The Kind Hufflepuff

Chapter 55: Riddikulus

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The Kind Hufflepuff - Year Three

Chapter Fifty- Five: Riddikulus

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Cali and Regulus were sitting at the Black Lake, their books surrounding them as they both leaned against the same tree, their shoulders touching as Cali's head softly laid on his shoulder. "So I have some news," Regulus announced, interrupting their peaceful visit.

"What's your news?" Cali asked, curious as she closed her book and turned to the boy fully.

"I am trying out for the Quidditch team," Regulus shrugged. "The Slytherin one?"

"Oh really?" Cali laughed, "Not the House Elves one?"

"The house elves have a Quidditch team?" Regulus asked.

"No," Cali giggled. "It was a joke," causing Regulus' cheeks to redden. "What position are you trying for?"

"The Slytherin Seeker graduated last year so that's really the only open position."

"So you're about to be the new Slytherin seeker? When is tryouts?" Cali asked eagerly.

"Friday night," Regulus nodded. "But who knows if I'll really get it," he shrugged.

"You will," Cali declared. "I'll get Sirius to come watch you. He's on the Gryffindor quidditch team, you know?" Regulus nodded slowly, indicating he knew.

"He wont come," Regulus told her, "I wont be disappointed but I know you will be."

"It's time for Defense," Cali groaned, "I heard we're going to be meeting Boggarts."

"The monster that changes based off your biggest fear?" Regulus asked, and Cali nodded in confirmation. "What do you think you'd see?" he asked curiously, and Cali shrugged in response.

"I'm really not sure," Cali sighed, "But we might be finding out. I'll tell you at dinner!" Cali announced before softly kissing his cheek and running off. 

When they entered the classroom, Cali immediately noted that all of the desks were in a rounded shape around the middle of the room- at least five feet away from the wardrobe that shook and creaked in the middle of the room as the creature inside attempted to escape. Cali thought back to what she knew about boggarts, the fact that they have a nonbeing classification by the Ministry of Magic due to nobody believing that they have a corporeal and concrete form as it changes based off the fears. 

She wandered how it appeared now- wondered if the creature did actually have a shape or a look to itself but that it does change to the human eye. She wondered what the creature thought, if it had any thoughts. She was unwilling to refer to such a majestic creature as a nonbeing, finding it hard to believe that this classification was accurate in anyway. 

The professor this year was a wrinkly old man by the name of Erkhurst. He was small and reminded her a bit of a ball that would simply roll if pushed too hard. He also came off as a bit nervous, his fingers twiddling as he himself stood at a distance from the wardrobe as they entered the classroom and his robes were purple and fell to the floor. Once everybody was seated, he visibly gulped before he began the lesson.

"I-I am Professor Erkhurst, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Even during my time, it seemed as though for one reason or the other that my particular position is typically open by the end of the year. Hopefully, that will not be the case for myself and if it is, let's hope that my death is not the cause." There was a short laugh from himself until he realized that nobody else was laughing.

"I would ask if anybody knows what is inside the wardrobe-" Erkhurst continued, gesturing towards the wardrobe that was wobbling even more now that there was talking. "I know that the gossip around school has already informed you that this particular, well, nonbeing is a Boggart. But does anyone know what that actually is?"

Cali was surprised when a well-known muggleborn from Hufflepuff raised her hand, knowing that the small girl often did not recognize or know the information prior to the listen which resulted in everybody turning to them- curious about the result. "Yes.. Miss?" Professor Erkhurst cleared his throat, looking at the Hufflepuff expectantly.

"Yes sir, it's a Boggart. I've never seen one myself but I had heard of them from back home. They were believed to be a folklore in the muggle community but I guess they're real. My papa always hated the blasted creatures," the Hufflepuff quietly explained. "They inhabit fields and eat the crops for the most part, very small almost squirrel like creatures with ears of a cat." Cali's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, unaware of what this girl was talking about as Erkhurst cleared his throat to interrupt the girl.

"Interestingly enough, actually, Muggles do typically derive their magical creatures from real things that exist within our world," Erkhurst explained to the sea of confused third years. "They find their own beings from creatures, or nonbeings, that they simply do not understand. I have heard of such a folklore," Erkhurst informed the girl, "But it is in fact a folklore, whatever is destroying the crops is not a Boggart but 5 points to Hufflepuff, nonetheless."

"Does anyone else have any ideas?" Erkhurst asked, diverting our attention from the Hufflepuff who looked as though she wished she was dead as she slid deep into her seat, her cheeks bright in embarrassment. Cali hesitantly raised her hand, and Erkhurst smiled sweetly at her as he gestured for her to continue. "Hufflepuff redemption," he declared. "Go on then."

"Thank you sir," Cali smiled. "Boggarts are an amortal creature that changes the shape based off the observer's biggest fear. They are considered nonbeings due to them never appearing as their own shape, at least in front of us, and we have no idea what they look like when they are completely alone."

"Correct, 10 points to Hufflepuff."

"Now everybody, line up in a single file line. I will be opening the wardrobe relatively soon but first, let's practice the spell that defeats the creature. Please understand that it does not kill them but merely shifts the creature into something funny. Does anyone know the spell?" Cali didn't raise her hand this time, and it was a Ravenclaw that explained this time.

"The spell is called Riddikulus. The wand movement is this-" the Ravenclaw quickly demonstrated the wand movement with his own wand. "You are supposed to imagine something funny, the very opposite of something scary that your boggart can turn into."

"Correct," Professor Erkhurst nodded approvingly. "10 points to Ravenclaw, would you like to start us out? Give an example of it being done correctly?" The Ravenclaw nodded enthusiastically as he took the front of the line while Professor Erkhurst began to open the boggart.

The boggart was immediately changing as it stepped out of the wardrobe, changing from various clowns and dead people before the Ravenclaw quietly stepped forward, his wand raised in preparation for the Boggart until the boggart finally landed on the Ravenclaw's biggest fear. Before the entire class was a large serpent, the scales were a nasty color and it was clear that the Boggart had been correct when the Ravenclaw stumbled back for a moment. He was frozen in fear for a few seconds before shaking it off, "Riddikulus!" The snake suddenly turned into a balloon that began zooming around the classroom as it deflated.

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A/N: Oh, yeah, the chapter ended kind of randomly. 

But I really liked this chapter- a good mix of reminding them she's in a wizarding school while also spending time with Regulus. I know everybody else was probably excited to see what her and her friends saw in the Boggarts but it always bothered me when we got to see the main character's boggart truthfully. It was established in the books that not everybody got the opportunity to see theirs so idk. Besides - this won't be the last time she comes across Boggarts so we have time to find out what she'll see.