Pesky Boggarts (1)

"Isabella, just remember practice starts on Wednesday after classes." Darcy told her at dinner later that day.

"Alright, thanks." She replied, before going back to the creamy mashed potatoes she was eating.

Back at the common room, she wasted no time in going to sleep. She was tired. Her limbs were telling her to lay down. She had a bruise below her knee where she had hit herself.

When Mira came up to the dorm, she found Isabella on her bed, snoring lightly. She was deep asleep. Mira noticed that Isabella hadn't taken her shoes off, so she carefully slipped them off of Isabella, making sure not to wake her. Isabella turned, but she was still asleep. Mira thought about that it had been a long day for her, she had reason to be so tired.

After setting Isabella's shoes on the floor, Mira curled up in her bed, underneath a warm and cozy blanket, grabbed her book and became deeply immersed with the words on the thin pages of it.

Monday

While Isabella ate breakfast, there was something bugging her at the back of her mind.

"You ok, Isabella? You seem a bit... out of it.. I guess?" Mira asked, a concerning look on her face.

"Oh I'm fine, don't worry." She flashed a smile at Mira. Mira nodded, but she didn't seem quite convinced. She didn't press more on the matter though.

The something that was bothering her were boggarts. Last week she had been excited to face one, but now, now that she thought of what her fear would be, she wasn't so excited.

They were studying these in Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) and according to Professor Penrose they would be facing a real one today. She'd faced one before, a long time ago. But her father had gotten rid of it. That time it had appeared to her as a huge spider. Eight long hairy legs, bulging black eyes that stared at her, looking at her like she was food. Her father had arrived in time to cast a spell and get rid of it before it pounced on her (Of course It wouldn't have actually harmed her, boggarts really only scare).

Boggarts appear to different people in different forms. But it always turns into the person's biggest fear. A long time ago, her fear had been spiders. But now, it had changed, it was something else. And she didn't think she was ready to face it. Not after what had happened. It took her a year to recover from the incident.

"Isabella! Ready to go?" Mira said, which snapped her out of her daze.

"Oh! Uh yeah." She replied. But she was still preoccupied with her thoughts.

Mira was extremely curious as to what had her so deep in thought.

All throughout the day Isabella was distant. Even Potter had noticed since Isabella hadn't corrected him when he grabbed one too many seeds, or used the correct spell to carefully water the plants.

At the end of herbology, he went up to Mira, whom he really didn't talk to.

"Did something happen with Bella?" He asked. Mira raised an eyebrow at hearing "bella".

"Well, I'm not sure. Something's on her mind but I don't know what it is." She replied. "Why do you care?"

He quickly thought of an excuse.

"Well, I uh need to know if she will be able to come to our study session tonight."

"Hm alright sure. If you say so, Potter." Then she turned away from him to go find Isabella.

'Study session. Yeah right, nick.' He thought to himself.

History books of magic wasn't any better. She didn't talk to him the entire class. She seemed to stare off into space at times.

At the end of class he was very curious as to what was on her mind.

"Bella!" He yelled. She turned to look at him. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." She replied and walked away, not giving him a chance to question her further.

Then finally, the time came for DADA. At this point, Isabella really didn't want to do it.

There was a big wardrobe in the middle of the classroom. It was black with intricate designs of leaves and flowers woven into it.

"Class! Today you will face an actual boggart. I understand if you are afraid, but you must all face it, for it is a grade on how well you can cast the spell and defend yourself from it." Professor Penrose announced. "Everyone remembers the spell, correct?"

"Yes, Professor." The class said in unison.

"Repeat the spell for me." The Professor said.

Once again in unison, the class replied,

"Riddikulus"

"Alright everyone in line! One by one you'll come and face the Boggart." Everyone quickly formed a line, most people curious as to what their Boggart would turn into. On the other hand, Isabella tried to put her self at the very back of the line.

At the front of the line, was a Hufflepuff. His name was Evan.

"Step forward, wand ready." He did as the Professor said. He took deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves.

And then Professor Penrose asked Evan,

"Ready?"

Another deep breath from Evan.

"Ready." The tremble in his voice was barely identifiable.

And then the Professor unlocked the wardrobe, and the boggart came out.