LUCY:

Cedric and I shuffled through King's Cross on our own. Mum and Dad had both been taken away from their typical jobs to help look for Sirius Black. They hated leaving us to our own devices, but Cedric flashed his prefect badge and his most winning smile to convince them that we'd be okay. He spotted Percy (who had been appointed Head Boy) right away and followed him onto the train so he wouldn't miss the prefects' meeting. Just after he disappeared, Hermione launched herself at me with an excited shriek.

"I missed you so much! How are you?"

I managed a smile, trying to force away my exhaustion. "I'm alright. How was France?"

"It was amazing!"

Before she could go any further, Ginny sprinted up to hug me. "Lucy! Hi!"

"Hi, Ginny, how was Egypt?"

"It was great!" she gushed.

"Bit disappointing, really," someone said behind me.

"Yeah, we tried to leave Percy in a pyramid, but Mum caught us and didn't approve."

I turned a disapproving glance at the twins as they each pulled me into a quick hug. "Let me guess, the Head Boy talk was too much for you two?"

"Too much for all of us," Ron said, pulling me into a side hug. I turned to look at him, but I had to tilt my head back just to see his freckly face.

"Wait, what? When did you get so tall?"

"I've always been tall," he replied defensively. "C'mon, let's get on the train."

"Wait, where's Harry?" I asked, scanning the crowd for his familiar messy black hair or the gleam of his glasses.

"Talking to my dad. They're starting to shut the doors, we'll save Harry a seat."

I climbed up onto the train behind them. Ginny followed the twins down the corridor to find Angelina and Alicia, leaving Ron and Hermione and me to find what seats we could.

Banging on a nearby door attracted our attention.

"Oh, there he is," I said, throwing the door open so Harry could scramble onto the train.

"Thanks," he panted. He glanced around at the three of us. "I need to talk to you in private."

"We'll find a compartment." I looked up at Harry. He'd grown a fair amount over summer as well.

He noticed me looking and smiled. "What?"

"Just thinking about how unfair it is that everyone got taller except for me."

Ron rested his elbow on top of my head. "Get used to it, Lu. We'll only get taller from here."

I wrinkled my nose at that and followed the boys and Hermione into a compartment. It was occupied by only one other person, an adult. He was sound asleep, but even in sleep, his pale face was troubled. His robes looked as if they had several more years of wear than they were intended to have, and my heart twisted in sympathy for the man. Though I did envy him his sleeping state — I was trying to put up an energetic front, but I was exhausted. Mum and Dad had forgotten to leave me wideye potion, so sleep tugged down on every part of me, begging me to give in. I refused. Harry needed to talk to us.

Ron automatically took the seat next to Hermione, a habit that had formed last November while I had been in the Hospital Wing and asked him to look out for her. Harry and I settled into the seats across from them.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron asked softly.

"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione replied.

"How'd you know that?"

"It's on his case."

"Oh. Wonder what he teaches?"

"That's obvious. There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Well, I hope he's up to it. He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?"

"He can't possibly be worse than Quirrell and Lockhart," I reasoned. "Quirrell tried to kill Harry, and Lockhart tried to erase all of our memories." I shuddered. "Anyway. What did you want to tell us, Harry?"

He sighed heavily. "I accidentally overheard Ron's parents arguing last night. Apparently Sirius Black escaped to come after me."

I felt my stomach drop to my toes. I knew I was already pale after the full moon, but I reckoned my face grew even paler.

"Cornelius Fudge wanted to keep me in the dark about it, and your dad pulled me aside to tell me today, Ron, but I admitted that I'd already heard them talking. He made me promise not to go looking for Black, which seemed to me something rather odd to say. But he made me promise nonetheless, and now here I am."

Hermione slowly lowered her hands from her face to reveal a horrified expression. "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry, you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry."

Harry stiffened beside me. "I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron's voice trembled.

"Are you scared, Harry?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I mean, any place with Dumbledore is safe, as far as I'm concerned. And Mr. Weasley said something about the Azkaban guards being at school, too. And I'm not planning on going after Black, despite everyone else's apparent concerns about that."

"But..." Ron's voice was still shaking violently. "No one knows how he got out of Azkaban. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"Dumbledore's never guarded Azkaban before," I commented.

Harry managed a small smile. "My point exactly."

"What's that noise?" Ron asked suddenly. He jumped up. "It's coming from your trunk, Harry."

He pulled out what looked like a small Sneakoscope, which was going ballistic.

Hermione rose to her feet. "Is that a Sneakoscope?"

"Yeah, it is. Mind you, it's a very cheap one. It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?"

"No! Well, I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys. But how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk, or it'll wake him up," Harry said after a particularly shrill whistle made me clamp my hands over my ears. He turned toward me. "You alright, Lu?"

I nodded and lowered my hands. "Just a bit of a residual headache," I lied. "From being sick a couple days, I mean."

Ron sat back down. "We could get it checked in Hogsmeade. They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

Hermione straightened up excitedly. "Do you know much about Hogsmeade? I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain-"

"Yeah, I think it is," Ron interrupted, "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

Hermione furrowed her brow. "What's that?"

"It's this sweetshop where they've got everything! Pepper Imps, they make you smoke at the mouth, and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next, and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them."

Hermione talked over him, looking eagerly at me. "But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it? In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain!" I shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the Shrieking Shack, so Hermione looked from me to Harry. "Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

It was his turn to shift uncomfortably. "'Spect it will. You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" Ron asked.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

"You're not allowed to come? But... no way! McGonagall or someone will give you permission! Or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle — "

Hermione looked horrified. "Ron! I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose!"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask permission," Harry admitted.

"Sounds like you're stuck with me for company," I said, smirking slightly. "How unfortunate it is that Fred and George have already told me about the passage that leads directly from the castle to Honeydukes."

Harry grinned. "Really? You'd sneak out of the school?"

"Assuming I still fit under the cloak with you, gladly."

"Lucy!" Hermione scolded. "Do you really think that's a good idea? What if Sirius Black is waiting for him in Hogsmeade?"

Ron perked up. "But Hermione, if we're with him, Black wouldn't dare — "

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish! Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

"But with the invisibility cloak — " I started to say, but Hermione had started to undo the straps of her new basket, which sent Ron into a panicked frenzy.

