Questions on Boggarts

[losangelis]

No: HPFGUIDX 72976

I keep beating this topic around in my head, as to why the moon 
didn't affect Lupin when it appeared as his boggart.

To me, it seems sensible that the moon is, particularly in a world of 
magic, possessing of incredible powers.  The lunar "rays", if you 
will, from the moon cannot be simply recreated from a boggart.  Lupin 
only changes during a full moon...we have never heard of moonlight 
being replicated so that it would affect a lycanthrope.  So the 
boggart couldn't actually come up with the power to change Lupin.  
Also, because of the wolfsbane potion, Lupin doesn't fear the moon as 
he probably once did (thought it is strange, then, that it would 
appear as Lupin's worst fear).

Harry, on the other hand, is affected by the Boggart Dementor.  My 
guess is that the boggart is able to duplicate some of the "aura" of 
the dementor, certainly not its full power or the power of its kiss, 
but that aura combined with Harry's terror of the effects of a real 
dementor allows his untrained mind to be affected...to fool itself in 
believing the terror is there, and then, opening up his repressed 
memories more and more.

So, I don't think JKR screwed this one up at all.  It think it is 
more the working of Harry's mind that creates the effect than the 
boggart itself.

Plus, it makes good reading. :-)

Wiley