"Riddikulus!"
The entire class spoke in unison.
"Very good!" Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "But that by itself won't do the trick... The spell to repel a Boggart is simple, but it also requires the caster's willpower. What truly drives a Boggart away is laughter. You must force it to take a form that you find ridiculous!"
"Something ridiculous?" Following Dumbledore's instruction, the class lowered their heads, deep in thought.
Jon pursed his lips slightly.
The Boggart would take the shape of whatever he feared most. What would that be?
A Basilisk?
Unlikely. The only time he'd faced one, his eyes had been tightly shut the entire time—he hadn't even seen what it looked like. If it did appear, it would probably just look like some dark, formless blob.
Maybe a blank college entrance exam score sheet?
That exam was years in the past. Even if the Boggart transformed into something flashy, it couldn't scare him now.
Or would it turn into a live nuclear bomb?
Well... would something that huge even fit in the classroom? And having a hydrogen bomb appear in front of all these students wouldn't exactly send the right message.
While Jon was lost in these wild thoughts, Albus Dumbledore stepped forward and said,
"Alright then, let's give it a try... Miss Selwyn, would you like to go first?"
The Slytherin first-year, Selwyn, bravely took two steps forward. She trembled slightly as she drew her wand and pointed it at the wardrobe.
"Don't be nervous," Dumbledore reassured her. "Picture something funny... Everyone else, please step back and give Miss Selwyn some space... I'll call the next student forward."
The others retreated to the wall, leaving Selwyn alone by the wardrobe.
She looked pale, clearly frightened.
"I'll count to three, Miss Selwyn..." Dumbledore said gently, also pointing his wand at the wardrobe. "One, two, three—go!"
A spark shot from the tip of the Elder Wand, striking the wardrobe's handle. The door burst open.
A massive golden lion—smooth-skinned and maneless—crawled out of the wardrobe. It locked its eyes on Selwyn, letting out a low, furious growl.
Dumbledore frowned slightly, then said, "A man-eating Chavoh lion from Tanzania... Miss Selwyn, quickly now, think of something funny..."
Selwyn stumbled back a few steps, raised her wand—but she was frozen, unable to speak.
The lion crept closer, step by step.
"Rid... Rid... Riddikulus!" Selwyn screamed.
Flames instantly engulfed the lion, burning away its sparse fur in seconds and leaving behind a lump of blackened charcoal.
"Hahaha!" The students burst into laughter.
"Well done, Miss Selwyn... Next, Mr. Smith."
Zacharias Smith stepped forward.
The blackened lump circled him twice, then slowly began to shift and take form.
It turned into a middle-aged woman in her forties, her face full of sternness and anger.
She stormed toward Zacharias, reaching into her robes.
"M-Mom..." Zacharias muttered, lowering his head in fear.
A few Hufflepuff students chuckled quietly. Bold and brash as he was, Smith was terrified of his mother.
"No need to panic, Mr. Smith. Remember—it's only a Boggart," Dumbledore said lazily.
Snapping out of it, Zacharias raised his wand. "Riddikulus!"
The image of Mrs. Smith was knocked back a few steps, and then cream cake splattered all over her. She flailed helplessly, trying to wipe it off.
Zacharias burst into laughter.
The whole class laughed along—even Jon couldn't help it.
Dumbledore glanced down at the register. "Miss Midgen!"
Before her, the Boggart turned into a bloodied mummy wrapped in bandages.
But the bandages quickly unraveled, and the mummy collapsed awkwardly to the floor.
"Next... Mr. Avery!"
The fallen mummy transformed into a massive Common Welsh Green dragon, its body nearly filling the room.
Moments later, it turned into a mouse hanging upside down by its tail.
"The Boggart is weakening. Next, Miss Greengrass."
Astoria, who had just been laughing with Selwyn about the upside-down mouse, stepped forward from the crowd.
The little mouse still squeaked in the air, but now its gaze fixed on Astoria.
Slowly, it began to change again...
This time, it became a mirror.
Jon frowned instinctively, and murmurs started among the students nearby.
It was a beautiful bronze mirror, adorned with elegant carvings on both top corners and inscribed with ornate runes. Aside from that, there was nothing unusual... It floated in mid-air, inching toward Astoria.
But the expected shout of "Riddikulus" never came.
When Jon glanced at Astoria, his expression changed instantly.
"Wait!" he shouted.
Astoria Greengrass's face had gone ghostly pale... She stood frozen, trembling, sweat pouring down her forehead. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, like she could collapse at any moment.
Clack! Her willow wand slipped from her hand and hit the floor.
Jon didn't hesitate. He rushed forward from the crowd and caught her just in time.
The blonde girl fell limp into his arms, and he quickly steadied her... She slumped against him, trembling and sobbing uncontrollably, her voice filled with pure fear and helplessness.
She couldn't even speak.
Dumbledore was already moving. In fact, he had stepped between Astoria and the Boggart a few seconds earlier.
The mirror began shifting again, turning into a strange creature of black mist, radiating an icy aura.
"Riddikulus!" Dumbledore cast the spell, and Jon could hear a trace of anger in his voice.
The Boggart, now transformed into an Obscurus, was nearly obliterated by the spell.
"Professor Dumbledore, she needs the Hospital Wing!" Jon said urgently.
"I believe you're right, Mr. Hart," Dumbledore said with a grave nod.
With Dumbledore's permission, Jon lifted the limp Astoria and carried her out of the classroom.
As he left, he heard Dumbledore's voice behind him:
"Miss Selwyn, please head to the Charms classroom and tell Miss Daphne Greengrass to go to the Hospital Wing immediately. Her sister isn't doing well."