"Don't let that thing out!" he yelped.

"Let what out?" I asked as a cat leapt from the basket and onto Ron's knees. "Hermione, you got a cat! What's his name?"

"The Devil himself," Ron spat, shoving the cat onto the ground. "Scabbers is terrified of him."

"His name is Crookshanks — " Hermione corrected in a loud voice, but she froze when Professor Lupin stirred. She continued in a lower voice when he settled back into deep sleep. "This is Crookshanks, Lucy."

"Hi, Crookshanks," I said gently. "Wow, the color of your fur is beautiful. It'll be nice to have a new face in the dormitory."

Ron scowled. "Keep him there. He scares Scabbers."

"How's Scabbers, Ron? Did he enjoy Egypt?"

He shook his head sadly. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him. He's been sickly ever since."

I frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. Did you get him medicine?"

"I did, but..." He glared pointedly at Crookshanks, and the cat climbed into my lap to escape Ron's fury.

"Noted," I said, stroking the cat's head.

When the lunch cart came, Hermione tried to wake Professor Lupin up, but he was sound asleep.

Ron studied the man with concern. "I suppose he is asleep? I mean... he hasn't died, has he?"

I laughed. "No, he's definitely alive. Just tired, I suppose."

As for my own tiredness, I was too excited about being with my friends again to really feel the sleepiness that had tugged at my eyelids earlier in the day. Everything just felt... right. Ron told Hermione (and Harry and me by extension) all about ancient Egyptian wizards, Crookshanks still purred contentedly in my lap, and I took advantage of my enhanced sense of smell to pick only the tasty Every-Flavour Beans I had gotten from the trolley while Harry ate Chocolate Frog after Chocolate Frog looking for new cards.

"You know, Lucy, there is one card that you have that I don't," Harry said, loudly enough to get Ron's attention.

Looking back, I should have known I was walking into a trap, but my sleep-deprived brain was slow on the uptake.

"Well, I have been collecting longer than you have," I said. "I probably have a couple more than you."

"You're right," he replied, "but I remember you having one card in particular. Didn't you say it was a new card, completely unique?"

Ron looked at me excitedly. "No way! Who is it?"

I bit my lower lip in thought and looked at Harry. "You lost me. I have no idea which card you're thinking of."

He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "Maybe you have it with you. I can't quite remember the name on it, but the picture showed a little girl with missing front teeth and — "

I jolted in my seat in realization. "Harry!" I swatted his arm playfully. "No! I'm not showing them that card!"

"Aw, why not? You should show Ron so he knows what to look for. Very limited edition. He might miss it!"

I felt my face flush bright red. "Unfortunately, I think I own the only one ever made."

Harry laughed, glancing at a very confused Ron. "I tried to trick her into giving you the Chocolate Frog card her brother made for her birthday last year. It has her birthday on it."

"No fair!" Hermione whined. "Harry knows before me? Do I at least get a hint?"

I swatted Harry's arm again. "Look at the mess you've created."

He looked very pleased with himself as he bit the head off of another Chocolate Frog. "Go on, Lu, give her a hint. Don't be shy."

My face turned even more red. "Fine. You and Ron both get a hint. My birthday happened while you were petrified."

Hermione started counting on her fingers. "That narrows it down to..."

"Hopefully a lot of days," I interrupted. "Hopefully you're puzzled for a long time."

"We can still ask Cedric," Ron pointed out.

I shook my head. "Oh, no you can't. He is sworn to secrecy, and I know he won't break that."

"Why not? How do you know?"

"Just trust me on this," I said mysteriously. "He won't tell you. And hopefully Harry won't, either?"

He grinned and shook his head. "Honestly, it's fun being the only one in on the secret. I'll protect it for you."

I relaxed slightly. "Thanks." I turned to Ron and Hermione. "Well, there you have it. You're never finding out when my birthday is."

We were interrupted by the opening of our compartment door. I groaned as Malfoy and his goons swaggered in.

"Well, look who it is. Potty and the Weasel." Malfoy turned his gaze toward Ron. "I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley. Did your mother die of shock?"

Ron jumped to his feet, knocking Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin stirred slightly, making Malfoy step back.

"Who's that?" Draco asked, seeming somehow less confident all of a sudden.

"New teacher," I replied casually.

Harry rose to his feet beside Ron. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

He shook his head and turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "C'mon."

Ron and Harry sat back down as they left.

Ron was still scowling, rightfully so. "I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year. I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and — "

Hermione grabbed his arm and pointed at Professor Lupin, whispering, "Ron, be careful!"

He sighed and sat back against the seat, looking somewhat bothered by the fact that he hadn't gotten to punch anybody. As the sun began to sink, I left to change into my robes. I talked briefly to the twins and Archie on my way down to the end of the train, then disappeared behind a curtain to change.

I shoved my Muggle clothes into my bag quickly as I felt the train start to slow down. I didn't think we were actually that close to Hogwarts, but maybe I had missed something in my tired stupor. I couldn't believe I had managed to stay awake for the whole train ride; my level of alertness was rapidly crashing.

I started making my way down the hallway, watching as people's heads popped curiously out of compartments to see what was going on. I had nearly reached my own when was grabbed by both shoulders and yanked into someone else's compartment.

"Who in the — oh, hi, Percy. Hi, Cedric. What's going on?"

The Head Boy's face was pale. "I don't know. I'm going to go ask and see — "

Before he could finish his sentence, the whole train was plunged into darkness. I instinctively reached for Cedric's hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back, and moved to stand slightly in front of me.

The door to the compartment creaked open, revealing a massive cloaked figure. I gulped. I had only seen the creature in books before; in real life, the dementor was even more terrifying.

Cedric jumped backward, dragging Percy and me with him. The dementor reached forward with a rotting hand, and I gasped involuntarily, shutting my eyes and clinging to my brother.

I heard distant shouts, someone calling my name. I wanted to say I was alright, but I couldn't respond. I couldn't move. The cold froze everything within me.

Above the shouts, I heard a single word whispered. "Impossible." I heard a loud crack, and the cold began to fade.

"Lucy, Lucy, please, wake up."

I opened my eyes to see Cedric's face, drawn and pale and worried and desperate. "Ced?"

"Oh, thank Merlin," he said, pulling me up to his chest in a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Cold," I admitted, my voice sounding fragile even to my own ears.

