Harry Potter: Every Boggart Change (What The Characters Are Scared Of)

Boggarts had a prominent place within the mythology of the Harry Potter series when it came to the connection between magic and fear. The amortal non-being was first introduced in the books by J.K. Rowling before it made its way to the live-action film adaptations. Here’s a breakdown of a Boggart and what form it took for certain characters.

In the Harry Potter world, a Boggart was a shapeshifter that took the form of the victim’s worst fear. In British mythology, Boggarts were described as house-elves or malevolent spirits. Elsewhere, Boggarts more closely matched something like a boogeyman in popular culture. The non-beings in Harry Potter were known to hide in dark enclosed places.

Since Boggarts focused on a person’s worst fear, defending against them was a priority for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The Riddikulus charm was the primary spell used to fight off a Boggart. The spell would transform the fear into something weak and comical. It was also taught to gather multiple people to approach a Boggart so the shapeshifter wouldn’t know who to target. A handful of characters had their Boggarts on display in the Harry Potter books and movies.

Harry Potter

During his third year at Hogwarts, Harry and his classmates were taught how to defend against Boggarts. Professor Remus Lupin, in charge of Defense Against the Dark Arts at the time, worried that Harry’s fear would take the shape of Lord Voldemort. In actuality, Harry’s Boggart was a Dementor, meaning he feared fear itself. When Harry encountered the Boggart in the Triwizard Tournament a year later, he used a Patronus Charm against the shapeshifter.

Hermione Granger

Hermione’s Boggart wasn’t included in the film series but it was revealed during the book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Her version of the Boggart was Professor McGonagall telling her that she was a failure. The Riddikulus spell used to banish the Boggart was unclear.

Ron Weasley

Ron’s Boggart was featured in the books as well as the movies. The Boggart took the form of a giant spider. In the book, Ron used the Riddikulus spell to take away the spider’s legs. The movie took a more amusing approach as the defense spell gave the spider roller skates and it slid all over the classroom floor.

The Boggarts Of Fellow Hogwarts Students

Neville Longbottom: The Boggart was Severus Snape and the defense spell put the figure in Neville’s grandmother’s clothes.

Dean Thomas: In the books, Dean’s Boggart was a disembodies living hand that was stopped after he trapped it in a mousetrap.

Parvati Patil: Parvati’s Boggart was a mummy in the books that tipped over its own bandages, but it was omitted from the movies.

Padma Patil: The movies featured a giant cobra as Padma’s Boggart and she used the Riddikulus spell to turn it into a jack-in-the-box.

Seamus Finnigan: Seamus’ Boggwart was a banshee in the books and he used the defense spell so it would lose its voice.

The Boggarts Of Other Harry Potter Characters

Albus Dumbledore: Albus’ Boggart, a corpse of his sister Arianna, was revealed by Rowling, but the Riddikulus was unknown.

Molly Weasley: In the book series, a Boggart appeared at 12 Grimmauld Place and in Molly’s eyes, it turned into the dead bodies of her family and friends.

Remus Lupin: Seeing as Remus was a werewolf, his Boggart turned into a full moon and he used the Riddikulus charm to turn it into a deflating balloon.

Tom Riddle: According to Rowling, Tom’s Boggart was his own dead body.

Newt Scamander: In the Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Newt’s Boggart was revealed as a desk job, and Dumbledore taught him the Riddikulus spell to transform it into a mechanical dragon.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1744 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

More From Kara Hedash