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HP Chapter 47: The Boggart
🕑 Added 2025-08-20 14:01:30 +0000 UTCOn Thursday afternoon, they had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Lupin. During lunch at the Slytherin table, Malfoy sat with his injured arm in a sling, wrapped in bandages, recounting to the other Slytherins from different years how a terrifying beast had clawed his arm during Care of Magical Creatures class.
“He makes it sound like he’s some kind of hero who fought off an evil monster…” Fanny muttered to Anne.
Anne gave Malfoy a sidelong glance, stabbed a slice of cured ham with her fork, and said, “I thought you'd be used to it by now. Malfoy always finds a way to make himself look important.”
“Well, you’re right, Anne, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying…” Fanny rolled her eyes and changed the subject.
“Anne, what do you think our Defense Against the Dark Arts class will be like this afternoon? Honestly, the last two professors we had were awful!”
“Oh? You don’t like Lockhart anymore?” Anne teased with a slight smile.
Fanny shot her a reproachful look. “I didn’t know back then he was all talk and no talent! Don’t change the subject, seriously, Anne, what do you think of the new professor?”
Anne thought back to the previous timeline and the various Defense professors. If she remembered correctly, Professor Lupin was widely considered one of the best, loved by fans and especially by the main trio.
After swallowing her food, Anne said evenly, “Maybe Professor Lupin will turn out to be a decent teacher.”
“You think so?” Fanny sounded surprised. She looked over at the staff table, where Professor Lupin sat alone in a corner, eating quietly. His robes were patched and worn, and he looked a bit tired and worn down.
“Anne, you know I hate that nonsense Malfoy spouts about Lupin, but honestly, our new Defense professor looks a little…” Fanny hesitated, then settled on a word, “…frail.”
Anne nearly choked on her food. Frail? Lupin? He could transform into a werewolf, Snape didn’t even dare face him head-on in that form.
She took a sip of fruit juice and said meaningfully, “We’ll find out this afternoon, won’t we?”
When they arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Professor Lupin was nowhere to be seen. Only a few Slytherins and Gryffindors were in the room, seated on opposite sides with an empty gap between them, like a battlefield with clearly drawn lines.
“Oh great, another class with Gryffindor…” Fanny muttered, much less enthusiastic than she'd been before Care of Magical Creatures.
She and Anne took seats on the Slytherin side. A little later, Goyle, Blaise, and Pansy arrived, but Malfoy was missing. Once the three sat down, Fanny turned to ask Pansy, who was sitting in the back, why Malfoy wasn’t there. Pansy replied worriedly, “He said his arm hurt after lunch and went to the hospital wing…”
Fanny made a face and turned away. She should’ve known, Malfoy would milk the injury for all it was worth.
Just before class began, the Gryffindor trio rushed in. They froze briefly upon seeing the Slytherins, then relaxed slightly when they realized Malfoy wasn’t there.
The bell rang. Moments later, Professor Lupin entered carrying a battered suitcase. He set it on the desk and turned to the class.
“Good afternoon. Please put your books away, today will be a practical lesson. You’ll only need your wands.”
The class obeyed, a few students exchanging curious looks. They had never had a practical Defense class before, unless you count that infamous one with Lockhart, when he released a cage full of Cornish pixies.
“Now then,” Lupin continued once everyone was ready, “please follow me.”
Fanny gave Anne a puzzled glance, silently asking where they were going. Anne returned a calm look as if to say, wait and see.
At the same time, a flicker of recognition sparked in Anne’s mind. She remembered something about this lesson. Lupin had released… something. But her memories were fuzzy, after all, she’d watched the Harry Potter films back in high school. The films had changed quite a few details from the books. Still, she figured it couldn’t be anything too dangerous, so she didn’t dwell on it.
Lupin led them down an empty corridor, then turned a corner. There, they encountered Peeves the poltergeist, who was hanging upside down in midair, stuffing chewing gum into a keyhole.
Only when Lupin was about two feet away did Peeves look up, and then he immediately began to sing, wiggling his feet.