He laid a hand on my forehead. "You are. Let's get you something warm to drink — "

"She should go to Harry's compartment, like Professor Lupin said. We'll need to have another emergency prefects' meeting to discuss the dementors," Percy said. I glanced up to see him massaging his temples. He studied me through his horn-rimmed glasses. "Are you well enough to walk there, Lucy?"

I nodded, slowly rising to my feet. "How long was I...?"

"A couple of minutes," Cedric said, laying a hand on my shoulder to stabilize me. I hadn't realized I was swaying. "I'll make sure she gets there, then gather the rest of the prefects."

I clung to Cedric's arm as I stumbled down the hallway to the compartment. I was vaguely aware of everyone's stares and Cedric's quiet explanation as I collapsed in the seat next to Harry. Cedric disappeared down the hallway, and Hermione's face swam in my vision.

"She looks as bad as you, Harry," she murmured, placing a hand on my forehead. "Cedric said she fainted, too."

"Did anyone else?" I asked, shivering from the residual cold.

Hermione shook her head.

"It did get cold, though," Neville said, and I noticed for the first time that he and Ginny were in the compartment now as well. "It was horrible."

Ron hovered at Hermione's shoulder, looking from me to Harry. "It felt weird. Like I'd never be happy again."

Ginny whimpered, and Hermione rushed over to put her arm around her.

"But didn't any of you fall off your seats?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron said, "but Ginny was shaking like mad. Cedric said Lucy was standing, then she just went rigid and collapsed."

I felt a new shiver race down my spine. Harry glanced at me, and I saw just how pale he really was.

"Was it you who screamed?" he asked.

"No. At least, I don't think so."

"But you heard screams too, right?"

I shook my head. "No. Sorry."

His face grew more troubled, and he looked down at his hands, which seemed to be holding... chocolate?

Professor Lupin returned and smiled. "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know."

Harry reluctantly broke off a piece of the massive lump in his hand. He broke off a second piece and offered it to me.

"It actually helps," he said.

I accepted it from his shaking hand with my own shaking hand. "Thanks." Surely enough, a bit of warmth spread through my body as I chewed.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," Professor Lupin continued. "You alright, Harry? Lucy?"

"Fine," Harry mumbled as I nodded. Once Professor Lupin walked down the hallway, I released a trembling sigh. Out of curiosity, I glanced at the ring around my finger. Hermione's half was bright purple, a couple dots of blue swimming around. But my half, somehow, was nearly blank. If I squinted, I could see faint purple and blue hues, but it was as if the dementor had sucked all emotion from me.

As if sensing how cold and empty and confused I felt, Crookshanks once again perched himself in my lap, resting his head on Harry's thigh. I lifted one of my hands, with no small amount of effort, and slowly stroked his back. Muttered conversations swirled around the compartment, but I focused what little energy I had left on the orange cat in my lap and on the boy next to me, whose cold hand grazed mine from time to time as he stroked Crookshanks too.

Harry and I stuck close together on our way to the thestral-drawn carriages, Hermione and Ron giving us long glances when they thought we weren't looking, as if expecting us to drop again in dead faints. They sat across from the two of us, this time not hiding the fact that they were watching our every little move for any sign of distress.

Just before the carriage took off, Fred and George flung themselves inside.

"We're here to make sure Lucy makes it up to the castle without fainting, falling asleep on her feet, or otherwise incapacitating herself," Fred explained as he slid in next to Hermione.

"Cedric said he'd do it himself if he could," George added as he squeezed beside me and shut the door, "but Percy insisted he ride with him in a different carriage."

"I'm fine," I lied with a half-hearted smile. "Sorry my brother put you up to this. He worries too much."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but George beat her to it. "Are you kidding? We can't let our Cub incapacitate herself!"

I managed a laugh, unconvincing though it probably was. Fred immediately launched into a discussion about a prank product they had seen in Egypt, and I tried to pay attention, but as we passed through the front gates of the school, a fresh wave of cold flooded the carriage. Harry's hand shot out for mine, and I accepted it without second thought. I don't know who was comforting who. We didn't loosen our grip until we could breathe normally again, normally being a subjective term.

Of course, the first person we saw climbing off was Draco Malfoy, looking like Christmas had come early.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?" he asked tauntingly.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron grumbled.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley? Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley? Wow, Diggory, you look like you've seen a ghost! Now you know how everyone else feels who's seen your face."

"Please leave us alone, Draco," I said as forcefully as I could manage, but he opened his mouth to say something else.

"Hey, she asked nicely," George said, jumping out of the carriage. "Leave her alone."

"Is there a problem?"

We all turned to see that Professor Lupin was approaching us, having just gotten out of his own carriage.

Draco looked him up and down and smirked. "Oh, no — er — Professor."

"He's bullying professors now, too?" I asked bleakly as he marched Crabbe and Goyle up the steps. "What's he going to do next, try to kill Dumbledore?"

"I wish," Harry muttered in a voice only I could hear. "He'd never get away with it, so that'd be a life sentence to Azkaban, I reckon."

I snickered, and we started making our way to the Great Hall. Just before we entered the warm room, however, a voice made us stop in our tracks.

"Potter! Granger! Diggory! I want to see you three!"

All three of us whirled around to see Professor McGonagall calling over the crowd. We exchanged brief glances and began weaving through the crowd to her.

"There's no need to look so worried, I just want a word in my office. Move along there, Weasleys!"

Ron and the twins watched with confused and concerned expressions as we walked away. I offered a shrug and turned to follow the others.

The only time I had been in Professor McGonagall's office was the year prior, after returning from the Chamber of Secrets. At the time, I had been covered in slime and blood, both mine and Harry's. I realized with a bit of amusement that I didn't feel much better the second time around. I was still covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat, and my head was spinning with exhaustion.

I sat between Harry and Hermione as Professor McGonagall sat behind her desk. She glanced from me to Harry. "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you two were taken ill on the train."

If I hadn't been so cold, I would have been blushing furiously. I glanced at Harry, whose cheeks were definitely beginning to turn pink.

"I'm fine, I don't need anything," he stammered, but Madam Pomfrey entered at that moment and swooped to his side.

"Oh, it's you, is it? I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"

"It was a dementor, Poppy," Professor McGonagall explained. "Miss Diggory fainted as well."

