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booksmarts and broomsticks
act iii , turning tables
chapter thirty-nine , scratched surface

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➖DRIA LOCKABY ➖
september 1993

         "YOU KNOW IF YOU DIDN'T rely on my snoring as an alarm clock we wouldn't be in this position!"

Dria let out a low groan at Tess' cry as the two girls willed their legs to move forward, under the heavy weight of their book-filled satchels, down the moving staircases towards their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson of seventh year.

A lesson for which they were currently ten minutes late.

"I've been doing it for six years, and it's been all too reliable until now!" Dria bit back as the two came to a halt, waiting for the next staircase to connect to their landing. "Anyway, it's your fault for attempting to cure it with those fucking nasal strips!"

"You were the one complaining about it!" Tess countered, as she adjusted her bag strap on her shoulder, shooting her blonde friend an incredulous look.

"Well, I didn't realise the impact it stopping would have!"

"I can't believe the Muggle remedy actually worked in fairness." The Robbins girl chuckled, beginning to find humour in Dria's apparent distress, as the blonde girl stamped her foot on the landing floor.

"You do realise the strip is still on your face, right?" The blonde quirked an eyebrow at Tess, who — as Dria had correctly stated — was still wearing a nasal strip over the dorsum of her nose.

"Oh shit."

The Robbins girl began wincing as the next staircase locked into position, as the two girls broke into a light jog once more and finally reached the third floor, their hurried footsteps bouncing off the cold stone walls as they made haste.

"You better hope this Lupin guy is as tardy as Lockhart, I do not want to get detention from the first lesson." The blonde told her friend after a moment of hurried jogging, her furrowed eyebrows beginning to form a crease on her forehead.

"It'll be fine!" Tess brushed off the blonde's worry, massaging her slightly pink nose — having successfully removed the nasal strip. "We're only a few minutes late. We can just say the staircases were being a bitch or some shit."

"That's such a first year excuse!" Dria groaned, as they turned the corner, their classroom coming into view. "Everyone know if you boot the landing hard enough it shifts!"

         "Well, excuse me, for trying to handle the situation!"

         "Oh, shut up!"

         "Oi!"

         The quarrel between the two Gryffindor girls persisted as they pushed their way through the large doors of the classroom, only to be silenced by someone clearing their throat with a slightly amused smirk on his thin lips.

         "Ladies." Professor Lupin voiced, arching a brow, stopping the bickering girls in their tracks as they shot him apologetic smiles amidst the sniggering of their fellow classmates. "Thank you for finally joining us."

         The sniggering subsided after a moment, as the two girls took in their new environment, Dria pressing her lips together in an awkward smile while Tess simply cleared her throat and looked to the professor in a plea of understanding.

        "So, look. The staircases were being a bitch."

         "Tess!"

          Another bout of sniggering shook through their classmates once more and the professor let out a light chuckle, before shooting the pair a pointed look.

         "I'll let you off — this time." He emphasised, at which the two girls obediently nodded in understanding, before turning his attention to a piece of parchment that Dria assumed would have been his register. "You are?"

         "Tess Robbins."

          "Dria Lockaby, sir."

          The professor looked up abruptly as the blonde mentioned her name, and faltered ever so slightly, before shooting them a brief smile and clearing his throat.

         "Well, Miss Robbins, Miss — er — Lockaby, set down your bags and join us." Lupin shook off his slight hesitation, and turned his attention back to the rest of the class who had congregated in a huddle in the middle of the room, standing before an ornate wardrobe that shook every once in a while.

       The two Gryffindors did as instructed, hastily tossing their bags in the pile that had already formed at the side of the classroom, before rejoining their classmates. Both of them shuffling to stand beside Nate who was still sniggering away at their late arrival, shooting small smile of greeting at Phoebe Rowle and Cecelia Kennedy as they passed them.

         "Sleep through your alarm?" The Hufflepuff boy asked with an arched brow, once the blonde had finally reached his side.

        "No, my alarm slept through." The blonde quickly retorted, lightly shoving the Robbins girl at her side who let out a small huff of contempt.

        "As I was saying, would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside the wardrobe?" Lupin enquired, once the class had fully settled once more and Dria had fully realised how vigorously the wardrobe was shaking.

          "It's a Boggart, isn't it?"

           A soft voice spoke up from Nate's left, Dria craned her neck around the tall boy to get a glimpse of his friend who had hesitantly raised her hand and answered the professor with an unsure look on her features.

