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{{Quote|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.|[[Remus Lupin|Professor Lupin]] to his [[Third year]] class in [[1993]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
  
{{Quote|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.|[[Remus Lupin|Professor Lupin]] to his [[Third year]] class in [[1993]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
   
−
A '''boggart''' is an [[Amortality|amortal]] shape-shifting [[non-being]] that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. When facing a boggart, it is best to have someone else along, to try to confuse it, since facing more than one person at once would make it indecisive as to what form it must take, usually a mixed-up amalgam of the victims' fears. Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into your worst fears when you first see it.
 +
A '''boggart''' is an [[Amortality|amortal]] shape-shifting [[non-being]] that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. When facing a boggart, it is best to have someone else along, to try to confuse it, since facing more than one person at once would make it indecisive as to what form it must take, usually a mixed-up amalgam of the victims' fears.
  +
  +
Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into your worst fears when you first see it.
   
 
==Nature==
  
==Nature==
 
Boggarts sometimes do not have the same strength or magic as what they imitate, for example, a Boggart transformed into a [[Dementor]] has weaker magic than a real Dementor, according to Lupin, or having a deadly scream as a true [[Banshee]], which would otherwise have slaughtered the entire class. This was partly why he chose to simulate a Dementor attack in Harry's presence to help him perfect the use of the [[Patronus Charm]].
  
Boggarts sometimes do not have the same strength or magic as what they imitate, for example, a Boggart transformed into a [[Dementor]] has weaker magic than a real Dementor, according to Lupin, or having a deadly scream as a true [[Banshee]], which would otherwise have slaughtered the entire class. This was partly why he chose to simulate a Dementor attack in Harry's presence to help him perfect the use of the [[Patronus Charm]].
  +
  +
When a witch or wizard has multiple fears that tie for their "worst," the boggart will typically cycle through those fears, presumably randomly. For example, in 1995, when [[Molly Weasley]] was attempting to destroy a boggart that had taken up residence in [[12 Grimmauld Place]], the boggart took the form of the freshly dead bodies of her family, as well as Harry (who she loved as a surrogate son). Since she feared the deaths of all her loved ones equally, the boggart cycled through all the corpses randomly.
   
 
Muggles can sometimes see Boggarts, but rarely see them plainly and are often easily convinced that they are a figment of their imagination.<ref name="Pottermore">''[[Pottermore]]'': [http://www.pottermore.com/en/book3/chapter7/moment1/boggart New From J.K. Rowling - "Boggart"]</ref>
  
Muggles can sometimes see Boggarts, but rarely see them plainly and are often easily convinced that they are a figment of their imagination.<ref name="Pottermore">''[[Pottermore]]'': [http://www.pottermore.com/en/book3/chapter7/moment1/boggart New From J.K. Rowling - "Boggart"]</ref>
   
−
==Defence==
 +
===Defence===
−
[[File:Snape_boggart.gif|frame|left|A boggart in the form of [[Professor Snape]], while [[Neville Longbottom ]] casts the Riddikulus Charm.]]
 +
[[File:Defence_against_boggart.gif|thumb|left|A boggart in the form of [[Professor Snape]], while [[Neville Longbottom ]] casts the Riddikulus Charm|230x230px]]
  +
The [[charm]] that combats a boggart is ''[[Riddikulus]]''. The charm requires a strong mind and good concentration. The [[incantation]] and wand movement alone will not affect a boggart.
   
