Chapter 84

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No one wanted to be the first to fight their fear.

"Then... shall we start with the brave Gryffindors?" Lupin's smile was kind, but it promised trouble. And so it happened, though it was funny at first.

In general, I did not approve of such a thing, but it was pointless to argue with the teacher. Showing your greatest fear in front of everyone is a big mistake. Knowing this kind of thing can be a surprisingly effective tool of influence. So, in the end, we found out that Ron was terrified of spiders. When he stepped in front of the closet and Lupin opened the door, a black blob of smoke flew out of that very closet and froze in front of Ron, immediately turning into a giant black widow. The horror on Ron's face was overwhelming, and with great difficulty, the boy pointed his wand at the target. It took him two times to say "Ridiculus" in an almost weeping voice before the roller skates appeared on the spider's legs, and it flattened out on the floor like a cow on ice. The class laughed.

"Well done, Mr. Weasley! Next!"

The students were scared of everything: clowns, snakes, frogs, mice. All kinds of critters or just weird things.

"Mr. Knight! Your turn," Lupin invited me.

And I went over. For a couple of seconds, there was just a black ball-shaped blob in front of me.

The world began to sharply lose color and literally narrowed to a small "window. A wild and otherworldly cold cracked my body, and it crumbled into small shards. No pain, no fear, no sadness. Everything seemed to disappear. There were a void and darkness before my eyes, sounds were cut off, and it was as if only my own pulse was coming through the absorbent cotton, getting quieter. Somewhere out there were shouts, rustling, noises... Emptiness and nothing around.

*****

It had been a long time since the headmaster had run so fast. At least thirty years. It's all due to the signal spells in one of the used classrooms — the maximum danger for students. Like a hurricane, the headmaster dashed through the corridors, only his beard trailing behind him. Also, Fawkes flew away at a bad moment., and time was ticking by the seconds.

Once at the DADA office door, the Headmaster clearly felt a heavy mental pressure, oppressive and unusual.

"What's going on..." asked Snape, who appeared as if from the shadows. "And I told you that Lupin..."

"Enough," said the Headmaster sternly and coldly, and Snape immediately fell silent. "Call Poppy."

Snape nodded and began conjuring Patronus. At the same moment, the Headmaster waved his wand, the door to the study opened, and as if someone tried to pull the Headmaster and the Head of Slytherin into a dark vortex as if you were falling into a Pensieve. But the Headmaster only waved his wand, and a light veil of darkness instantly gathered in a point in front of the cabinet. With another swing, the dot was engulfed in a ball of bright, almost white flame, instantly warming everyone around with heat. The students and Lupin were pacing the classroom floor, all without exception twitching violently and quickly. In front of the closet itself stood Max Knight.

The headmaster was in the auditorium with a swift flying step, sending diagnostic spells quickly and accurately from his wand. When he reached Max, he stood in front of him - an empty, lost look stared through the headmaster. The guy was clearly somewhere else right now.

"What happened here?" asked Severus, in passing, using magic to quickly and deftly arrange the lying students into Houses and put them in some sort of order.

"Professor Lupin wanted to show a boggart according to the program," the headmaster muttered thoughtfully.

"Idiot," Snape looked at the lying Lupin with distaste. "Are the students all right?"

"I didn't find anything wrong."

The headmaster gently placed Max on the floor. The boy wasn't just "not here" - he was unconscious, but his body was tense and holding itself upright. Now he was relaxed.

"What is it, Seve..." a woman's voice interrupted halfway through.

"Poppy..." the headmaster looked beggingly at the school matron, but she didn't need words - Poppy Pomfrey immediately proceeded to a more thorough diagnosis.

In less than a minute, the diagnosis was revealed - mild exhaustion, nervous system overload, sensory shock, and unconsciousness for all. Knight suffered the most.

"Then," the headmaster spoke with visible relief. "I'll ask the house-elves to move the kids to the hospital wing."

"Thank you, Albus," Matron nodded and began giving instructions to the house-elves who were immediately beginning to appear.

The headmaster and the potion maker, and at the same time Head of Slytherin and double spy, left the auditorium.

"Boy," Snape hissed. "From Knight, more problems than from Potter with his dad put together."

"Don't be so categorical, my boy. I've told you many times before to curb your hatred of young Harry's father and not to discourage him from doing potions."

"I would not let Potter get close to potions within Avada's flight distance."

"Ah, youth. But what made you so angry with Mr. Knight?" the headmaster said the surname of the student with a smile. "Do you care so much for your friend's mistake that you try in every way to... Fix it?"

Snape's face froze into a stone mask. The Headmaster shook his head reproachfully.

"Speaking of friends. How is our dear Mr. Malfoy? Senior. It's been a while since he's caused trouble. Even the lemon drops have lost their sharpness of flavor."

"No change. He's disappeared and never showed up."

"It's a pity."

Upon reaching the main tower, the headmaster and the potion maker wanted to part ways, but Snape asked:

"Headmaster. What do you think a thirteen-year-old brat could be so afraid of that a boggart overturned an entire class, even an adult... wizard?"

"The question isn't what he's afraid of. It's how he experienced it."

"Headmaster..."

"Oblivion, my boy."

"Obliviate? Just that?"

"Not a spell, but an inevitability. And he's not afraid, no. Not afraid at all."

"I don't understand you," Snape shook his head.

"Ah, youth..." grinned the Headmaster and walked slowly upstairs to his tower.