Madam Pomfrey studied my face as she felt Harry's forehead. "You can't catch a break, can you, child?"

I shrugged, not meeting Harry's questioning eyes.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head sadly and returned her attention to Harry. "Setting dementors around a school. They won't be the last ones to collapse. Yes, he's all clammy." She reached over and felt my forehead. "So is she. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate — "

"I'm not delicate," Harry muttered, glancing at me. I refused to meet his eyes, but I smiled sheepishly.

"I don't think I'm delicate, but I was sick the past few days."

Hermione's eyes widened in realization, and I shot her a warning look before she said something compromising.

Professor McGonagall seemed to have read the situation and asked, "What do they need? Bed rest? Should they perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," I said with a small laugh. "At least I'd be able to see the sunrise."

"I'm fine," Harry protested, and I met his eyes for the first time. I could tell he knew I was less fine than he seemed to be, and I looked away.

"Well, they should have some chocolate, at the very least," Madam Pomfrey said, pressing her fingers to my wrist.

"I've already had some. Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us," Harry said, clearly impatient now. "I'm alright."

Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows in approval. "Did he, now? So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

I nodded. "I feel alright too, Madam Pomfrey. Just a little tired."

A small sigh escaped her lips. "I'd imagine so."

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter? Diggory?"

Harry and I nodded, Harry a lot more emphatically than I.

"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."

Once outside Professor McGonagall's office, I leaned back against the closest wall and closed my eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay, Lucy?" Harry asked, concern lacing his tone. "I mean, what was Madam Pomfrey talking about, you not being able to catch a break?"

"I'm alright," I said, opening my eyes and trying to offer a smile. "Don't worry about it." I stood up a little straighter. "I was serious about Hogsmeade if you were."

"Oh, I was completely serious. I'm not scared."

"Me neither. My parents' paranoia just makes me want to go all the more."

Harry spoke again after a brief moment of silence. "Where's the secret passage to Honeydukes?"

"Third floor of the Turris Magnus. I'm too tired to remember the password, but I'll show you sometime." I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a grin.

"We both just had possibly the strangest experience of our lives, but here we are talking about Hogsmeade."

"Well, I was going to ask you something, actually. Before we got sidetracked."

"Sorry," I chuckled. "I was just thinking a Chocolate Frog sounds good right about now."

"Yeah, it does." His grin faltered. He crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "Lucy, if you didn't hear screams... what did you hear?"

I adjusted my position on the wall, my smile fading as well. "Someone shouting my name. Maybe multiple people."

"Percy and Cedric?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so. I mean, I didn't hear Professor Lupin come to our compartment, but he apparently did."

"Are we losing our minds, Lu?"

"Maybe," I admitted with a shrug. "But maybe we're just tired."

He nodded. "You look tired. No offense."

"None taken."

Hermione emerged then, looking very pleased about whatever had just taken place. She and Harry headed down the corridor, but I lingered to talk to Professor McGonagall.

"Professor?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright if I headed up to my dormitory?"

"Of course," she said. "After the experience you and Potter have had tonight... well, are you sure you're not hungry?"

I shook my head. "I think I'd benefit most from as much sleep as possible."

"You would know best," she agreed. "The password is Fortuna Major. Will I see you in class tomorrow?"

I nodded. "You bet, Professor."

"Run along, now, before Miss Granger notices you're leaving and tries to follow."

I managed a grin. "Sure thing. See you in class tomorrow."

🩵

Hermione shook me awake the next morning.

"Sorry to wake you, but you'll miss breakfast at this rate," she said.

I sat up and dragged my hand down my face. "I feel like I just blinked."

"Professor McGonagall told me to tell you it's alright if you miss her class today. We have Transfiguration second, so you'd only have to go to one class this morning."

"What's first?" I asked. "Wait, no, stop. Don't tempt me. I'm not missing the first day."

She sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that. I don't know what's first, we need our schedules."

"What's gotten into you? Hermione Jean Granger, trying to convince me to miss class?"

"You really did scare us all last night. Harry too, but you especially."

"Sorry," I mumbled sheepishly.

"Oh, don't be. It wasn't your fault. See you in the Great Hall?"

"I'll meet you down there," I said through a yawn. "Thanks for waking me up."

"Don't thank me. You still look exhausted."

"What else is new," I muttered, disappearing into the bathroom with my robes. I changed as quickly as I could and braided my hair with two taps of my wand. When I arrived in the Great Hall, I sat between George and Harry, who handed me my schedule.

"Sneaky trick you pulled last night, slipping off to your dormitory instead of coming to the feast," George commented. "Your poor brother thought Fred and I had failed in our task."

I groaned. "Sorry, I didn't even think of that. I was so tired — "

"Don't worry about it, Cub, I'm just giving you a hard time."

I glanced over at the Hufflepuff table and tried to catch Cedric's eye.

"Allow me," George said, wadding up his schedule and lobbing it at my brother. It hit him square in the face, and he looked around for a second before his gaze landed on me.

"It wasn't me!" I called, holding my hands up in mock surrender.

"Just wanted you to see she was fine!" George said with a thumbs-up.

He chuckled. "Thanks." He tossed George's schedule back to him.

"What does your day look like, Lu?" Harry asked.

I held my own schedule up and scanned it. "Oh, I have Ancient Runes first. What do you have first, Harry?"

"Divination. I think we'll have everything else together, though, those are our only different classes."

At that moment, Hagrid entered the Great Hall with a dead polecat in one hand. He clapped me on the back with his free hand. "Good ter see yeh, Lucy! I was worried! Alrigh', Harry? Yer all in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready... hope it's okay... me, a teacher! Hones'ly!"

"Hagrid!" I exclaimed. "You're the Care of Magical Creatures professor?"

He beamed with pride. "Tha's right, yeh weren't here las' night! I am!"

"That's great! I'm so excited for you! Will you give me a hint about today's lesson?"

He shook his head, still smiling. "You'll see. I think it'll be a great firs' lesson fer everyone."

I smiled. "I can't wait!"

Hagrid gave one last dazzling smile before heading up to the staff table, still clutching the polecat.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" Ron's voice was slightly nervous. He glanced around the Great Hall, which was beginning to empty. "We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there."