−
The [[charm]] that combats a boggart is ''[[Riddikulus]]''. The charm requires a strong mind and good concentration. The [[incantation]] and wand movement alone will not affect a boggart. The correct way to perform the charm is to push past the fear, and concentrate on something that will make the boggart look amusing. The charm does not, in fact, repel a boggart; it just forces it to assume a shape that the caster will find comical, inspiring laughter, which will defeat a boggart.<ref name="POA">''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''</ref>
 +
The correct way to perform the charm is to push past the fear, and concentrate on something that will make the boggart look amusing. The charm does not, in fact, repel a boggart; it just forces it to assume a shape that the caster will find comical, inspiring laughter, which will defeat a boggart.<ref name="POA">''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''</ref>
   
−
==Hiding places==
 +
=== Hiding places ===
⚫
[[File:PA C7.jpg|thumb|right|A Boggart in a wardrobe]]
  
 
Boggarts are particularly fond of inhabiting dark, confined spaces, such as in wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, and the cupboards under sinks and desks. On at least one occasion, a boggart was found hiding in a grandfather clock.<ref name="POA" />
  
Boggarts are particularly fond of inhabiting dark, confined spaces, such as in wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, and the cupboards under sinks and desks. On at least one occasion, a boggart was found hiding in a grandfather clock.<ref name="POA" />
   
 
==Known encounters==
  
==Known encounters==
 
===Famous boggarts===
  
===Famous boggarts===
−
Famous Boggarts include the [[Old Boggle of Canterbury]] (believed by local Muggles to be a mad, cannibalistic hermit that lived in a cave; in reality a particularly small Boggart that had learnt how to make the most of echos); the [[Bludgeoning Boggart of Old London Town]] (a Boggart that had taken on the form of a murderous thug that prowled the back streets of [[19th century]] [[London]], but which could be reduced to a hamster with one simple incantation); and the [[Screaming Bogey of Strathtully]] (a Scottish Boggart that had fed on the fears of local Muggles to the point that it had become an elephantine black shadow with glowing white eyes, but which [[Lyall Lupin]] of the [[Ministry of Magic]] eventually trapped in a matchbox).<ref name="Pottermore" />
 +
Famous boggarts include the [[Old Boggle of Canterbury]] (believed by local Muggles to be a mad, cannibalistic hermit that lived in a cave; in reality a particularly small Boggart that had learnt how to make the most of echos); the [[Bludgeoning Boggart of Old London Town]] (a Boggart that had taken on the form of a murderous thug that prowled the back streets of [[19th century]] [[London]], but which could be reduced to a hamster with one simple incantation); and the [[Screaming Bogey of Strathtully]] (a Scottish Boggart that had fed on the fears of local Muggles to the point that it had become an elephantine black shadow with glowing white eyes, but which [[Lyall Lupin]] of the [[Ministry of Magic]] eventually trapped in a matchbox).<ref name="Pottermore" />
   
 
===Lessons in Hogwarts===
  
===Lessons in Hogwarts===
  ⚫
{{Quote|That suggests that what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry.|[[Remus Lupin]] to [[Harry Potter]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
   
  ⚫
In [[1993]], Professor [[Remus Lupin]] taught his [[third year]] [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] students about how to defend against boggarts. He took the class to the staffroom, where a [[Boggart in the Staffroom|boggart]] had moved into a wardrobe the previous afternoon. After explaining what they would need to do, Professor Lupin let the class, starting with [[Neville Longbottom]], perform the [[Riddikulus|''Riddikulus'']] charm on the boggart. When the boggart moved towards [[Harry Potter]], Lupin drew the boggart's attention, causing it to turn into a full moon, then had Neville finish it off.
⚫
{{quote|That suggests that what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry.|[[Remus Lupin]] to [[Harry Potter]]|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
  
  ⚫
[[File:Boggart_morph.gif|thumb|Boggart in mid morph|230x230px]]
−  
⚫
In [[1993]], Professor [[Remus Lupin]] taught his [[third year]] [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] students about how to defend against boggarts. He took the class to the staffroom, where a [[Boggart in the Staffroom|boggart]] had moved into a wardrobe the previous afternoon. After explaining what they would need to do, Professor Lupin let the class, starting with [[Neville Longbottom]], perform the [[Riddikulus]] charm on the boggart. When the boggart moved towards [[Harry Potter]], Lupin drew the boggart's attention, causing it to turn into a full moon, then had Neville finish it off.
  
