The Boggart That Did Not Know How to Change

The classroom door creaked open, and a musty smell wafted out.

The classroom was dimly lit, with a few rays of sunlight slanting in through the old curtains, casting a deep, eerie light and shadow over the entire room, giving it a somewhat chilly feel.

Several dilapidated desks and chairs lay scattered at the base of the wall, some of them even collapsed, with fragments of wood strewn all over the ground, like rough tombstones on a desolate grave in the wilderness.

In the corner, discarded teaching materials and books were piled up, and the old chandelier hanging from the ceiling was teetering on the verge of falling, occasionally making a slight creaking sound, as if it might fall down at any moment.

Overall, the classroom had clearly been tidied up; otherwise, there would have been little dust, and such a large empty space in the middle.

Lupin walked to the far end of the classroom. "I've spent quite a bit of time searching for this Boggart. So, the first question is, why is there Boggart here?"

With Wizet's reminder, the roommates were clearly prepared.

Upon hearing Lupin's first question, Anthony Goldstein immediately raised his hand, "Boggart like to lurk in dark, narrow, and old places."

"For example, in this old, cramped classroom, or to be more precise, its real hiding place is... that cabinet in the corner!"

As Anthony said, there was a locker in the corner of the classroom, the locker door was closed, and there were still traces of cobwebs on the edge.

Seemingly sensing everyone's gaze, the locker unexpectedly tilted backward, hitting the wall with a loud "thump".

The sudden commotion still caused a few students to gasp in surprise, and the lockers seemed to enjoy their reaction, moving even more violently.

"Excellent! Ravenclaw five points!" Lupin exclaimed, drowning out the sounds of the collision echoing in the classroom.

"That's Boggart. When they know someone's around, they always like to show off like this, giving you a little scare first!"

"So here's the second question: what do you think their behavior right now resembles? Use your imagination; this isn't in the book."

After a brief silence, Draco didn't raise his hand, but lazily said, "Like a pet white peacock..."

"It loves to show off. When people come over, it likes to spread its tail and flaunt it. The more exaggerated the people are, the happier it is."

Other students briefly whispered among themselves, unsure whether it was because Draco had answered a question or because of the white peacock mentioned in his answer.

"That's a very vivid description; it just loves to show off! Let me see..." Lupin looked in the direction of the voice, "Slytherin, five points!"

"I hope everyone can raise their hand before speaking, so that I can see you immediately and avoid accidentally giving the House Points to someone else."

He then asked Boggart several more questions, and Wizet's roommates eagerly answered them.

Lupin was also very generous, not stingy with the opportunity to earn extra points; as long as you answered the questions correctly, you could get extra points.

He seemed to be intentionally adjusting the atmosphere to ensure the classroom was relaxed and pleasant, as a preparation for dealing with Boggart.

"Alright! Next up is the main focus of our practical lesson—dealing with an impatient Boggart."

Seemingly in response to Lupin's words, Boggart's locker moved a few more times.

Lupin smiled and said in a spirited voice, "This Boggart doesn't know how many opponents it will face. Of course we will win!"

"Let's review the questions one last time. Having many people is the biggest advantage. Even if you feel scared, think about your classmates; they're all watching you!"

"We also need strong willpower, but I don't need to worry about that at all. You all did an excellent job in the last lesson! And finally, there's the spell— Riddikulus!"

"Once we confront our fears, recite this mantra and try to think of the most interesting or funny thing you've ever done. We've already practiced this, so it's that simple!"

The students had already lined up, Lupin quickly walked to the lockers.

He stood in the corner, looking at the students, and pointed his wand at the locker, saying, "Mr. Crabbe, the locker door will open when I count to 'one.' Ready?"

Vincent Crabbe gripped his wand tightly and nodded with difficulty.

"Relax, it's not that scary!" Lupin coughed lightly. "Three... two... one!"

He gently raised his wand, and a string of sparks flew from the tip of the wand, causing the locker door to spring open.

Boggart transformed Vincent Crabbe, also wielding a wand, emerged from the locker. As he fell to the ground, the wand sparked and ignited "himself."

Flames surged, Vincent Crabbe that Boggart had transformed into let out painful cries as he struggled to crawl forward, seemingly trying to pounce on the real Vincent Crabbe.

Seeing his own figure burning before him, Vincent Crabbe frantically took two steps back, his wand trembling as he raised it, but he couldn't utter the complete spell.

"Don't rush, let's try again later." Lupin moved Vincent Crabbe aside and said to Lisa Turpin of Ravenclaw, "Miss Turpin, show it what you're capable of!"

Lisa Turpin took a step forward, and the burning "Vincent Crabbe" suddenly grew taller, turning into a bloody, skinned horse.

This is a Magical creature called the Nuckelavee, which typically lives off the coast of the Northern British Isles and whose breath contains poison.

Lisa Turpin raised her wand. "Riddikulus!"

Nuckelavee, who had been spewing green poison gas, transformed into a brightly colored rocking horse.

Lupin said from the side, "Very good! Next!"

Draco Malfoy stepped forward, and the wobbly rocking horse quickly transformed, revealing Lucius Malfoy, leaning on Silver Carved Snake Head Cane, standing before him.

Boggart, now transformed into Lucius Malfoy, narrowed his eyes slightly and said in an extremely dejected tone, "I'm very disappointed in you!"

"Riddikulus!" Draco's voice trembled slightly, but he waved his wand with unwavering determination.

Boggart transformed into Lucius Malfoy in an instant, and a white peacock appeared before everyone's eyes, swaying its body and spreading its tail feathers, looking extremely magnificent.

It paced back and forth in front of everyone, as if showing off its tail.

"Next!"

Wizet stepped forward, but Boggart did not change anything, remaining in the form of a white peacock displaying its tail feathers.

However, at this moment, the white peacock's movements became stiff, and it no longer maintained its showy expression. Its tail feathers drooped down, revealing a sense of helplessness, as if it did not know what it should become.

"Hmm..." Lupin pursed his lips. Actually, he wasn't surprised that this kind of thing happened.

After spending these days with him, he had gained a basic understanding of Wizet's talent through conversations with the professors...