Boggart

"The entrance to Classroom 21 is related to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration." Albert led Katrina to the corridor on the Sixth Floor of the Castle.

"What is this, a test?" Katrina raised an eyebrow and looked at the portraits on both sides of the corridor. She knew that many of the portraits and tapestries hid secret passages behind them.

Albert laughed and said, "If that's what you think, I won't deny it."

"Did you find the entrance back then?" Katrina stared at Albert, seemingly very concerned about this question.

"Found it, but in the end, it was Isobel who led me into Classroom 21?"

"Why?" Katrina asked, puzzled.

"Because the way to get in is a bit unusual," Albert asked. "How about it, want to try it? Or should I just tell you where the entrance to Classroom 21 is?"

"I'll find it." Katrina glanced at Albert and began searching for the entrance to the Transfiguration Club on the sixth floor.

A dozen minutes later, the two had walked all over the sixth floor but still couldn't find the entrance to Classroom 21, so they returned to the original corridor.

"Fine, you win. I actually wasted my time on this. Where's the entrance?" Katrina bit her lip in frustration and asked Albert where the entrance to Classroom 21 was.

She knew she shouldn't waste her time on this sulking; she must have been angry with the other person, but she never expected to fall for it.

"Right here," Albert said, pointing to the portrait beside him.

"You weren't doing this on purpose, were you?!" Katrina's gaze towards Albert became a little strange. Was this guy really deliberately misleading her from beginning to end?

"No," Albert shook his head in denial. "Magic can't conjure up delicious food out of thin air."

"I know that," Katrina said, dissatisfied.

Ignoring the other person's tone, Albert said to the witch in the portrait, "We need to get into Classroom 21."

The witch nodded slightly to the two of them, and the painting suddenly moved to the side, revealing a hole about half a person's height in the wall behind it.

"You need to tell the witch to enter Classroom 21, and she will open the door for you," Albert reminded her.

"So you did it on purpose, right? What a wicked guy!" Katrina gave Albert a deep look, then bent down and crawled into the hole.

"Time Difference." Albert took out his pocket watch, glanced at the time, and looked up at Katrina, saying, "I'll be going now. I have Defense Against the Dark Arts later. Remember to tell Professor McGonagall for me at the party tonight."

"If I remember," Katrina muttered, watching Albert's departing figure.

Albert arrived at the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom before the school bell rang; most of the students were already there.

Professor Rowena appeared in the classroom as the bell rang. Under everyone's gaze, he walked to the podium, took out the class roster, and began, "I received a letter from Professor Broad, who told me about your progress. Now, what you need to learn is to understand, recognize, and know how to deal with dark Magical Creatures, such as Boggart, Red Cap, Hinkypunk, and Grindylow..."

Professor Rowena glanced at the roster, then scanned the classroom to make sure no one was missing before continuing, "Today, all you need to do is bring your wands and figure out how to deal with Boggart. Come with me. Trying to put it into practice won't be easy; I had to go to great lengths to get someone to bring you a Boggart from outside."

Professor Rowena led everyone away from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom to a long-abandoned classroom on the Third Floor. Inside, besides stacks of dusty desks, there was a box. As Professor Rowena approached the box, it suddenly shook, startling everyone.

"Without a doubt, this Boggart is eager to come out and scare people." Professor Rowena plopped down on the box, calmly surveyed everyone, and raised his index finger to ask, "Now, can anyone tell me what Boggart is?"

Everyone looked at each other, and finally their eyes all focused on Albert, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Well then, Albert," Professor Rowena noticed everyone's reaction, looked at Albert, and asked, "I think this question shouldn't be difficult for you."

"Boggart is a Transfiguration non-being that appears out of thin air but has never lived. It can transform itself into anything that anyone nearby would fear."

"They especially like to live in dark and narrow spaces, such as wardrobes, gaps under beds, sinks, storage cabinets under desks, and boxes, and like to prove their existence by making some noises."

"No one knows what Boggart is like when it's alone, because it instantly transforms into what that person fears most." Albert paused after saying this, then continued, "Perhaps, we can try to capture what Boggart looks like when it's alone through some special means."

"A brilliant idea. However, it requires the necessary equipment to attempt." Professor Rowena was very satisfied with Albert's idea and gave Gryffindor a ten-point bonus.

"So, can anyone tell me the best way to deal with Boggart? 'Go in pairs,' Lee Jordan said."