−  
−
[[File:Boggart_transforming.gif|frame|left|Boggart in mid morph ]]
  
   
 
Later, Professor Lupin explained that the reason he didn't let Harry face the boggart was that he thought Harry's boggart would turn into [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], and he didn't want to panic the students. Harry's boggart actually took on the form of a [[Dementor]], as he had an encounter with them on the way to Hogwarts that year and heard his [[Lily Evans|mother]]'s dying moments whenever they came near.
  
Later, Professor Lupin explained that the reason he didn't let Harry face the boggart was that he thought Harry's boggart would turn into [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], and he didn't want to panic the students. Harry's boggart actually took on the form of a [[Dementor]], as he had an encounter with them on the way to Hogwarts that year and heard his [[Lily Evans|mother]]'s dying moments whenever they came near.
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{{Quote|P-P-Professor McGonagall! Sh-she said I'd failed everything!|[[Hermione Granger]] faces her Boggart|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
  
{{Quote|P-P-Professor McGonagall! Sh-she said I'd failed everything!|[[Hermione Granger]] faces her Boggart|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
   
−
{|cellspacing="0" border="1" bgcolor="white"
 +
{| class="wikitable" border="1" width="100%"
  +
! align="center" width="25%" |Person
−
!Person
  
  +
! align="center" width="30%" |Fear
−
!Fear
  
−
!Riddikulus
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! align="center" width="50%" |Riddikulus
  +
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Albus Dumbledore]]
  
|[[Albus Dumbledore]]
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|-
  
|-
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
  
|[[Harry Potter]]
−
|A [[Dementor]] (or simply "fear", as stated by [[Remus Lupin|Lupin]])
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|A [[Dementor]] (fear in general, according to Dumbledore)
  +
[[File:Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo4 250.gif|thumb|left]]
−
|Smoke/uses [[Patronus|Patronus Charm]]
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|Smoke or [[Patronus|Patronus Charm]]
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Hermione Granger]]
  
|[[Hermione Granger]]
−
|[[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] telling her that she failed her exams, or failure in general.
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|[[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] telling her that she failed her exams (failure in general).
 
|[[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] giving her an award.<ref name="LEGO">''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''</ref>
  
|[[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] giving her an award.<ref name="LEGO">''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''</ref>
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Molly Weasley]]
  
|[[Molly Weasley]]
−
|Dead family/friends
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|Dead family & friends
 
|Unknown
  
|Unknown
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
  
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
 
|[[Severus Snape]]
  
|[[Severus Snape]]
  +
[[File:Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo1 250.gif|thumb|left]]
 
|Snape was wearing [[Augusta Longbottom|Neville's grandmother]]'s clothes.
  
|Snape was wearing [[Augusta Longbottom|Neville's grandmother]]'s clothes.
 
|-
  
|-
−
|[[Padma Patil]]
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|[[Remus Lupin]]
  ⚫
|Full moon
⚫
|A [[Snake|giant cobra]]
  
  ⚫
|A cockroach <!-- Do NOT change to "balloon", in the book it changes to a cockroach (see BTS) -->
⚫
|Turns into a [[jack-in-the-box]]
  
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Parvati Patil]]
  
|[[Parvati Patil]]
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|It tripped over its bandages
  
|It tripped over its bandages
 
|-
  
|-
−
|[[Remus Lupin]]
 +
|[[Padma Patil]]
  ⚫
|A [[Snake|giant cobra]]
⚫
|Full moon
  
  +
[[File:Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo3 250.gif|thumb|left]]
⚫
|A cockroach <!-- Do NOT change to "balloon", in the book it changes to a cockroach (see BTS) -->
  
