let the tears fall.

"About your tradition, Miss Potter, we can speak to the headmaster about you being released for the day to go with your aunt to your parent's grave. I'm sure that we can work that out." Mcgonagall adds.

"Really?"

Mcgonagall nods.

"Oh, thank you!" Charlotte cried out in joy, hugging both professors at the same time. Minerva, startled, tentatively patted her back as Remus immediately hugged her back.

"Oh, good, Ms. Potter, I want you to take this potion. It'll help you sleep." Madame Pomfrey came back, potion in hand, that she handed to Charlotte.

 Charlotte took it, drowning it in one go before laying back down on the bed, eyes slowly fluttering closed. Minerva stayed for a few minutes more before patting her former student's shoulder. "I'll be off. I have a class to teach." she whispered.

He nodded in response, watching his goddaughter sleeping peacefully. She looked so much like Lilly, it hurt, yet at the same time, it brought a sort of peace with him.

"Sleep well my little doe."

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to vote and comment and remember to take care of yourself. Have a great rest of your day