Boggart

A Boggart is a creature from English folklore that can change its shape to match the worst fear of whoever sees it.

It is not a living being, but a non-being that feeds on fear.

No one knows what a Boggart looks like in its natural state, as it always transforms when someone is near.

Boggarts can be found in dark and confined places, such as closets, cabinets, or under the bed.

They can also haunt certain locations, such as bridges, caves, or fields.

To defend against a Boggart, one must use the Boggart-Banishing Spell, which is "Riddikulus".

This spell forces the Boggart to assume a less frightening and more humorous form, which can then be laughed at.

Laughter is the best way to weaken a Boggart and make it disappear.

However, it is not easy to perform this spell, as one must overcome their fear and imagine something funny.

It is also helpful to have more than one person present, as this confuses the Boggart and makes it less scary.

Boggarts are featured in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, where they are encountered by several characters and taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes.

• A mad, cannibalistic hermit that lived in a cave in Canterbury.
  This was actually a very small boggart that used echoes to sound scary.

• A murderous thug that roamed the streets of London in the nineteenth century.
  This was a boggart that had taken on the form of a human criminal, but could be turned into a hamster with a spell.

• An elephantine black shadow with glowing white eyes that haunted Strathtully in Scotland.
  This was a boggart that had fed on the fears of the local Muggles and grown very large, but was eventually trapped in a matchbox by a wizard.

• A giant spider, a snake, a clown, or anything else that someone is afraid of.
  These are boggarts that have taken on the form of common phobias, and can be made to look ridiculous with the spell 'Riddikulus'.