Letters I Can't Send

6

The next few weeks are pretty boring. Just classes and Malfoy being annoying. He seems to have forgotten about the 'pretty boy' comment, but I have a feeling that he'll pull it out at any minute and use it against me. I just hope to Merlin he doesn't say it in front of anyone—because I will most likely drop dead of mortification.

Today, we have a special lesson with Professor Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. His classroom has been cleared of all its desks and there's only an old wardrobe in the center of the large room.

The class of us Slytherins and Gryffindors are sort of mingling with one another to pass the time before the professor gets here.

No one dared even get close to the wardrobe—this class was just too unpredictable.

Quinn and I meet up with the rest of our dorm members for class today. There was Ariana Bluedale—she has the most gorgeous strawberry blond hair that fall in waves around her shoulders. She's awfully quiet at first, but once you get to know her, she talks nonstop—we love her though. Then there's Gracie Douglas, who has bone straight black hair and sharp eyes. She's short but comes with an attitude. And last, but certainly not least, is Arabella Ashe. She's definitely the more judgmental one and keeps a low profile. We don't want to get on her bad side, so we dint know her too well.

We're not all exactly friends, but we get along well enough to be comfortable around one another and make small talk—be on a first name basis.

"What do think the closet is for?" Gracie asks me, but I'm staring into space, barely paying attention to anything. "Or are you too busy staring at Malfoy to answer me?" at that, I snap out of whatever trance I was in and realize that I am, in face, staring right at Draco Malfoy.

I turn to face Gracie with a cross between a baffled and accusing look. "I was not—I zoned out." I deny.

She smirks. "Yeah, yeah, say whatever you want, Y/n. Your secret is safe with me."

Before I get the chance to deny her accusations further, Lupin waltzes through the door, and starts explaining today's lesson.

He calls the closet a "boggart" and explains that it shows you your greatest fear. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now. Ah, without wands, please. Repeat after me: riddikulus!" we all repeat the strange word.

From behind me, I hear Malfoy say, "This class is ridiculous," and he scoffs. I glance back at him and he gives me a look as if to say, "What? It's true," I look away.

Professor Lupin uses Neville Longbottom as the first example. We get to see how real and terrifying the boggart really is. It takes your fear and once we use the "riddikulus" charm against it, it turns to something humorous.

We all form a line, excited to face our fears—something I never thought would happen in my lifetime.

This is when I get truly horrified. What will be my fear? What will happen if I face it?

I gulp. And as everyone shuffles to form a line, I find myself near the beginning, with Harry Potter right behind me—that's when I start to panic. My palms sweat and I'm constantly playing with my fingers. I have no idea what that boggart will be and I'm not ready for it either.

Ron Weasley is first in line—his boggart is a spider—basic and original. Then Pravati Patil goes next, also with a normal fear.

Then it's my turn. I take a deep breath and step forward. I hold my wand out, preparing myself for whatever is about to take form.

I watch in utter horror as the jack-in-the-box, from Pravati's boggart shifts into two people laying on the wooden floor of Professor Lupin's classroom

They're cold, and pale —dead, I realize. And I realize further, that they are my parents. Laying side-by-side on the floor, with lifeless, open eyes and cracked lips.