        "Very good, Miss Byrnes." Lupin commended Alita, at which the girl promptly received an encouraging nudge on the shoulder from Vix, who stood on her other side. "Now, can anyone tell me what a Boggart looks like?"

          "No one knows." Ruby Otters had spoken up now, although she sounded hesitant, Dria supposed she'd been encouraged by Alita's contribution. "They're shapeshifters — their appearance changes based who perceives them. They take the shape of whatever particular person fears the most."

"And that's what makes them so terrifying." Lupin surmised for the Ravenclaw girl with a nod, before taking a step back and gesturing at the large, rattling wardrobe. "Now, I've managed to source the biggest in the castle and thought it would be apt if the seventh year class were taught how to repel one as, according to your records, you have not been taught."

Dria let out a derisive chuckle at his statement, she knew their class had missed out on a fair few classes prescribed in the syllabus for that subject, and couldn't fight the comment that soon left her lips.

"Well, last year, we had a fraudulent celebrity who gave us quizzes about his eye colour, and the one before that had You-Know-Who on the back of his head." Dria let out a large sigh, pressing her lips together in an awkward smile, as she clarified her statement. "So it's safe to say that we know nothing of practical use."

A few chuckles and murmurs sounded from the blonde's fellow classmates as they agreed with her statement — Dria chose to ignore the wistful sigh that sounded from somewhere amongst the small crowd at her mention of Lockhart's eye colour.

"Well, I hope to make up for that this year, Defence Against the Dark Arts is of course a very useful and practical subject." Lupin replied, his tone harbouring a slight chuckle as he surveyed the seventh year class.

Dria's awkward smile morphed into a genuine grin at the professor's words, and she whipped around to face Tess.

"I think I love him."

"Steady on, Casanova."

         "Luckily, there is an extremely simple charm that exists to repel a Boggart." Lupin went on, as Tess grabbed Dria's shoulders and manoeuvred the girl to face the front of the class again. "Is anyone familiar?"

          Dria wasn't sure whether she'd unlocked a strange new confidence or whether part of time was still trying to redeem her tardiness, but nevertheless she tentatively raised her hand.

        "Riddikulus?"

        "Quite right, Miss Lockaby." The teacher nodded at the blonde who let out a small breath, but he tilted his head gesturing for her expand.

         "It's a Boggart Banishing Charm, it takes away the Boggart's ability to terrorise by causing to assume the shape of something humorous instead." The blonde more or less completely recited, her eyes narrowing as she recalled the textbook page she'd read some time previously. "It seems Boggarts aren't a fan of being laughed at."

        "Indeed, they're not." Lupin agreed, swivelling on his heel and turning his attention to the class a whole once again. "Now, set aside your wands for a moment and repeat after me, loud and clear; Riddikulus."

        "Riddikulus!"

        "Very good. Now, as Miss Lockaby said, the intention of the spell is to force the Boggart to take on an amusing form, the incantation alone is not enough." The professor continued, having commended the class before clasping his hands before him. "Now, you're all advanced witches and wizards, I see no reason not to throw you in the deep end."

         Lupin shot a glass at the still rattling wardrobe and flashed an almost mischievous smile back at the group of seventh years.

        "Mr Squire, how do you fancy going first?"

         Dria saw Nate immediately straightened up at being called on, having finally shaken off his giggles and smoothly regained his composure, cracking a charismatic smile and twirling his wand in his hand as he replied to the professor.

        "Music to my ears, sir."

        "Alright, everyone!" Lupin announced clapping his hands together, securing everyone's attention as he took a few steps to the edge of the room. "Form a line behind Nate."

The Hufflepuff boy shot Dria a cocky smile as she shuffled alongside her classmates into a rather crooked line, at which she spared him a quick eye roll before being dragging into place by Tess.

"How did you know about all the counter curse stuff?" The Robbins girl asked, as idle chatter began filling the room as their fellow students began finding their own friend groups to queue with.

"McGonagall gave me the curriculum when I bust my nut about Lockhart last year." Dria shrugged, as she shuffled in place, standing behind her friend and craning her neck to see the front of the classroom. "It makes for very good bedtime reading."

          "Okay, everyone!"

          The blonde nudged the girl in front of her as all seventh years students poked their heads out of their queue formation to see their professor comfortably stood at the side of the room, fiddling with a record player.

         "I want you to picture the thing that you fear the most and turn it into something funny!"