"See you three in Transfiguration," I said as they left, leaving me with the twins.

"Are you sure you're alright, Cub?" Fred asked, sliding across the empty spots on the bench so he was on my other side. "You definitely seemed more off than the rest of us last night."

I nodded. "I was sick a couple days ago. Couldn't have helped." I cleared my throat, trying to shift the spotlight away from me. "What do you two have first?"

"Charms with the Hufflepuffs, looks like," George said as he uncrumpled his schedule.

"I reckon that's your best subject, eh?"

"Flitwick's always been nicer to us than most teachers," Fred agreed. "Our natural charisma won him over from the start, I guess."

I laughed. "That, or the fact that you two are charms geniuses."

"Oh, we're nothing compared to what some of the wizards in Egypt can do." Fred lowered his voice to a whisper. "You have no idea how advanced their pranks were. Our trip was very... inspirational."

I smiled. "You'll have to tell me all about it sometime. I should probably head to Ancient Runes, since it's a professor I haven't met yet."

"But you haven't eaten anything!" George protested.

I waved him off. "I'll eat at lunch. Bye!"

I found my way to the classroom quickly, and slid into an empty desk. I scanned the other students in the room; it appeared I was the only Gryffindor. I recognized a couple of the Hufflepuff students in the room. Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley sat together, and Eloise Midgen and Hannah Abbott sat together behind them. Michael Corner and Terry Boot of Ravenclaw sat together, and four Ravenclaw girls settled themselves at the front of the room, already prepared to take notes.

I had just thought to myself how odd it was that there were no Slytherins when the door opened again to reveal three of them. Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass took the last unoccupied desk, meaning...

"Excuse me, Professor?" Draco called loudly. "But do you have any more desks? I can't find a seat."

Professor Babbling, who had short brown hair and a gentle voice, peered over her desk at him with narrowed eyes. She scanned the room, her eyes landing on the seat next to me. "I see one right there, Mister...?"

"Malfoy, Professor." He smiled at her innocently, but when he turned to me, I could see the malice glittering in his eyes. I braced for the verbal blow that was inevitably coming. "As much as I'd love to work with Cedric Diggory's sister, I'm afraid I simply wouldn't be able to focus on my work, seeing her... face out of the corner of my eye all of the time. If I may repeat my question, do you have any more desks? I'd work better alone than with her."

Professor Babbling rose from her seat, and I realized she was taller than she appeared to be when she was sitting down. She smiled back at him, but there was no mistaking the steel in her voice for kindness when she replied. "It would seem you will have to learn how to make it work, Mr. Malfoy, just as she will have to learn to deal with sitting next to someone like you. If you'd like a different seat, I'd recommend coming to class a bit sooner. Please take a seat, Mr. Malfoy, so I can take roll and begin my class."

My face burned with embarrassment, but I couldn't help being impressed by the way Professor Babbling had handled the situation. Draco dropped heavily into the seat next to me, muttering something about his father, but I was still too stunned by the fact that Professor Babbling had actually stood up to him to hear anything past the roar of blood in my ears.

The rest of the period passed in a blur. Professor Babbling expressed several times how excited she was to have such a large class, considering the reputation her class had for being extremely difficult. She encouraged us to learn to ask our partners for help when we needed it, giving Draco another icy smile, and promised that she'd help however she could whenever we were struggling if our partners couldn't help, turning to me with a genuinely warm smile. As soon as the bell rang, Draco jumped from his seat and stalked from the classroom.

"Miss Diggory, may I have a word?" Professor Babbling called. "I won't make you late for your next class."

I approached her desk, ears burning. "I'm sorry about Draco. He doesn't like me very much, but I didn't expect him to cause a scene like that."

She laughed, but the sound was not unkind. "You're apologizing to me for his behavior?"

I nodded, managing an embarrassed smile. "I guess so."

"No need. I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am to finally have you in my class. Your brother is one of the best students I've ever had, and the headmaster himself said you seem to have potential. I also wanted to apologize for the fact that your experience in my class had to start that way. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy yourself more from here on out."

"Cedric loves your class, and I know I will too," I said with a relieved giggle. "I'll try not to let Draco get under my skin. Thank you, Professor."

"Any time! Run off to class, now!"

I hurried through the hallway to Transfiguration and took the last seat in the classroom, in the back next to Harry.

"Hey, how was Divination?" I asked breathlessly.

"Not great," he muttered.

"What happened?"

Before he could answer my question, Professor McGonagall began the lesson, and I started scribbling notes on Animagi. It seemed I was the only one paying attention, though; people kept turning to glance at Harry, who stared straight ahead with a stony expression.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" Professor McGonagall asked after ten minutes of silence.

Everyone turned to look at Harry, and I wondered if he had fainted again.

Hermione raised her hand and said, "Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and — "

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Ah, of course. There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Harry sighed. "Me."

My jaw dropped. "What?"

Professor McGonagall gave me a small smile — to me, she looked almost as if she were proud of me. "That's right. You're the only Gryffindor not taking Divination in this class." She took a deep breath and released it in a sigh. "Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..." She sighed again. "In fact, I do believe it was your brother's death, Miss Diggory, she predicted two years back. As you can see, Cedric is alive and well to this day. And you look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione and I laughed at that, and Harry relaxed slightly. The lesson continued with a more attentive class, and we soon joined the rush to the Great Hall for lunch.

"I hope that Professor Trelawney hasn't changed your mind about Hogsmeade?" I asked Harry in a voice only he could hear. He smiled and shook his head. I smiled back. "Good."

For the first time I could remember, Ron didn't seem too hungry.

Hermione nudged food toward him. "Oh, Ron, cheer up. You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

He lifted a fork with a shaking hand. "Harry, you haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

Harry stiffened slightly. "Yeah, I have. I saw one the night I left the Dursleys."

The fork fell out of Ron's hand.

"Probably a stray," Hermione reasoned.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad! My uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence."

"You don't know what you're talking about! Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then. They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, 'Right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!'"

I busied myself with my stew, starting to feel hungry again, and Harry did the same, not wanting to get involved in their argument.

Hermione started reading her Arithmancy book. "I think Divination seems very woolly. A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!"

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep."

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"

"What do you mean? You haven't even been to Arithmancy yet!"

