Closed So As Not To Shatter A Non-Existent Illusion

[Yuelia Rossingol]

((sorry I know the class isn't up yet I was On A Roll with DADA posting))

Yuelia was convinced she was building a solid appearance for herself. Despite the fact that she feared the dark, still slept with a stuffed toy, struggled with anything that required physical exertion and had a tendency to get into some sort of character when she duelled, Yuelia was sure she was building herself up to look for all the world like a strong and powerful sorceress. Not a dark one, of course, she didn't really want to hurt anyone, but impressive nonetheless. Of course, if anyone paid a moment's notice to her they would probably easily see all of that, but if she just kept to herself they clearly wouldn't. Obviously. So naturally, it wouldn't do to have to face her boggart in front of the class. She would likely have to face the other students in the duelling tournament and if she wanted to win again she couldn't give anyone an advantage, physical or psychological.

She knocked on the door at the agreed time, the professor having politely given permission for her to face her boggart in private. She wondered how many students would, or if they would all be foolish and show off their fears in front of everyone. That would be embarrassing, and give easy access to weaknesses to exploit. (She was getting into tactics study, trying to make sure she did a better job duelling this year). "Professor Abberline? It's Yuelia...I'm here to face the boggart..." she trailed off into a mumble.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles couldn't say that he was surprised that someone wanted to face the boggart in private. While no one had done so during his first year as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the lower years, he reckoned that it was bound to happen eventually. No one was waiting to face off against their greatest fears, so he didn't blame anyone who wanted to do so in private and away from the other students. He straightened up when he heard the knocking on his office door and swished it open with the wand in his hand. He had just finished moving the large wardrobe to give them enough space to practice the Boggart-Banishing Spell. ''Hello Yuelia, do come in,'' Charles said with a friendly smile. The fact she showed up told him she was brave enough to face her fears, even if she didn't want to do it with a bunch of students around.

 

[Yuelia Rossingol]

In all honesty, Yuelia had no idea what to expect when she faced the boggart, but whatever it was she wanted to have privacy if she had to do it. And she did have to - she wanted to do well in this class, and she wanted to prove that she could do the spell. She didn't really know what she could do to make it funny - whatever it ended up being - but it would probably be a good test. The type of test she liked facing, not like exams where she had to write essays. "Thank you, Professor," she said, politely. It felt a bit like she was asking for special treatment. Her father had given her such conflicting advice, though. One moment it was 'don't ask the Professors for help, that's weak' and then the next it was 'of course you shouldn't let your classmates see what you fear'. "I...don't know what it's going to be. But I can do this," she added, almost hastily lest he think that she couldn't.

 

[Charles Abberline]

''There's no need to thank me, I fully understand not wanting to face the boggart while others are around. It's not often that we are being confronted with our greatest fears, after all.'' Charles tried to be as reassuring as he could in the hope that it would take away some tension. ''I was hesitant to demonstrate the Boggart-Banshing spell in class for that exact same reason. Not being able to cast magic anymore,'' the Professor shivered slightly, ''Well, we all have to be afraid of something, even the bravest among us.'' He then beckoned Yuelia to move forward and stand next to him, a few metres away from the large wardrobe. It wouldn't do well to beat around the bush. ''The incantation to banish the boggart is Riddikulus,'' he said as he pointed towards the large wardrobe. ''But as I mentioned in class, the incantation itself is not enough to banish it - you must think of something you find truly hilarious when casting the incantation. Whatever the boggart turns into, remember that it cannot hurt you.''

 

[Yuelia Rossingol]

((apparently my brain just goes into shutdown over weekends. will I ever have a non-abstract boggart? probably, but today is not that day.))

Yuelia nodded slowly at the professor's words. Truthfully, she didn't want to confront it in front of a professor either, but at least Professor Abberline seemed nice and like he wouldn't make a fuss over it. And she liked Defence Against the Dark Arts and considered herself pretty good at it (essays notwithstanding) so she figured it wasn't the worst outcome. And he'd shown his own fear, which was brave of him. Though at least he wasn't going to be duelling other students. She stepped forward, gripping her wand carefully and steeled herself for what was to come.

The cupboard opened, and immediately Yuelia felt like she was in slow motion. There was a robed figure that was not wholly unlike her father - it was more of a caricature, rather than being a direct representation of him. More of a villainous appearance. But Yuelia recognized it well enough. He held up a bird cage in one hand, and in the other, a doll that looked exactly like her. She watched, a little too stunned to do anything for a moment as the robed figure placed the doll into the cage, locked the door and covered it up with a cloth seemingly out of nowhere. She felt her own vision going darker, and trembled on the spot. It was perhaps somewhat abstract, but it was enough of what she could recognize that she felt fearful. Yuelia wasn't brave - there was a reason the hat had never considered Gryffindor, or really anything other than Slytherin - but she was determined. She took a deep breath, trying to think of something funny. She probably came across as rather humourless, but she was still just a young girl, she could find things funny. "Riddikulus," she intoned, putting together a mental image. As she did, the cloth flew off the cage and the doll burst out, turning into a fully grown version of herself dressed as something of a muggle view of a traditional magician, with a top hat and cape, as a flock of birds burst out of the cage with her, one of them relieving itself on the robed figure's head. Yuelia couldn't help but giggle at that - perhaps it was a little too immature, but it was a little funny. Her heart was still racing, feeling a little cold over it all, but she didn't want to show that in front of the professor.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles had to admit to himself that he wasn't really sure what Yuelia's boggart was supposed to be. That did not, however, stop him from understanding the underlying message as he watched how the boggart put a doll, that looked an awful lot like the Slytherin in his office, in the cage it was holding onto. Knowing that he shouldn't intervene while Yuelia stood face-to-face with her greatest fear, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor gripped his wand tightly. For a moment, it seemed as if she was completely frozen, unable to do anything while the boggart continued its theatrics. And so he waited one moment, and another, and then another until the girl spoke the incantation for the Boggart-Banishing Charm out loud. Relieved that she had managed to pull herself away from whatever was gripping her, Charles laughed at the sight of the man with bird poo running down his head before willing the boggart back into the wardrobe and locking the door. ''Well done,'' the Professor said, turning towards Yuelia. ''Very well done indeed.'' He summoned a bar of chocolate out of thin air, tore off a piece and handed it to her. ''Eat, it'll make you feel better.'' No doubt the other students would want a piece of chocolate as well after squaring off against the boggart, as it wasn't exactly easy to do.