DISCLAIMER: All characters and other elements from the Harry Potter books
belong to J.K. Rowling. Snoggarts are inspired by Rowling's work; however,
they are my own invention.
***
In their first night back at Hogwarts, most of the Gryffindor boys were sleeping peacefully. But Harry was tossing and turning in his sleep. He was dreaming that he was being chased by a boggart through the corridors of Hogwarts. As it always was for Harry, the boggart was in the form of a dementor. Only this dementor had ridiculously large, berry red lips. It was getting closer to Harry, trying to give him a kiss.
"It's a snoggart!" someone shouted.
And suddenly, Remus Lupin leaped in between Harry and the dementor. Harry watched as it bore down on Lupin and ---
Harry woke with a start. He waited for the pounding in his heart to subside, and then, because it was light out, he decided he might as well get up. Harry dressed and went down to the common room to wait for Ron and Hermione.
Hermione and Ginny came down from the girls' dormitory a few minutes later.
"Harry, I tried to find out what snoggarts are," Hermione said. "I looked through a few of my books last night before bed, but I didn't find anything. I have a few more books I want to check at breakfast."
Ron and Neville joined them, and they went down to the Great Hall.
Harry ate his breakfast quietly, while Hermione scanned her books for any mention of snoggarts.
"Snog art?" Ron said. "Maybe it's like a painting that kisses you."
"I don't think so, Ron," Hermione said. "Besides, it's one word: snoggart."
Harry wondered if he should tell them about his dream of a dementor trying to kiss him, but he decided not to mention it.
"Here! . . . Oh, hmm . . . That's interesting . . ." Hermione said. "Listen to this: 'The last snoggart is believed to have been eradicated in 1978.' That's all it says."
Luna Lovegood was making her way over to the Gryffindor table. Harry scooted over to make room for her, and she sat down breathlessly.
"Did you hear?" Luna said, her eyes shining with excitement. "There are snoggarts at Hogwarts! Of course, the ministry says they were all killed in 1978, but I never believed that. The ministry still won't admit they exist, but I heard Professor McGonagall talking to Professor Flitwick about them. I would love to meet one, wouldn't you?"
"No," Ron said rudely.
Hermione just looked grumpy that Luna had known about snoggarts and didn't have to look it up in a book.
"We'd better go to class," Hermione said, gathering up her books.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville left the table and made their way to their first class: Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Professor Moody entered the classroom and surveyed them all.
"You can put your wands away," he said. "You won't be needing them."
The class groaned. This was the way Professor Umbridge's class had been. They doubted they could fight the dark arts without wands. What were they going to do, use wandless magic?
"My job," Moody said, "is to teach you about snoggarts. We'll stay on this subject as long as it takes to teach you what you need to know. Now, who here knows what a snoggart is? . . . Miss Granger?"
"The last snoggart is believed to have been eradicated in 1978," Hermione said. "But I couldn't find any other information about them."
"They were not eradicated, even though that is what the ministry believes," Professor Moody said. "They probably did go into a period of dormancy around that time. And when they aren't seen, people tend to forget they exist. But they always re-emerge, and Hogwarts is one of their favorite places. We are currently in one of the worst snoggart infestations I have ever seen. They can be dangerous and very tricky.
"I know you all know what a boggart is. Well, a snoggart is very similar to a boggart. But a boggart changes itself into the thing it thinks you will most fear. A snoggart changes itself into the thing it thinks you will most love. And, some of you are more likely than others to be attacked by snoggarts."
Harry felt Professor Moody's gaze bearing down on him.
*** A/N ***
There's more on snoggarts coming up. Yes, snoggart is a combination of the words "snog" and "boggart."
Thanks to everyone who's reading, enjoying and reviewing my story.
***
In their first night back at Hogwarts, most of the Gryffindor boys were sleeping peacefully. But Harry was tossing and turning in his sleep. He was dreaming that he was being chased by a boggart through the corridors of Hogwarts. As it always was for Harry, the boggart was in the form of a dementor. Only this dementor had ridiculously large, berry red lips. It was getting closer to Harry, trying to give him a kiss.
"It's a snoggart!" someone shouted.
And suddenly, Remus Lupin leaped in between Harry and the dementor. Harry watched as it bore down on Lupin and ---
Harry woke with a start. He waited for the pounding in his heart to subside, and then, because it was light out, he decided he might as well get up. Harry dressed and went down to the common room to wait for Ron and Hermione.
Hermione and Ginny came down from the girls' dormitory a few minutes later.
"Harry, I tried to find out what snoggarts are," Hermione said. "I looked through a few of my books last night before bed, but I didn't find anything. I have a few more books I want to check at breakfast."
Ron and Neville joined them, and they went down to the Great Hall.
Harry ate his breakfast quietly, while Hermione scanned her books for any mention of snoggarts.
"Snog art?" Ron said. "Maybe it's like a painting that kisses you."
"I don't think so, Ron," Hermione said. "Besides, it's one word: snoggart."
Harry wondered if he should tell them about his dream of a dementor trying to kiss him, but he decided not to mention it.
"Here! . . . Oh, hmm . . . That's interesting . . ." Hermione said. "Listen to this: 'The last snoggart is believed to have been eradicated in 1978.' That's all it says."
Luna Lovegood was making her way over to the Gryffindor table. Harry scooted over to make room for her, and she sat down breathlessly.
"Did you hear?" Luna said, her eyes shining with excitement. "There are snoggarts at Hogwarts! Of course, the ministry says they were all killed in 1978, but I never believed that. The ministry still won't admit they exist, but I heard Professor McGonagall talking to Professor Flitwick about them. I would love to meet one, wouldn't you?"
"No," Ron said rudely.
Hermione just looked grumpy that Luna had known about snoggarts and didn't have to look it up in a book.
"We'd better go to class," Hermione said, gathering up her books.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville left the table and made their way to their first class: Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Professor Moody entered the classroom and surveyed them all.
"You can put your wands away," he said. "You won't be needing them."
The class groaned. This was the way Professor Umbridge's class had been. They doubted they could fight the dark arts without wands. What were they going to do, use wandless magic?
"My job," Moody said, "is to teach you about snoggarts. We'll stay on this subject as long as it takes to teach you what you need to know. Now, who here knows what a snoggart is? . . . Miss Granger?"
"The last snoggart is believed to have been eradicated in 1978," Hermione said. "But I couldn't find any other information about them."
"They were not eradicated, even though that is what the ministry believes," Professor Moody said. "They probably did go into a period of dormancy around that time. And when they aren't seen, people tend to forget they exist. But they always re-emerge, and Hogwarts is one of their favorite places. We are currently in one of the worst snoggart infestations I have ever seen. They can be dangerous and very tricky.
"I know you all know what a boggart is. Well, a snoggart is very similar to a boggart. But a boggart changes itself into the thing it thinks you will most fear. A snoggart changes itself into the thing it thinks you will most love. And, some of you are more likely than others to be attacked by snoggarts."
Harry felt Professor Moody's gaze bearing down on him.
*** A/N ***
There's more on snoggarts coming up. Yes, snoggart is a combination of the words "snog" and "boggart."
Thanks to everyone who's reading, enjoying and reviewing my story.