Wow just stumbled across this! It's such a unique original idea I love the way you described his/her thoughts - I don't think I'll ever think of a bogart in the same way again. Amazing. The story really makes you think. Thank you!

Author's Response: Hello!! Thank you for letting me know what you thought :) At the time I wrote this it was like a revelation to me, that really, Harry couldn't have done what he did without the boggart Lupin trapped for him then. So much of his story depends upon his ability to cast a patronus, and the reconizability of the stag, as well as that symbolism. It's all quite amazing the way JKR wove it together. I had hoped to tap into that genius, because it's really the plot point I think that makes one think, as you report it has made you :)

And, thank YOU for reviewing, I'm so sorry it took me so long to respond!! I appreciate your thoughts.
-lily

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Wow! I think this is the first time I ever gave boggarts a second thought. I never thought of them as anything more than a method to show someone's fear in the real world. But now? You've really got me thinking (that's a good thing!).

Going into this story, I knew it was a unique idea. That got me interested right away. I especially liked the bit about the boggart wanting a bit of chocolate. I thought that was so funny, and I wanted to give him (she? it?) some chocolate myself! Just slide it through the keyhole or something.

By the end of the story, you really had me sad that this boggart had to be destroyed. :( He seemed like a pleasant creature to be around- as long as you were just a mouse or a spider!

This was a very interesting story! A nice, calm story with a lovable character- and you even explained that the boggart doesn't consciously choose what to be. I just loved it so much! :D

TheQuietGirl, Ravenclaw

Author's Response: Okay, I'll be totally honest. When I read back on this I totally cringe. I REALLY DON'T LIKE IT. But I leave it here because I think the thought behind it is indicative of what I meant this piece to do.

I always love when a reader reports that she's been interacting with the writing, so that's wonderful! And, yes, the chocolate bit, I even chuckle at my wit at that :P The keyhole would be an excellent method of delivery.

I don't like the idea that just because something is evil means it wants to be. The boggarts didn't ever ask to be alive, they're just alive and so they do their jobs, so to speak. I don't know if now i'd characterize it the same way as I did now, but I did mean to show this consciousness and inevitability at the same time about the creature. Because the boggart really is completely integral in Harry's journey. His Patronus is so important to his ability to complete his journey!

Anyway, thanks so much for this review, I really appreciate it!

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I think this is one of the most original stories I've seen in a long time. Of all magical creatures, a boggart seems like it would be incredibly difficult to write about but you made it look easy. I could definitely believe your theories about how boggarts come into existence, how they learn and how the transformation works. I like how you hinted that the boggart didn't actually know what it had become each time, and had to deduce it from what is going on around it.

Also, you have written one of the funniest lines I have read in fanfiction:

'Why doesn't the professor ever consider that the Boggart might like some chocolate?'

That is just...brilliant. It keeps the whole thing from becoming to serious - and let's face it, you can't really take yourself to seriously when writing about a boggart (not when the spell to repel them is ridikkulus!) But really, that line made me laugh a lot.

I love how you gave a totally new twist to those scenes from the book. I think it was very clever how you turned it around so that the boggart went from looking down on his victims to realising he was in fact the sucker after all. All in all, this was an absolute delight to read and I'm definitely going to check out more of your stuff. :)

Author's Response: wow--I'm kind of a little speechless after this review, but I'll try to string together some words to leave you a response :)
I'm very flattered to hear that from someone who reads so many stories, mine still stuck out a little! It was difficult, actually, to find the correct balance of tones - with a serious theme, I try to lighten things up one way or another - hence the chocolate reference ;)
I can't thank you enough for all your compliments! It's strange the way that sometimes when I just sit back and let my fingers go, they'll put something into words that had only been a faint idea in my conscious mind. This story, all the theories about how Boggarts inherit knowledge, where they go after being "ridikkulus'd," and the reversal of roles--they were all sort of things that I had a distant, slight grasp on, and when I actually sat down to write, they took more concrete form.
Thank you so much for the review, it really made my day and I'm very pleased that I was able to, somehow, produce something that seemed so different :)

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Hi!

Oh gosh, BRILLIANT concept! I've thought about several Potter-verse-exclusive creatures that aren't looked at very closely in canon, but have never thought of Boggarts in this way!

Of course, the story is centered around Harry, even when the Boggart is giving the narrative. You definitely show-cased some of Harry's most noble traits; determination especially.

The writing here is great. Most of all when the Boggart is describing how his species must die and when he starts to look at the "big picture" and realize why Harry was subjecting himself to his fears.

The last line was a bit weird. He was dissolved? I feel like you're referring to how Boggarts die, but I was under the impression that neither Boggarts or Dementors die from a Patronus Charm, Dementors are just repelled.

Just to rant about the Boggart a bit, I love his thoughts. His contemplations on if he has more knowledge than others of his kind and such philosophical thoughts; they were just a great addition to the fic.

