Professor Lupin paced slowly in front of the wardrobe, then continued his questioning.
"Given the nature of Boggarts, this means that before we begin our practical exercise, we actually have a huge advantage over this creature... Have you identified this advantage... hmm, Hermione?"
Professor Lupin had originally intended to call on Harry, but the poor boy was currently hiding himself thoroughly due to Snape's punishment. Being called upon would inevitably draw everyone's attention, which would only make Harry feel even more uncomfortable.
His reason for choosing Hermione was simple—the girl's hand was practically waving right in front of his face. It would be rather impolite not to let her answer.
Ah, being a professor is truly challenging...
Hermione lowered her hand, looking absolutely delighted. Being able to confidently showcase the extensive knowledge she'd gained through constant effort and receive recognition and praise from professors had always been one of the girl's greatest pleasures. She thrived on this positive feedback, becoming more enthusiastic about learning with each success.
"We have quite a large group here, so the Boggart doesn't know what form to take to frighten all of us at once. As a result, its final transformation often becomes some ridiculous hybrid that fails to scare anyone—an attempt to terrify everyone that ends up being completely ineffective."
"Excellent answer, Miss Granger."
Professor Lupin smiled and nodded at Hermione, his admiration for this remarkably learned young witch growing even stronger.
Honestly, even back when he was a third-year student, neither he nor his peers could have summarized a Boggart's characteristics and weaknesses so comprehensively. They probably wouldn't have even known what a Boggart was!
"That's absolutely right. When dealing with Boggarts, the best approach is to have plenty of people present."
"The more people there are, the more complex and numerous the fearful images the Boggart senses from their minds become. This confuses them—what exactly should they transform into?"
"A headless corpse? A flesh-eating slug?"
"I once witnessed a Boggart make precisely this mistake—trying to frighten two people simultaneously, it turned itself into half a slug. Not frightening in the slightest."
Professor Lupin cleared his throat and continued the lesson.
"Very well, now that we've quickly familiarized ourselves with Boggarts, let's learn the spell to repel them."
"There are specific incantations for driving away Boggarts. What I'm teaching you today is the simplest among them, but it requires considerable willpower."
"What truly frightens Boggarts away is laughter, so all you need to do is force it to transform into something you find amusing."
"Now, let's practice the incantation without our wands first. Follow me: Riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!"
It felt almost like being back in kindergarten as everyone chanted along with Professor Lupin in unison.
"Very good. However, that's probably the easy part. As you know, merely reciting the incantation is completely insufficient... So, would anyone like to come forward and give it a try?"
This time Hermione didn't volunteer. Instead, she retreated to Glenn's side, showing no desire whatsoever to raise her hand.
"I suspect your thoughts right now are the same as mine," Hermione whispered to Glenn, her tone giving nothing away.
He nodded and took her hand.
The girl smiled gently and squeezed Glenn's hand tightly.
There was a small commotion in the crowd. Some students seemed eager to try, while others were reluctant to be the first volunteer. Basically, no one was prepared to go first.
Nobody wanted to fail at spellcasting in front of everyone and lose face.
Even so, there were still brave souls in this class.
Neville quietly murmured "excuse me" to those around him, then struggled through the crowd to stand before Professor Lupin.
"I'd like to give it a try, Professor."
"Neville Longbottom... correct?"
Professor Lupin stared intently at Neville for a long moment, then nodded.
"The Longbottoms are among the bravest people... Very well, Neville. First question: what do you fear most in this world?"
Neville hadn't anticipated this step, and the boy froze completely.
Yes, what did he fear most now?
The timid little boy of the past was long gone, replaced by someone who had endured rigorous training and become a true man.
Now, perhaps the only thing that could stir negative emotions in Neville's heart was that Death Eater—the one he could never forget, the one he absolutely had to take revenge on, the one he absolutely had to kill with his own hands.
In the past, she had brought Neville nothing but fear, but now that fear had long since transformed into deep-seated rage and murderous intent buried in his heart. The fear had completely dissipated.
So, what do I fear most?
Neville asked himself this question but couldn't find an answer.
"I'm not sure, Professor. I can't find the answer."
After pondering for a moment, Neville gave this reply to Professor Lupin.
"Oh... I see. Well, that's perfectly fine. You can start by imagining how to forcibly transform that unknown thing into something that appears ridiculous."
"Perhaps some old, comical attire, or perhaps direct physical transformation. Of course, those imaginings of yours should be able to appear vividly in your mind—only then can you strengthen your will and ultimately impose those ridiculous changes upon the Boggart."
Lupin continued:
"If Neville succeeds in a moment, this Boggart will likely turn its attention to each of you, so I hope you'll all take some time now to think about what you fear most, and then imagine how you might force it to become something that looks ridiculous."
Everyone nodded, and the room fell quiet as each person contemplated deeply.
But Glenn and Hermione were different—they simply held each other's hands tightly.
They had already made their decision, a plan they'd formulated when they first learned of the existence of creatures called Boggarts in this world.
"Professor, I'm ready."
Neville was the first to raise his head, addressing Professor Lupin and requesting to begin the practical exercise.
"Very well, then. Everyone step back and give Neville some space."
Everyone complied, leaving only Neville standing resolutely before the wardrobe, his wand pointed directly at the door.
"I'll count to three, Neville."
Professor Lupin said this, then raised his wand.
"One—two—three—begin!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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