         With a sharp crackle, the needle connected with the record and an upbeat jazz song began playing across the room, earning excited mumbling from the class as they chuckled at their new professor's teaching methods.

        "Okay, I mean it, I'm in love with this guy." Dria told Tess, placing her head on her shoulder and feigning a dreamy sigh at which the Robbins girl scoffed and promptly shoved her off.

          After another moment, Lupin nodded for Nate step forward and flourished his wand in the direction of the wardrobe. Dria could just make out the slight sound of it unlocking below the sound of the music, as its frantic rattling ceased.

The door swung open with a loud creak — consequently making Alita let out a loud yelp of surprise — only revealing the wardrobe to be empty. Dria could sense a slight wave of disappointment strike the class for a brief moment at the anticlimactic reveal, however it didn't last for long.

A defeating buzzing sound began echoing around the room and, within seconds, a giant swarm bees — the largest bees Dria had ever seen — had flown from the wardrobe and began pooling in the air before the Hufflepuff boy.

         "Riddikulus!"

         Dria had been all too intrigued by the Boggart's form to notice how Nate had reacted to seeing his greatest fear, although she guessed he had remained calm due to easily he cast the counter curse.

         The swarming bees ceased their buzzing in an instant before rumbling ever so slightly and bursting into a explosion of multi-coloured confetti that descended upon the laughing students below.

        "Brilliant!" Lupin cried, as Nate was eagerly patted on the back by Vix and Cecelia. "Vixen, next! Let's go!"

         And so passed a very entertaining and informative ten minutes as Dria spectated her classmates battle their deepest fears and turn them into surprisingly amusing sights.

        Florence Russell had — what Dria had assumed as — a fear of the dark, judging by the looking dark mass that the Boggart had shifted into after the confetti incident. Although, she had very little trouble tackling it and turning it into a shadow doing mime work before embarrassedly creeping back into the wardrobe.

Vix had been next tackling a band of unnecessarily terrifying clowns, and forced them to the beat each other with their rubber fish props. Her friend, Ruby Otters, had a rather surprising Boggart in the form of Professor McGonagall informing her she'd failed all her NEWTs before breaking into a Scottish jig at the command of the counter curse.

The blonde could see the Robbins girl in front of her beginning rapidly tapping her foot against the hard wood floor as Cecelia Kennedy stood up to face her Boggart — the last person to go before Tess.

"I just know it's going to be a fucking snake." She whispered to Dria with a slight whine in her voice. "What's funny about snakes?"

"You could have it tie itself into a knot or something?" The blonde suggested, as she craned her neck watching Cecelia tackle a large quantity of water start spilling from the wardrobe.

"That'll just anger it!" Tess countered, at which the Lockaby girl promptly rolled her eye with a huff.

"At least you know what you're getting!" Dria retorted, as Cecelia transformed the huge wave into an out of control sprinkler much to Lupin's delight. "I'm scared I'll end up getting McGonagall like Ruby did."

"Tess!"

The Robbins girl let out another whine as Lupin called her name out and Cecelia passed them, walking to the back of the line, with an encouraging chuckle.

"If I die, make sure I have an open casket."

"But then they'll see the snake bites."

"I hate you."

With a wicked grin, Dria pushed her friend forward, watching as the sprinkler glitched and contorted itself into the winding, scaled body of the large snake.

"Oh, fuck." Dria heard her friend mutter as the snake bared its fangs at the Robbins girl.

The blonde tried to contain her laughter at the sight of her friend very clumsily battling it out with a snake.

"Riddikulus!"

Having evidently had enough of their little game of chase, Tess let out a nervous squeak before pointing her wand at the snake and transforming into a winding row of collapsing dominos.

"Very good!" Lupin commended, as he took a moment to swap the record on the player and Tess passed the blonde on her way to the back of the line.

"That was inventive of you." Dria chuckled, at which Tess stuck her tongue out, still trying to shake off her shivers.

"Dria?"

The blonde whipped around, turning her attention to the professor with a small smile.

"Ready, sir."

She let out a sharp breath, twiddling her wand in hand as she stepped up to the wardrobe.

If she thought about it, Dria could confidently say that her lack of knowing what her Boggart would be was far more terrifying than the thought of facing one. Nonetheless, she repeated the counter curse in her mind and squared her shoulders, preparing to stand her ground.

The blonde narrowed her eyes as the final domino collapsed, and suddenly the entire row faded into thin air, instead replaced with the sound of ominous footsteps.

