The Cursed Creature

Chapter 9

Riddikulus!

The following years were nerve-racking for the Lupins. Lyall worked as much as he could to counteract the financial burden of having to change residence frequently as well as procuring the necessary items to facilitate Remus recovery processes. Hope did homeschool Remus in the basic muggle subjects, while his father took on the magical side of Remus’s education.

Lyall himself managed to free one day of the week for his family and sometimes used these days to teach Remus about magical creatures, and more specifically the ones he dealt with in his job. Hope and he knew that even though Remus loved learning new things, the experience couldn’t replace the friends he had lost and would never substitute for making new ones.

As hard as it was to watch Remus transformations, it was almost worse to see him suffer from the loneliness he was condemned to. Everytime he got closer to someone his own age, they had to move again because his condition aroused suspicion in their families somehow.

On Remus’s eighth birthday the Lupins made an exception for their son, that Lyall had to admit he would never have made if Remus would have a normal life. When asked what he would like to get for his birthday, Remus requested practice with his dad’s wand. He wanted to be able to repel a Boggart, just like his dad. Lyall was proud and appalled at once. “Why would that be the first spell you want to learn, Remus?” was his reasonable question to his son's request.

“Because it takes something scary and makes it funny. I don’t want to be afraid anymore.” Lyall could downright feel his heart swell with pride for Remus. He just couldn’t say no to that argument. The only thing that had to be clarified would be what Remus thought his greatest fear was. Lyall could step in at any moment of course, but it wouldn’t do to traumatise the kid with another big scary werewolf apparition.

“What do you think, you’d fear most Remus?” he asked.

Remus didn’t even hesitate a moment before answering “The full moon, dad”.

Okay, he could work with that. He would get an ear full from Hope if anything went wrong, but well … he couldn’t deny the kid his wish either. “Have you already thought of something to make it funny?”

This time Remus did hesitate for a moment but he had an answer for him: “I thought of making it turn into a balloon and then pop like it was pricked with a needle?”

His answer sounded more like a question and Lyall had to chuckle at the image. “Sounds good to me. We’re gonna try it”. The beaming smile he got in return was worth all the scolding he would potentially get.

Lyall started by teaching him the wand movements and pronunciation of the spell. Hope was certainly not amused when she found out what he had agreed to, but after seeing Remus’s excitement she kept her reservations to herself. When Remus had been practising for a couple of days Lyall declared him ready to try it on the real thing.

He had procured a Boggart during his work and put it in their momentary garden shed. If the whole event was a success, Remus would have at least one positive association with the shed and if it went wrong he wouldn’t at least have another place ruined for him. Hope and Lyall decided that they would let Remus try the spell one day before his birthday so as to not ruin the day in case Remus would be disappointed with the result.

The three of them went to the shed together and Lyall positioned himself at the door. “If you’re ready, give me the go. Here is the wand and remember it can’t hurt you and we are right by your side”.

Remus nodded his agreement and accepted his wand with a determined look: “I’m ready dad”. Lyall opened the door and quickly took a step back, since he certainly did not want the Boggart to assume his own fear in front of Remus if he could prevent it.

“Riddikulus!” screamed Remus as soon as the full moon was in sight.

Nothing happened.

“Try again son and think precisely about what you want it to become.” Lyall kept his fingers crossed that Remus would manage it. He was rarely so engrossed with someone else's success but this was clearly important for Remus and he needed this achievement.

A little more insecure Remus repeated “Riddikulus!”. And this time the moon indeed turned into a balloon that lost its air, flying every which way through the shed. Remus stood a moment in shocked silence, looking at the Boggart, then at the wand in his hand and finally with a broad grin to his parents. Hope and Lyall cheered and applauded for Remus who seemed happier than they’d seen him in years.