  ⚫
|Turns into a [[jack-in-the-box]]
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Seamus Finnigan]]
  
|[[Seamus Finnigan]]
 
|A [[banshee]]
  
|A [[banshee]]
−
|She lost her voice
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|A banshee having lost her voice
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]]
  
|[[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]]
 
|His own dead body
  
|His own dead body
  +
|Unknown
  +
|-
  +
|[[Gilderoy Lockhart]]
  +
|[[Cornish Pixies]]<ref name="LEGO" />
 
|Unknown
  
|Unknown
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
  
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
 
|[[Acromantula|Giant spider]]
  
|[[Acromantula|Giant spider]]
  +
[[File:Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo2 250.gif|thumb|left]]
 
|The spider loses its legs <!-- Do NOT change to "roller skates", in the book the spider loses its legs (see BTS) -->
  
|The spider loses its legs <!-- Do NOT change to "roller skates", in the book the spider loses its legs (see BTS) -->
 
|-
  
|-
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*[[Penelope Clearwater]]
  
*[[Penelope Clearwater]]
 
*[[Percy Weasley]]
  
*[[Percy Weasley]]
  +
*[[Peter Pettigrew]]
 
*[[Pomona Sprout]]
  
*[[Pomona Sprout]]
 
*[[Poppy Pomfrey]]
  
*[[Poppy Pomfrey]]
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==Media==
  
==Media==
−
<gallery width="400" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
 +
<gallery widths="300" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
 
File:Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Harry's boggart|Harry's boggart.
  
File:Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Harry's boggart|Harry's boggart.
 
</gallery>
  
</gallery>
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==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
−
* 'Boggart' is David Thewlis' favourite word/line from the series.
 +
*'Boggart' is David Thewlis' favourite word/line from the series.{{Fact}}
 
*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', [[Remus Lupin]] mentions that no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone. [[Alastor Moody|Mad-Eye Moody]], in ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', is able to determine through his "mad" eye that a creature hiding in [[12 Grimmauld Place]] is definitely a boggart. It is assumed that Moody knew what a boggart looked like in its true form as the boggart had not seen him and shape-shifted.
  
*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', [[Remus Lupin]] mentions that no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone. [[Alastor Moody|Mad-Eye Moody]], in ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', is able to determine through his "mad" eye that a creature hiding in [[12 Grimmauld Place]] is definitely a boggart. It is assumed that Moody knew what a boggart looked like in its true form as the boggart had not seen him and shape-shifted.
 
*[[J. K. Rowling]] has stated that her boggart would be the same as [[Molly Weasley]]'s: her loved ones dead or alternatively herself buried alive. In an earlier interview, however, before the publication of ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', she suggested [[Aragog]] as a possible boggart for her, as she hates spiders.<ref name="scholasticinterview">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080623145514/www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/author/interview2.htm Harry Potter: Meet J. K. Rowling - October 16, 2000 interview]</ref>
  
*[[J. K. Rowling]] has stated that her boggart would be the same as [[Molly Weasley]]'s: her loved ones dead or alternatively herself buried alive. In an earlier interview, however, before the publication of ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', she suggested [[Aragog]] as a possible boggart for her, as she hates spiders.<ref name="scholasticinterview">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080623145514/www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/author/interview2.htm Harry Potter: Meet J. K. Rowling - October 16, 2000 interview]</ref>
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*Lupin's boggart, the full moon, indicated his dread of his transformations into a werewolf. However, the boggart failed to frighten him because it is not the moon itself he feared, but its effect on him.
  
*Lupin's boggart, the full moon, indicated his dread of his transformations into a werewolf. However, the boggart failed to frighten him because it is not the moon itself he feared, but its effect on him.
 
*The boggart may have been inspired by the "Clutterbumph" from ''[[Manxmouse]]'', of which [[Harry Potter (book series)|''Harry Potter'' series]] author J.K. Rowling is a known fan.<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/1001-sydney-renton.htm Accio Quote - The story behind the Potter legend]</ref> The Clutterbumph is described as follows: "...something that is not there until one imagines it. And as it is always someone different who will be doing the imagining, no two Clutterbumphs are ever exactly alike. Whatever it is that frightens one the most and that is just about the worst thing one can think of, that is what a Clutterbumph looks like."
  
