Nyctophobia - Sirius Black

Chapter 10

The desks and chairs were pushed to the side, with a wardrobe where the teacher's desk had been. The handle rattled like there was a spirit trapped inside.

"Today, we will be fighting a boggart. It should be a review for most of you. I want you to repeat the spell after me anyway, as some of you may have forgotten it. Riddikulus." She had them repeat it several times, before getting in single file.

Ruby hoped she would be able to do it like she had for her OWLS, but she knew most likely she would have to face it. What was her worst fear?

Doesn't it scare you? You killed someone with your magic. You're that powerful. It should scare you. You should be worried. Was that her worst fear? Being too powerful? No. Maybe it was the dark. It seemed like it might be, especially recently.

No. Her worst fear wasn't the dark. Her worst fear was so much more terrifying. Sev was two people in front of her, close to the front of the line.

First was Lily Evans. The wardrobe door opened, and the boggart began taking shape. It took a human shape, messy black hair, Gryffindor robes and a defeated expression.

"Riddikulus." Lily shouted before it had fully taken form. The boggart turned into a field of flowers, and Lily got out of line.

Riddikulus. Riddikulus. Riddikulus. Ruby went over the spell over and over in her head until it was Severus's turn.

Ruby knew what it was before it was even half formed. The bulky intimidating form of Tobias Snape appeared, a bloody body at his feet. Her bloody body, she realized. It was rather horrifying, she noticed, or would have been if she hadn't woken to see similar sights in the mirror most mornings. Blood caked in her matted hair, like the back of her head had cracked open. Blood had dried on her face, a horrible bruise turning inky black on her forehead and around her right eye. Her nose was clearly broken, bent at a crooked angle, and her lip was busted in several places, bleeding freely down her chin and on to her clothes.

Her left shoulder was dislocated, the arm hanging limply on the ground, the wrist inflated and a dark purple shade that she knew meant it was broken. Her right arm wasn't any better, clearly broken, the bone poking through the skin a little, and a dark bruise around her upper arm where she had clearly been manhandled, and probably thrown.

The short top she had worn for years was torn in several places, and had rode up to show several dark bruises littered across her stomach. There was a bad cut on her stomach too, that looked like it had come from a knife. Blood pooled beneath her motionless body. Most wouldn't be able to tell, but Ruby could see that her hip was broken. Her left foot was broken, as well as her left shin bone. Her right knee was twisted at an angle that it definitely wasn't supposed to, probably dislocated, or badly sprained.

"She's dead, you useless boy. She can't protect you from me." The man sneered, approaching him. Then another person appeared next to him, similar to Lily's boggart. It was Potter.

"You thought she could protect you, Snivellus? Your own father killed her!"

"Riddikulus!" He shouted, his voice wavering. He looked at her with wide panicked eyes when he walked past. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"It's not real, Sev. I'm still here. I'll always protect you." He nodded shakily and sat down in one of the seats. The guy in front of her went, the boggart turning into a ghostly woman who laughed maniacally.

"Riddikulus!" The guy shouted, turning the woman into a pumpkin that promptly exploded. Now it was Ruby's turn.

She gripped her wand tightly. She fully expected what came next, but it didn't make it any less terrifying.