counterfeit Galleons, designer robes, humans (via Transfiguration

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince
Winston)" <catlady at w...> wrote:
>
> Dungrollin wrote in
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/29013 :
> 
> << then what's to stop the Weasleys transfiguring pebbles into
> Galleons? >>
> 
> Presumably the Goblins who make Galleons do something to them 
> with Goblin magic that can't be imitated by wizard magic, so that
> counterfeits can be detected, but that was not mentioned when 
> Hermione handed out counterfeit Galleons as DA meeting notices.
> 
> ...edited..
> 

bboyminn:

Of course, the standard answer is that objects that are conjured are
not permanent, so I suspect that objects that are transformed in this
way are also not permanent. 

In addition, while you may be able to transfigure objects to look like
Galleons, would they really be Galleons, would they really be made out
of gold? Remember the whole purpose of Alchemy is the conversion of
matter; specifically the transmutation of base metals into gold. If
you could simply transfigure objects, there would be little need for
Alchemy. But we know that Alchemy exists, so one could conclude that
the transfiguation of 'objects' into true gold is not possible.

JKR said when she set up her world, she set specific limits on it, and
one of the limits prevented people from performing conjuring, and by
extention transfiguration, in just the manner described. Magic or no
magic, you still have to work for a living.

And for the record, I'm not trying to shoot down Catlady's idea,
merely expanding on the subject.


> Steve bboymin in
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/29017 :
> 
> << JKR has said that if a person is transfigure into an animal, they
> take on the brain of the animal and like aren't smart enough to 
> bring themselves back. That implies a certain permanence. >>

> Catlady:
> 
> If a powerful wizard/witch transfigures an animal into a human, does
> it gain human intelligence? As use of language is part of what it
> means to be human, is fluent knowledge of a language already 
> installed in the new  human brain? The human language it's heard all
> its life, or the language the wizard/witch speaks?
>

bboyminn:

Never thought about that before, but it is a reasonable assumption.
However, one very important thing would be missing in an animal to
human transformation, and that of course is /education/. Language and
speech, as well as general knowledge and critical/analytical thinking
are learned experiences. An animal to human transformation would have
the capacity to talk and reason, but no experience or education that
would provide the foundation for language, general knowledge, or
critical thought.

Just making things up.

Steve/bboyminn