"Yes, that's why we have a great advantage when facing Boggart now, because this way we can confuse it. Boggart becomes a bizarre thing when there are many people around." Professor Rowena didn't care at all about the box swaying under his buttocks and continued, "The spell to repel Boggart is simple. You just need to concentrate and force it into the form you find ridiculous. But there's one thing you need to know: what really scares Boggart away is your laughter. Otherwise, when you chant a spell on Boggart, you're only changing its form, not completely defeating it."

"Now, without using your wand, repeat after me the spell: Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus!" the whole class exclaimed in unison.

"Very good. Let's test this spell in practice. Who wants to go first?" Professor Rowena clapped his hands and looked at the class, asking, "Nobody?"

"I'll go first," Albert stepped forward.

"Very good, Albert," Professor Rowena asked, "What are you most afraid of?"

"Well, actually, I'm also curious about what I'm afraid of," Albert replied with a shrug.

To be honest, Albert really didn't know what he was afraid of.

His secret has been discovered? "Alright, in a moment Boggart will become something you fear. You need to imagine how you can force it to become something ridiculous. Imagine it in your mind first, then recite the incantation." Professor Rowena was actually speaking to the other students.

"Now, everyone step back. We need to leave Boggart a clearing so it can be free from other people's interference." Professor Rowena gestured for everyone to move to the wall, leaving Albert alone to face Boggart in the box.

Are you ready?

"Alright." Albert raised his wand and stared at the swaying box.

"One, two, three, begin!" Professor Rowena used a spell to open the box.

Boggart burst out of the box, and the moment he met Albert, he suddenly spun around and turned into... a thick book.

Not only Albert, but everyone else in the classroom was stunned and began to whisper among themselves.

Many people even craned their necks to look ahead, seemingly trying to figure out exactly what kind of book Albert's Boggart had become.

"I have to say, he's truly Albert; even his fears are different from everyone else's," Lee Jordan couldn't help but complain. "Is he afraid the book is too thin, and he'll finish it in one go?"

"Professor Rowena, what's going on?" George asked in astonishment.

"Perhaps, this just means that Albert himself might not have anything to fear, so Boggart ..." Professor Rowena hadn't finished speaking when he saw Albert walk forward and raise his hands to pat the book, trying... well, trying to open the book. Was he trying to see what was inside? That's right, Albert was trying to open the book that Boggart had turned into! In fact, when Boggart turned into a book, Albert had already guessed what it was— the Harry Potter Complete Collection.

So, what he was afraid of was actually the fear of the Harry Potter storyline being changed? Maybe yes, maybe no, Albert himself couldn't be sure.

However, Albert now wants to try and see if the book can be opened so he can flip through its contents.

However, the items Boggart conjures do not seem to have this function.

"If you can't even open it, what use are you?" Albert threw the book on the ground and stomped on it several times.

Everyone else in the classroom was stunned.

That's just too audacious!

At that moment, they suddenly felt a little sorry for the Boggart.

"You came out here to scare people, now you've met your match!" Professor Rowena's lips twitched as he quickly stepped forward to stop Albert's brutality. "Wait, Albert, please don't treat this Boggart so roughly. Give everyone a chance to practice."

After Professor Rowena appeared, Boggart finally escaped the misfortune of being trampled underfoot and became a corpse.

Albert frowned slightly, glanced at Professor Rowena beside him, and stepped aside.

"Alright! If that's how it has to be." Professor Rowena sighed, raised his wand, and chanted the spell. "Riddikulus!"

With a bang, the body disappeared and was put into a coffin.

"Albert, thank you for your help." Professor Rowena stepped aside, allowing Albert to face Boggart again.

The coffin transformed back into a book, which was eventually encased in iron and became a brick.

However, no one paid attention to Boggart; everyone noticed that Professor Rowena seemed a little downcast.

"It was a good friend of mine who died in a magical experiment," Professor Rowena said sadly. "Alright, everyone, line up and come forward to try casting a spell on Boggart."

No one would laugh at Professor Rowena; there was no doubt that the death of his close friend had dealt him a heavy blow.

Fred and George's Boggart both turned into giant Acromantula, and they were almost eaten by them a few months ago, leaving them with some psychological trauma.

However, they put ice skates on all eight of the Acromantula's legs, causing it to lose its balance and dance in place, unable to stand up. This comical scene made everyone laugh.

Lee Jordan's Boggart was even funnier; he turned into a plate of spilled Bertie Bott's Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. However, it was filled with disgusting flavors like earwax Snivellus, which made him the butt of jokes from Fred and George for a long time.