She ignored him and flipped to the next page with an angry flourish. Harry and I exchanged a look before returning to our lunches.

We walked down to our next class in awkward silence, Harry and I wedging ourselves between Ron and Hermione, wordlessly reaching the conclusion that physical distance would be good for them. When we arrived, a very excited-looking Hagrid led us to a paddock just outside the Forbidden Forest.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here! That's it, make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books — "

"How?"

I groaned at the sound of Draco's voice. I doubted Hagrid would stand up to him the way Professor Babbling had. After all, it was mostly the fault of Lucius Malfoy that Hagrid had been sent to Azkaban. Azkaban... I shivered at the thought of poor Hagrid completely surrounded by dementors. How had he done it?

I was jolted back to reality by Hagrid saying, "Eh?"

"How do we open our books?"

"Hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" he asked in a sad voice.

I brought my book out, holding it in front of me. "You have to stroke them," I said.

"Yeah," he said, "yeah, like this." He grabbed Hermione's book and ripped the Spellotape off. He stroked the spine of the book, which fell open into his hands.

Malfoy cackled. "Oh, how silly we've all been! We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"You could have asked for help," I said in a small voice, looking at him meaningfully. He made a face and looked away.

"I — I thought they were funny," Hagrid stammered.

"Oh, tremendously funny! Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!" Malfoy continued in his harsh tone.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry muttered.

Hagrid straightened up and tried to regain his stride. "Righ' then, so... so yeh've got yer books an'... an'... now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on..."

Malfoy still was not done. "This place is going to the dogs! Getting stuck next to Diggory in Ancient Runes, that oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him — "

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said louder.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you, better use Diggory as bait, maybe they'll take one look at her face and — "

His tirade was cut short by the arrival of a dozen hippogriffs.

"They're incredible!" I gasped.

Hagrid tethered the creatures to the fence and glanced at us with a wide smile. "Hippogriffs! Beau'iful, aren' they?"

I nodded enthusiastically, coming closer to the fence, careful not to move too quickly so I didn't startle them.

"If anyone else wants ter come a bit nearer..."

A couple of reluctant people came up behind me, but I was still the closest.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud. Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt." He clapped his hands together. "Right! Who wants ter go first?"

I turned around to see the rest of the class back away. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were frozen in place, but at least they didn't back up.

I turned back around. "I'll go, Hagrid!"

He smiled. "Had a feelin' yeh might. Let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

As I hopped over the fence, he untied the grey hippogriff. I positioned myself a safe distance away, excitement buzzing through me.

"Yeh've got eye contact, so try not ter blink. Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much."

I kept my eyes wide open. Buckbeak's eyes were a brilliant shade of orange, like the color of the sun just as it touches the horizon.

"Tha's it, tha's it," Hagrid murmured encouragingly. "Now bow."

I bowed deeply, counting to three before rising again. As soon as I did, Buckbeak dipped into a similar gesture, and Hagrid's entire face lit up.

"Well done, Lucy! I knew yeh would do it! Yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

I eagerly reached forward and stroked his beak. He leaned into my touch and closed his eyes like he enjoyed it.

"D'yeh want ter ride him?" Hagrid asked.

I gasped. "You think I can?"

"On'y one way to find out!"

Hagrid grabbed me around the waist, since I was too short to reach the hippogriff's back on my own, and placed me just in front of his wings.

"Where should I hold on?" I called, but it was too late. Hagrid had nudged the hippogriff forward, and I was in the air.

I wrapped my arms around Buckbeak's neck, wobbling unsteadily to the beat of the wings. Buckbeak was no broomstick, but the feeling of the sun on my face and the sound of roaring wind in my ears made all of the emotional and physical exhaustion of the past 24 hours disappear in an instant.

The ride wasn't nearly long enough. Buckbeak landed with a thud, and I had to hold on tightly not to bounce off — something told me falling off a hippogriff was a much worse experience than falling off a Jet Ski.

Hagrid beamed as I slid off of Buckbeak's back. "Good work, Lucy! Okay, who else wants a go?"

The rest of the class climbed carefully into the paddock, and I walked around helping people. However, I really should have been keeping an eye on Draco Malfoy.

I heard a shriek, followed by cries of, "I'm dying! I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

Hagrid rushed over and scooped Malfoy into his massive arms. "Yer not dyin'! Someone help me, gotta get him outta here!"

Hermione opened the gate as Hagrid raced up to the castle.

Archie was closest, so I walked up to him. "What happened?"

"The bloody idiot insulted Buckbeak," he said, kicking a rock. "I was just about to get mine to bow to me, too. Draco ruins everything."

The class silently streamed out of the paddock, but I remained frozen in place, horrified by what had just happened. Poor Hagrid.

"Are you coming, Lucy?" Harry asked.

I blinked. "What about the hippogriffs?"

"What about them?"

"I'm going to bring them back to the reserve," I said. "I'll meet you in History of Magic. Would you mind telling Professor Binns where I am, if I don't get to class in time?"

"Sure thing, Lu. I'll bring your bag."

"Thank you. See you in a bit."

He hopped over the fence, and I turned to the hippogriffs, carefully chaining each of them and leading them one by one to where Hagrid liked to keep them. I read every name tag and memorized every gleaming coat, wondering if this would be the last time I'd ever see them.

Archie was right. Draco did ruin everything.

Guiding the hippogriffs back to their part of the reserve took far longer than I was expecting, and I was leading Buckbeak, the last one, when Hagrid returned.

He blinked in surprise. "You led them all back?"

I nodded. "Fireflutter didn't want to go, and Crownfeather nearly ripped my hand off, but they're all back except for Buckbeak."

"Thank you, Lucy," he said, still sounding surprised.

"Of course," I said with a shrug. "I just wanted to help, after... well, you know."

Hagrid sighed heavily. "I should've saved hippogriffs fer later. I almost did flobberworms, but I thought this would be more excitin' an' all..."

"It was! Oh, Hagrid, riding Buckbeak was incredible!"

"Yeh really think so?"

I nodded emphatically. "Really! What happened with Draco wasn't your fault. I heard that he insulted Buckbeak, which is why he attacked."

Hagrid looked crestfallen. "Bu' I said not to do that... didn' I?"

"You definitely said not to, Hagrid. It's Draco's fault, not yours."

