✓ | Constellations; Fred Weasley [Book One]

Chapter 4

Professor Lupin and Boggarts

The remaining ride to Hogwarts was quiet, which was quite uncharacteristic of the four friends who sat in the compartment. Everyone was still affected by the recent event and felt nervous. The usually chatty Ravenclaw was the most affected. Her face remained solemn as she stared through the window. She still felt cold. She knew, that if the dementors had reached the train, they could probably reach at Hogwarts as well, and she was not wrong.

The whole school hated it when Professor Dumbledore announced that there would be dementors at Hogwarts during his speech. Draco Malfoy was the only one amused by that as he saw it as an opportunity to taunt Harry, who had apparently also fainted.

It was not long until Venus met Professor Lupin again, given that she had Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors, first class, the next day. She did not know him well apart from the fact that he had saved her but since the man had given her chocolate, he instantly became her favourite teacher.

"Good morning," he said when the students entered the class. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags? Today will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands."

The twins, Venus and Lee exchanged smiles. They have had practical classes before, but their last DADA professor was a liar and quite incompetent and the one before that, was associated with Voldemort. The new teacher, however, seemed to be quite promising. He led them to the staff room, which was empty, for their class.

"Since you will be having your OWLS this year, I suppose it would better if we went through what you have learned in your previous classes."

The wardrobe behind Professor Lupin suddenly wobbled, banging off the wall. Everyone snapped their attention to the old looking wardrobe. Some clenched their wands in their hands while the others just grinned, happy to finally have a teacher who knew what he was doing. Venus had an inkling of what was in the wardrobe and again, the Ravenclaw was right.

"Nothing to worry about. There's a Boggart in there," Professor Lupin said calmly, "Now, I believe you have covered the Boggart banishment charm in your third year. So who can tell me what is a Boggart?"

Venus' hand instantly shot up.

"A Boggart is a shape shifter. It can take whatever shape it thinks will frighten us the most. That is why nobody knows what a Boggart looks like."

"Couldn't have put it better myself. Five points to Ravenclaw," Professor Lupin said and Venus glowed. "So the Boggart inside the wardrobe has not yet assumed a form since it does not know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. As Venus has said, nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when it is alone, but when I'll let it out, it will immediately become whatever each of us fears. Now do you all remember the charm that repels a Boggart?"

A chorus of 'yes' and 'no' were heard throughout the class of fifth year students. Professor Lupin was not annoyed by the ones who did not remember at all. Instead he smiled at the students.

"This charm is quite simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finished a Boggart is laughter. So you need to force it to assume a shape you find amusing."

The class practised the charm without wands first before Professor Lupin opened the wardrobe. The students now formed a line in front of the wardrobe, Venus being behind the twins who were the firsts in line.

"Everyone ready? On the count of three, George." Professor Lupin now pointed his wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One - two - three - now!"

The wardrobe burst open. A ginger haired boy appeared on the floor. His body looked battered. Blood soaked his clothes. Venus took a look at the person's face and gasped. Everyone was silent. While the twins looked alike, everyone knew the twins enough to figure that the mangled body on the floor was not George's but Fred's. George gulped and clenched his wand.

"Ri-riddikulus!"

The Boggart Fred abruptly stood up and a moustache appeared on his face while his hair turned blue. George was still shaken. Fred took his twin in a corner of the room while Venus faced her Boggart. She, herself was not sure what her greatest fear was. At first she thought, she would see the dead bodies of Harry, the twins or Lee. However that changed when her Boggart turned into Sirius Black. She suddenly froze, the conversation she had with Mr Weasley before boarding the train coming back to her mind. Professor Lupin, seeing the distressed look on Venus' face, came forth and the Boggart turned into a white orb.

"Riddikulus!"

The orb changed into a balloon. The rest of the students each had their turns, apart from Fred, who refused to leave his twin's side. By the end of the class, everyone loved their new DADA teacher, and although Venus certainly preferred Professor Lupin too, she felt as if there was something odd about him and she could only hope, that it was nothing bad.