[HPforGrownups] Re: How Boggarts work (was Why is Lupin afraid of the floating silver orb?)

[devika261 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27346

In a message dated Mon, 8 Oct 2001  5:32:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, caliburncy at yahoo.com writes:

> 
> 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.

I agree.  Otherwise, Lupin might be afraid of seeing the moon in any phase, which I doubt.  I still think that the reason Lupin does not transform when he sees the boggart is that the boggart is not the real moon and that the actual moon is not full at the time.

> > 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.

Are boggarts even in FB?  I don't remember seeing them there, but I might have forgotten...
> 
<snip>
> 
> 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.

I love it!  Although I'm not sure what the wave/particle theory would have to do with psychology, but I guess that's OT, so never mind for now.
> 
> So I guess that's why it's magic, and science can just go sit in a 
> corner and sulk.
> 
Hear, hear!  I agree...and coming from a double science major, that probably means something :)

Devika, whose inclination toward scientific reasoning does not prevent her from suspending her disbelief when it comes to magic in HP