The next day, Cortney was sitting at lunch, apparently Theodore wanted to talk to you. Five minuets passed, Cortney was reading the daily prophet; finally he sat down next to her.

" What did you need to talk to me about? " Cortney asked looking up. " Are you cheating on me with Potter? " Theodore asked.

" No ! " Cortney exclaimed. " Why would I cheat on you, in fact, I wouldn't cheat on anyone".

" You were all touchy with Potter yesterday at Care for Magical Creatures," Theodore said not believing her.

" I held on to him so I wouldn't fall off," Cortney said slowly, she looked into his eyes strangely, " Is that why you angry yesterday? "

" Sure...I can't have this fight here.....don't go talking to Potter anymore," He growled before walking away.

" You can't tell me who I can and cannot hang out with," Cortney told him before he left. Theodore ignored her and left. Cortney walked over to the Gryffindor table. She sat next to Hermione and slammed her head on the table in frustration. The Golden Trio just finished talking about Hagrid not getting fired. 

" He's been sighted! He's been sighted! " Seamus said running over to the table with the Daily Prophet in his hands. 

" Who ? " they asked.

" Sirius Black ! " he answered as he put the paper on the table. Cortney picked her head up as people crowded around.

" Dufftown? That's not far from here," Hermione said.

" You don't think he will come to Hogwarts, do you? " Neville asked scared. " There's dementors at every entrance ".

" Dementors," said Seamus. He's already slipped past them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he won't do it again".

" He's right. Black could be anywhere, it's like trying to catch smoke, with your bare hands," said a Hufflepuff.

" Seamus, can I take a look at it? I'll give it back later," Cortney asked.

" Sure, " Seamus said handing it to her. 

" Thank you," Cortney said. She took it, got up, and walked away.  She began to head to class, Pansy walked up to her.

" What's up with you and Teddy? " Pansy asked.

" He thinks I'm cheating on him, because I held on to Potter while on the Hippogriff," Cortney explained.

" You held on to his shoulders, it's not like you wrapped your arms around him," Pansy said. " Would he rather have you fall off ? "

" Apparently," Cortney laughed.

***************

They now stood in Professor Lupin's class for Defense Against Dark Arts.  A wardrobe, stood in the room violently shaking.

" Intriguing, isn't it? " Lupin asked. " Would anyone like to venture a guess to what's inside? "

" That's a boggart! That is ! " exclaimed Dean.

" Very good, Mr. Thomas," said Lupin. " Now can anyone tell me what a boggart looks like? "

" No one knows," said Hermione.

" When'd she get here ? " asked Ron.

" Boggarts are shapeshifters. They take shape of whatever particular a person fears most. That's what makes them so-" began Hermione.

" So terrifying," Professor Lupin finished. . "Luckily a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now. Without me wands, please. After me. Riddikulus! "

" Riddikulus! " The class repeated.

" This class is ridiculous," muttered Malfoy.

" Very good, well so much for the easy part. You see, incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes off a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to change shape you truly find amusing," Lupin explained. " Let me explain. Neville! Would you come up here please ? " Neville froze, he nervously looked back for a second, before joining Lupin in the front of the classroom. " Neville, what frightens you most? " Neville mumbled something. " Sorry? "

" Professor Snape," Neville answered, the class laughed.

" Professor Snape. Frightens all. And I believe you live with your grandmother? " Lupin questioned.

" yes, but I don't want the boggart to change into her wither," Neville pleaded. The class laughed again.

" It won't. I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes. Very clearly in your mind," Lupin instructed.

" She carries a red-hand bag-" began Neville. Lupin cut him off by shaking his head.

" We don't need to hear it. As long as you see it, we'll see it. And then when I open the wardrobe, here's what I want you to do," Lupin said, he then whispered something in his ear. " Can you do that? " Neville nodded. " Wand at ready! " Neville shakily took out his wand. " One..two...three " Lupin waved his wand, and open the wardrobe. Snape stepped out of it, he began to walk towards Neville.

" Riddikulus !" Neville shouted. Snape was now wearing old women's clothes. Everyone laughed.

" Wonderful Neville! Wonderful! " Lupin congratulated. He pushed Neville towards the back of the class and out in music.

" Now form a line " instructed Lupin. Cortney got behind Pansy, she really didn't go. She didn't want the class to know what she was afraid of. " I want everyone to picture want they form most and turn it into something funny. Next Ron! " Ron walked towards Snape, it turned into a giant spider. He shakily pulled out his wand and pointed it at the spider.