*The boggart may have been inspired by the "Clutterbumph" from ''[[Manxmouse]]'', of which [[Harry Potter (book series)|''Harry Potter'' series]] author J.K. Rowling is a known fan.<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/1001-sydney-renton.htm Accio Quote - The story behind the Potter legend]</ref> The Clutterbumph is described as follows: "...something that is not there until one imagines it. And as it is always someone different who will be doing the imagining, no two Clutterbumphs are ever exactly alike. Whatever it is that frightens one the most and that is just about the worst thing one can think of, that is what a Clutterbumph looks like."
  +
*The Boggart also bears a resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:Coco_(folklore)|Cucuy]], a monster in Hispanic and Latino folklore. Like the Cucuy, the Boggart lives in dark areas such as beneath beds and inside closets, and has the ability to change its shape at will.
 
*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', [[Molly Weasley]]'s Boggart is shown to change from [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]] and other family members before going to [[Harry Potter|Harry]].
  
*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', [[Molly Weasley]]'s Boggart is shown to change from [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]] and other family members before going to [[Harry Potter|Harry]].
 
*In an early script for the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film adaptation]] of ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'', there were several differences from the final cut of the film. The boggarts for Neville, Ron, Harry, and Professor Lupin remained the same. Parvati's, however, would have been a [[vampire]] (specifically [[Count Dracula]]<ref>[http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/view.php?uid=50675 Yana Yanezic's agency profile]</ref>) which would have been dressed like {{wplink|Carmen Miranda}} (presumably referring to her famous fruit hat outfit from the film ''[[Wikipedia:The Gang's All Here (1943 film)|The Gang's All Here]]'') when the Boggart-Banishing Charm was used on it, with Dean having the cobra boggart Parvati has in the actual film.<ref>[http://imsdb.com/scripts/Harry-Potter-and-the-Prisoner-of-Azkaban.html ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' script at the Internet Movie Script Database] (archived [http://web.archive.org/web/20090216093016/http://imsdb.com/scripts/Harry-Potter-and-the-Prisoner-of-Azkaban.html here] via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)</ref>
  
*In an early script for the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film adaptation]] of ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'', there were several differences from the final cut of the film. The boggarts for Neville, Ron, Harry, and Professor Lupin remained the same. Parvati's, however, would have been a [[vampire]] (specifically [[Count Dracula]]<ref>[http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/view.php?uid=50675 Yana Yanezic's agency profile]</ref>) which would have been dressed like {{wplink|Carmen Miranda}} (presumably referring to her famous fruit hat outfit from the film ''[[Wikipedia:The Gang's All Here (1943 film)|The Gang's All Here]]'') when the Boggart-Banishing Charm was used on it, with Dean having the cobra boggart Parvati has in the actual film.<ref>[http://imsdb.com/scripts/Harry-Potter-and-the-Prisoner-of-Azkaban.html ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' script at the Internet Movie Script Database] (archived [http://web.archive.org/web/20090216093016/http://imsdb.com/scripts/Harry-Potter-and-the-Prisoner-of-Azkaban.html here] via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)</ref>
 
*Some changes were made in the film and video game adaptations of the series:
  
*Some changes were made in the film and video game adaptations of the series:
   
−
{|border="1" class="wikitable"
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{| class="wikitable" border="1"
−
!width="11%" align="center" rowspan="2"|Person
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! rowspan="2" align="center" width="11%" |Person
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!colspan="2"|Books
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! colspan="2" |Books
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!colspan="2"|LEGO changes
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! colspan="2" |LEGO changes
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!colspan="2"|Film changes
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! colspan="2" |Film changes
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!colspan="2"|GBA version changes
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! colspan="2" |GBA version changes
 
|-
  
|-
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Boggart
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! align="center" width="11%" |Boggart
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Riddikulus
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! align="center" width="11%" |Riddikulus
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Boggart
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! align="center" width="11%" |Boggart
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Riddikulus
 +
! align="center" width="11%" |Riddikulus
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Boggart
 +
! align="center" width="11%" |Boggart
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Riddikulus
 +
! align="center" width="11%" |Riddikulus
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Boggart
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! align="center" width="11%" |Boggart
−
!width="11%" align="center"|Riddikulus
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! align="center" width="11%" |Riddikulus
 
|-
  
|-
 
|[[Albus Dumbledore]]
  
|[[Albus Dumbledore]]
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|
  
|
 
|}
  
|}
−  
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==

Revision as of 06:40, 4 June 2015

"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."
— Professor Lupin to his Third year class in 1993[src]

A boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. When facing a boggart, it is best to have someone else along, to try to confuse it, since facing more than one person at once would make it indecisive as to what form it must take, usually a mixed-up amalgam of the victims' fears.

Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into your worst fears when you first see it.

Nature

Boggarts sometimes do not have the same strength or magic as what they imitate, for example, a Boggart transformed into a Dementor has weaker magic than a real Dementor, according to Lupin, or having a deadly scream as a true Banshee, which would otherwise have slaughtered the entire class. This was partly why he chose to simulate a Dementor attack in Harry's presence to help him perfect the use of the Patronus Charm.

When a witch or wizard has multiple fears that tie for their "worst," the boggart will typically cycle through those fears, presumably randomly. For example, in 1995, when Molly Weasley was attempting to destroy a boggart that had taken up residence in 12 Grimmauld Place, the boggart took the form of the freshly dead bodies of her family, as well as Harry (who she loved as a surrogate son). Since she feared the deaths of all her loved ones equally, the boggart cycled through all the corpses randomly.

Muggles can sometimes see Boggarts, but rarely see them plainly and are often easily convinced that they are a figment of their imagination.[1]

Defence

Defence against boggart

A boggart in the form of Professor Snape, while Neville Longbottom casts the Riddikulus Charm

The charm that combats a boggart is Riddikulus. The charm requires a strong mind and good concentration. The incantation and wand movement alone will not affect a boggart.

The correct way to perform the charm is to push past the fear, and concentrate on something that will make the boggart look amusing. The charm does not, in fact, repel a boggart; it just forces it to assume a shape that the caster will find comical, inspiring laughter, which will defeat a boggart.[2]

Hiding places

Boggarts are particularly fond of inhabiting dark, confined spaces, such as in wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, and the cupboards under sinks and desks. On at least one occasion, a boggart was found hiding in a grandfather clock.[2]

Known encounters

Famous boggarts

Famous boggarts include the Old Boggle of Canterbury (believed by local Muggles to be a mad, cannibalistic hermit that lived in a cave; in reality a particularly small Boggart that had learnt how to make the most of echos); the Bludgeoning Boggart of Old London Town (a Boggart that had taken on the form of a murderous thug that prowled the back streets of 19th century London, but which could be reduced to a hamster with one simple incantation); and the Screaming Bogey of Strathtully (a Scottish Boggart that had fed on the fears of local Muggles to the point that it had become an elephantine black shadow with glowing white eyes, but which Lyall Lupin of the Ministry of Magic eventually trapped in a matchbox).[1]

Lessons in Hogwarts

"That suggests that what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry."
— Remus Lupin to Harry Potter[src]

In 1993, Professor Remus Lupin taught his third year Defence Against the Dark Arts students about how to defend against boggarts. He took the class to the staffroom, where a boggart had moved into a wardrobe the previous afternoon. After explaining what they would need to do, Professor Lupin let the class, starting with Neville Longbottom, perform the Riddikulus charm on the boggart. When the boggart moved towards Harry Potter, Lupin drew the boggart's attention, causing it to turn into a full moon, then had Neville finish it off.

Boggart morph

Boggart in mid morph

Later, Professor Lupin explained that the reason he didn't let Harry face the boggart was that he thought Harry's boggart would turn into Lord Voldemort, and he didn't want to panic the students. Harry's boggart actually took on the form of a Dementor, as he had an encounter with them on the way to Hogwarts that year and heard his mother's dying moments whenever they came near.

