Professor Longbottom, The Brat, and the Boggart

It was the beginning of the year again: another stand-off with the boggart. For seventeen years now, he had started off every third year class with a boggart, and inevitably someone had heard the story of his own third year experience and was disappointed when old Professor Snape did not materialize from the wardrobe with a stuffed vulture. Professor Neville Longbottom's fears were a good deal more advanced now.

The third-year Gryffindors came trooping in. One of the few classes without one or two resident Weasleys. Of course, there was Percy Longbottom to make up for this lack. Percy seemed to believe that his father's teaching position entitled him to run wild. As Neville had never done anything to encourage Percy's expectations, the sheer persistence of this belief was mind-boggling.

"Good morning!" said Neville pleasantly, in his best Lupin manner. "I'm glad to see you all. I hope you all had a pleasant summer."

Percy smirked.

"I'll be taking the class register, and then we'll jump right in with boggarts."

He went through the names, and decided that Deirdre Finnigan would be asking about Snape and the vulture, if Percy didn't beat her to it.

"Well then, we touched on boggarts at the end of last year. Do any of you remember what they are?"

Most hands shot up. Nothing like Neville's own class where Lockhart had left them completely ignorant of the second year curriculum.

"Krevsky?"

"A boggart is a beast who takes on the form of the thing that frightens you the most."

"Very good, Miss Krevsky. Five points. Here's a bonus question. How would you defend yourself against a boggart?"

Percy's hand was first up, so biting his lip, Neville called on his son.

"You imagine it wearing a stuffed vulture, Professor."

There was laughter across the class.

"Anyone else?" asked Neville, ignoring Percy. Rebecca Creevey gave a suitable answer and was awarded two points.

"I have the boggart in my filing cabinet," Neville explained. "I am going to let it out in a minute. I want each of you to think of your greatest fear, and then of what you will force it to transform into. Do you understand?"

"I'm not sure I know what my greatest fear is, sir," said Felicia Higgs. Percy whispered something to Robert Wimple, who laughed.

"Wimple, Longbottom, shush! Well, in that case, Miss Higgs, try to think of something very general lines that would make most fears funny."

"How do I do that?" asked Felicia. Percy snickered. Neville conceived a great longing to strangle his son.

"How would you make anything in this room look funny? This desk, for example?" went on Neville.

"You could invert the colours. But that'd only make a monster scarier." More snickering from Percy.

"It's a good start, though. Any other ideas?"

"I could turn it upside down. That would work, wouldn't it, Professor?"

Neville gave her an appreciative smile. "I think that's a very good approach, Miss Higgs. Now, are you ready?"

"Uh... I guess so."

Neville leant down to the cabinet and released the boggart. It materialized as a tall figured wrapped in dark robes and a hood. "Riddikulus!" said Neville, and the Death Eater tripped on its robes.

Rose Wood was next. The boggart turned into a Lethifold. "Riddikulus!" The Lethifold was covered in yellow happy faces.

All the students managed the boggart successfully, including Felicia who turned her mountain troll upside down to the delight of the class.

At last, Percy stood up, adjusted his glasses, and strode forward confidently. The boggart, now a well-known Slytherin bully sobbing and sucking his thumb, turned towards him.

A red-haired woman was walking menacingly towards Percy."PERCY FRANCIS LONGBOTTOM! IF YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO GET AWAY WITH TREATING YOUR SIBLINGS LIKE THIS, YOU CAN THINK AGAIN!"

Percy's confidence sapped away. His face turned white, a horrible contrast to his violently red hair. Neville froze a moment, then yelled "Riddikulus," taking Boggart-Ginny's voice away from her.

Percy needed dealing with, for sure. But Neville would definitely enlist his wife's help on that front.