Discovery

05.

The first week of classes was rather boring. I sat through hours of introductions and overviews of courses all week long. I wished I had taken Care of Magical Creatures with my friends, especially when I heard that one of the creatures, a Hippogriff, had attacked Draco Malfoy. That git got what he deserved, and I wished I had been able to see it.

Classes didn't get the slightest bit exciting until Thursday, the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.

I walked into the classroom with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but Professor Lupin wasn't there. We all sat down and took out our books, parchment, and quills, and waited.

When Professor Lupin finally walked into the classroom, he smiled vaguely and placed his tattered briefcase onto the teacher's desk.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands." I exchanged glances with Hermione, we both looked ecstatic. After sitting through boring lessons all week, I was excited to do some hands-on activities.

Professor Lupin continued leading our class to the staffroom. When we arrived, Lupin had everyone stand near an old wardrobe.

"Now, then," Lupin moved closer to the wardrobe, and suddenly it began to wobble. Hermione and I gave each other worried glances.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly. "There's a boggart in there." Neville gave the professor a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the wardrobe apprehensively.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks— I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock." Professor Lupin continued. "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?" I noticed Hermione's hand shoot up.

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

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Lupin, and Hermione glowed.

Lupin continued to explain the background of a boggart, and I listened excitedly. This class was already my favorite, and it was only the first lesson.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing." said Professor Lupin, snapping me out of my daze. "We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" we all said together.

Lupin the called on Neville to help with the boggart, and we all waited anxiously.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift its attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical...."

I tried to think of what my biggest fear was, and I finally decided on a snake. Miranda had put one in my room once as revenge, and I haven't been the same since.

I pictured a snake in my mind, and tried to imagine what would make it funny. Turning it into a balloon? Yes, that would work.