To help Harry, Professor Lupin taught him how to perform the Patronus, using a boggart found in Argus Filch's filing cabinet as a substitute for a real Dementor. In between the private lessons, Professor Lupin kept the boggart in a cabinet under the desk, in his office.[2]

At the end of the school year, Lupin used another boggart as part of his third year exam, as the final obstacle in a series.[3]

Triwizard Tournament's Third Task

On 24 June, 1994, Harry Potter came across a boggart in the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. When he first encountered it, Harry thought the boggart was actually a Dementor. He cast his Patronus, and realised that the creature was in fact a boggart when it fell back and tripped over the hem of its robes instead of being driven back, as a real dementor would have done.

Number 12 Grimmauld Place

While cleaning up 12 Grimmauld Place, the new headquarters of the reconvened Order of the Phoenix, Molly Weasley stumbled across what she thought was a boggart in a locked cabinet of a writing desk. She decided to wait for Alastor Moody to confirm it was a boggart, before opening the cabinet.

After escaping from the party being held in celebration of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger becoming Prefects, Harry heard sobbing coming from the drawing room. When he looked inside, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley cowering against a dark wall, and the body of her son sprawled on the floor. After Molly tried the Riddikulus charm without success, Ron's body turned into the body of Bill Weasley, with his eyes wide open and empty. Molly's next attempt turned Bill's body into Arthur Weasley, with blood running down his face. The next attempts turned the boggart into Fred and George Weasley, Percy Weasley, and then Harry.

Harry shouted to Mrs. Weasley that she should leave, causing Remus Lupin and Sirius Black to run into the room, followed by Mad-Eye Moody. Lupin quickly figured out what had happened, and made the boggart turn from Harry's dead body to the full moon, then with a wave of his wand, made the orb vanish in a puff of smoke.[4]

Unspecified

Although the precise details of this encounter are unknown, Lupin mentioned during his first lesson that he had once had an encounter with a boggart in the company of at least two other people where the boggart, attempting to frighten two people at once, turned itself into half a slug (One person was afraid of a flesh-eating slug and the other was afraid of headless corpse).

Known boggarts

"P-P-Professor McGonagall! Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"
— Hermione Granger faces her Boggart[src]
Person Fear Riddikulus
Albus Dumbledore The corpse of his sister Ariana Dumbledore[5] Unknown
Dean Thomas Disembodied living hand Caught in a mousetrap
Harry Potter A Dementor (fear in general, according to Dumbledore)
File:Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo4 250.gif
Smoke or Patronus Charm
Hermione Granger Professor McGonagall telling her that she failed her exams (failure in general). Professor McGonagall giving her an award.[6]
Molly Weasley Dead family & friends Unknown
Neville Longbottom Severus Snape
File:Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo1 250.gif
Snape was wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes.
Remus Lupin Full moon A cockroach
Parvati Patil A bloodstained, bandaged mummy It tripped over its bandages
Padma Patil A giant cobra
Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo3 250
Turns into a jack-in-the-box
Seamus Finnigan A banshee A banshee having lost her voice
Tom Marvolo Riddle His own dead body Unknown
Gilderoy Lockhart Cornish Pixies[6] Unknown
Ron Weasley Giant spider
Tumblr lpboz9frwz1qd1rtlo2 250
The spider loses its legs
Voldemort[6] Lord Voldemort sucking a dummy[6]

Media

Etymology

In Celtic mythology, a boggart (or bogart, bogan, bogle or boggle) is a household spirit, sometimes mischievous, sometimes helpful.

