Hogwarts: From Luna's House to Godhood Through Intense Competition

Boggart remained silent, only occasionally making noise, which indirectly proved that while Wizette focused on the Devil's Web, Boggart simply treated it as a Devil's Web.

Having realized this, he drove the devil's web to continue spreading inward;

Lupin probably only cleaned the abandoned classroom and wiped away all the dust, but did not clean the inside of the lockers.

As a result, the inside of the locker was full of dust, and Vizette felt that it was drier inside than outside. Vizette needed to concentrate more to get used to the discomfort caused by the dryness.

He could sense that the Devil's Web had taken over the interior of the locker, not just one compartment, but along the corners and gaps, occupying the entire locker.

What Vizette could clearly perceive was the dust covering the entire locker, beneath which lay various scraps of cloth, tattered textbooks, and some dried herbal materials.

As he closed the locker door, he came to his senses. The demon net had returned to its original form as a hand, and "Ancient Magic: Improved Lights Out Spell" had disappeared.

As the large black bubble disappeared, Boggart became active again, slamming the locker against the wall with a "bang," as if expecting him to take a few steps forward.

Seeing the locker become active, Vizette frowned slightly. "Boggart is still inside... but I can't seem to sense him..."

"Or should I put it this way, is the inability to fully perceive it because I'm not used to 'seeing' it from the perspective of the Devil's Web, or is it for some other reason?"

“In that case, I should get closer…so that Boggart can sense me and begin to change form, while I use the Devil’s Web to sense it.”

……

Having made up her mind, Vizette took action again, simultaneously casting Ancient Magic: Improved Lights Out Charm and Ancient Magic: Self-Shaping (Devil's Web) and disappearing back into the locker.

He didn't completely occupy all the space in the locker; he simply separated a few vines and assigned two vines to each small space to perceive and observe Boggart.

Vizette strode to the locker, then focused her attention on observing Boggart through the Devil's Web.

To his surprise, the dust covering the lockers floated up and gathered near the locker door.

The dust swirled rapidly around a center, transforming into a candidate brewing a magic potion, which emerged from the cabinet door.

The examinee drank the potion, shuddered, and muttered something.

"I'm taking my final exams, what am I planning to do? It's a potion of forgetfulness... How come I've already brewed it? Is it really ready? Maybe I should try it..."

“From nothing to something…” Looking at Boggart, who had become “the examinee who drank the potion of forgetfulness”, a smile appeared on Vizette’s lips.

"More interesting than I imagined... Could the Boggart actually be... a spirit? But why does it have so little memory and seem to lack emotions?"

"Perhaps these 'non-existent' souls are vastly different from us? They seem to only require a certain emotion? Or rather... a certain type of emotion?"

……

Vizette thought of Dementors, which seem to crave a certain type of emotion, whether it be happiness or other positive emotions, they would become the targets of Dementors.

In fact, the Patronus Charm is also formed from positive emotions, but Dementors regard the Patronus Charm as their natural enemy.

Lupin recommended some relevant books to him, some of which mentioned related research findings, that is, Dementors cannot bear overly solidified positive emotions.

Boggarts have a relatively simple emotional need: a craving for fear. This is what drives them to hide in dark corners and make noise in an attempt to scare people.

By observing the Boggarts and combining this with their classification name "non-existence," everything seems to change.

According to Wizette's current understanding of the soul, the soul should have no physical form, be contained within the body, yet vaguely transcend the body;

The reason it is described as "subtle overriding" is because damage to the soul will be reflected in the body, resulting in injuries that are difficult to repair with potions.

If we consider the "non-existence" of the Boggart classification from the perspective of "the soul being formless," we can make some interesting speculations.

Boggarts are essentially closer to the soul than to a purely material being;

That's why we use "non-existence" to describe it, because its essence is not matter, so it's difficult to say that it truly exists.

As a being similar to a "soul", the Boggart possesses the ability to sense or read the fear in the hearts of others.

Because it is a being similar to a "soul," the Boggart's perceptions are interactions at the soul level, which is why it can feel fear.

However, this perception was not particularly sophisticated, otherwise it would not have been deciphered by the Soul Labyrinth or the "Funny Funny" with its powerful will, causing Boggart to make the wrong transformation.

The existence of Bogotás, which is similar to a "soul," can also be corroborated by the swirling dust.

Because a Boggart is similar to a "soul," it needs to create a "body" through external things to complete its transformation, and then achieve its goal by "influencing the body with its soul."

When a Boggart is not engaging in "soul interaction," it does not require a specific form because it exists in a manner similar to a "soul."

This is precisely why, when Vizet was far from the lockers and tried to sense Boggart through the Devil's Web, he felt it was "almost there and then not there."

