HP:[" the Illithid Inquisition"]

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Really the only thing that gave Harry any solace during this time was that his new methods of reading tea leaves had been predicting a reversal of fortunes for him for some time by then. So perhaps this confirmed the growing accuracy of his new methods. Then again they also warned him of an incoming attack, conspiracies abounding around him or perhaps dangerous secrets about those near him and that his family was in need, so perhaps they still needed some work.

When Halloween came and all the third years and up went to Hogsmead, Harry had to stay back. He spent much of his time in the library, getting ahead in his schoolwork and looking up more information about divination and traditional tea reading techniques. It didn't take long for him to get his fill of that though, so he made his way back to the common room.

On his way back he was intercepted by Professor Lupin who asked for his help with moving the new grindylow he had acquired into his office. The grindylow was a kind of water monster, with lizard-like scales, wide black eyes and long thin fingers. Professor Lupin explained that they tried to grab swimmers and drown them in the kelp field they preferred to live in.

"Their fingers are stronger than they look, but their grip can be broken with magic easily enough." Lupin explained. "Once they've failed to catch you they usually back off. They aren't really evil creatures, and if you learn mermish you can make friends with them. But their first impulse whenever they see something swim past their kelp is to grab it and drag it down. Would you like some tea Harry? I promise it won't have any leaves in it."

"Too bad I might be able to use the practice." Harry accepted. That caught Professor Lupin's interest and soon the two of them were chatting about Harry's divination theories. Lupin was obviously skeptical. He, like McGonagall, had written off the subject as almost useless. But he took Harry seriously as he spoke.

The longer their conversation went on the more Harry found himself liking the professor. He didn't speak down to Harry, or dismiss his ideas just because he was young. He might have been the first adult to really take Harry seriously, other than maybe Professor Dumbledore but it was hard to tell if Dumbledore took anyone or anything all that seriously. Before long Harry found himself talking rather casually with Lupin.

"Why did you stop me from facing the boggart?" Harry suddenly asked after Lupin had briefly praised how well Harry had dealt with the Red Caps a few lessons back. He hadn't expected himself to, but since he was feeling so comfortable around the older man the question just sort of slipped out.

"Well for one thing I didn't want Lord Voldemort to just show up in the teachers' break room." Lupin answered just as casually. "For another I've heard about what happened last year so I know you've got no trouble facing your fears, better to let Neville have a chance to finish it off. I think that did him a fair bit of good."

"I don't think it would've turned into Lord Voldemort for me." Harry said in return, a little shaken. Lupin was the fourth person Harry had ever heard use Voldemort's name, and he had expected him to avoid the question. "I was worried it might have been a dementor."

"That's very mature of you Harry." Lupin complimented him, "It means that what you fear most might be fear itself."

Harry wasn't certain he agreed with that statement. He didn't fear the sensation that a dementor forced on him, if he was honest he almost appreciated a chance to hear his mother's voice, even if it was her dying words burned into his subconscious by the trauma of her death. What he hated was how dementors affected him, that they could make him so weak and powerless. Harry had been so powerless in the Illithid colony all he could do was rely on Esharry to talk their way out. Just like how he had to rely on Esharry to keep his body safe when a dementor was about. He hated that sensation and never wanted to experience it again.

"Dementors are dangerous, but there are ways to be safe from them." Professor Lupin encouraged Harry as he sensed a black mood fall on the boy. "The magic that repulses them is a tricky bit of work, but if you can do it, it will never fail you."

"It seems odd to have a spell designed just to counter one dangerous creature." Harry said desperate to change the subject. "Especially a spell like riddikulus just to make a boggart less scary. Seems it might be easier just to blast them with something to get rid of them outright."

"Almost all spells have a plethora of uses if you're clever with them." Professor Lupin allowed the conversation to shift. "Riddikulus actually works on any kind of shape changer, even a wizard who's taken polyjuice potion can be made a fool of with that charm. It's one of the few ways to prove that someone has taken the stuff. The patronus charm can also be used to send messages almost instantly over not inconsiderable distances, though it's difficult to get a reply from the recipient, and they only recite their message once so if the recipient is distracted or can't hear properly it might be missed. And while you could just blast a boggart it would be a cruel thing to do."

"What makes it cruel? If something attacks you wouldn't it be fair to blast them away?" Harry asked.

"But a boggart isn't attacking you." Lupin explained. "It's just trying to scare you away so it can go back to resting in the nice cramped dark place it found to live in. Boggarts don't chase people and very rarely harm them. They just scare them to frighten them off. Burst a boggart with the riddikulus charm and they'll put themselves back together in a place more convenient in a month or two. In fact the ministry once had a sealed off cave filled with cupboards, chests of drawers and moldy closets prepared for them far far away from where anyone would ever bother them. Over five hundred boggarts have moved into that cave, almost half of those that live in Great Britain. It's worked out very well for everyone."

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