How Boggarts work (was Why is Lupin afraid of the floating silver orb?)

[caliburncy at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27328

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., cynthiaanncoe at h... wrote:
> So if Lupin knew he were going to encounter a boggart, and if he 
> knew what form it would take when it saw him (Ron's muttering about 
> the spider tells us that wizards can predict the form the boggart 
> chooses), it only makes sense that he'd have a swig of wolfsbane 
> potion to make sure he wouldn't transform during the lessons.  
> Perhaps had he not consumed wolfsbane potion beforehand, then the 
> boggart's turning into the moon would indeed have caused him to 
> transform right there in the classroom.

Ah, but the wolfsbane potion doesn't stop the transformation 
altogether, it just allows him to keep his human "sanity".  Lupin says 
of the wolfsbane potion he could "curl up, a harmless wolf" after 
taking it.

So you need to first prescribe to the "possible side-effects of 
wolfsbane" theory for this to work.

Anyway, I personally tend to agree that it's the phases of the moon 
and not the sight of the moon that makes the difference.

> So, if a boggart has the powers of the form it assumes, is Harry in 
> danger of being Kissed when he does not successfully conjure a 
> Patronus to ward off the boggart/dementor?

I maintain that Harry's reaction to the boggart is not conclusive 
proof that the boggart assumes the capabilities of its form 
counterpart, though that may well be true.

1) Harry's reaction could be psychologically-induced purely without 
any abilities of the boggart.
2) The boggart may only be limited to taking on the *psychological* 
capabilities of its form counterpart since it, itself, is a 
psychologically-based creature.  Hence, physical capabilities like the 
Kiss or an acromantula bite or even basic physical contact might be 
beyond it.  We don't yet know if the boggart is ethereal like the 
ghosts or actaully comprised of solid, worldly matter.

Unless it says so in Fantastic Beasts, which I do not own yet, sadly.

Of course, the ghosts do have some sway over physical matter in order 
to be able to speak, which requires vibrating sound waves through the 
air.  Unless they simply move their mouths and transmit thoughts to 
the listener, which would again be psychological.

And once you start getting into the science of it, then there's also 
the fact that particle/wave theory would hold that there may not be 
any difference between the psychological and the physical.  And then 
things get really crazy.

So I guess that's why it's magic, and science can just go sit in a 
corner and sulk.

-Luke