Harry Potter: Raised By Roses

Chapter Forty-Four: The Boggart

Harry had to admit that he was curious about Professor Lupin. Just in the past two years, they had three other defense professors. Lupin is their fourth. But after their first two, Harry was worried about their fourth. Their first ended up being a psycho that had a Dark Lord sticking out of the back of his head. Their second was a criminal that liked to erase the memories of anyone he catches doing a heroic act just to take credit for it. Kingsley, their third, was probably the only good one that they had so far. Two out of three were terrible teachers, so the statistics were not looking good for Lupin. But Harry had to hope for some good lessons before things went south.

Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, but there was some type of wardrobe in the room. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

"Oh boy," Harry mumbled, losing hope already.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said. "And I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Neville's face went, if possible, even redder.

"Relax, Neville," Harry comforted his friend. "You'll do fine."

"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the old wardrobe.

As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."

Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"What is with this school having magical creatures all over the place," Harry wondered out loud, making most of his classmates chuckle.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," Professor Lupin continued his lesson. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks. I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?"

Hermione put up her hand. Lupin did not call on her, having chosen Dean Thomas. But she chose to open her mouth anyway.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Miss. Granger, I did not call in you," Professor Lupin scolded her. "If you have an answer, raise your hand. But that does not mean I will call on you every time. Five points from Gryffindor."

Most of the Gryffindors smirked at Hermione's annoyed face. Even after two years of being told to only answer when called on, she still has not learned her lesson.

Professor Lupin then continued. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"