Chapter 84 - Boggart

" Are you afraid?" Lucien asked

"Why would I be, you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen"

"Tell me what else you see Padma, focus on me, judge me for what I look like in your presence, right now."

Padma looked a little deeper at Lucien's appearance

"I see you Lucien. A silent king , even without worlds you are mighty, you take what you want and give nothing in return. A devourer with absolute power, even when facing loose. But I also feel pain and heartbreak because I know I can lose you at any time. A true king never belongs to just one."

Lucien felt satisfied with her words. Morphing into a giant white snake. He wrapped around her like a boa constrictor and looked her in the eyes,

"now what do you see"

Padma swallowed

"Voldemort, a deceiver. Liar, traitor... My heart. I see a beast of wisdom , knowledge, and cold passion. If you can not have me, then no one can. But, in those overbearing amber eyes, all I feel is safe…"

"I just wanted to show you that sometimes, the people you care for are better off knowing things, you rather not tell them. but I ȧssure you, it will all work out for the best."

Padma smiled and understood; what Lucien meant. Padma's mind drifted off to some of less fortunate encounters she had with her sister during the summer. Each argument the twins had, was brought about by Padma's lack of honesty with Parvati about their burdensome gift and her feelings about it.

Lucien morphed back into his human form

"Just keep being honest with me, even though I do not deserve it" Tears rolled down Padma's face.

Lucien conjured a small cloth and handed it to her

"You know I'm all of those things that you called me, except Voldemort, I will never be Voldemort. Then again, I might even become worse than him. But these are things, I'm learning to accept and I'm becoming a better sorcerer because of it."

"What if I did something, unspeakable. For all of the wrong reasons"

Lucien took a step back and placed his hands on the sides of Padma's face

"Relax your mind for me"

"What are you doing Lucien?"

"I'm going to show you how to come face to face with whatever is tearing you up on the inside"

When Padma's shoulder lost their tension, Lucien pushed out a stream of memories. The memories were of Lucien, spending his time practicing the Patronus charm and failing over and over again. Then his thoughts during his meditation, and his comprehension of the Patronus charm, Finally, the creation of his spirit beasts

After that night, Lucien would take Padma to the island in the middle of the black lake to practice conjuring her spirit beast.

The two had grown closer during those nights, Yet, Padma still choose not to share her little gift with Lucien. But, If, everything goes as Lucien hoped it would. Padma would have no choice but to tell Lucien.

While Lucien was getting closer to Padma. Navarra, Zabini and the free house elves, that now had jobs at Hogwarts. Were working on Lucien's plan. The Chamber of Secrets was sealed of with different locks. The inside of the chamber was remolded. And a couple of rooms were added

Lucien's plan was in full swing. 6th and 7th year students were coming up dead. And sightings of Sirius Black inside the castle was ramping up.

And caused the castle to be on complete lock down. But what worried Dumbledore the most was, after he issued a lock-down, the bodies of the dead students, began to disappear.

"Albus what should we do?"

"Put the Professors on night watch and have Azeroth guard Gryffindor Tower. Sirius might be on a rampage or he might be looking for something"

"or someone"

"Enough, Minerva. I also want wards placed on the castle for defense against Inferi"

"Albus, you don't think?"

"Anything is possible Minerva"

It was September 9th when Professor Lupin had the wonderful idea to laugh in the face of fear. He gave a defense against the dark arts lesson on Boggarts.

"Come, Come, gather around. As you all know, these past few days have been extremely troubling. So today I have prepared a little something to help you all through the bad time."

The cupboard behind Lupin began to rattle and startled the class

"Hmm behind me, awaits a Boggart. How many of you know what a Boggart is?"

"A Boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a Boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into one's worst fears when one first sees it"

"Exactly,50 points to Slytherin"

Lupin continued to instruct the class

"You're late Hermione"

"Shut up, Lucien. I don't know how you got so accustomed to this so fast but, it is absolutely tiresome for me"

"All I can recommend is to eat more apples"

Hermione looked at Lucien and squinted her eyes. Lucien just nodded in return

"Thank you, Lucien"

"What are friends for"

Lucien put his arm around Hermione and pulled her into a side hug. Lucien could see the exhaustion in Hermione's face. He felt kind of bad, for not helping her sooner, he ȧssumed that she would figure it out on her own.

"It seems you two are pretty confidant, why don't you both have a go, after Neville here"

The class turned their heads and all eyes locked on to Hermione and Lucien

"Certainly, Professor. But, be warned I fear nothing."

Lucien and Hermione walked to the front of the class. Neville's' fear was Snape. And Hermione's was failure. Lucien laughed a little and Hermione punched him in the arm. Surprisingly, Hermione was a bit heavy handed.

When Lucien walked up to the Boggart and it morphed into a cloud of black smoke. Lucien's eyebrows contorted.

"you son of a bitch. That's how do it." Lucien had felt a slight probe in his mind. He would have missed it the fabricated thoughts in Lucien mind weren't the first layer of his defenses.

The Boggart imitated its targets memories to masks its presence. How ever Lucien was in complete control of his fabricated memories and noticed one out of place. Hermione on the other hand never expected her mind to be probed, coupled with the fact that she was not skilled enough yet to keep up a layer of fabricated memories.

Lucien closed his mind and sent a small psychic wave, knocking the boggart out of his head.

"See, I fear nothing Professor"

Lucien then turned to join the rest of his friends in the back. Next was Ron with his fear of spiders and the Parvati and her fear of snakes.

"Padma come on. you're next"

Padma stepped up; Lucien began to walk up to the Boggart.

Infront of Padma the boggart morphed into Parvati, Shocking everyone in the class. Parvati was holding the same book that Lucien had seen in Padma's Memories when they were on the train.

Lucien kept walking to the front with his wand drawn

In Parvati's other hand, it held a knife. Parvati slowly looked up and stared at Padma with tears in her eyes. She dropped the book and pointed the knife at Padma. And then turned it on herself. But Lucien thought the way she held the knife to herself was odd. However, before everyone could see the ending Lucien stepped in front of Padma and the boggart reverted to and ethereal form.

Padma then ran out of the class, followed by Parvati.

"Come on, who's next." Said Lucien as he walked away.