Chapter 188 - Boggart

As usual, Potions with Professor Slughorn was an utter delight for Severus and Lily, who were Professor Slughorn's favorite students. Though unlike the times before even Rowan found herself paying attention to the lesson as it was about learning to detect undetectable poisons. It was actually a rather productive class and was assigned to write an essay on how to go about detecting said poisons or potions.

Charms was a rather happy affair as Professor Flitwick started them on learning about the cheering charm and demonstrated the charm on a few students. It was charm designed to make the victim quite cheerful but done improperly the victim would be overcome with hysterics of laughter. Needless to say, there was an evil gleam in Severus's eyes the entire lesson. Immediately Rowan returned with the threat that he should decide to attempt said foolish act on her, she'd return the favor. It was mad maybe, but that is exactly what mutually assured destruction means.

After lunch, the Slytherins made their way upstairs to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with the new professor. They all sat down and took out their books, quills, and parchment. They'd been waiting for a few minutes when Professor Pollen finally arrived.

Offering them a bright smile, Professor Pollen says, "Good Afternoon, everyone." They all stared at the medium height professor with curly flaxen hair with a small chest and little to no curves. "Would you all please put all your books away back in your bags? Today's lesson will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands."

They all exchanged glances immediately thinking that this might be Professor Adric all over again. Nevertheless, they did as they were instructed and put their things away. "Now if you'd follow me, please," Professor Pollen said.

Puzzled, but intrigued, the Slytherins got onto their feet and followed Professor Pollen out of the classroom. She led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where they saw Peeves, floating upside down in midair stuffing chewing gum into the door keyhole.

"Peeves, please desist," Professor Pollen sternly said.

"Widdy, bitty, Pollen," Peeves began to sing. "Got's no thingies!"

Rude and utterly unmanageable, Peeves at least showed the professors some form of respect. Everyone glanced over curious to see what the new professor would do. With a sharp gleam in her eye, she pulled out her wand. "I'd take that gum out of the keyhole this instant, Peeves," Professor Pollen warned him one last time.

However, Peeves paid no attention to her and blew a rather loud wet raspberry. With a tiny smile on her face, Professor Pollen says, "This a rather useful spell. Please watch closely."

Raising her wand, she says, "Waddiwasi!" With the fore of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot of the keyhole and straight down Peeve's left nostril. Cursing, he whirled up and zoomed away as quickly as possible.

The Slytherins looked on in approval as they all quietly memorized the spell. "Now let us go forth," Professor Pollen said with a smile as she led them towards the second corridor and stopped outside of an empty classroom. "Go on in," Professor Pollen said as she waited for them all to enter the dusty, old, empty classroom.

Clearing the dust from the air with her wand, Professor Pollen walks over to an old wardrobe in the corner of the room. The wardrobe suddenly gave a wobble, banging against the wall. "Nothing to worry about," Professor Pollen said as several Slytherins flinched to their own embarrassment.

"There's a boggart in the wardrobe," Professor Pollen said as more of the class stared at the wardrobe with obvious interest. "Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Such as Wardrobes, the bap beneath the beds-," Severus, in particular, shivered at that last part.

"-in cupboards under the sink, and in other such places. This particular boggart moved in yesterday and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it be until my third-year class had a chance to practice on it."

Taking a step back, Professor Pollen says, "Now, the first question is exactly what is a boggart?"

Terry surprisingly raised his hand first beating Severus by a second. Seeing Professor Pollen motion for him to speak, Terry answers, "It's a shapeshifter. It takes the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Perfectly answered, Mr. Greengrass," Professor Pollen said with a smile. "Ten points to Slytherin!" Causing Terry to beam as Severus sulked at not having been called upon.

"Presently the boggart is sitting in the darkness and has yet to assume a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody really knows what a boggart even looks like when he is alone at the moment, and when he is out in the open, he immediately assumes the form of our worst fears," Professor Pollen explained causing a few Slytherins to gulp in the background.

"Still we have a large advantage over the boggart," Professor Pollen said. "Can anyone tell me what that is?"

To everyone's surprise, Bethanie raises her hand. "Given that there are so many of us present in the classroom, the boggart won't know what shape it should or needs to take."

"Precisely," Professor Pollen said with another pleased expression. "It's always best to have company when dealing with a boggart. The boggart completely becomes confused unable to decide which fear to take."

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple and yet it requires the force of the mind. The fatal blow to a boggart is laughter. What we need to do is fore the boggart to assume a shape that one would find amusing.

Now we will all practice the charm without wands first. After me please, Riddikulus!"

Everyone in unison shouted, "Riddikulus!"

"Well done," Professor Pollen said. "Now that was the easy part, we shall move on to the harder part. A volunteer please?"

Instantly hands go up until Professor Pollen says, "Miss Fawley, if you would please come stand with me next to the wardrobe." Bethanie pales slightly but confidently strides forth to stand next to Professor Pollen as the wardrobe shakes again.

"Now Miss Fawley, what would you say that frightens you the most in the world?" Professor Pollen kindly asked.

Bethanie shivers and quietly says, "My mother, Professor." Most of the class scoffs, while those that knew Bethanie remained silent.

"Your mother?" Professor Pollen said somewhat puzzled. "Well, if that is the case what is something that makes you laugh?"

"I find puffskeins funny," Bethanie nervously said.

"Yes, they quite are with all the fur, big eyes, and tongue," Professor Pollen chuckled causing Bethanie to faintly smile. "Now can you picture that puffskein in your mind, Miss Fawley?"

"Mm," Bethanie muttered.

"Excellent," Professor Pollen said. "Now, when that boggart emerges from the closet, I'd like for you to raise your wand and say, Riddikulus. And while you do so, imagine the puffskein. And if all goes well, the boggart of your mother will be forced to turn into a great big puffskein." A few people choke at the image as the wardrobe wobbled more violently.

Turning towards the class, Professor Pollen says, "Now if Miss Fawley is successful the boggart will turn to each of us in turn. I'd like for all of you to take a moment to think of the thing that scares you the most and imagine how you might make it look comical."

Rowan is rather quiet and still. There was no way to make Professor Adric's death appear funny nor of the Basilisk. Never mind her own personal fears of failure and allowing Severus to die again. To be honest, there are some fears that simply can't be made funny. And unfortunately, those were all of her own.

Knowing that she was about to get detention for sure and a dock of points, Rowan says, "I won't do it."

"Excuse me?" Professor Pollen said as everyone in the class stared at her in astonishment and in some cases with glee.

"I said that I won't do it," Rowan boldly declared again.

"It is required that you participate, Miss Prince," Professor Pollen said with a frown. She'd heard good things from the other professors about the Prince twins and that they were hardly any trouble at all. But it would seem that wasn't the case after all.

"I will not do it," Rowan rather determined declared.

"You realize that if you do not do as you are instructed, Miss Prince," Professor Pollen sternly warned. "You will be given three weeks' worth of detention and a loss of ten points, which your fellow classmate just earned."

"I am aware, but I still will not participate," Rowan stated for the last time.

"Very well, Miss Prince, three weeks' worth of detention with Caretaker Filch and ten points from Slytherin! Now back to the classroom with you, Miss Prince. And stay there until we return," Professor Pollen said to the shock of Severus and her friends, while others looked on with positively malicious glee. By dinner, the rumors would be all over the school on how Rowan Prince was too scared to face down a boggart.