“Loony, loopy Lupin! Loony, loopy Lupin, ”
Everyone turned quickly to see how their professor would respond. To their surprise, Lupin kept smiling.
He politely asked Peeves to move aside, but Peeves refused.
Sighing, Lupin pulled out his wand. “This is a handy little charm,” he said to the class. “Watch closely.”
He raised his wand to shoulder height. “Waddiwasi!” he cried, pointing at Peeves.
The wad of gum shot out of the keyhole like a bullet, and lodged straight up Peeves’s left nostril. The poltergeist yelped and shot off down the corridor, cursing as he went.
The students burst out laughing. It wasn’t often anyone got the better of Peeves. As they looked at their raggedly dressed professor, their respect visibly grew.
“Please, come in,” Lupin said, opening a door and stepping aside.
The staffroom was a long room filled with mismatched chairs. At the far end stood a tall, old wardrobe.
“This way,” Lupin said, leading the class toward it. As he approached, the wardrobe began to shake and bang against the wall.
“Don’t worry,” Lupin said calmly as some students jumped back in fright. “There’s a Boggart inside.”
“Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces,” he explained. “Cupboards, under beds, under sinks, I once found one in a grandfather clock. This one arrived yesterday afternoon. I asked the headmaster if we could leave it undisturbed so my third-years could get some practice.”
“So, our first question: what is a Boggart?”
Hermione raised her hand. “It’s a shape-shifter, it takes the form of whatever frightens us most.”
“Well said,” Lupin nodded, and Hermione beamed with pride. “So right now, the Boggart is sitting in the dark inside that cupboard, formless. It hasn’t yet seen what frightens any of you. No one knows what a Boggart looks like when it’s alone. But once I let it out, it’ll immediately try to take on the form of whatever scares each of you most.”
“The spell to repel a Boggart is simple, but it requires focus. The true weapon against a Boggart is laughter. You must force it into a shape that’s ridiculous to you.”
“Let’s practice the incantation first. Say it with me: Riddikulus.”
“Riddikulus!” the class chorused.
“Excellent,” Lupin smiled. “But saying the word isn’t enough. Neville, we’ll start with you.”
“If Neville succeeds, the Boggart will probably turn to the rest of you one by one,” Lupin explained. “Now take out your wands, and think about what you fear most, and how to make it look silly.”
The room fell into murmurs as students quietly spoke their fears and thoughts.
When Neville transformed Snape into a vision in a frilly dress and vulture hat, the Gryffindors burst out laughing. Some Slytherins stifled their laughter but dared not show it.
Anne didn’t laugh at all. Her posture stiffened. Turning fear into a visual? That hit far too close to home. She stared at the Boggart in the center, lips pressed into a tight line.
Fanny noticed Anne’s change in demeanor. She gave her a puzzled look, just as Lupin began calling up the next students to face the Boggart.
Anne took a step back, then another. She was already standing near the edge of the group, and now she found herself entirely outside the circle.
Fanny stepped back with her, worried. She’d never seen Anne this tense before. Her friend wasn’t just nervous, there was something else in her eyes.
“Anne, what’s wrong?” Fanny finally asked.
Anne’s knuckles were white as she gripped her wand. She stared at the stone wall instead of the Boggart, silently reminding herself she was far enough away, that that incident was long over.
Fanny didn’t press further, but her eyes stayed locked on Anne in concern.
Suddenly, there was a cry from the circle, someone had turned the Boggart into a red balloon.
It floated toward Anne.
Pop!
The balloon burst. In its place appeared a grim gray door with frosted glass. Behind the glass were two blurry silhouettes, a man and a woman, talking.
The image lasted only a second before twisting and warping violently. A massive shadow loomed, growing taller until it nearly touched the ceiling. It solidified into a skeletal figure cloaked in black, gripping a gleaming scythe that glinted with cold light.
Gasps filled the room. Students recoiled, their faces pale with terror.
Anne stood frozen the moment the gray door appeared. Her limbs locked, her eyes wide with fear. With a strangled breath, she staggered backward, then turned and fled the room.
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A/N: We’ve touched on Anne’s past life, this Boggart revealed her deepest fear…
