Shiva was laughing at him. "You thought I cared? Idiot, Freak!" Harry froze, shaking his wand only half raised. "It's called a long con, Boy! Doesn't it just hurt soo much more this way? Vernon and I are getting together tonight to share a drink over it. I've been waiting so long for this," the apparition cooed.
"Harry!" A dim shout penetrated the fog that had descended over Harry's brain. He ground his teeth. He'd faced the murderer of his parents twice and killed a 60 foot basilisk with a sword! He could beat a single boggart! Harry cast the riddikulus…
And Hermione was suddenly looking at him, smirking. "Did you really think I'd stick around, Harry? After I nearly died three times? Did you think that I – " Harry dropped to the floor like a puppet with cut strings. Four riddikulus spells crashed into the faux-Hermione and the boggart vanished in a puff of smoke. Professor Lupin and the rest of the class were left staring dumbfounded between the traces of the boggart and Harry.
The boy in question was sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest and arms wrapped around them, his head buried firmly between them. Anyone asked later would swear they never even saw Hermione move but suddenly she was wrapping Harry in her arms instead of standing on the back wall. "It's okay Harry. She would never say that and I would never leave you either. It's okay. It's okay. We're not leaving you." Daphne, Tracey and Neville came behind the two and put their hands on Harry's back as well murmuring their own reassurances.
"Class dismissed," Remus said finally jerking into motion. "Nothing to see here, people. Boggarts are dangerous for a reason after all. Out with you." He managed to wrangle the majority of the class outside leaving just the small group of five still clustered in the middle of the floor. "Harry," Remus said softly as pulled out a calming potion from his robe pocket. "Harry," Remus froze as four sets of eyes turned on him with venom and promised pain held in each gaze. His inner wolf gave a soft whimper meeting the eyes of the bushy haired girl still curled around Harry.
"What is that potion, Professor?" Daphne asked taking charge.
"A calming draught. I had several prepared just in case anyone had a strong reaction to the boggart," he said trailing off. "I…hadn't quite expected something this strong though…"
"Yes, well, Harry Potter is never quite able to have a normal experience in practically anything now is he?" The question was far more of a statement of fact and dismissal than anything else. Daphne plucked the potion from his hands and handed it off to Hermione. The brunette subtly coaxed Harry to lift his head and poured the potion into his throat.
A few moments later, Harry gave a shuddering gasp and his eyes cleared somewhat. He shook his head then gazed back at the ground. "Bugger. Sorry guys…"
"Language, Harry," Hermione chastised without any actual rebuke in her voice. She was rewarded with an ever so slight upturn at the corners of her friend's lips. "You have nothing to apologize for. As Professor Lupin told the rest of the class: boggarts are somewhat dangerous for a reason. They are evolved to do exactly what they did to you."
"I faced Voldemort," Harry said. Beyond Hermione he dimly registered Professor Lupin flinch at the word. "I ran right at a basilisk. I shouldn't collapse at…a boggart." He sighed.
"Harry, you weren't afraid of the boggart," Remus said softly. "You were afraid of something far worse and it used that against you, as is its nature. It is very good at what it does."
"Riddle is someone you fight against," Neville commented. "A basilisk is something you can kill. You can't really fight against an idea. I would've crumbled to that too if it had become my parents."
"Some things you can't make funny," Tracey said with a shrug.
"Come on, Harry." Hermione stood and levered him to his feet. "Let's get you some food. The Feast will be starting soon. You'll feel better afterwards." Harry nodded and let her maneuver him towards the door.
Remus stopped Neville as he started to follow the others. "If Harry needs anything further have him stop by Madam Pomfrey." Neville nodded and headed off after his friends.
Shiva was concerned. It was Halloween Feast so by the simple law of probability she'd be a little on edge throughout the day. Harry wasn't the only one who had noticed that things tended to fall apart on that day. Plus the fact that Harry was usually a little grim – for good reason yes, but still – on this day and she'd of course be watching out for him. To make her even more worried, Harry was...off...at the moment. He may be laughing and smiling but the smile didn't reach his eyes. And he was sticking very close to his friends and them to him. Not even a minute had gone by when one of them wasn't in physical contact with him which by itself was more than strange enough. Usually only she or Hermione could get away with that level of contact. He was even letting Luna bump up against him without flinching.
Shiva finally managed to catch his eye and raised her eyebrows a bit shooting him a questioning glance. Harry smiled gave a small shrug and turned back to chatting with his group. He did seem to perk up slightly though and it was at least enough for her to stop feeling like she needed to rush over there and interrogate him.
Remus Lupin leaned over from the seat beside her and spoke softly, "Good evening, Bathsheda."
"Evening, Remus," she replied.
"You seem a little on edge. Expecting trouble?" he asked with a bit of a half chuckle.
"It's Halloween. Two of the three years I've been teaching there's been a disaster today. I'm just staying on my toes in case it's three out of four," she said sighing.
"Ah. Yes, I can understand that sentiment then." He paused seeming to consider before coming to a decision. "If I may...You are more to young Harry Potter than a simple mentor, are you not?"
Shiva very deliberately took a bite of her food before fixing him with piercing glare. "Whatever I am to that boy is none of your concern, Professor Lupin."
"My apologies. I did not mean to accuse you of anything," Remus said shaking his head. "I just wished to inform you that there was...an incident in my class earlier."
Her mind ran a mile a minute. Harry hadn't been looking bad at breakfast or lunch and Defense was right before the Feast...'Shite.' She took a deep breath and centered herself before replying out loud, "What sort of incident?"
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