HP: The Moon Over the Magic Academy

"Don't worry," Lupin calmly reassured everyone.

Some of the more astute young wizards cautiously took a few steps back.

What a joke! Draco's example is still fresh in our minds; they would never risk their lives like that.

"It's just a mud monster inside."

Draco tried to pull Landric back a few steps.

"Now you know to worry about your own safety?" Landric said, but his body didn't take a single step back.

Many students in the class remained hesitant, with Neville looking at Lupin with unease, while Simonfini stared intently at the clicking doorknob, ready to run out at the slightest sign of trouble.

"Mud monsters like dark and enclosed spaces," Lupin said. "Like this wardrobe, or an opening under the bed, or under the cupboard... Of course, I've even seen one hiding inside an old clock."

He came to my place yesterday afternoon, and since everyone was going to have Defense Against the Dark Arts class anyway, I asked Headmaster Dumbledore for permission to stay behind and give you third-year wizards some practice.

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Lupin continued, "First of all, before we begin this lesson, I need to ask you a question: What is a mud monster?"

Hermione immediately raised her hand. "A shapeshifting monster can turn into the thing we fear most."

"This isn't the best interpretation from our own perspective," Lupin said, looking at Hermione and giving her an approving look.

Hermione smiled calmly at Lupin.

"His name is Boggart, and when he's hiding in the dark, no one knows what shape he takes. Of course, he also doesn't know what form he should take to frighten the person on the other side of the door."

But when we let him out, he instantly transforms into the person we fear most.

"This also means that before our class even begins, you already have a very important advantage over Boggart. Do you all know what his weakness is? Harry, you tell me."

Harry scratched his head as usual.

Hermione, who was next to him, wanted to answer the question and kept raising her hand up and down.

But this time Harry didn't disappoint her. "Um...it's because there are so many of us now, and we don't know what shape the Boggart will turn into?"

Lupin looked delighted and said, "Absolutely right! When you're dealing with a Boggart, confusing him is half the battle won. He might even become a headless corpse?"

Landric stared blankly at the wardrobe, no longer listening to Lupin's words.

As intelligent as Landrico was, how could he not know Lupin's intentions?

Lupin's request for the Boggart course was not simply to complete teaching tasks, but more to use Boggart to secretly identify and screen three types of people, as well as to obtain confidential intelligence. This course was his low-cost, natural psychological lie detector.

Boggart's core characteristic is that he exposes people's deepest fears; he is a mirror of the mind that cannot be faked.

Spells, acting, and disguises are all ineffective; a person's deepest obsessions, secrets, and traumas will be directly manifested. There is no better lie detector than the Boggart; Dumbledore couldn't possibly be unaware of this, and his cooperation with Lupin is truly remarkable.

Since the start of this semester, Harry and Hermione have been interacting with Landric much less openly, and the two have even been subtly creating the illusion of being a couple.

Lupin's teasing of the two on the train is the best proof of this.

However, now that the original plot has deviated so much, Landric doesn't know what these two people are most afraid of. He just hopes that he won't be involved later.

"Breaking the Boggart's magic is actually quite simple, but it requires a lot of mental power. You just need to keep thinking about an interesting shape, and then you'll find that the Boggart really does turn into that ridiculous thing."

"Come on, everyone, raise your wands, but don't put any magic in them, and repeat after me... Hahaha!"

Everyone exclaimed in unison, "Hilarious! Hilarious!"

“Very good,” Lupin said, “Very good. But that’s only the easiest part. What I’m really worried about is that you only know the incantation.”

"Nawi, come here."

The wardrobe, unlike Neville, didn't cower and instead made a loud noise, while Neville seemed to be forced onto the guillotine.

"By the way, Neville, let me ask you a question first: what do you find most frightening?"

Neville's lips moved, but no sound came out.

Landric looked at Neville expectantly.

Is a memorable scene about to unfold?

Lupin comforted Neville, saying, "Don't overthink it."

Neville looked around as if he were considering his options, then said in an almost inaudible voice, "Professor Snape."

The cramped lounge erupted in loud laughter. Neville, looking rather foolish, joined in the laughter.

Professor Lupin seemed to ponder for a moment, then urged in an eager tone, "Professor Snape? Hmm... Neville, I remember you lived with your grandmother, right?"

"Yes, yes, but... I don't want to turn Boggart into my grandmother."

Professor Lu Ping quickly waved his hand, "No, no, no, you misunderstood me. I'm just curious, could you tell us what kind of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville was a little shocked, but quickly understood Lupin's intention: "She... always wore the same hat, and a long dress, and a scarf... usually green."

Landric's smile faded slightly as he listened to Lupin's obviously excited tone.

"Very good, very good. So, Neville, when Boggart jumps out of this closet, he'll see you and then quickly transform into Professor Snape," Lupin said. "Then you raise your wand, shout the spell, and, with a little more effort, gather your grandmother's clothes onto Professor Snape, okay?"

The laughter grew louder, the wardrobe door began to loosen, and the things inside shook even more violently.

"If Neville succeeds, Boggart will likely turn his attacks on each of us, so while Neville prepares, everyone else should be prepared as well."

A silence fell over the room, and Harry glanced anxiously at Hermione.

Clearly, Landric had thought of the same thing.

This period was precisely the time when they intended to reduce their public interactions, because no one could guarantee that Dumbledore would minimize his involvement with Landric when he planned to use Harry in the future.

Harry wondered what he was most afraid of.

The first person he thought of was Voldemort, Voldemort with his full power, Voldemort resurrected.

But her thoughts began to drift, turning to the blood-soaked figure being tightly embraced by Tana Rozier at the end of last semester...

Hermione, what should we do?