Chapter 79: Neptune, Scheme(?), and Boggart (2/2)
When Lupin pointed at Quinn, he promptly answered.
”A Boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of its observer's worst fear. Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a Boggart looks like when it is alone, as it changes shape instantly upon encountering someone.”
The words amortal and non-being were the words to focus on here.
A Non-Human Spirituous Apparition, also known as a non-being, was a magical spirit created of human emotions. They were notable because they had no equivalent in the non-magical world and their similarity to ghosts, despite never being truly alive. While non-beings were not truly alive and could not be truly destroyed, magic users had invented over the centuries various spells that could drive off these spirits using positive emotions. Their numbers could also be limited by reducing the conditions that would generate them.
Amortality was the condition of never having died and being unable to die, as an amortal entity was never ”alive” to begin with. As amortality referred to entities that were never alive at any point in their lives. It was different from ”immortality,” which described living beings who were unable to die or had an infinite lifespan.
Dementors, Boggarts, and Poltergeist were examples of non-being and amoral entities, as they weren't ever alive and couldn't be killed.
In the distant future, someone with black hair and stone-grey eyes would discover a way to kill various amoral beings, putting the concept of Amortality in need of revision.
”That is actually better than I was expecting,” Lupin blinked in surprise as he regarded Quinn with interest. ”Well, Quinn,” Lupin was pleased with the answer, so he rewarded the answer. ”Take twenty points to Ravenclaw for an excellent answer.”
Quinn gave a slight nod, and Lupin continued with his lesson.
”So a Boggart that resides in the darkness doesn't assume a form. It doesn't know yet what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but if I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us fear the most.”
Lupin raised both his hands and gestured to the students who had become restless. ”Please, calm down. The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires mental prowess. You see, the thing that really ends a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape you find amusing.”
The professor lowered his hands as he continued, ”We'll practice the charm without wands first. After me, please... Riddikulus!”
”Riddikulus!” chanted the class together.
”Good,” smiled Professor Lupin. ”Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, only saying the word isn't enough. And this is where you come in, Jessica.”
Jessica Tring, a fourth-year Hufflepuff stepped forward, while shaking slightly.
”Right, Jessica,” said Professor Lupin. ”First things first. What would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?”
”... Snakes,” Jessica answered with a tremble in her voice.
”Right, have you seen one of these rubber balloon animals,” Lupin asked Jessica, who nodded.
”Excellent, when the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe and sees you, Jessica, it will assume the form of a snake,” Lupin explained at a slower pace so that Jessica would catch every word. ”You'll have to raise your wand —like this— and say 'Riddikulus'. Concentrate hard on the image of the snake turning into a balloon version which then deflates while creating a fun noise.”
”If Jessica is successful, the boggart will likely shift its attention to another one of us in turn,” said Professor Lupin. ”I'd 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...”
The room went quiet as everyone began thinking about their greatest fear and how to make it comical.
”Everyone ready?” asked Professor Lupin. He looked at Jessica and instructed, ”Jessica, we're going to back away. Let's get you a better field of vision, all right? I'll call the next person forward. Everyone, back. Now Jessica has a clear shot.”
They all retreated and backed against the walls, leaving Jessica alone along the wardrobe. She looked slightly pale and frightened, but had pushed up the sleeves from her robes and was holding her wand, ready.
”On the count of three, Jessica,” said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. ”One, two, three - Now!”
A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. A long forest green snake with shiny scales slithered out while making loud hissing sounds.
Jessica backed away, her wand up, and cried, ”Riddikulus!”
There was a squeaky noise of a blown balloon being touched, and the green snake turned into a balloon art, and immediately after, it started deflating while making a noise that sounded like a fart.
There was a roar of laughter and as the Boggart kept on leaking air and making fart noises, Lupin shouted, ”Carmicheal, next!”
Then the entire class went through the same thing as they faced something they feared and then turned it into something funny.
There were many animals and creatures, a few renditions of Snape, one of Filch, some parents, mummies, zombies, one big eye... but everything was turned into comic relief after a cry of 'Riddikulus'.
Eddie was scared of his mom, who looked furious and had a ladle in her hand. Marcus, on the other hand, feared screaming banshees.
Finally, it was Quinn's turn, who stepped forward after everyone was done and were talking among themselves.
Lupin thought everyone was done, but stopped when he saw Quinn step forward towards a disco-ball-shaped Boggart. He was interested to see what would be the Boggart of the Quinn West. Flitwick had said that Quinn was the brightest student he had ever taught. And the half-goblin had said it when Lily Potter was sitting with them.
His eyes widened when the Boggart turned into a replica of Quinn. But Boggart-Quinn had a wide smirk on his face and a wand in his hand.
'What in the world?' Lupin didn't know what to think. He wasn't sure what it meant when a Boggart turned into the person itself. Lupin turned his face to the real Quinn and thought, 'He fears himself?'
...
Quinn, who was looking at his Boggart, immediately knew what his greatest fear was.
'That smirk and the wand in his hand,' Quinn thought as he observed his Boggart, and he knew that this was his greatest fear, as his heart was starting to beat slightly faster.
Quinn's current biggest fear was him never escaping the sin's curse and giving in to the temptation of his wand. He feared how he would have turned out had the curse continued to have a hold on him. Quinn had even erased Lockhart's memories and was going to cause pain and suffering to Luna's bullies. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if the curse had continued to change him.
He feared that if the curse continued, then he would've been replaced by someone who looked like him but wasn't him. The fear that the base of his existence, his identity would've been erased without anyone knowing.
'Just like I replaced the original Quinn,' thought Quinn as he stared at the Boggart-Quinn and tightly balled his hands in a fist.
Quinn also dreaded the possibility that one day he would give in to the temptation that posed his wand, abandoning all the hard work he had done to develop his wandless magic. Quinn knew better than anybody else that if he started to use his wand, he would never be able to put it down. The temptation of power would be too much for him, a fatal flaw that would ruin him.
Those two things were Quinn's greatest fears.
He took a deep breath and raised his fake wand, and softly chanted, ”Riddikulus.”
Immediately, the Boggart-Quinn turned into green slime that tried to stay upright but then collapsed into a puddle.
He turned back and informed a bemused Lupin, ”Professor, everybody is done.”
Quinn's voice brought Lupin out of his thoughts, as he waited for a second and replied in a delayed manner, ”... Ah, yes, Quinn. Please, join your classmates. I'll lock the Boggart back into the wardrobe.”
Quinn didn't notice the oddness in Lupin as he was occupied with thinking about his fear.
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Quinn West - MC - A lot of introspection.
Draco Malfoy - Slytherin - Cunning genius or Daddy's boy
Remus Lupin - Werewolf - [Boggart = Full moon.]
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