Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quils, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had a few meals.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's lesson will be practical. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense against the darks lesson before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old Professor had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose but that was hardly practical.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw Peeves the Poltergist, who was floating upside down in midair, and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin ——"

Rude and unmanageable as he almost was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the Professors. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if i were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry.

Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves' left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

"Shall we proceed?" said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away.

They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please,"

The staffroom,a long paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one Professor. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering.

"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden shake, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people jumped backward in alarm. "There's a boggart in there ."

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboard under sinks — i once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather cloak. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and i asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Harry put his hand up.

"It's a shape-shifter," he said. It takes the shape of our greatest fears.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin. "So the boggart is sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody Knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, but when i let it out, it will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"This means." said Professor Lupin. "That we will have a huge advantage over the the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

"There are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?" Harry said.

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin. "It's always best to have company with you when you're dealing with a boggart. It becomes confused. Which should it become, a headless corpse or a flesh eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake —— tried to frighten two people at once and turned itself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please . . . Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" Said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. Harry would you like to go first?"

"Yes sir" Harry said.

"Right, Harry, " said Professor Lupin. First things first: What would say is the thing that frightens you the most in the world?"

"See that's just it Harry said i fear nothing."

Harry threw his robe aside and unbuttoned his shirt. He took his shirt off and turned around showing Professor Lupin his scarred back.

"Nothing scares me anymore" Harry said. He rebuttoned his shirt and put his robes back on.

"Stand back and watch" Harry said.

He snapped and the wardrobe opened.

A column of black smoke came from the wardrobe.

"What the bloody hell is that" Professor Snape said.

"I think we're looking at the true form of a Boggart" Professor Lupin said.

Harry laughed hysterically.

The boggart began to shiver and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"I thought a boggart's true form would be more impressive Harry said"