Overall, great fic! 10/10

from,
Liberty (Libby103)

Author's Response: aw thank you so much! this made me smile :)
to answer your question: i've formed the belief that the boggart actually took on the characteristics of the dementor when it turned into it to scare harry. after all, even the boggart-dementor caused harry to have horrible thoughts and elicited all the responses that dementors do from him, hence all the collapsing and hearing his parents' death. because of this, yes, i referenced the boggart's "death" by the word "dissolved." Because he caused in Harry dementor-effects, I thought that he would have died (he's still a boggart) by the thing that repels dementors (who he is also, sort of, by extension). don't know if that logic makes any sense, but i hope it at least lets you know where that line comes from :)
cause it's true what you say, ordinarily, the patronus charm doesn't kill either creature ;)
thanks so much for reviewing! i'm sort of amazed at all the positive feedback...i was worried it would seem too--like it was trying too hard, sort of.

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Wow! This was really good.
I have never considered the POV of the boggart in PoA and you did this really well!

You made me sympathise with it a little bit, your characterisation was brilliant and your/the boggarts thoughts about how it was being used, the role-reversal was brilliant. I honestly have never thought of it like this.

I loved how much detail you went into, it's quite an unknown character or creature and you still managed to make it your own and realistic.

I loved it and I thought you wrote this really well! :)

Hananh x

Author's Response: aw thank you for all the compliments! i really wanted to get into its head, which i had to make up, but still :P
i'm glad that the role-reversal didn't seem overdone. it's hard for me to actually SAY what is happening--i want to skim over things and refer to them later, or hint at them, so to speak, so i was worried about this :)
thank you for reviewing! it makes my day to hear little compliments like these (or in your case, they're kind of big ones :) )

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I have read quite a few of these Legend one-shots, and although they've been written fantastically and the characterisation has been excellent, none of them were quite as original as this one! Well done!

I suppose, now you think of it, Harry's ability to vanquish Dementors is so, so, so key in the books: the bit where he thinks James comes back, taking the horcrux from Umbridge, when he saves Dudley from them in Little Whinging. And this little boggart made it happen! They can do anything!

I liked the introduction, and the boggart's story is written really well. It has gorgeous flow, and I like how he/she/it almost has doubts/fears/dreams like a normal human: for example when it wonders what happens after 'riddikulus' has parallels to what happens after death and the like. And the section about Honeydukes... :)

I loved the section about it's encounters with the humans and using the whole secret thing, especially with Filch and Lupin.

The ending is unexpectedly moving. I supposed because the boggart is just a being, he wouldn't be able to comprehend things like the whole 'Dark Lord rising' scenario, but he comments on it wisely. He almost scarificies himself.

You have such a powerful way with words, well done. This is a truly awesome one-shot! :D

Author's Response: aww thank you! it's so encouraging to hear you say that; and i'm glad that it didn't seem too kitschy or anything :)
you're right, i gave the boggart a more human face, partially because of my own humanity and the inability, partially, to look past it, but also because no one's to say that there isn't a more human side to the boggart!
i've often wondered how harry would have succeeded or even survived without his patronus, and then decided recently that he couldn't have, so i thought i'd pay homage to this little guy :)
thanks so much for the review! i really appreciate it :)

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Nice! :) Definitely not the usual plot line or central character.

Author's Response: thank you!!! :) i hoped for that effect !

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This is such an interesting story to read! The inside story from a Boggart. It was brilliantly written and a great entry for the Writers Duel.

I loved the bit about the spiders and the mice giving him information about the outside world. Actually, was the Boggart a 'him'? It may have been a her.

Amazing, you've made me think of a Boggart and how he feels being stuck in a cupboard or a suitcase. :)

Good luck for the Writers Duel.

Sophia x

Author's Response: hehe thank you!! i don't know if the boggart has a "him" or "her" to it, but i imagined a male voice in my head while i was writing :)
i'm glad you found it interesting!! i loved writing it because i was thinking to myself, "what the heck are you doing?" while doing so. usually a good sign ;)
thanks for the r&r!!

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Very original! I've never found a story before told from a boggart's point of view, so it was interesting. The way the boggart tought was quite funny as well- and i liked how you had the boggart being annoyed because he was being used by Harry. It was well-written as always. Well done!

Author's Response: Thank you! I was racking my brains for an interesting "unsung" hero and my sister mentioned Filch, but I don't really think that I would have been able to do anything nice for him in this context (I did write a story about him incorporating all of my week's vocabulary terms once in my first year of high school, though, for my English teacher)...so I got to thinking about Filch's cabinet and all the files he had in there and then it hit me! I'm glad that the persona is believable in its own way, too.
Thank you so much for leaving me all the reviews! (:squee!:) It really made my valentine's day, and I'm still just fairly glowing about it. :)

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LOVED this! Very original, telling the story from a boggart's point of view. Extremely well-written, and extremely interesting. I wish you the best of luck in the writer's duel! You don't need it, though. This is fab.

10/10

Author's Response: aw thank you so much! i really loved writing this; it took me a couple tries to get it how i liked it :)
thanks for taking the time to review, as well! i really appreciate it! :)

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