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The thing you fear the most ~ Boggarts. |
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 Jul 12 2008, 09:33 AM
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Dumbledore's Personal Secretary
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We are introduced to many fascinating Dark creatures in POA, the first of which the students learn to tackle is a Boggart. We are told by the one and only Professor Lupin  that the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. And he goes on to teach his class the spell 'Riddiculus' with emphasis on practice rather than theory with the most comical effects - effects which make Professor Snape see red.  The class is an astounding success with Neville giving of his best by dressing Snape in his grandmother's clothes.
- Why do you think Snape said he didn't want to witness the lesson ? Just scorn and disdain or something else ?
- Why do you think a Boggart is repelled by laughter ?
- How do you think a Boggart functions ? Does it use a form of Legilimency to know what scares the viewer most, or is it something entirely different ?
- What would a Boggart turn into for you and how would you force it to assume a funny form ?
Feel free to discuss all these questions and ask some more of yours. 
This post has been edited by rowena r: Jul 12 2008, 11:41 AM
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Aug 2 2008, 11:20 AM
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Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper
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* Why do you think Snape said he didn't want to witness the lesson ? Just scorn and disdain or something else ?
Ooh, I like this question...I never thought about it before, but maybe he didn't want the class to see what he most feared? I have a strong feeling it might be something to do with losing Lily.
* Why do you think a Boggart is repelled by laughter ?
The boggart lives off fear, and if you're laughing at it, you're not really showing much fear, and therefore, it gets confused and doesn't know what to do.
* How do you think a Boggart functions ? Does it use a form of Legilimency to know what scares the viewer most, or is it something entirely different ?
That's a good question...I think it's just a built in power of the character, it senses what you most fear and it turns into that. I don't know, I never really thought about this one before. I suppose it could be Legilimency, that would make sense...
* What would a Boggart turn into for you and how would you force it to assume a funny form ?
I hate to say this, because it draws a parallel between me and the series' biggest villain, but it would be death. A funny form? I dunno, something to deal with an afterlife, since that would calm me down greatly, as what I fear about death is the unknown.
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Aug 2 2008, 12:01 PM
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Shopping for a New Firebolt
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* Why do you think Snape said he didn't want to witness the lesson ? Just scorn and disdain or something else ?
I think it would reveal too much of himself, a part of Snape that he didn't wanted other people to see, much less Lupin and much, much less Harry. I actually thought Snape's boggart would be a young James, when he was such a bully, but then I thought it'd be like Ron's confrontation with the locket: His loved one with his rival, in this case James and Lily together.
Actually, the locket looks pretty much like a boggart, doesn't it?
* Why do you think a Boggart is repelled by laughter ?
When you are able to laugh at your fears, they lose their power over you, because if you can laugh, it means they don't scare you anymore.
* How do you think a Boggart functions ? Does it use a form of Legilimency to know what scares the viewer most, or is it something entirely different ?
I don't think a creature like a boggart has such a vast knowledge of the world to pick a shape among the many, many, many things that could provoke fear. I think it's the other way around: it is the viewer who gives shape to the boggart. Perhaps the boggart's body is made to react at the fear of the person viewing it, and to look like it, in some kind of self-defense mechanism. If you are looking for a cozy spot to spend your night in, and some nasty human bothers you and threatens you, wouldn't you love to give him a good scare with what he fears the most?
* What would a Boggart turn into for you and how would you force it to assume a funny form?
Perhaps a very weak, fragile and useless version of me. I'd force it to be just me, maybe?
All in all, I think a "What's your boggart?" session would do for a great subject on a psychology class. When you confront a boggart, you're not confronting a creature, but your own self.
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Aug 2 2008, 02:29 PM
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Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper
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Great questions rowena!
-Why do you think Snape said he didn't want to witness the lesson ? Just scorn and disdain or something else ?
There could be many reasons why. Maybe he was keeping himself from criticizing the students. Maybe he was trying to keep himself from doing that as much as he does. He could have been feeling guilty for all the other times that he did. Maybe if the boggart would face Lupin, maybe since he knew that he was a werewolf, he didn't want to risk letting out Lupin's secret. Dumbledore probably asked him to keep it quiet along with all of the other professors.
-Why do you think a Boggart is repelled by laughter ?
Well, laughter is can be considered the opposite of fear, because, if you were scared for your life, wouldn't you want to be laughing?
-How do you think a Boggart functions ? Does it use a form of Legilimency to know what scares the viewer most, or is it something entirely different ?
I think that it is very possible that Boggarts use a form of Legilimency to get inside us and learn our worst fears, but it could be something different, as they are a different type of magical thing. They are not wizards so they're magic is different but they could have some abilities similar to wizards.
-What would a Boggart turn into for you and how would you force it to assume a funny form ?
Hmm..... this is hard. Well, my worst fear is to wake up one morning and find out that the Rapture has happened and that I am left behind. I have no idea how to make that funny so I'll think of my next fear. I am afraid of going in water where I can't see what's under me. I guess I would make it funny by turning it into jello or something like that.
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Aug 22 2008, 07:51 AM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer
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Why do you think Snape said he didn't want to witness the lesson? Just scorn and disdain or something else?
Perhaps he was worried that it would turn into Lily's corpse? Or a sort of Boggart-replay of Lily telling him she hated him (as with Hermione's McGonagall-boggart - perhaps they can show things that actually happened in the past?). Harry might not have recognised the latter (as he didn't immediately recognise his mother as a teenager in the OP pensieve) but Lupin certainly would have.
Alternatively, if a Boggart really does use a form of legilimency, it may have transformed into nothing at all. Either staying in the form frightening to the previous viewer, or perhaps revealing its true form? Certainly if the Boggart uses a form of legilimency then it wouldn't know what frightened Snape most, as he has to use occlumency constantly to keep LV out of his head.
Why do you think a Boggart is repelled by laughter?
Laughter is the opposite of the Boggart, which is the embodiment of fear. I think this works in the same way as the Dementors being repelled by the "happy thoughts" of a Patronus.
How do you think a Boggart functions? Does it use a form of Legilimency to know what scares the viewer most, or is it something entirely different?
I think it's probably some form of legilimency, related to my answer to the first question.
What would a Boggart turn into for you and how would you force it to assume a funny form?
As a bit of a geek-nerd I'd probably have a Boggart similar to Hermione's  . As to how to make it funny, I'm not sure.
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'You seem to be drowning twice; Oh am I? I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff.'
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