Behind the scenes

  • 'Boggart' is David Thewlis' favourite word/line from the series.[citation needed]
  • In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin mentions that no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone. Mad-Eye Moody, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is able to determine through his "mad" eye that a creature hiding in 12 Grimmauld Place is definitely a boggart. It is assumed that Moody knew what a boggart looked like in its true form as the boggart had not seen him and shape-shifted.
  • J. K. Rowling has stated that her boggart would be the same as Molly Weasley's: her loved ones dead or alternatively herself buried alive. In an earlier interview, however, before the publication of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, she suggested Aragog as a possible boggart for her, as she hates spiders.[7]
  • In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin gives Harry private lessons on how to defeat Dementors, using a Boggart as a replacement. However, when Harry faced the Boggart the first and second time, when he failed to beat it, the Boggart/Dementor had managed to make Harry hear his mother's screams. This may imply that Boggarts can gain some abilities of the thing it morphs into. It also gained its weakness as it could be defeated by Harry's Patronus.
  • Lupin's boggart, the full moon, indicated his dread of his transformations into a werewolf. However, the boggart failed to frighten him because it is not the moon itself he feared, but its effect on him.
  • The boggart may have been inspired by the "Clutterbumph" from Manxmouse, of which Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling is a known fan.[8] The Clutterbumph is described as follows: "...something that is not there until one imagines it. And as it is always someone different who will be doing the imagining, no two Clutterbumphs are ever exactly alike. Whatever it is that frightens one the most and that is just about the worst thing one can think of, that is what a Clutterbumph looks like."
  • The Boggart also bears a resemblance to the Cucuy, a monster in Hispanic and Latino folklore. Like the Cucuy, the Boggart lives in dark areas such as beneath beds and inside closets, and has the ability to change its shape at will.
  • In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Molly Weasley's Boggart is shown to change from Arthur and other family members before going to Harry.
  • In an early script for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, there were several differences from the final cut of the film. The boggarts for Neville, Ron, Harry, and Professor Lupin remained the same. Parvati's, however, would have been a vampire (specifically Count Dracula[9]) which would have been dressed like Carmen Miranda (presumably referring to her famous fruit hat outfit from the film The Gang's All Here) when the Boggart-Banishing Charm was used on it, with Dean having the cobra boggart Parvati has in the actual film.[10]
  • Some changes were made in the film and video game adaptations of the series:
Person Books LEGO changes Film changes GBA version changes
Boggart Riddikulus Boggart Riddikulus Boggart Riddikulus Boggart Riddikulus
Albus Dumbledore The corpse of his sister Ariana Dumbledore[5] Unknown Voldemort Voldemort turns into a baby sucking on a dummy. Omitted Omitted
Dean Thomas Disembodied living hand Caught in a mousetrap A floating disembodied eyeball The eyeball falling to the ground. Omitted No changes
Harry Potter A Dementor Smoke/uses Patronus Charm. No changes No changes No changes
Hermione Granger Professor McGonagall telling her that she failed her exams or failure in general. Unknown McGonagall showing her a Troll exam. Professor McGonagall giving her an award. Omitted Omitted
Molly Weasley Dead family/friends Unknown Voldemort Voldemort turns into a baby sucking on a dummy. Omitted Omitted
Neville Longbottom Severus Snape. Snape wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes. No changes No changes No changes
Padma Patil Omitted A giant cobra Jack-in-the-box. Omitted Omitted
Parvati Patil A mummy It tripped over its bandages. A Mummy It shrank. A giant cobra It turned into a jack-in-the-box A normal cobra It tied itself in a knot
Remus Lupin Full moon. A cockroach Full moon A balloon. Full moon A balloon Omitted
Ron Weasley Giant spider No legs Giant spider The spider is given roller skates Giant spider The spider is given roller skates Giant spider The spider is given roller skates
Seamus Finnigan A banshee She lost her voice. Voldemort Voldemort turns into a baby sucking on a dummy. Omitted Omitted
Tom Riddle His own dead body Unknown Harry Potter Harry dropping dead. Omitted Omitted
Fred and George Weasley
Justin Finch-Fletchley
Dobby 		Omitted Lord Voldemort Voldemort turns into a baby sucking on a dummy. Omitted Omitted

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 117 images related to Boggart.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pottermore: New From J.K. Rowling - "Boggart"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Chapter 16 (Professor Trelawney's Prediction)
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  7. ↑ Harry Potter: Meet J. K. Rowling - October 16, 2000 interview
  8. ↑ Accio Quote - The story behind the Potter legend
  9. ↑ Yana Yanezic's agency profile
  10. ↑ Prisoner of Azkaban script at the Internet Movie Script Database (archived here via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)
Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)
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D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
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