Accio Love, Alohomora Heart

Jemma, Alexis and her boyfriend, the twins and many other students from other houses filed into the classroom after lunch peering around. The classroom wasn’t as flamboyantly revolting as last years, and wasn’t as smelly as the year before lasts (fortunately). They sat down in the three peopled desks. The twins and Jemma at one table, and Angelina, Alexis and Kenneth behind them. “Today we’re not going to be using books! Please put them away and take out your wands and follow me.” Professor Lupin announced. The class all looked at each other confused before putting their bags down and following the older man out of the classroom. He opened the door to an empty classroom. “We’re going to do a hands on lesson today. I’m doing this with the third year class after you guys. Judging by your faces, I don’t think you’ve gotten any hands on practice lately.” He said smiling around the class room. “We’re going to learn how to handle a boggart. Does anyone know what a boggart is?” He looked around the mass of students somewhat expectantly. A boy in another house raised his hand. Lupin pointed in his direction. “Isn’t it like… a creature that takes on what you fear most?” He asked quite unsure of himself. “Correct. Ten points to Hufflepuff. Boggarts like dark enclosed spaces, no one knows what they really like as whoever happens across one only gets what he fears most approaching them. So it could be anything.” He stopped so the class could take it all in. “Now the spell, repeat after me: Riddikulus!”
“Riddikulus!” The class chimed back. “One more time, a little more clear. Riddikulus!”
“Riddikulus!”
“Perfect! Now please step back a few feet. I need a volunteer.” A hesitant silence descended upon the class, then Angelina stepped forward. “Alright now Miss…”
“Johnson. Angelina Johnson.”
“Right Miss Johnson, what do you fear most?” She looked a little uneasy. “Clowns…” She muttered as a few people in the class chuckled. Professor Lupin suppressed a smile. “Alright, now as soon as I unlock the cupboard, I want you to picture something funny. You see the boggart cannot handle humour, so I want you to imagine something funny happening to the clown, point your wand and shout Riddikulus at it. Got it?”
“Yes Professor.” She said then got in a sturdy standing position, wand raised. “Three, two…one.” The door on the cupboard clicked open and an evil, mental looking clown covered in blood, stinking like a slaughterhouse walked out. Jemma shuddered as she saw that it was holding a bloodied knife in one hand. “You have to admit, I’ve never seen a scarier clown.” She heard Fred whisper to George. The clown came closer to Angelina but she pointed her wand out and yelled “Riddikulus!” The clown began to expand, finally exploding into millions of rainbow confetti. Angelina looked over at Professor Lupin expectantly. “Well done Angelina!” He exclaimed as people cheered. She smiled before going back to join Alexis and Jemma. “Now get in a line and one at time I want each of you to have a turn with the boggart.” The class scrambled into a line.
There were many strange forms the boggart took. A rotten corpse that turned into a blow up doll,CRACK! A large snake getting ready to strike before it tied itself into a knot… The it was Jemma’s turn. CRACK! The knotted snake turned into a hoard of wasps that started zooming towards her with their ugly yellow and black bodies buzzing loudly. She gulped, raised her wand and shouted “Riddikulus!” The wasps turned into a bunch of yellow and black bouncy balls that bounced and rolled in every direction. She grinned as she heard the twins whoop and cheer for her.

Defence against the dark arts ended too soon much to everyone’s liking. They chatted animatedly as they filed out the empty classroom. “That was brilliant.” Fred grinned. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.” His twin said with an identical grin. “That was the most amazing lesson I’ve ever had!” Alexis exclaimed. “No kidding right? None of the other teachers do a hands on lesson on the first day.” Jemma added.

Charms were not too much different from last year. They had a review quiz which most people passed with flying colors (literally). Potions were just as horrifying as any other Potion lesson. All Snape did was drawl and snap at them for not doing their potions correctly, scowling at the twins, daring them to say or do something that would result in the loss of points. At last the bell to the end of the school day rang and people packed up their bags and stuffed their wands away. Jemma and the twins made their way back to Gryffindor tower. They were met by Oliver Wood, a seventh year and captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. “Practice on October fifth guys. It’s a Thursday evening. I got some new tactics to show you.” He said determinedly, then went off to inform Angelina, Alicia and Harry.

“Good old quidditch.” Fred said smiling. “Can’t wait to get on a broomstick again.” George said eagerly. “Have you practiced over the summer Jems?” He asked. “Yeah quite a bit. Mum took Mack and me to our summer cottage in South of France.”
“How is Mack? Haven’t seen him in a while.” Fred asked. “He’s alright. His boss let him get a few weeks off.” Mack was Jemma’s much older brother, he was the same age and best friends with the second eldest Weasley son, Charlie. They had been in the same year, and had both gone off to work with Dragons in Romania.

