Chapter XII. The hill of Camlann

It was the first time that her group would receive Defense Against the Dark Arts with the new and crazy professor, Alastor Moody. She had heard from other students that his methods were practical and extremely useful, so Arturia was confident that she would learn enough from him.

"Arturia." Called Cedric's voice behind her back. "Good morning." He greeted with that kind smile.

"Good morning, Cedric." She greeted with a slight smile.

He walked by her side to the classroom while they talked about the new teacher, because like her classmates they had high expectations about him. Both entered, seeing some of their classmates talking and others coming after them. They noticed then that the desks had been stacked in one of the corners, while Alastor was waiting for everyone to arrive sitting on a trunk.

"Good morning students." Madeye greeted with that rough tone of voice of his. "It is the first time that I will teach classes to the sixth year, then being the elders we will use the practical method. Do you know what a Boggart is?"

A girl from Hufflepuff raised her hand, to which Moody gave the word.

"They are creatures that feed on fear. No one has ever seen its true form, for these take the appearance of your greatest fear." Answered.

"Correct!" The professor exclaimed. "These monsters are going to play with your mind, you will see your great nightmare in front of you and before fear you will be helpless, but of course there is a spell that will work. The old professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts taught them to the third year, it's time for you to know. This spell is called Ridiculus. The movement you should make with your hand is as follows." Moody explained while showing how it was right to do it. "Understood?"

Everyone remained in silence. At least Arturia had managed to understand it, although others of her companions didn't understand anything.

Alastor's face formed an expression of exasperation and he took his wand.

"Repeat all, Ridiculus!" Moody made the hand movement.

"Ridiculus!" They all exclaimed while imitating him.

"You have to say it with confidence or it will not work, Ridiculus!"

"Ridiculus!"

"It was not that bad. Again, Ridiculus!"

"Ridiculus!" Everyone returned to imitate him, this time letting go a little more and shouting with confidence.

"It will work." Expressed the teacher with conformity. "Now, who's going to face the Boggart first?" He asked while his magical eye looked at each one of them.

"Me, sir." Cedric offered to step forward.

The professor opened the trunk, from which Arturia came out full of knives, mutilated and with tears in her eyes. This surprised the blonde, seeing that Cedric's greatest fear was to see her dead.

"If only he knew." She thought looking down.

"Ridiculus!" The chestnut boy exclaimed while pointing his wand towards that hallucination.

Then a small version of Arturia dressed as a lion appeared in front of everyone. It was something really cute, so much that even made the blonde laugh.

Cedric returned to Arturia's side, but this time behaving in a more timid way since that illusion could give her a clue of what he felt. A soft, fleeting kiss landed on his cheek, while his eyes flipped toward the blonde.

"I never thought that nobody could worry so much about me. Knowing that your Boggart is that I die tells me that you appreciate me very much, even more than you should" She said softly as she watched others of her classmates try the enchantment.

Cedric's cheeks were quite red, especially because she was quite calm with it. A smile came out in a sigh as he watched her. He looked away scratching the back of his neck. Maybe he could have a chance to win the heart of young Pendragon. She really became a sincere friend, cared enough for him and appreciated him for being him, not for being the perfect Hufflepuff boy.

"Pendragon, your turn." Moody said while looking at the girl.

With shyness Arturia approached the Boggart who was now turned into a shark with human legs and dressed in Hawaiian skirt. Then that creature began to change shape.

The surprise in her blue-green eyes was notorious, while some tears were showing at the corners of these. There, right in front of her eyes, was a small hill covered with corpses on all sides. The hill of Camlann.

Arturia fell to her knees while tears ran down her cheeks. The heartrending cry that she let loose alarmed everyone present. She grabbed her head sobbing loudly, her breathing accelerating and trembling.

"It's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault." She thought.

With a movement of his hand Moody returned the creature to the trunk. Cedric approached Arturia to place a hand on her shoulder, what had that vision meant and what link did Arturia have with it?

The girl got up before starting to run out of the classroom. Moody launched an Obliviate to all the students, who, confused, looked at the teacher.

"The class is over." Sentence Madeye.

He quickly went to chase the little Pendragon.

Arturia ran quickly through the corridors and stopped falling on her knees, screaming and sobbing, while her tears fell unstoppably through her eyes. She never thought she would see the Hill o Camlann again, the most heartbroken was that Bedivere was included in that pile of corpses.

"No no no. Can not be." She sobbed pulling her hair a little.

"Pendragon. " She heard the voice of her professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts approaching. "Are you okay, little one?" He ask.

She turned to see him. The expression of horror on her face was sincere and the guilt in her eyes came to surprise the teacher.

"Come, I invite you to a tea to talk about this." Invited Madeye extending his hand to help her.

Arturia took it, rising from the ground to follow him. Once in Moody's rest room, he went to make some tea, while he offered her a seat.

"I don't know what that form was, but the reaction you had was extreme." Moody commented drinking from that little bottle that he always brought.

"I do not think you understand, professor. Everyone will believe that it is strange and they will wonder what has that to do with me but ... I hate wars, I fear wars, and death." That was not quite true, but it was not a lie either. Somehow she had to hide everything about her past.

"But I don't see a special reason for that reaction."

"I ... Simply ..." She didn't know how to really justify herself. "It's complicated."

Arturia walked through the corridors of Hogwarts in the direction of the training room, while on the way she could see Dumbledore. Arturia's dull expression told him that something had not gone well. The woman ran to the old man to hug him tightly and begin to cry heartbreakingly. Although Moody had tried to help her, only Dumbledore was the only one capable of doing it.

"What happened, dear?" The hesdmaster asked patting her back gently.

"The hill of Camlann, I saw it, was in front of me. That damn Boggart reminded me of everything I've been trying to forget. Everyone saw it, everyone. If it were not for Professor Moody, everyone would probably try to discover the truth." Her sobs were unstoppable and her words came out choppy.

"Don't worry, my dear. It was not real, it will not be real anymore, my little one." He comforted her.

"I love you, godfather. Thanks for everything you do for me." She was sincere, she really loved Dumbledore, he was like a father.

"I love you too, you've been like a daughter to me." He was sincere too. He saw her as the daughter he never had, he loved her and wished her safe. "Let's talk about this, is that okay?"

Arturia nodded, drying her tears with the sleeves of her robe as she walked through the corridors in the company of Albus.