The Great Hall that lunchtime was noisier than usual. Orion had barely sat down next to Harry for five minutes when Fred and George charged over.

"Orion! Come here, quick!" Fred tugged at his arm. "We just thought of a new trick..."

George winked at Harry.
"Mind if we borrow the little guy for a bit, Harry?"

Orion laughed loudly, standing up and patting Harry on the shoulder.
"Go on and keep eating, I'll be back in a minute."

Ron shook his head.
"Good heavens, those three together... Hogwarts is in for chaos."

Hermione watched the trio with a worried look.
"I have a really bad feeling about those three..."

At the other end of the table, Orion had fully blended in with the twins. Their laughter echoed across the Gryffindor table. Occasionally, Orion would glance back at Harry and wink, as if sharing some exciting secret.

While Orion was busy having fun with Fred and George, Hermione pulled a thick book from her bag.
"Do you two want to take a look at the Defense Against the Dark Arts syllabus?" she asked Harry and Ron. "I've read a few chapters already—it's actually really interesting..."

Ron grimaced.
"Hermione, it's lunchtime. Could you at least let me swallow this pastry first?"

Harry chuckled but kept sneaking glances at the book, curious whether it mentioned anything about the dungeon.

"Hey," Seamus Finnigan, sitting nearby, asked, "has anyone heard about the new professor? I hear he looks... kind of disheveled."

Dean Thomas nodded.
"Yeah, he dresses a bit shabby, old robes and all. But Parvati says he's really kind."

Just then, a loud burst of laughter erupted from Orion and the twins. The three of them were huddled together, Fred hiding something that flickered with light in his hand.

"I'm genuinely worried," Hermione whispered. "Fred and George are dangerous enough—now add Orion to the mix..."

Ron shrugged.
"At least he's making Harry laugh more. See?" He nodded toward Harry, who was smiling at the trio. "Ever since Orion arrived, he seems way less tense."

Indeed, despite still being haunted by the events on the train, Harry felt lighter with Orion around. Somehow, the presence of this young uncle offered a support he didn't even know he needed.

When lunch ended, Orion returned to Harry, holding a pale purple candy.
"Here, keep this," Orion said with a wink. "Fred and George just made it. For a bit of... entertainment, when needed."

Harry hesitated, curiosity and caution warring in his chest. Perhaps this school year wouldn't be as dull as he had imagined.

The first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson began. Third-years gathered outside the classroom, but the professor was nowhere in sight. Instead, an old suitcase sat alone on the teacher's desk.

"Where's the teacher?" Ron wondered.

"Probably another eccentric professor," Seamus muttered.

Suddenly, the suitcase shook. Its lid popped open, and Professor Lupin stepped out, robes slightly rumpled but his smile warm. The class gasped in surprise.

"Sorry for the delay," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Today, we won't be learning inside the classroom. Please, follow me."

The students, both confused and intrigued, got up and followed Lupin down a quiet corridor, turning a corner to find Peeves, the poltergeist. He was dangling upside down in midair, stuffing chewing gum into the nearest keyhole.

When Lupin came within a few feet, Peeves finally looked up.

He wiggled his twisted little feet and sang loudly:
"Lupin is mad, Lupin is crazy,
Lupin is mad, Lupin is crazy!"

Peeves had always been mischievous, barely showing respect for teachers, yet there was always a faint acknowledgment of their authority. Everyone watched Lupin, curious how he would react. To their astonishment, he just smiled.

"If I were you," he said gently, "I'd remove the gum from all those keyholes. Otherwise, Filch might have trouble getting his broom."

Peeves didn't care at all, sticking two fingers in his mouth and whistling loudly.

Lupin sighed softly and raised his wand. Looking over his shoulder at the students, he instructed:
"This is a small, very useful charm. Watch closely."

He raised his wand to shoulder height and chanted, "Waddiwasi!" A burst of force shot the gum out of the keyhole and directly into Peeves' left nostril. The poltergeist twirled like a cyclone, cursing, before vanishing.

Orion let out a quiet chuckle.
"Ah, that looks fun."

The class continued, now holding Lupin in even higher regard. He led them down the next corridor, stopping just outside the staff room. Opening the door, he stepped aside.
"Please, come in."

Inside, the staff room was lined with wooden chairs, all haphazardly placed except for one. Professor Snape sat in a low armchair, eyes gleaming and a faint, sinister smirk on his lips. Lupin entered, closing the door behind him. Snape remarked, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'm not particularly interested in this little spectacle."

Snape then rose, strode past the students, the hem of his black robes billowing behind him. At the door, he spun on his heel and snapped:
"Perhaps no one told you, Lupin, but this class has a certain... Neville Longbottom. I advise you not to give him anything difficult, and—" He shot Orion a cold, warning glance. "—the cunning displayed at Beauxbatons is worthless here. And do tell your sister that her request to teach here doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

The room fell completely silent. Instead of flinching, Orion slowly raised an eyebrow, his expression curious.