Dria faltered ever so slightly, casting a glance at Professor Lupin who was intently looking at the wardrobe as the echoing sound became louder.

Bringing her gaze back to the wardrobe, the footsteps ceased as the figure emerged from within. Perfectly shined shoes stepped down onto the classroom floor, Slytherin robes flowing in his wake. His eyes were black as night, but Dria was more focused on the small black book in his hand — the same one that had caused her brother such trouble the year before. She'd never seen him before, but she knew exactly who he was and what he'd done.

He opened his mouth and a vile sound spilled from his lips, every sharp reverberation feeling like knife plunging into her skin. Dria had heard the sound before, once before, at the duelling club and it had sent a chill down her spine then, but now it was far more invasive and evil. Yet the boy seemed so nonchalant as he strolled closer to her, his fingers gliding over the spine of the little black book.

And then suddenly, he stopped. His parseltongue morphed into an out of tune accompaniment to the jazz song still playing on the record player and the diary had leapt from his grasp, only to start hitting him over the head and usher him towards the wardrobe once more.

Dria looked down to see her wand outstretched although she couldn't quite remember uttering the counter curse.

Her attention was grasped by the clumsy footsteps that sounded out as Tom Riddle was shut back inside the wardrobe.

"Nicely handled." The sound of Lupin's voice woke her from her slight daze, as she looked up to find him stood beside her with a concerned gaze.

"Thank you, sir." She replied, straightening up and sparing him a brief smile, and forcing herself to start walking.

"Okay, Phoebe, next!"

The blonde calmed ever so slightly at the sight of Tess who had lingered at the edge of the room, having not joined the back of the queue yet.

"You alright?" The Robbins girl asked, linking her arm through Dria's, who let out a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah." She replied, tucking her wand away within her robes. "If you can manage snakes, I can manage the darkest wizard of all time."

"That's the spirit!"

"Hey, hey!"

        Dria plastered a smile on her face at the sound of Nate's greeting them, his arm finding its way to rest upon her shoulders.

       "Lovely work on the band of clowns." Dria chuckled, her gaze finding Vix who was stood opposite Nate accompanied by Alita, Florence and Ruby.

        "Ah, cheers."

        "How was yours?" Alita asked with an arched brow, pressing her lips together in a curious smile.

        "Scarring." Dria chuckled, only half-joking before turning her attention to Nate. "Not as bad as a swarm of bees though."

       "Hey, they're scary."

       "What were you guys taking about?" Tess quickly changed the subject, unable to contain her inquisitiveness for much longer.

       "Oh, we were just doing a bit of party planning." Vix replied with an arched brow, aimed at the Hufflepuff boy.

        "Party planning?" Dria repeated with a curious look, following the Heron girl's gaze to Nate.

        "For my eighteenth."

        "Nate, you're eighteenth isn't for a month." Dria let out a light chuckle at the boy's antics.

        "That's what I told him." Alita agreed with the blonde, shooting Nate a knowing look and nodding at the Lockaby girl.

         "And, just as I told you, you can never be too prepared." Nate retorted, sticking his tongue out at his friend, who only mimicked his expression.

       "What kind of thing are you thinking then?" Tess asked, folding her arms across her chest, and quirking an eyebrow.

       "Party in the Hufflepuff common room?"

        "Oh, I've never been there." Dria gushed excitedly, all thought of psychotic Boggart forgotten.

         "Really?" Florence chuckled with a disbelieving glance between the two Gryffindors. "Doesn't O'Hare sneak you in?"

        "Nah, she tends to just break into ours and make herself at home." Tess told the Slytherin girl with a gentle shrug.

         "She's like a lovable stray cat." Dria agreed, earning a hearty chuckle from the boy at her side.

         "Yeah, we never get the invite back." Tess reiterated, before turning to Nate with another question. "But it's near the kitchens, isn't it?"

        "You bet, where do you think I'm getting all the party food from?"

         "I'm more concerned where we're getting the booze." Tess retorted, earning chuckles from everyone around her. "This isn't Newquay, we don't have Millie's muggle swiper card."

         "Credit card."

         "That's what I said."

          "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Nate shot Dria a wink at which she let out a low groan.

        "As long as we don't get a repeat of Newquay, I'm good." The blonde added, her groan morphing into an embarrassed chuckle.

        "What was so bad about Newquay?" Ruby stifled a confused chuckle, at which Dria let out a long sigh.

