I gave into the hype and finally watched BirdBox this past week. First time I watched it, my heart raced the whole time, second time I watched it, I cried. The third time I watched it, my Potterhead brain stared formulating a theory.
I had a lot of trouble understanding the creature. I didn’t understand the nature of it at all. It’s shown as a strange breeze, it makes people’s hair stand up on end like it’s static electricity. The “criminally insane” aren’t affected like the rest of the characters. Etc. When Gary goes nuts, we see that these creatures might actually be tangible things. And when Charlie is describing the creatures, he says the appear to everyone differently.
What we gather about the creature(s) is that they show you your worst fear. Now, what in Potterlore sounds like that…
A boggart.
I know there are a lot of problems with this theory but hear me out. I think in order for this to make sense, we have to suspend our disbelief enough to think that maybe a boggart can be magically engineered to behave differently. What would need to happen for this to work is if the boggart left it’s confines of a dark small space like they like to hide in. If a dark wizard could make boggarts travel about, without being magicked back into their hiding spots, this theory could work.
My theory is that a dark wizard is using boggarts to wipe out muggles. We’ve never seen a boggart-muggle interaction so we don’t know the effect they have on non-magic people. It’s entirely possible that muggles, when faced with a boggart could be driven to take their own life.
Perhaps the “criminally insane” in BirdBox who aren’t affected by the creatures are follows of this dark wizard sent to find any muggles who have survived so far.
I thought I would simply introduce the rudimentary idea of this theory to the internet and see if anyone adds to it or refutes it. I personally think it’s a fun theory and with the right imagination, anything can be tied to the Wizarding World.
Let me know what you think. Could it be boggarts sent by a new dark lord or am I just being riddikulus?
Until next time,
Julia
Fly with Time 