Narrator's POV
At the first DADA lesson, Remus spoke to the class, "Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces: wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks —I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?"
Hermione put up her hand, "It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."
"Couldn't have put it better myself." Remus said "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means, that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake -- tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" The class said together
"This class is ridiculous." Ron muttered, sneering
"I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical." Remus instructed
The room went quiet.
"Everyone ready? I'll go first." Remus said, using magic to open the wardrobe, causing a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of him, "Riddikulus!"
The orb quickly turned into a cockroach and Remus said, "Five points to Slytherin for every person to tackle the Boggart. Slytherin will go first so Gryffindor will have to go outside —I don't anyone to be picked on for their fears."
Once Gryffindor was gone, Remus added, "Mr. LeStrange will go first."
Neville stood forward and Remus said, "Neville, we're going to back away, let you have a clear field, all right? Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot."
They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe; Neville had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.
"On the count of three, Neville," Remus said, pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe, "One. Two. Three. Now!"
The wardrobe slammed open and the bodies of Luna, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan fell to the ground —covered in blood.
"Riddikulus!" Neville laughed, tears in his eyes
The Boggart's form changed to Bellatrix in a fancy gown, but her makeup was a mess —she looked like a clown.
"Great job, Neville, five points." Remus congratulated "Mr. Malfoy, you're up next."
Neville and Draco changed spots, and the Boggart changed to Hermione's and himself with slit throats.
He managed to laugh sadly saying, "Riddikulus!" causing the Boggart to change to a giggling snowman.
Hermione went next: her fear was failure, Pansy's was drowning, Theo's was being disowned, Luna's was losing her future-seeing-gift, Crabbe's was spiders, Goyle's was Goblins, and Zabini's was isolation.
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