✧DEALING WITH INNER DEMONS✧

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On the other side of the spectrum, Ronan hadn't been alienated outright by Malfoy and the rest. He sort of did that on his own, it was quite easy to do actually. They were scared of him, which wasn't the best.

And he was thankful for Avery and Aaron Yaxel, who had been fairly distant considering everything that'd happen, course he arrived to Magical Creatures late and didn't see the point in standing at the front.

But all this was certainly better than hanging around the whining lad. Clearly it's the worst injury he's faced since Quidditch last year when their fathers had come to watch.

Him falling on his arse had been downright hilarious, and even if they did lose to Gryffindor—Ronan had a beautiful game. Better yet, mum sent spectacles off to Uncle Reg and he received a play-by-play of how good it had been.

Was Draco the most friendliest?

No, but he was an only child and Ronan had stride to be his friend. It was just he's battled the rude comments for two full school years now, they were getting rather old and pathetic.

But they wouldn't be Slytherin if it wasn't an easy fix, though not an entirely easy fix.

His mother was very big on second chances, as per their father's case. He had an inkling that it'd been something as serious as prison, though now it made sense—Being within the Slytherin house gave him a much better perspective than what his mum could ever explain.

Even if he wasn't the eldest, he was the male Slytherin heir to the Lestrange name. But thankful he can split it with Lori now, and the pressure on being his father's favorite was equally divided.

Course Lori was exceeding brilliant as well, but she was devious with it. She used it to her advantage. While their mother's prodigy was trying to get a shadowing position with Snape for next year.

"Father's said he's going to court with your mother." Ronan turned his gaze to his mate and hummed. "With and against are two separate things."
 "You saw what that bird did, no matter—"
"Draco, I've told you before that you've been warned all of four times and failed to listen. It's the mere nature of the beast, you even said 'you aren't dangerous at all,' and yet you were hurt. Get. Over. It." He finally deemed and Draco scoffed.

"Some mate you are."
"Would've listened to me in a warning, so right back at you, mate." Ronan left the air rather unnerved as he went to go and stand right beside Cara. "We're off in the other room, Professor said we can leave our books and such." Her brother remained silent and greeted either of her friends.

"Hey Roe, I saw you training the other day on the pitch. I think Gryffindors are in for some sure trouble this season." Vivian gushed, flashing a lovely smile to her friend's brother and Ronan thanked her before following off towards Cara to stand near the front of the room. Though Maya couldn't possibly hold back her laughter with that sort of arse kissing, and Vivian could only usher her to be quiet with a measly poke.

Yet he instantly pulled her back once the wardrobe moved and lifted up from the floor and slammed back down. "Intriguing, yes? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?" Professor Lupin said with a light smile on his face. The curiosity wasn't just on the given Ravenclaws, however, he spotted an odd pair amongst the crowd.
A Slytherin and Ravenclaw, but upon further inspection he realized that it was indeed the Lestrange 'twins'.

"That's a Boggart, that is," Seamus called from somewhere in sea of students but Mr.Lupin praised him. "Very good, Mr.Finnigan. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?" Ronan looked down to his sister but she didn't look ready to answer. Instead her eyes trailed to Granger, though he hadn't heard anyone come in or seen her before.

"No one knows—" Hermione started, leaving Ronan's mouth to curl in seeing such a brave Gyffindor jump in response. "When'd she get here?"

"That's a good question..." Cara whispered, and while her brother was about to question her, Hermonie had continued to speak.

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so—"

"Terrifying, yes. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please...Riddikulus!" It was clear Lupin didn't want to hear the textbook definition, and sure the Gryffindor was correct. But what did one learn from plagiarism all the time? Yet Cara bit her tongue and spoken the charm along with the rest of the class.

"This class' is ridiculous," Draco mumbled and Cara turned to frown at him as she openly heard what he'd say. "Don't let him bother you, he's been angry for awhile now."
"Still? It's been nearly two weeks!" She hissed back, but Ronan kept his attention to the front of the room.

"Good. So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart off is...laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Neville, come up here, will you?" The Gryffindor had eyed the rattling wardrobe in question but listened to the professor's instructions outright.

"What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?" Lupin questioned, and Neville didn't hesitate to answer. "Professor...Snape..."

"Hmm...Yes. He frightens all. I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."

"It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?" Neville had begun to describe how his grandmother would wear but he had been silenced politely by Lupin, leaving their conversation private as he was indeed going to be the first amongst the class.