"Fascinating, Professor," Orion said casually, with a hint of challenge. "Because I'm fairly certain I've never shared that with anyone at this school. Unless... you have a habit of reading teachers' mail?"

An even heavier silence descended. Snape and Orion's eyes locked—one icy, the other defiant. Every student held their breath. Even Lupin looked taken aback.

Snape pressed his lips together, expression unreadable—anger, perhaps, or grudging acknowledgment. He didn't respond, merely spun on his heel, the black robes swishing, and left, leaving behind a tense atmosphere thick with unanswered questions.

Once the door closed, the students remained silent, all eyes on Orion, who stood there with an inscrutable calm.

Lupin gently broke the silence:
"Ah... well then..." He clapped lightly, drawing attention. "Let's begin our lesson, shall we?"

He led the class to an old wardrobe at the far end of the room. The wardrobe rattled violently, as though something inside were trying to break free.

"Inside is a Boggart," Lupin explained. "Boggarts love closed, dark spaces—wardrobes, under beds, kitchen cupboards... Once, I even found one inside an antique grandfather clock. This Boggart moved in just yesterday, and I asked the headmaster to leave it there for the third-years to practice with. So, the first question you must ask yourselves is: what is a Boggart?"

Hermione's hand shot up immediately.
"It's a shape-shifting ghost. It can take the form of anything it thinks will scare us the most."

"Exactly," Lupin said. "I couldn't have explained it better, Hermione."

Hermione beamed. Lupin continued:
"So, when a Boggart is in the dark alone, it has no shape. It doesn't know what will frighten those outside. No one has ever seen a Boggart alone. But once I release it from the wardrobe, it instantly becomes whatever each of us fears most."

"This means we have a major advantage before even starting. Harry, do you know what it is?"

It was tough for Harry to answer with Hermione bouncing impatiently next to him, arm raised high. Still, he found the words:
"Uh... because we're many, and the Boggart doesn't know which form to take."

"Correct!"

Hermione lowered her arm, disappointed she hadn't answered first. Lupin continued:
"Always face a Boggart with company. It will get confused. Should it become a headless corpse, or a carnivorous snail? Once, I saw a Boggart try to scare two people at once and turn into half a snail. Not too terrifying."

The class murmured in amazement and curiosity. Orion, finally breaking eye contact with the door Snape had exited, focused on the wardrobe, a flicker of caution in his gray eyes.

"But don't worry," Lupin reassured with a gentle smile, "we have a very effective spell against Boggarts: Riddikulus! The trick is to imagine your fear as something ridiculous."

From Slytherin, Draco Malfoy sneered:
"Riddikulus? Sounds like cheap candy for children. Will it work on real threats, or just scare little 'weaklings' afraid of the dark?"

Crabbe and Goyle snickered foolishly. Pansy Parkinson whispered loud enough for all to hear:
"Maybe it works on those afraid of... being poor."

Lupin kept his calm smile:
"Sometimes, Malfoy, simple solutions are the most effective. True courage isn't about not feeling fear—it's about facing it."

He scanned the class.
"Who wants to try first?"

An awkward silence followed. No hands went up. Lupin smiled warmly, resting his gaze on Neville, shrinking behind Ron.
"Then... Neville, you try."

Neville practically jumped with fear but shuffled toward the rattling wardrobe. The class held its breath.

After Neville's attempt—transforming Snape into a fashionable old lady—Lupin clapped in praise and scanned the room again.
"Next... Orion, why don't you try?"

Orion furrowed his brow, hesitating. He glanced at Harry and Draco, weighing something. Then he shook his head lightly, smiling politely:
"Sir, I think others should go first. I wouldn't want... to ruin the atmosphere."

A warning gleam flashed in his eyes toward the wardrobe. He seemed to know his Boggart all too well and didn't want it to appear—especially in front of Harry and Draco.

Lupin's tone remained gentle:
"Don't worry, no one will be laughed at here. This is a safe space to learn..."

Orion waved a dismissive hand, voice lazy:
"Fine, fine. I'll try it. Let's see... who dies."

He strolled forward casually, hands in pockets, as if on a leisurely walk rather than facing his deepest fear. Harry noticed a slight tension in Orion's shoulders.

Lupin nodded encouragingly:
"Remember the spell, and imagine..."

"I remember," Orion interrupted, voice colder. He didn't raise his wand yet, waiting.

The class held its breath. Even Draco stopped his taunts, curious what could scare the arrogant Orion.

The Boggart, still in Snape's form from Neville's transformation, let out a smoky cloud.

But nothing frightening emerged. Only a strange emptiness filled the space.

Then, slowly, something began to take shape.