The rest of the month was pretty uneventful… aside from a huge mountain of homework (they had their OWLS to write in June). Jemma figured she could just ask Alexis for help. Also there was a huge uproar because the third year class had their turn with the boggart that had apparently turned into Snape when Neville confronted it, turning into a Snape that wore what Neville’s grandmother wore. Obviously the real Snape was definitely not pleased and decided to be especially nasty to the Gryffindor’s. Care of Magical creatures (who the twins and their friend Lee Jordan were looking with great excitement), turned out to be a huge disappointment. Hermione had angrily informed them that Malfoy had ruined Hagrid’s first lesson and insulted a Hippogriff, to which the twins darkly agreed to. “What a git.” Fred had said.

On October fifth, after dinner, Jemma, Angelina and Alicia got their scarlet quidditch robes on and grabbed their brooms and made their way down the stairs and out the portrait hole to the quidditch pitch. They entered the boys dressing rooms and found the other three players sitting on crates around Oliver who stood off to the side waiting impatiently. “This is our last chance-my last chance-to win the quidditch cup.” He told them with a quiet sort of desperation in his voice. “I’ll be leaving at the end of the year. I’ll never get another shot at it.” He added pacing up and down. “Gryffindor haven’t won for seven years now. OK so we’ve had the worst luck in the world-injuries-then the tournament getting called off last year...” Wood swallowed, as if the memory still brought a lump to his throat. “But we also know that we’ve got the best-ruddy-team-in-the-school!” He said punching a fist into his other hand, that old manic glint back in his eyes.
“We’ve got three superb chasers!” He said pointing at Angelina, Alicia and Jemma. “We’ve got two unbeatable beaters!”
“Stop it Oliver, you’re making us blush!” Fred and George said pretending to blush. “We’ve got a seeker who has never failed to win us a game!” Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. “And me.” He added in after thought. “We think you’re very good too Oliver.” Said George. “Cracking keeper.” Said Fred. “The point is,” Wood went on resuming his pacing, “The quidditch cup should have had our name on it these past two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I’ve thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven’t got it and this year’s our last chance we’ll get to finally see our name on the thing...” Poor Oliver spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.
“Oliver, this year’s our year!” Said Fred.
“We’ll do it.” Said Angelina.
“Definately.”
“We won’t let you down Oliver.” Jemma promised in a determined voice.

The seven players made their way onto the quidditch pitch, brooms in hand. Jemma mounted her broom and kicked off. She, Angelina and Alicia practiced with the quaffle on Oliver in the goal posts. While Harry and the twins did speed drills. Harry needed speed to catch the snitch. The twins needed to be able to keep up with the bludgers. Jemma had remembered the first quidditch tryout in her second year. Fred wanted to try as keeper but the position was already taken so he and George tried for beaters. They did everything together. Let’s just say it was a very… hilariously entertaining tryout. Jemma smirked remembering the memory before there was a loud whooshing and she rolled over in the air to avoid being hit. “Not funny.” She said glaring at Fred who had enough nerve to send a rather large rock at her. He grinned innocently. “You’re supposed to be paying attention.” George said from next to her wearing an identical grin to Fred’s. She glared at him and punched him in the arm. “Let me alone.” She chided. “Yeeeesss mum.” They said drawing out the yes. She rolled her eyes.

After practice, the three chaser girls went to wash off all the sweat and grime off in the showers then went back to the common room. “Whats up?” Jemma asked the nearest person as she climbed through the portrait hole into the buzzing Gryffindor tower. “Jemma! Jemma!” Alexis called emerging from the crowd around the notice board. “What’s going on Alexis?” Jemma asked. “Hogsmeade visits. On hallowe’en!” She exclaimed excitedly. “But... you see...Kenneth already asked me if I wanted to go with him.” She said in a apologetic voice. “No that’s fine. You need to spend some time with your boy toy.” Jemma grinned. Alexis flushed. “Oh okay..um, you sure you won’t mind...?”
“Of course she won’t mind!” Said Fred appearing out of no where. “Yeah! She’s got us hasn’t she?” Asked George indignantly, slinging an arm around Jemma’s shoulders. “Who could ever forget about you two?” Alexis asked rolling her eyes. “Sorry Jems.” She said in a small voice. “No no, it’s totally fine with me. After all, i’ve got these two.” She grinned. Even though Jemma and Alexis were the best of girl friends, it was just how they rolled. Jemma (even though she loved wearing skirts and dresses), was more of a tomboy. Alexis (although she loved to fly as well, but was not very confident on a broomstick), was more of a girly girl. But they were still friends none the less. Jemma grinned then asked, “So Alexis, have you started calling him ‘Kenny’ yet?”