Buckbeak huffed, and I took the hint and started walking to where the other hippogriffs were. Hagrid followed in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Yeh know," he said slowly, "if yer thinkin' about a career with creatures, I'd love ter show yeh more of the reserve."

"You would?"

"I've never seen a hippogriff warm up ter someone so fast. And what I heard abou' yeh with Aragog las' year — "

"They tried to eat us! I thought I botched it."

"Come back with me sometime, an' maybe it'll go better."

I wasn't horribly convinced by the sound of "maybe," but I smiled nonetheless. "I'd love to, Hagrid. When can I start?"

He chuckled. "Whenever yeh wan' to. If yeh have a night with not much homework, or if Ron an' Hermione are at each other's necks, or somethin' like that. Yeh don' need a reason."

Hagrid was helping me slip Buckbeak's collar off of his neck when I spied a flash of black out of the corner of my eye.

I gasped and jumped back, the memory of the cold sending a shiver down my spine.

"'Smatter?" Hagrid asked.

I gulped. "Dementor. Why is it so close?"

It was hovering near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, floating over the trees.

"Dunno," he muttered. "Le's go to my hut, quick."

We hurriedly threw the collar to the ground and rushed to his hut, closing the door firmly behind us. I sank to the couch, cradling my head in my hands.

"Hagrid, how did you bear it?" I croaked. "One dementor was enough to make me faint last night, and make me feel sick for hours after. I... I can't even imagine..."

He didn't answer at first. "Dunno," he said after a minute. "But I don' ever wanna go back. I hope... well..."

I lifted my head when I heard a sloshing sound. He seemed to be pouring himself a drink that looked a lot like firewhisky. "You're afraid Draco just put you in danger of that again?"

He took a deep drink before answering. "Maybe."

"He'd never get away with it," I said as confidently as I could manage.

"Hope not," he replied. He sighed and looked out the window at the setting sun. "Yeh'd better head up to the castle. Wouldn' want yeh ter miss dinner. I don' see the dementor anymore."

"Are you coming to dinner, Hagrid?"

He shook his head. "Don' want ter show my face."

"I understand," I said slowly, "but just know it's not your fault, okay?"

"Okay." He didn't seem convinced, but I had done the best I could.

I sprinted back up to the castle, terrified of seeing another dementor, and reached the Great Hall panting.

Ron and Hermione seemed to be talking again, so I joined them and Harry at the table.

"Did I miss anything in History of Magic?" I asked.

Harry shook his head. "Review of Wendelin the Weird. I turned your essay in for you, by the way. Here's your bag."

"Thank you. Did he notice I was gone?"

He grinned. "Doubt it. You're in the clear."

"How'd you get them all back?" Ron asked.

I shrugged. "One at a time. I just did what Hagrid did to get them out. Hagrid helped with the last one."

"Where is he now?" Hermione's voice was high and anxious.

"He stayed in his hut," I said. "He... seemed like he wanted to be alone."

"How is he?"

"Upset with himself. Afraid of going back to Azkaban. We saw a dementor while we were taking Buckbeak's collar off, and I think it scared him even more."

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class," Ron said bitterly.

"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" Hermione asked.

"They'd better not." Ron sighed. "Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back."

I echoed his sigh. "Let's hope our next first classes are better."

Our first Charms class was fun, because we were learning the Full Body-Bind Curse. (Since Hermione and I already had it mastered, we had fun casting it at each other and undoing it quickly to see if we could stay on our feet.) Herbology was fun too, because we finally got to see the Mandrakes in their final form.

As expected, our first Potions class was a nightmare. Draco returned to classes halfway through the lesson, complaining far too much about his heavily-bandaged arm and making Harry and Ron cut his daisy roots and skin his shrivelfigs and slice his caterpillars. Hermione and I then lost Gryffindor five points each for helping Neville with his potion after Professor Snape threatened to feed it to Trevor.

Defense Against the Dark Arts, however, proved itself to be an interesting class from the beginning.

My curiosity piqued when Professor Lupin entered the classroom saying, "Good afternoon! Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

I was sitting next to Ron that day, who muttered, "I swear to Merlin, if he pulls out a cage full of pixies..."

I giggled quietly, then stood to follow Professor Lupin out of the room.

Around the corner, Peeves was stuffing chewing gum into the keyhole of the door to one of Filch's broom closets.

When the poltergeist saw Professor Lupin, he sang mockingly, "Loony, loopy Lupin!" over and over again.

Professor Lupin smiled cordially. "I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves. Mr. Filch won't be able to get to his brooms."

Peeves blew a raspberry in response. Professor Lupin sighed, and turned to us.

"This is a useful little spell. Please watch closely." Pointing his wand at the keyhole, Professor Lupin exclaimed, "Waddiwasi!"

The gum shot down Peeves's left nostril in a matter of seconds. I couldn't help but laugh, making a mental note to ask the twins later if they knew that spell.

"Cool, sir!" Dean exclaimed.

"Thank you, Dean. Shall we proceed?"

We followed Professor Lupin into the staffroom, where Professor Snape was lounging in an armchair. Professor Lupin started to close the door, but Professor Snape rose to his feet.

"Leave it open, Lupin, I'd rather not witness this. Probably no one's told you, but Neville Longbottom is in this class. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult, unless Miss Granger and Miss Diggory are whispering instructions in his ear."

My face grew hot. "He's the best Herbology student in the class!" I hissed to Professor Lupin.

"I was hoping Neville would assist with the first stage of the operation, and I am sure he will perform admirably," Professor Lupin replied calmly. Snape smirked and left.

Professor Lupin led us to the back of the room, where the wardrobe where Harry, Ron, and I had hidden in the year prior was waiting. As we approached, it lurched forward, making us all jump back.

"Nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about. There's a boggart in there."

I felt my stomach drop to my toes. No no no no no...

Professor Lupin launched into his explanation with a smile. "Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks, I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione answered first. "It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself! So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

"Er... because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely! It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake; tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening! The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please: riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class echoed.

"Good, very good! But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

He took a reluctant step forward.

"Right, Neville, first things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

"Professor Snape," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible.

Nearly everyone laughed, but I was horrified. Neville's greatest fear was a professor? I knew Snape was bad, but... that was a new level. I swore to myself then and there that I'd stand up for him in Potions every chance I got.