         "I had borderline alcohol poisoning, and still can't look at a cupcake without feeling nauseous."

       "That's an unfortunate takeaway." Alita remarked, shooting the blonde a sympathetic smile.

        "I know, I used to love cupcakes."

"Anyway, you guys will be there, right?" Nate interrupted the conversation between the two girls. "Invite Jackie and Clearwater too, yeah?"

"Of course."

"Wouldn't miss it."

And with that the group turned their attention to the front of the room, at which Vix let out an excited exclamation.

"Oh my god, Phoebe got clowns too!"

***

          "MISS LOCKABY? A WORD, if you wouldn't mind?"

         Dria, who had been laughing at something or other Nate had said, stopped in her tracks at the sound of Professor Lupin's calling her name before sparing him a polite nod.

         "Look at you." Tess chuckled, slapping her friend on her shoulder. "First class in, and you're already the favourite."

         "Shut up." She told the Robbins girl with a tired sigh, as she readjusted her bag strap on her shoulder. "Save me a seat, would you?"

        Tess spared her a knowing wink before walking off with Nate and Alita towards the Great Hall for their free period, leaving Dria behind in the classroom.

       "Everything alright, sir?" The blonde asked after a moment of hesitation, as the professor flourished his wand and Dria watched as the desks began levitating back onto the classroom floor.

        "I just wanted to congratulate you on your handling of your Boggart." Lupin commended, once the final desk had situated itself on the floor, at which Dria spared him a grateful smile.

        "Thank you, Professor."

        "You have siblings, don't you?" The professor quirked a brow as he leant upon one of the desks.

       "Third years, sir." Dria replied with a more genuine smile. "Maisie and Michael—"

         "Michael, yes." Lupin cut her off, having nodded along with her words. "I had their class yesterday."

          The blonde pressed her lips together as she stomached his words, not entirely sure what point he was trying to achieve. But it was soon clarified in the professor's next statement.

        "I don't know whether it'll come as a surprise to you that your Boggart is the exact replica of your younger brother's."

Dria felt as though all of the breath had been knocked from her chest, as she closed her eyes momentarily and gave the professor a tired sigh.

"No, that doesn't surprise me."

Lupin waited a moment before saying much more, attempting to read the blonde whose gaze had shot to the floor.

"I suppose I'm curious as to why." He added tentatively, gently arching an eyebrow.

Dria thought for a quick moment, since dealing with her Boggart she'd made the choice to avoid thinking too deeply upon it. Yet, that choice seemed futile now

"Tom Riddle was a threat to my family, sir." She answered gently after her moment of thought. "I know I never encountered him directly, but I knew it was him the second I saw him."

Dria let out a long breath, pressing her lips together and her grip on her bag strap tightened.

"My greatest fear is losing my brother again, after coming so close last year."

Lupin's sympathetic gaze didn't falter as he listened to her words, letting them echo into a brief moment of silence as he waited his turn to speak.

"I think you should know he handled his Boggart superbly." The professor informed her, as he rose from the desk, changing the subject ever so slightly. "He shows a real aptitude for the subject."

"He's a smart boy when he wants to be." Dria chuckled gently in agreement with the man.

"I know the events of last year have weighed heavily upon you all." He began in earnest, clasping his hand in front of him. "If there's anything I can do for any of you, do let me know."

The blonde felt a slight sense of surprise at his words. It wasn't that she didn't feel supported by other professors, it was just that none had been so vocal about it — especially not ones that barely knew her.

"Thank you, sir." She responded after a moment of digesting his words. "That's very kind of you."

Dria could have sworn she saw a small glint in the professor's eye at her words, and found herself feeling an overwhelming sensation of familiarity. She wondered if perhaps Professor Lupin saw something in her brother that reminded him of himself in some way.

If she hadn't been convinced of it then, the words that accompanied her on her way out the door made it impeccably clear.

"He'll get better, Dria." He said with another sympathetic smile, his lip twitching ever so slightly.

It was at this point that Dria only really became aware of the long scars that dressed his face, as he spoke once more with a touch of derisiveness.

"Trust me, the scars may linger but the hurting is done with."

𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖆 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘!
i won't lie. me and this
chapter did not like each
other but here she is, as
much as i am not a fan.

also here is your chapter-ly
reminder to check out the
other books that coincide with
b&b in the lovefool universe!

accidentally on purpose by
kristy and black magic by elyse
which now has TWO published
chapters. i promise you won't
regret it <3

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