Animagus - Pettigrew - DADA - (WAS Dumbledore and Transfiguration)

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 30668

Milz wrote:

> It would be interesting to see if Dumbledore is an animagus or not. 
> It would answer some questions about him.
> 

It would be interesting to know if we'll find out about more 
animagi.  I think, however, that we've pretty much reached the point 
where there will be a groan heard 'round the world if JKR pulls 
another animagus out of her hat.

We might need a new group here.  Instead of a support group, maybe it 
would be an advocacy group committed to the idea of having no one 
else turn out to be an animagus, although it would be OK if one of 
the students decided to try to learn this trick over the next three 
books.  Maybe S.T.O.W.I.C. [Stop Turning Our Wizards Into Creatures]?

Calypso wrote:

>The more likely reason is that Peter was a rat and therefore had a 
rat brain. 
> He wouldn't have known Draco before Voldemort fell because Draco 
was a baby 
> then and Peter hadn't shown his true colors. As a rat in PS/SS the 
name 
> Malfoy would mean nothing to him as his rat brain wouldn't have 
been able to 
> recall much about it.
> 

I think Peter used his defense of Ron in PS/SS as a reason for Ron to 
spare his life in PoA.  In the Shrieking Shack, Peter calls 
himself "a good pet," a "good friend."  Given that Sirius tells us 
that Peter would never to anything to advance the dark side unless he 
thought there was something in it for him, it makes some sense that 
Peter (rat-sized brain or not) figured it made more sense to be a 
loyal rat to Ron than not.

Barb wrote:

> We're due for a DADA teacher who's not on the Dark side, IMO.  Four 
> out of five turning out bad would just make Dumbledore look very 
> stupid.  The question is, will JKR attempt to fool us by making her 
> seem highly suspicious at first?  Or will the real red herring be 
to 
> make her seem likable and benevolent all along?

I wonder if the DADA teacher in OoP will be . . . just the DADA 
teacher, for a change.  Setting aside Lupin, we've had a procession 
of increasingly evil DADA teachers.  It will be very difficult for 
any subsequent DADA teacher to surpass Crouch/Moody in evilness.  A  
moderately evil DADA teacher would be a disappointment at this 
point.  So maybe it's time to retire the DADA-teacher surprise and 
look elsewhere for the Big Plot Twist.

I wonder, though, what kind of stock personalities remain for a 
convincing DADA teacher.  We've had Quirrel-the-Non-Entity.  Lockhart-
the-Incompetent.  Lupin-the-Terrific.  Moody-the-Terrific-Who-Was-
Actually-Evil.  Maybe the DADA teacher could be really mean, but 
Snape already fills that role.  I'm running out of ideas.  Maybe 
Karkaroff-the-Unctuous-Reformed-Traitor?

Elizabeth wrote:

> I vote for Molly Weasley as the mysterious female DADA teacher. 
Talk about plot
> twists and red herrings... it sure would be a surprise to Ron, as 
well.

If you want plot twists, red herrings, and turning a plot element on 
its head, how about Winky as the DADA teacher?  She's off the 
butterbeer, she needs a job, house elves have powerful magic, 
Hermione would be pleased. . . . Anyone?  No?  <vbg> Yeah, you're 
right.  Having Winky be the new DADA teacher is just way, way too 
much.

Cindy