"You can do this, Neville...Right then, wand at the ready. One. Two. Three!" Professor Lupin had removed his wand and silently waved it in the direction of the doorknob, allowing the wardrobe to burst open. It had been utterly dark inside, until a very familiar hand had gestured to come out—The likeness had been immaculate and Cara had taken out her small notebook and pen.

Jotting down her first experience with a Boggart.

However it was Neville who was facing the stage fright, leaving the Boggart to stalk forward and push the Gryffindor back in fright.

"Think, Neville. Think!"

"R-r-riddikulus!"

There had been a sort of crack, leaving the Boggart to wisp in a twirl before Snape had stumbled over himself, he'd gotten a glorious makeover, a long and lace-trimmed dress, an ugly moth-eaten hat, and an awful handbag that Cara had let out an instant cackle.

The class had let out a roar of laughter to aid the sentence of the Boggart, and it had been defeated outright. However Neville had looked entirely amazed and grinned to himself, leaving him with the lift up as Lupin congratulated him.

"Ron! Step forward!" He offered up, leaving Snape to dissolve into another whirling mass, which quickly mutates into a giant spider. Ron had gasped at the sight of his worst nightmare, Lupin had given him an encouraging pat on the shoulder and reminded Ron of the learned charm.

"Riddikulus!" Another crack had pierced through the classroom as roller skates had materialized on the spider's feet, causing him to shuffle and struggle to remain in place. The laughter had doubled this time in seeing the spider fall and attempt to move properly.

"Cara? Would you like to try?" Her eyes had instantly turned up from her little notebook and nodded just as nervously. Her mother had been very big in the effort of finding the information as well as interacting with it physically. As book theory only helped so much.

She handed her brother her journal, however it'd been Draco's comment of 'being given a Troll' would be her boggart and she gawked. "At least Cara has the brains to take on your greatest fear, ya twat." Ronan said with a narrowed brow, and the quick whisper of Pansey's 'head in the clouds' had her being escorted to stand right at the front of the crowd.

"Wand at the ready, Cara, wand at the ready." Cara did just that and held her wand just at her side before inhaling with ease.

The music that Lupin had been playing on the record player had spiked up, yet the familiar sound of a sucking inhale had caused her to flinch. As she stilled close to instantly, at first she thought her fear would be something of her mother or father.

Her father dying and leaving scared her more than she realized, so why was it a Dementor?

"Expecto Patronum!" She shouted, and the blue light that sprouted from her wand did indeed work in shielding her. But that wasn't the point of this lesson, no, she needed to force the shapeshifter into something hilarious.

"Riddikulus!" Was all she said, managing to switch spells after defending herself from the thought of dementor, however now the damned thing had an awful colored pink cloak as it floated—Much like her favorite character back when she was a small gal. Of course Ronan's laugh was much more recognizable and she couldn't help herself after that, her small giggle and attention to the floating pink demon was too much to bare.

"Ten points to Ravenclaw for using a proper spell on the beast...Alright, next!" Cara jumped in glee to her brother and he just shook his head as she expressed her assignment, and the upbeat attitude of the class certainly.

Until it was Mister Harry Potter that rose to the occasion, the Gryffindor had stood in expectation everyone else in the room had for him, and Lupin had eyed the interaction as the current Jack-in-the-box continued to rock back and forth, pivoting back on its spring nearly touching Harry's face.

However, the already sinister clown had transformed into another Dementor.

Much like Cara had done, Harry had attempted to raise his wand but then froze—Completely transfixed, especially when the Dementor began to loom closer. "Here!" Lupin called out, coming between Harry and the Boggart. Only issue is that the Boggart no longer locked onto Harry's fear, but now Remus'.

The Dementor vanished soon enough, and a rolling mist appears—Becoming clouds and something that glowed within the clouds, a white and silvery round—

"Moon..." Cara whispered, but most of the class had missed it as Professor Lupin had shouted the counter charm to create a sort of ballon to puncture and whizz around the entirety of the room. In an uncontrolled attempt to save itself, the boggart took the direction near their hiding place and Lupin aided it.

Slamming the door shut and earn the wardrobe to clatter once more.

"Well done, everyone! I think that's enough excitement for today." He offered, smiling and Cara could see that he was out of breath—Not because of the spell, but because of what his boggart had been.

It'd been Ronan that led his sister out, but she had been in the middle of a thought. Something that resonated with her many a times when she followed her brother and mother to working with those suffering from Lycanthropy.

There is nothing—nothing at all that's scarier than the beauty of the moon.

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Date Posted: 03-06-2021

Time: 9:50

Words: 1959