A little girl, black-haired, perhaps seven or eight, wearing an old, pale blue nightgown. She faced away, hands trembling.

Orion froze, body taut. His gray eyes widened, all arrogance gone, replaced by sheer terror. He couldn't even speak.

The girl slowly turned.

Her young face mirrored Orion's almost exactly, especially the gray eyes. But there was no life in her skin, which was pale and peeling to reveal the red, charred flesh beneath.

"Orion..." her weak, high-pitched voice whispered like smoke. "Where are you? Save me..."

The scent of burning hair and skin filled the air.

The entire class, even Draco, went pale. Pansy covered her mouth in a small gasp. This was not what anyone expected—not a monster, not a spider, not even a dungeon guard. It was intimate, personal, and unbearably tragic.

Orion stood rooted, face ashen. The charred image of his sister reached toward him with tiny hands.

"Orion... you abandoned me... you didn't save me..."

Her voice pierced him like a knife. He stepped back, wand trembling in his hand, unable to recall the spell. How could he make a joke of the image of the sister he couldn't save?

"Riddikulus!"

A commanding voice rang out. Lupin had stepped forward, wand raised.

Snap! In an instant, the tragic image changed. The little girl in the nightgown now wore a garish diving suit, holding a tiny water gun, squirting the imaginary flames with utmost seriousness.

A few timid giggles echoed but quickly died. No one truly found it funny.

After Orion completed his haunting practice, the room remained heavy. Sensing this, Lupin took a few moments to reassure the class:
"Sometimes," he said warmly, "our greatest fears are not dark creatures or evil spells, but memories... loss. Facing them, whatever the outcome, is already a victory."

His words soothed the tension. He smiled gently:
"Let's continue! Parvati, your turn!"

Parvati stepped forward, determined. The Boggart twisted, and snap! The tragic image of Orion transformed into a blood-stained, mummy-like corpse stumbling toward her.

"Riddikulus!" Parvati shouted.

A ribbon at its foot unraveled, tripping the mummy, and its head rolled away. The class erupted in delighted laughter.

"Seamus! Your turn!" Lupin called.

Seamus leaped forward. Snap! The mummy vanished, replaced by a Death Goddess, pale-skinned with long black hair. She opened her mouth, emitting a terrifying sound.

"Riddikulus!" Seamus shouted. The goddess choked, clutching her neck, making harmless clattering noises.

The Boggart panicked, shifting forms: from Death Goddess to a spinning mouse, then a rattling snake, then a bloodshot eyeball...

"It's confused! Dean, go!"

Dean stepped up. Snap! The eyeball became a crawling hand. "Riddikulus!" Dean shouted, and a mousetrap appeared, trapping the hand.

"Ron, you next!"

Ron stepped forward, pale. Snap! A giant, hairy spider emerged, fangs snapping. Trembling, Ron shouted, "Riddikulus!"

The spider's six legs vanished, it rolled like a ball, sending Lavender Brown screaming away, stopping at Harry's feet.

"There!" Lupin quickly stepped forward. Snap! The spider transformed into a crystal orb, hovering. With a gentle "Riddikulus!" it became a tiny cockroach.

"Neville! Finish it!"

Neville approached, resolute. Snap! The cockroach turned into Snape dressed as Neville's old lady, hat adorned with a dead parrot. "Riddikulus!" Neville laughed, and the Boggart exploded into countless tiny smoke wisps, vanishing permanently.

The class erupted into applause and cheers.

"Excellent!" Lupin beamed. "Everyone did very well. Five points for Gryffindor for each student who faced the Boggart, ten points for Neville for doing it twice... Harry and Hermione, five points each."

"But, sir, I didn't do anything!" Harry protested.

Lupin smiled gently:
"You and Hermione answered my question at the start of the lesson, Harry. Well done to everyone—today was an excellent class."

Orion smiled with the crowd, briefly, as Neville received praise, even clapping along. But as the applause died, his expression darkened, replaced by a pensive look at the empty wardrobe. The image of his sister in flames still haunted him. Quietly, he packed up, not joining the lively conversation of others.

"Let's see... for homework, please read the chapter on Boggarts, summarize it, and submit it Monday. That's all."

Harry noticed the rapid shift in Orion's expression—a reminder that behind his arrogant, carefree exterior lay scars not easily shared.

"Did you see me handle the Death Goddess?"

Dean waved his hands around:

"And the ghostly hand!"

"And Snape with that hat!"

 "And my mummy too!"

Only Lavender said thoughtfully:
"I wonder why Lupin seemed afraid of the crystal orb?"

The students chattered excitedly as they left the room. Orion went last, pausing briefly to cast a final glance at the wardrobe, before stepping into the corridor with a perplexed expression—a mix of determination and vague sadness. Perhaps today's encounter with the Boggart had awakened something he had long tried to bury.