Professor Lupin didn't laugh, either. "Professor Snape... hmmm... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er, yes, but I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

Professor Lupin smiled. "No, no, you misunderstand me. I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

"Well... always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress — green, normally — and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?"

"A big red one."

"Right then! Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

He nodded.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape. And you will raise your wand, and cry 'riddikulus,' and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

The whole class howled with laughter, making the wardrobe shake violently.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical."

A number of horrific images immediately sprung to mind. Truly, my greatest fear was the knowledge of what I could do when I was a werewolf, but the last thing I wanted to do was expose myself that way. I thought then of drowning, but like Cedric had said to the Weasleys, how was a boggart supposed to take that form? The most tangible fear I had would be a dementor, but how did you make that less scary?

I envied Ron, who whispered, "Take its legs off." I wished my greatest fear was something other than myself. I wished my fears had such an easy answer. But to eliminate my fear would be to eliminate myself, and... well...

"Everyone ready?" Professor Lupin asked.

I was very much not ready, but the whole class nodded, so he turned to Neville.

"Neville, we're going to back away to let you have a clear field, alright? I'll call the next person forward. Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot!"

We retreated back to the walls, and I glanced at Harry. He looked as unprepared as I felt, staring straight ahead and not meeting my eyes. I looked forward too and watched as Neville pushed his sleeves up.

Professor Snape lunged out of the wardrobe, bearing quickly down on Neville. With a crack, he was suddenly wearing the exact clothes Neville had described as being his grandmother's typical outfit. The class laughed, and Parvati was called forward, then Seamus, then Dean, then Ron, then Lavender, then me.

I stepped forward, wand at the ready, but the boggart was completely baffled by me.

It first took the form of a werewolf, small and covered in wiry brown hair. I realized with horror that it was me. But before I could manage to squeak "Riddikulus," the wolf yelped and changed into what I immediately recognized as Cedric's dead body, clearly mauled by some type of animal — I knew from the claw marks across his face that it had been a werewolf that had killed him. It shifted again, to a massive dementor that drifted toward me.

"No!" I gasped, forcing the boggart to take the shape of the werewolf again. "Riddikulus!"

With a crack, the me-wolf became a puppy, spinning in a circle and yipping. The class laughed, and I staggered backward in relief.

Professor Lupin stepped in front of me, and the boggart changed to a full moon.

With a crack, the moon became a cockroach, and Professor Lupin called, "Forward, Neville, and finish him off!"

The boggart again assumed the shape of Professor Snape, and with a crack was once again wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes. Everyone behind me laughed heartily, and the boggart exploded into wisps of smoke and disappeared.

"Excellent! Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone! Let me see, five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart, and ten for Neville because he did it twice, and five each to Hermione and Harry."

"But I didn't do anything," Harry said slowly.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry. Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me, to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

I slipped out of the classroom quickly, ducking through the crowd. I started running as soon as my feet hit grass, and I didn't stop until I was safely at the top of the Quidditch Pitch. I sat down to catch my breath and rested my head in my hands, the images of everything the boggart had become flashing through my mind.

I had never seen myself in werewolf form, except for the occasional reflection I glimpsed in puddles, but there was no doubt that it was me. The fur was the same color as my hair. I hoped against hope that nobody else had noticed that.

I figured there was a good chance of that, given how quickly it had switched to Cedric. Oh Cedric... truly, my worst fear was somehow killing him while in werewolf form. I trembled at the memory. It was too much to take.

But if that was my worst fear, why the dementor? Was the dementor just my most recent fear? And if it was just a boggart, why had I started feeling cold and clammy all over again?

I sat there for a long time, trying to force the events of the afternoon to make any kind of sense, but nothing came.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't hear someone coming up the stairs until they sat down next to me.

"So I guess neither Diggory is very fond of boggarts."

I huffed a laugh and glanced at my brother out of the corner of my eye. "I guess not. How'd you hear?"

"Fred and George overheard Harry ask Hermione if you were in the dormitory. She apparently snapped at him that it wasn't her job to know where you were every second of every day, which surprised him enough to ask the twins if they had seen you. They asked why you went missing in the first place, and he said something about a boggart, so they found me right away and said it sounded like an older brother situation."

I rested my head against Cedric's shoulder. "Sounds about right."

"They didn't say anything about what the boggart actually was. What happened?"

I sighed shakily. "That's just the thing. I don't really know. It changed."

"Changed?"

I explained as best I could, pausing from time to time when Cedric reminded me to breathe.

"It all happened so fast," I said in a choked whisper. "They probably didn't say anything because I doubt anyone really saw what happened. Except for Professor Lupin, maybe. Oh!" I sat up straight as puzzle pieces clicked into place. "Sleeping on the train, a full moon boggart. Ced, he's a werewolf, too!"

He nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense to me."

"Should I tell him? Do you think he already knows? I mean, well, my boggart was me, as a werewolf, meaning a full moon is there somewhere, but it wasn't the full moon. Should it be the full moon? Am I broken for having three different boggarts?"

"Breathe, Lu," Cedric said. "It's alright. You're not broken. Anxious, maybe, but not broken."

I drew a deep breath and released it in yet another shaky sigh. "I guess so." I paused. "Oh, Cedric, can I ask a random question? It's been bothering me for a couple of days but I've been forgetting to ask."

"Go for it."

"Why were you and Percy alone in a compartment on the train ride here?"

"Oh, that," he said with an embarrassed laugh. "I asked him for advice. Being a new prefect and all, I thought maybe the Head Boy was a good person to ask. We were just about to leave when you walked by outside, and it was kind of funny, we both just reached forward and grabbed you without talking about it."

"Older brother instincts," I said immediately. "Definitely older brother instincts."

"Yeah, sounds about right," he chuckled. "Well, are you feeling any better?"

I nodded reluctantly. "A little. Thanks for talking to me. I like being here with you. After how much time we got to spend together this summer, I've missed you even more than usual here."

He grinned. "Don't worry, Lu. I'm not going anywhere. The boggart was just trying to scare you."

"Well, it succeeded."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him. "Try not to let it bother you. See? I'm right here."

I buried my face in his chest and nodded, closing my eyes tightly and enjoying the warmth of his jumper in the brisk September breeze. "Right here," I repeated, letting the images from the afternoon fade from my mind.