N.E.W.T. Lesson 2nd

Amelia hung back when the professor asked for volunteers to try their luck against the boggart. She busied herself writing on the parchment she had brought with her, half taking notes on the material covered in class, half making mental notes about the other students. If the succession of willing volunteers continued the way it had thus far, she may not have to face the boggart at all.

Amelia did not fear boggarts because she was not capable of defeating them. On the contrary, Amelia was quite skilled at producing a respectable patronus, and also of casting a riddikulus spell if the need arose. Instead, she antagonized over this particular task because of the fact that facing a boggart would mean revealing her biggest fear to the rest of the students in the class.

Trying to remain as invisible as possible, Amelia watched the flurry of hands rise around her as eager students vied for their position in line to face the boggart. She averted her eyes from the professor and even let her hair hang slightly in front of her face to obscure it from view, a habit her mother had tried to break countless times.

Godric raised his hand a dark smile playing on his lips. I would love to demonstarte professor. But I must admit, I'm curious as to why we arn't testing it on Dementors. He had done this particuler Defense charm more then his fare share of times. In order to know the Dark arts you had to know there defenses as well.

"It's pretty obvious i can't get a real dementor into my classroom i would get suspended if i did.Boggart makes the closest immitation of a dementor.However,we will work with real dementors in one of next classes,but for now Miss Starr if you will." Gabrielle said looking at Lillian who just came in.She had a sharp eye. "And that's 5 points from rawenclaw Miss Jackson for being late." she added noting something. "Whenever you are ready Miss Starr." she said looking at the 1st cabinet.

"I would like to try my go with it as well if I Get the chance professor." Christabelle said raising her hand as she called up Neve. "That is, if you'll let me." she looked at her cousin. "At least you have more experience with the dark arts Delk. Maybe you should get up there as well."

Neve gulped and looked at the cabinet. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She slowly got up from her seat and walked up to the front of the class. She had a sick feeling in her stomach but there was no way she was backing out now.
Neve stood in front of the cabinet and closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm herself down. She opened her eyes and flicked her wand at the cabinet. The door swung open and an object that looked strangly like a giant eye floated out. 'Oh God.' Neve mumbled, terrified. She knew what was going to happen next. As she watched, random events flashed rapidly through the eye's pupil. Events that hadn't happened yet.
Neve froze, mesmerized by what she was seeing, before trying to say the spell. Her throat was too dry and she was still scared by what was happening. Eventually, Neve got her voice back and stuttered 'Ex...ex...xpecto Patronum,' but all that came out of her wand was a thin silver mist that faded away. Neve tried again, moving back now, but nothing happened. As the boggart got closer, Neve dropped to the floor, burying her head in her hands. 'I can't... I can't do it.' She cried, tears streaming down her face. She felt exposed. The whole class was probably laughing at her for not being able to face a boggart. She knew she could have done it if it was a real Dementor, she had done it before, many times. Her worst fear was much much worse than a Dementor, and she had known inside that she wouldn't be able to face it, but had hoped this time would be different from all the other times.

((Well, you did say it would be boring if we succeeded first try! ))

Arthur sighed. He stood up and pulled his wand out and pointed it at the giant eye. ''Riddikulus'', he said and the eye deflated. ''I do apologise professor, but I spared her the pain. Now, could I try next?'', asked Arthur impatiently.

Amelia had watched from her desk as Ms. Starr - Neve, Amelia thought was her first name - stood up to face the boggart with a patronus spell. She was brave, to have volunteered to go first, but her response when the cabinet door opened did not show the same courage. She had muttered something, exactly what Amelia couldn't tell, but it sounded bewildered. The boggart had come from the cabinet in the shape of a large eye, floating toward the girl ominously.

Neve tried to produce her patronus to ward off the over-sized optic, but Amelia could see that her distress was causing her to fall short of what she was surely capable of. Again the Gryffindor attempted the spell, this one even more feeble than the first. When the girl collapsed to the ground, Amelia looked away, not wanting to make a spectacle of a fellow student who had just been humiliated in front of the entire class.

What had just happened to Ms. Starr was exactly what Amelia had feared for herself. The appearance her boggart took on was embarrassing enough in and of itself, but the way she would react to it was far too unpredictable for her to volunteer readily to face it in front of the class.

Amelia could hear the girl's whimpers from the floor and she knew this would only cause her further humiliation. Amelia didn't quite understand the emotion of compassion - it was an infrequent feeling or expression in her home - but she did know how she would feel in the same situation. Although another student had already cast a spell to remove the boggart, Arthur didn't seem to have done it for Neve, but rather to increase his chances of being able to show off.

Amelia pulled her own wand from her bag, hiding it beneath her desk lest the professor or another student catch her. She waved her wand toward the girl on the floor, casting a light cheering charm on her. She knew that in the girl's present state of distress, she hardly needed to be seen skipping around the classroom, but implanting happier thoughts into Neve's mind would at least spare her from further humiliation by dwelling on her failure.

Neve heard someone get rid of the boggart and looked up, startled. She saw a guy who was now asking to go next in a rather impatient tone. Neve scowled and wiped her face with her sleeve. Talk about showing off. She knew he had only done it to show everyone how much better he was at facing the boggart, and to make her look stupid. Neve felt like hexing him but calmed herself down. Suddenly, Neve felt a whole lot more cheerful. She looked around to find the reason for her sudden mood swing when she saw a girl pointing her wand at her under a table. She looks familiar... Neve didn't know what to do. She felt angry that people were feeling sorry for her but gratefull that Amelia had cast that charm. She settled on the first choice. Neve made her face completely expressionless as she looked away and tried to remember if they had met before.
She soon realized that most of the class was looking at her but stood up too hastily to see any of their expressions and bent her head down slightly, allowing her hair to cover her face. Neve walked back to her desk and sat down, playing with her hair. She just wanted the lesson to end.

Arthur noticed the mood swing and looked around noticing that Amelia threw a charm at Neve to make her feel better. He flicked his wand at a piece of paper. The small piece of paper now contained a message: Very sympathetic of you to use that charm.. He then flicked his wand again and the paper flew at Amelia's desk.