
Chapter 16 - Do You Really?
I felt Sirius and James tense beside me as Remus stared down at his boggart. My eyes widened and I recognised the three bodies as James, Sirius and Peter. All three of them were covered in large scratches and their own blood. It was horrific. I glanced up at Remus who started shaking with fear.
"Um... James? That's you three..." I whispered to James.
"Yep..." He croaked and looked at Remus with worry.
"Oh my Merlin..."
The word "Monster" started echoing in the background.
"Why is it doing that?" I asked James again.
"Shut up."
"Shouldn't we be helping him?" I glanced at Remus again who was trembling.
"Moony, it's not real." Sirius said suddenly. "It's not true."
"Remus. It's fine." Peter started as well. "Don't listen to it."
Remus was frozen on the spot, like his feet were glued to the floor. He was staring down at the boggart with wide, frightful eyes as the Marauders tried to encourage him. But the boggart wasn't getting defeated and this fear couldn't be turned into anything funny...
"James! Do something." I said anxiously.
"I'm trying!" Professor Greengrass looked up and watched with concern. The boggart seemed to be getting stronger, Remus weaker.
"Come on..."
"Well why don't you try then?" James asked with annoyance. I sighed. "Remus. Don't listen to it-"
"Remus! It's not real. Professor shouldn't someone take his place?!" Professor Greengrass looked at me. Remus shook his head like he was in a trance. He raised his wand but the bodies turned more horrific. Remus whimpered slightly in reply.
"Riddikulus..." Remus mumbled. There was a crack but nothing happened. Instead the bodies stayed the same.
"If someone is willing to step in front of Mr Lupin-" Without thinking, I stepped froward. Remus looked at me.
"Isabel-" The bodies disappeared and Remus sighed with relief. "I- um... thank you..."
"Don't mention it." The boggart looked at me and formed into a man, a large middle-aged man with greying hair. I dropped my wand in fear as the man stepped forward. I slowly picked up my wand and backed away.
"Marlene, who's that?" I heard Sirius ask.
"I... don't know..." Marlene muttered.
"IT WAS YOUR FAULT!!!" The boggart shouted loudly that most people covered their ears.
I whimpered slightly. "N-no..."
"HER DEATH WAS YOUR FAULT!!!" I raised my wand trying to think of something funny.
"Rid-"
"YOU SHOULD'VE DIED INSTEAD!!!!"
"Isabel!" I heard the Marauders shout but I ignored them, keeping my eyes on the boggart. My father raised his hand, ready to strike at me.
Professor Greengrass stepped forward and sent the boggart back into the cupboard. I sighed with relief and looked at the floor.
"Class dismissed." The Professor said. The class groaned. "Sorry!" Students started walking out of the classroom, the girls and the Marauders stayed behind. "Are you alright Ms Fall?"
I nodded, my eyes wide with fear. "I'm fine. Thank you." I walked over to girls. Marlene rubbed my back.
"You okay?" She asked. I nodded slowly.
"Let's go." Lily said and we walked out of the classroom.
"Wait." I stopped and walked over to the Marauders.
"You okay mate?" Sirius asked Remus. Remus nodded and sighed.
"Remus!" I ran up to them and sighed. "You okay?"
"Yeah - yeah. I'm fine..." He nodded, like he was trying to convince himself. "Are you?"
"Yeah." Silence fell between us and I sighed, suddenly feeling awkward.
"Thank you." Remus said suddenly. I managed a smile.
"Don't mention it." He smiled softly at me.
"And also you told us it would be a giant spider." James sated.
"Yeah... I still hate spiders... actually I probably shouldn't be telling you that." James and Sirius identically grinned.
"You lied to us!" Sirius exclaimed.
"I know." I smirked at their shocked expression.
"How dare-"
"Goodbye!" I ran off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankfully, over the last few days the Marauders didn't question my boggart and I didn't question Remus's. Unfortunately, many other people had been questioning and wondering why we couldn't face our worst fears. To the Slytherins, it was rather funny. Two Gryffindors who couldn't defeat a boggart?
I walked with the girls to our next class which was Potions.
"I feel bad for you." Lily said to me.
"Why?" I asked with confusion.
"We have Potions and you sit with James."
I groaned. "Yes feel bad for me."
"I'm sure it'll be fine though." Marlene stated.
"Yeah sure-"
"Hey Fall!" I turned around, expecting to see the Marauders. But I didn't. Instead I saw two Slytherins, leaning against the wall, smirking. I recognised them as Avery and Rodolphus Lestrange.
"What?" I asked with annoyance. They glanced at each other then straightened their backs, walking over to me.
"We find it funny. That you can't face a small, little boggart." Avery stated. I sighed with annoyance.
