"Choose one, Jon." Professor Dumbledore smiled and gestured toward the three boxes in front of him.
Jon hesitated for a moment, then turned around and asked with a puzzled expression, "I don't quite understand, Professor."
"It's quite simple. Inside each of these boxes is one of the three magical creatures we learned how to deal with last semester," Dumbledore explained. "You need to choose one for your practical exam."
Jon nodded and pointed with his index finger. "I'll take the one in the middle."
"Very well." With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore made the other two boxes vanish.
"Now, I can tell you that inside the middle box is a Boggart," he said. "Take a moment to recall what you learned in class about dealing with Boggarts. Let me know when you're ready."
"A Boggart?" Jon frowned.
They had learned about Boggarts in Dumbledore's very first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Back then, he had purposely stayed at the back of the group to avoid having to face one himself... After all, one Boggart wouldn't be able to handle the entire class taking turns.
He hadn't expected to come across one again—especially not during the exam.
A Boggart reveals a person's deepest fear. Even Jon himself didn't know what it would turn into.
What if it turned into something inappropriate and made Dumbledore suspicious?
Should he use Occlumency to feed it misleading thoughts?
He quickly dismissed the idea.
Because Jon suddenly realized something—this wasn't like in class. He was the only one standing before the box now, which meant the Boggart inside had already taken the form of what he feared most. Even if he used Occlumency now, it was too late—it wouldn't change anything.
A Boggart only shifts when the person it's targeting changes.
"Are you ready, Jon?" Dumbledore asked lazily.
"Yes, Professor," Jon replied, taking a deep breath.
"Watch yourself..."
Dumbledore snapped his fingers. The lock on the box slowly clicked open. He gave a gentle reminder:
"No need to be too nervous. Boggarts are quite easy to handle—just remember what you learned in class..."
Dumbledore's sentence trailed off. His eyes widened as he stared at what crawled out of the box.
Jon's mouth fell open. He nearly dropped his wand.
"What the... This... I never saw this coming..."
Even the Boggart looked confused as it emerged, glancing around with a bewildered expression as if it didn't know what was going on.
Because it had turned into a person.
A tall, thin old man with blue eyes, wearing half-moon spectacles, a long silver beard, and a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken at some point. He wore a deep green robe and a floor-length purple cloak.
In other words, it looked exactly like Professor Dumbledore.
Now, there were two identical Albus Dumbledores in the room.
...
"I think I'm the real one, Jon," the actual Professor Dumbledore was the first to recover, his smile returning. "Though I must admit, I'm a bit disheartened to learn I'm so terrifying!"
"I'm sorry, Professor..."
"No need to apologize. You're still in the middle of your exam, after all," Dumbledore said with a teasing smile.
Jon had no choice but to raise his wand and aim it at the other "Dumbledore."
"Riddikulus," he said softly.
A white light struck the dazed "Dumbledore" squarely.
The Elder Wand in his hand flew into the air, grew in size, and transformed into a cane nearly as tall as a person.
At the same time, a silver longsword with a gem-studded hilt and ornate scabbard appeared in his left hand. A set of mithril armor strapped itself over his chest, while his green robe and purple cloak turned a gleaming white.
A silver scarf wrapped itself around his neck, matching his pointed hat perfectly.
The Boggart, now dressed as a stylized "Dumbledore," looked down at his ridiculous new outfit in bewilderment, completely forgetting he was supposed to be scaring Jon.
"Hahaha!" The real Dumbledore laughed heartily, covering his mouth.
"Excellent fashion sense, Jon!"
"That's actually quite fun… I may consider dressing like this myself!"
"Full marks... I can already tell you—you'll be getting top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts."
It was the second subject Jon had received full marks in, but he couldn't muster any joy.
He seriously doubted that turning the Boggart into the headmaster would have no consequences.
"Professor... Professor Dumbledore, may I go now?" he asked weakly, turning his head.
"Of course!" Dumbledore, still chuckling, nodded. "Your exam's over, Jon. Enjoy your summer holiday..."
But just as Jon turned to leave, Dumbledore added,
"I do apologize for being the thing that frightens you most. So, would you mind sparing a day during the summer break to let me pay a visit to your home?"
Jon had known it—Dumbledore was never going to let him off that easily.
But how could he say no?
With a pained expression, he nodded. "Thank you, Professor..."
"All right, next!" Dumbledore called out cheerfully, already waving Jon off as he read the next name aloud:
"Luna Lovegood!"
...
Brushing past the Ravenclaw girl with long, pale blonde hair that reached her waist, Jon returned to the hallway outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Astoria was waiting for him there.
Seeing the gloomy look on his face, she asked with concern, "What's wrong, Jon? Did the exam not go well?"
"No… Professor Dumbledore told me... he's giving me full marks..."
Jon shook his head slowly.
"Then what is it?" Astoria asked, confused.
"Ah!" Jon Hart let out a long sigh, his expression filled with despair. "Never saw it coming…"