Chapter 3: Fantastic Incorporeals
Not all magical creatures are made of flesh and blood. The addition of magic allows for the existence of a selection of more incorporeal forms, such entities spanning a range of degrees of sentience.
Boggarts
While not a pleasant creature to stumble across unexpectedly – and often outright traumatising – boggarts provide a useful tool in the identification and managing of your greatest fear. As this can easily turn into a major weakness, it can be prudent to identify it first in a controlled environment.
The key in this case is to keep calm, and remember that it is only a boggart showing a representation of your fear, not the fear itself. This is the true danger of unplanned encounters.
For planned sessions, it is recommended that the 'victim' confront the boggart as part of a group. This both keeps the witch or wizard grounded, and confuses the boggart. What one person fears, another may find amusing, meaning that an increased number of participants diffuses the effects. Be aware that the boggart's form still represents a genuine fear for that person, and all participants should remain respectful of that fact.
The official method of subduing a boggart consists of the use of riddiculus to force it into an amusing shape, then weakening it with laughter; alternatively, you may choose to fight the boggart's form directly. For example, the Patronus Charm works just as well against the effects of a boggart-dementor as a real one; if slight overkill.
When not in use boggarts prefer to hide in an enclosed space, which should be sealed and clearly labelled to prevent unexpected encounters.
Dementors
First, it should be noted that dementors are loathsome beings whose very presence is torture. They can only be controlled through the use of the demanding Patronus charm, or treaties including payment in human souls.
Ideally, they should be kept as far from sentient beings as possible. Where dementors are unwilling to comply with this, the above methods should be employed to restrict their presence to those considered deserving of their effects. This is the rationale behind Azkaban prison. While they provide adequate deterrent and debilitation, it should be noted that those most strongly affected by the dementors are also those who might otherwise be rehabilitated. It also causes long-term damage to any prisoners who are later released, either through having completed their sentence or the discovery of mitigating evidence.
It is not appropriate to place dementors around a school, even on the pretext of protecting the students. Their influence is omnidirectional, making their barrier suppressive not defensive. This not only effectively turns the school into a prison on par with Azkaban, but has already proved to be an insufficient barrier to the target they are intended to block.
Furthermore, the presence of dementors where they should not be means only one of two things. A) They were sent there, despite any claims to the contrary, or B) control no longer resides where thought. Either way, it does not mean that the witness/victim must be lying!
[While the author admits to some bias due to prior experiences, all points expressed remain valid.]
Ghosts
Ghosts are the intangible magical imprint left by witches and wizards who have died, but refuse to move on to the afterlife. Usually bound to a location significant to them in life, they interact with the living world to varying degrees according to their personality and death-limitations.
Just as a ghost's physical representation perpetually reflects the body' state at the time of death, so too the ghost's core mental and emotional state remains unchanged. This leads to them fixating on whatever issue they were most concerned with at this time - almost always relating to the circumstances leading to their death.
It is important to keep this focus in mind during interactions with ghosts, particularly when asking for their cooperation. Ghosts are far more likely to favour those who show an interest in their story (being the reason for their continued existence), than those with purely mundane concerns.
Given their unique perspective on history, cultivating a friendship with willing and available ghosts is to be encouraged, despite the occasional discomfort.
Poltergeists
Poltergeists are rare beings of magic, existing in places of high free-magic concentration. They are immortal, and contain human-level sapience, but flexible logic and morality. Their sole aim is to promote chaos for their amusement. (Fortunately, this generally takes the form of frequent but relatively minor pranks.)
While essentially harmless, poltergeist activities range from amusing to annoying to highly inconvenient. There are three approaches available for dealing with these.
The first is avoidance. Where possible, separate yourself from any disturbances, and do not allow the poltergeist to focus on you. If caught, show a moderate reaction, but do not escalate; poltergeists have a short attention span, and more on quickly when bored. This said, avoid showing no reaction to their activities, as this may be taken as a challenge and focus their attention on you.
The second, and most productive, method is redirection. As mentioned above, poltergeists have a short attention span, and an insatiable desire to cause chaos. A suitable suggestion of alternate activity or deserving target is often enough to get them to turn their attention elsewhere. Be aware however, that this negates the invisibility of the first method, and carries further consequences.
The final method is confrontation. Depending on approach, this can go very well or very badly. The later occurs from any attempts to exert authority over them. As beings of magic, poltergeists are exempt from mundane authority, and if pushed, will delight in proving the fact. Those of an appropriate mindset, however, may choose to retaliate in kind, initiating a prank war. While not for the faint-hearted, those who show skills in this arena are able to win a measure of respect, and may be granted certain concessions and assistance.
For day-to-day life, the first option is generally the most convenient, but the second can be highly desirable in the right circumstances.
AN: If you have an alternate name suggestion for this chapter please let me know; particularly if it replaces 'Incorporeals' with something appropriate starting with 'B'
