Chapter 116
Among the gathered students, a girl raised her hand eagerly, volunteering to be the first to face the Boggart.
"Well done," Lupin said with a smile. "And your name?"
"My name is Reese Nielseman," she replied.
"Good, Reese. Step forward then. Come closer to the wardrobe, smile at it, and wait to see what appears. Ready?"
Reese nodded firmly and did exactly as instructed.
Suddenly, the Boggart burst forth, twisting itself into the form of a massive serpent, its body coiling around the wardrobe. The snake's gleaming eyes locked onto Reese, its hiss filling the room.
Reese trembled, but with great effort she steadied herself, lifted her wand, and shouted:
"Riddikulus!"
In an instant, the giant snake transformed into a ridiculous sight—a massive green dress that floated through the air before plopping down right on Reese's head.
The class erupted into laughter.
One after another, the students took their turns.
Minutes later, Neville Longbottom stepped forward. When the wardrobe creaked open, his greatest fear emerged—Professor Snape himself. The room filled with laughter, though Lupin quickly explained that Neville's fear was perfectly reasonable. After all, Snape's harsh, merciless demeanor terrified more than a few students, particularly those outside Slytherin.
Neville, however, froze in terror. His wand trembled in his hand as he struggled to remind himself that this was only a Boggart. His mind screamed that it was the real Snape standing there before him.
But with Lupin's steady encouragement, Neville finally raised his wand and cast the spell.
"Riddikulus!"
To the delight of everyone watching, Snape's robes shimmered and transformed into bright, ridiculous women's clothing. The classroom roared with laughter. Even Neville allowed himself a shy smile, enjoying the moment.
After Neville, Albert suddenly shoved Ron forward.
Ron's eyes went wide with panic. Forced to face the challenge, he had no choice but to step up.
The wardrobe opened, and out crawled a monstrous spider—so massive it nearly filled half the classroom.
Ron staggered back, nearly fainting. His long-standing phobia of spiders gripped him completely.
Memories from childhood flashed before him—his beloved teddy bear covered with hairy spiders, thanks to one of Fred and George's pranks. From that day, Ron had never been able to face spiders without sheer terror.
But now, trembling though he was, Ron drew his wand, aimed it at the towering creature, and shouted:
"Riddikulus!"
The spider's legs slipped and slid comically across the floor, sending the class—and Lupin—into laughter once again.
"Very good," Lupin said warmly. "Now… Harry, your turn."
Harry stepped forward slowly, determination in his eyes. Despite the tension, he managed a small smile.
The wardrobe shuddered, and a dark figure emerged. The air grew cold.
A Dementor.
Gasps filled the room. It was the very same creature that had attacked the train on their way to Hogwarts.
But then—something strange happened.
The Dementor turned its gaze, not toward Harry, but toward Albert. And in the blink of an eye, it vanished.
The room fell silent.
Before Lupin could react, the creature was gone—as if it had been erased from existence. Yet he had clearly seen it look at Albert before disappearing.
Confusion clouded Lupin's mind, though he said nothing.
Meanwhile, Ron seized his chance for revenge. With a mischievous grin, he shoved Albert forward.
"Sorry, mate," Ron said, chuckling. "Just paying you back for earlier."
Lupin clapped his hands, restoring order. The room quieted.
Albert stood before the wardrobe, hesitating.
What do I truly fear? he wondered.
Voldemort? No. If anything, Albert longed for the chance to face and destroy him.
Dementors? No. He had lived with them for eleven years in Azkaban, alongside his father, and they had never filled him with fear.
But then—what?
The seconds dragged on. Ten long heartbeats passed. Nothing emerged from the wardrobe. The class began to murmur in surprise, some even believing Albert feared nothing at all.
Even Albert himself wondered the same.
Then, Lupin opened the wardrobe.
The students gasped.
A few of the girls screamed.
Albert's eyes widened in shock, his body frozen in place.
There, lying lifeless within the wardrobe, was the corpse of Sirius Black—his father.
The blood drained from Albert's face.
His voice trembled as he whispered:
"Is… is my father's death… truly my greatest fear?"
To be continued…
-