"So? I bet you can't face a small, tiny little spider." I said in a duh way and looked up at them innocently. I don't know why I was teasing them about a spider. I'm scared of spiders. They glared at me.
"What's so scary about a man?" Lestrange asked.
"Is that there so stupid like you."
Marlene coughed, trying to hide a snicker.
"And it seems like you're not the only one who's scared." Avery added. I frowned.
"Why? Who else is scared? You?"
"Your friend. Lupin."
I reached for my wand, hoping they didn't notice.
"It's weird how a Gryffindor can't see a few dead bodies." I glared at both of them and Marlene, Alice and Lily stepped back, like they knew what was going to happen.
"Well it just shows he has a heart. Not like you."
"It shows he can't handle things that really do happen." Avery stated. "It shows he's weak."
I grabbed my wand and pointed it at them. They stepped back and laughed.
"Don't you dare. For one second, think he was weak." I moved forward to them.
"What are you going to do? Do a pimple jinx?" Avery said, rolling his eyes.
"Worse. Much much worse. You're going to wish you never said that." I said threateningly and pointed my wand at his throat.
"Well it's true isn't it?"
"Say it to me all you like! Call me weak! I don't care! But never! Never insult my friends! Got it?" I yelled.
"Isabel." Lily said. "We should go. They're not worth-"
"Weak, little friends you have."
I glared angrily at Avery, ignoring Lily. "Titalando! Furnunclus! Mimble Wimble! Colloshoo!" Hexes and jinxes flew from my wand, hitting Avery in the face. He started laughing from the tickling hex, pimples sprouted on his face, his laughs started to sound weird (though they weren't weird enough), because of the tongue-tying spell and his feet were stuck on the floor. He lost balanced and fell down. I pointed my wand down at him.
Lestrange ran off, doing something smart for once. I looked at Avery and raised an eyebrow.
"Ms Fall!" I turned around and saw McGonagall walking over to us. "What are you doing?!"
"I was... hexing somebody." I said simply, biting my lip.
"To my office! Now!" I sighed and placed my wand down. I shot Avery another glare before turning to the girls.
"I'll see you guys in Potions." They nodded and I followed McGonagall to her office.
McGonagall sat down at her desk, I stood in front of her, looking around.
"I don't know what gives you the right to hex students in the corridors Ms Fall!! What do you think you were doing?!" McGonagall questioned sternly.
"Professor, they insulted me and one of my friends! I couldn't just sit around and do nothing!" I protested. She sighed.
"What did they do?"
I sighed. "A few days ago, in Defence Against the Dark Arts, we were fighting boggarts. And it was Remus's turn to fight his boggart but three bodies had appeared on the floor." McGonagall looked up. "It was James, Sirius and Peter... their bodies were covered in blood and large scratches. I don't know why, but it was horrific. And it couldn't be turned into something funny. Then Professor Greengrass asked if anyone wanted to step forward so I did and my boggart appeared. A man. I wasn't able to defeat the boggart then the class ended."
"Ever since then, everyone, especially the Slytherins have been calling us weak! It's bloody annoying!!" She raised an eyebrow at me. "And - oh... sorry for swearing. But anyway! They can call me weak but they can't call Remus weak! So I got annoyed and hexed them!"
McGonagall stayed quiet for a moment then said. "You will receive detention Friday night." I sighed and nodded. "Now go to your next class."
I walked out of the classroom and sprinted to the dungeons. I opened the door and everyone looked at me.
"Ms Fall, you're late." Professor Slughorn stated.
"I know. Sorry." I sighed and sat down next to James.
"Wow, Fall. You're late. That's the first." He stated, raising an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes.
"I know."
"Why?"
"I got in trouble with McGonagall." He frowned.
"How did you get in trouble?"
"Doesn't matter. What are we learning about?"
"Veritasserum. How did you get in trouble?" James asked again.
I sighed with annoyance. "I hexed someone. And McGonagall caught me."
"Who did you hex?"
"Avery."
"Why?"
"Because." I turned to James and glared at him. "He said something and I didn't like it. And I am so close to hexing you as well."
James sighed. "What did he say?" I shot him a look. "Sorry, I'm just curious. You got in trouble because Avery said something. What did he say?"
"It was about Remus and I's boggart."
"Oh."
"He called us weak. So I hexed him."
"He called both of you weak?" James glanced at Remus, who was taking down notes.
"Well yeah..."
"He probably doesn't think that now." I laughed.
"Also. About the whole secrets thing. We kind of don't really care anymore." James stated. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Do you really?" I questioned.
He looked at me and grinned suspiciously in reply. I sighed and looked back to the front, listening to Slughorn talk about the Truth Serum.
"You lie to us. We lie to you."
I groaned and placed my head on the desk. Of course they don't just not care anymore.
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