Harry Potter and the Wandless Magic

Chapter Sixteen: The Boggart

As the class filed in after Professor Lupin into the staffroom, Harry was surprised to find Snape there, sitting in an armchair. Harry had never been in the staffroom before, and it almost seemed alien to find Snape outside the dungeons or the Great Hall.

Lupin was about to close the door when Snape stood suddenly. "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not see this."

This seemed an odd thing to say to another Professor. Still, after the look of pure loathing that Snape had given Lupin during the Opening Feast, there was probably a bad past between them that couldn't be overcome in a day.

At the doorway, Snape paused and turned back. Harry could see him sneer and look at Neville for a moment. The Potions Master opened his mouth to say something, but only then noticed that Harry was standing next to Neville. With great effort, Snape closed his mouth and strode out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.

Harry let out a sigh of relief. Maybe things weren't so hopeless with Snape and Neville after all. The fact that he hadn't said anything just now despite the fact that it wasn't in Potions spoke volumes about it.

Lupin beckoned the class to the other side of the room where an old wardrobe stood where the teachers kept their spare robes. The Defense Professor stood next to it, and the wardrobe moved on its own, striking the wall with a loud bang that had several students stepping back.

"Nothing to worry about," Professor Lupin said in a gentle tone. "There's a boggart in there."

"What's a boggart?" Harry whispered to Hermione before she shushed him.

After Lupin gave a short explanation about the locations where boggarts are normally found, he said, "So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Unsurprisingly, Hermione's hand shot up, alone and unchallenged.

"It's a shape-shifter," she answered quickly. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself. Now, since we don't know what you all fear, we won't know what form it will take until you stand in front of it. Does anyone know what would happen if there were to be more than one person in front of it?"

Harry didn't hesitate to raise his hand at the same time as Hermione, although he was less enthusiastic. He couldn't suppress a smile at seeing her bobbing up and down.

"Yes, Harry?"

"It wouldn't really know which shape to take since there would be two different fears."

"Exactly." Lupin smiled. "The result of that is something that looks more comical than scary which defeats the boggart before it can begin."

Lupin then explained the Riddikulus Charm which would cause the boggart to change into something amusing that the caster had in their mind. After a few tries, everyone could easily say the incantation without their wands.

"Now then, who would like to go first?"

On a whim, Harry stepped back and shoved Neville forward. He wondered if he had just made a big mistake when Neville just stood there, not even looking back to glare at Harry for putting him on the spot.

"What frightens you most, Neville?" Lupin asked.

Neville gulped and his head dropped to the floor, his lips moving soundlessly.

Lupin shook his head. "I can't hear you, Neville."

"P-Professor Snape," the boy said quickly which caused over half the students to laugh.