" Riddikulus! " Ron shouted. The spider had roller blades on all legs, making it have trouble balancing, everyone laughed. Seamus walked up to the unbalanced spider, it turned into a banshee.

" Riddikulus ! " he shouted, the banshee lost its sound". Pavarti walked up to the banshee, it turned into a giant snake.

" Riddikulus ! " she shouted, the snake turned into a clown.

" Is me or is the clown creepier than the snake? " Cortney whispered to Pansy.

" I'd take the snake over that clown any day," Pansy agreed. ( Honestly, that clown was pretty creepy, I'm not a big fan of clowns, they kind of creep me out. And this clown was just creepy AF ! ) Harry walked up to it. The clown was rocking back and forth, before turning into a dementor. Professor Lupin jumped in front of Harry. The dementor changed into the full moon.

" Riddikulus ! ' Professor Lupin shouted. It turned into a balloon. It deflated and zoomed around the classroom and ended up back into the wardrobe. Lupin closed the door and locked it. " Right well, sorry about that. That's enough for today. Collect your books go back to class that's the end of this lesson! Thank you! Sorry! Sorry, can't have too much of a good thing".

" Awwww" coursed the class. While leaving, Cortney accidentally dropped her books.

" Go on without me, I'll catch up," Cortney told her friends before they left.

" Is everything alright? " Professor Lupin asked.

" Yeah, just a bit clumsy," Cortney said standing up.

" Would you like to face your boggart? " Lupin asked.

" Professor, I thought you said-" Cortney began.

" I know what I said, but you are the only student in here, there is no harm of getting practice," Lupin advised. Cortney nodded her head, she put her books down and pulled out her wand. She then stepped in front of the wardrobe. Lupin opens the door with his wand. Out stepped Bellatrix and Rodolphous, her parents. Cortney and Lupin's eyes both widened.

" Riddikulus! " Cortney shouted. Bellatrix had super short hair and a funny hat on. She was wearing her husband's clothes and her husband was wearing her clothes. Her father was bald. Cortney started giggling as the boggart got sent back into the wardrobe. " Thank you, Professor. how can somebody be afraid of someone they never met? "

"Fear of disappointing, fear of meeting them. For your I think it's both," Lupin explained.

" Thank you, " Cortney said before grabbing her stuff and leaving. She then quickly walked back in. " Please don't tell anyone about my fear".

" Your secret is safe with me," Lupin reassured her.

***************

It was a late night, before curfew. Cortney was now in the library for Herbology tutoring. Neville was droning on and on about Devil's Snare. She was secretly glancing down at the Sirius Black on the Daily Prophet.

" Neville, you are going too fast, " Cortney said frustrated.

" We went over only one plant," Neville pointed out.

" I've only processed the name of the plant, Snare's draggled," Cortney said.

" Devil's Snare, " Neville said angrily.

" My point is proven, go slower," said Cortney as she glanced down at the paper n her lap.

" Look, we both don't really like each other, so why don't you just drop the class, and then we won't have to spend any more time than we have to," Neville suggested.

" How about no, I will pass this class, with your help," Cortney said determinedly. Neville looked over and saw the Daily Prophet on her lap.

" Why should I help you when you aren't even going to pay attention," Neville said as he pointed at the Daily Prophet.

" Oh, Ummm," Cortney began. " It's just this man, the Malfoys, mentioned him over the summer, but I feel like they were leaving something out. So I thought I could get something out of this".

" This couldn't wait till later? " Neville shot.

" Give it back to Seamus, when we leave, " Cortney said shoving the paper aside.

" Tell me what you suspect," Neville huffed giving up on the lesson.

" Well, it seems like this man has a lot to hide, looking at his eyes, you can tell that there is a secret that he wants people to know. In this picture, it looks like his whole world is falling apart, " Cortney explained.

" You would know all about secrets," Neville said glaring at her.

" What do you mean? " Cortney asked trying to hide her panic. Cortney had many secrets. Neville stood up and packed up.

" I'm saying I know the truth about your parents, I know what crime they committed, I know you do too, and I know that you are keeping it a secret," he said before leaving. Cortney breathed in and out. That's not the only she's keeping a secret. One is that she is animagus, another is her friends and family back home, and she's adopted.