……

Wizette wrote rapidly in her notebook, listing her thoughts and feelings, then reorganizing them to form a series of clearer conclusions.

The Boggart is called "non-being" because it resembles a soul and can perceive human fear through "soul interaction."

[Having sensed this fear, the Boggart uses the method of "soul influencing the body" to change into a corresponding form based on the human's fear.]

Wizette wrote down her conclusions, but this also raised a new question—

If Boggart is a "soul," why does it have no memory, and even when transforming into the same person, it needs to re-acquire the other person's "fear" through "soul interaction"?

Chapter 171 A Thorn Pierced in the Heart

After some research, not only were conclusions reached, but new questions were also raised based on the conclusions and the details of the research process...

This is a very comfortable mode for Wizette.

This means he can continue his research, and that he can continue to make connections and find new directions for progress.

Vizette had a vague feeling that further research into the Boggart, and understanding why the Boggart had no memories, would help him to understand the soul more deeply.

Just as he was putting the notebook into his pocket, there was a rhythmic knocking on the door.

Boom boom boom!

"Hmm..." It was Lupin's voice from outside the door. "Mr. Lovegood, is that you in there?"

"Stop the spell!" Vizet waved her wand dramatically, halting the protective magic set up in the abandoned classroom.

He turned the doorknob, gave a slight bow to Lu Ping outside the door, and said, "Professor Lu Ping, good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon!" Lupin smiled. "I'm here to check on Boggart's situation; I do this about once a week."

"So that when I need its help, it's not here anymore... It takes quite a while to find another Boggart."

“It’s still in the locker,” Vizet said. “I think it will stay there for the foreseeable future. I’ve been following the instructions in the book to try and prolong its stay.”

Among the books Lupin recommended to him was a book called "Forty Little Things About Boggart," which contained relevant information.

This is a work by Lupin's father, Lyle Lupin, which mentions that the Boggart's stay is not fixed and can disappear due to various factors;

If not checked regularly, Boggarts might disappear from their lodgings; Lyle Lupin called this behavior "moving."

……

Vizette closed the door, and the two walked and talked in the hallway.

“Extending its stay would be ideal!” Lupin nodded.

"Boggarts, as 'non-existent', are relatively obscure magical creatures. Most wizards can probably only summarize some related patterns at most."

"After all, how should I put it... these 'non-existent' things are too special, and for most wizards, studying them is not very practical."

He pursed his lips and added, "Mr. Lovegood, I'm actually a little curious, what are you researching? Do you feel stressed?"

Actually, there was another reason, which Lupin didn't say aloud;

To study Boggart means to confront one's own fears, and even experts in related fields are usually unwilling to expose their fears for a long time.

Vizet possessed magic such as Occlumency, which is why Lupin was willing to provide information and assistance.

For the sake of safety, Lupin would persuade ordinary students to stay calm and avoid any unpredictable accidents caused by prolonged exposure to fear.

Nevertheless, he was still somewhat uneasy. He felt that since he knew about this matter, he should share some of the responsibility, which is why he brought up this topic again at this time.

……

“Professor Lupin, thank you for your concern!” Vizette smiled. “Studying magic itself is a joyful thing for me.”

"Besides, Boggart can't really see my fear, at least so far... I feel perfectly fine."

"My research on Boggart has now progressed towards the realm of the soul. Professor Lupin, if I may ask, do you have any knowledge in this area?"

He understood why Lupin had asked him if he was feeling repressed, which is why he offered more explanations to try and alleviate Lupin's concerns in this regard.

After her previous trip to North America, and the recent lessons she has been teaching, Wizette's impression of Lupin is actually quite good.

From any perspective, Lupin is an excellent professor, not only possessing solid magical knowledge but also being very friendly to his students.

That's why Wizette subtly asked another question to confirm whether Lupin had any knowledge of the soul;

Wizards are always extremely cautious when it comes to the study of the soul, even if they reveal some related ideas when writing their works.

However, it would not present it in its entirety or discuss it in detail, in order to avoid affecting some readers, which is an extremely bad thing.

If Lupin doesn't have a clear understanding of his own soul, Vizet doesn't intend to reveal too much, lest Lupin be affected and unable to continue on his magical path.

……

"Research on the soul?" Lupin's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly calmed down.

Wizette mastered the Animagus, and was even able to present his own views at the Animagus International Symposium, thus advancing the related research by a significant step forward.

At the same time, his work also reveals a profound understanding of magic, which often gives Lupin a fresh perspective.

Based on these two points, Lupin could also foresee that, given Vizet's talent, it would be unusual if he had not yet come to understand the soul.