Ridiculing the moon

[clio44a]

No: HPFGUIDX 53784

A professional lurker, I have found something which I believe has not 
been discussed to death yet.
A couple of days ago there was a short discussion about the scene in 
POA where Lupion teaches his boggart class. While I disagree with the 
idea of said thread (Snape=cockroach animagus) it made me think about 
that particular scene. And something struck me as odd.

Why on earth does Professor Lupin's boggart (the moon) turn into a 
cockroach after the Riddikulus spell??

Here's the quote (POA,ch.7,THE BOGGART IN THE WARDROBE):
'The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly
around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging 
in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily.

Crack!

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggart 
landed on the floor as a cockroach.'


What's funny about a cockroach? Lupin himself, when lecturing his 
students how to face the boggart, says it should be forced into 
something comical.

Quote: '"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires 
force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is 
laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you 
find amusing.'

and later

'"I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing 
that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look 
comical...."'

When the students have their go at the boggart they all manage to 
press whatever is frightening them into a funny, slapstick-like 
situation.

Neville: Snape-in Grandma's dress
Parvati: bloodstained mummy-trips on bandage
Seamus: banshee-looses voice
Dean: severed hand-caught in mouse trap
Ron: giant spider-rolling furball

Now, Lupin's moon boggart gets turned into a cockroach. Odd, isn't it?
I don't see the connection between a cockroach and the moon/Lupin's 
lycantrophy (sp?). From the student's attemps it seems to be required 
to picture the object of fear in a comic situation. How does turning 
the moon into a cockroach make fun of the moon? 
Any ideas?

BTW, how *do* you ridicule the moon? Picturing the sunrise? a 
little 'Apollo' landing on it? 

Maybe it is only necessary to conjure a funny picture in your mind. 
But, ... a cockroach?
Why would Lupin find a cockroach amusing?

Maybe the orb Lupin's boggart became wasn't the moon after all? 
Unlikely, I know.  

Clio,
proud to be a 'Euro-weasel' animagus