Do Animagi choose their forms?

[mschub at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 11020

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., MinnesotaGirlie7 at a... wrote:
> Also... I read somewhere (it was some etymology place... possibly 
the 
> Encyclopaedia Potterica or the Harry Potter Lexicon... I can't 
> remember! Aargh!) that not only could Animagus be interpreted as 
> "animal-wizard", but also as "soul of a wizard", which I found to be 
> interesting. So... it could be that no choice is involved, but the 
> animal chosen isn't _completely_ random. 

I've always subscribed to this theory. Like the daemons in Pullman's 
HDM series, the animal form is an expression of the personality of the 
person. Padfoot - loyal, strong, kind. Prongs - strong, tough, 
responsible (Don't ask me why, but the image of the stag makes me 
think strength of character and responsibility. It's like the scene in 
Bambi where we see Bambi's father, and he just EXUDES strength of 
character.). 
Here's an interesting question, though. Is there a difference between 
transfiguring a human into an animal and becoming an animagus? I would 
think there is based on the clues we have, but darned if I can figure 
out what that difference is. For instance, in GoF, Krum "transfigures 
himself" (partly) into a shark. Is this different from teaching 
himself to be an animagus? I mean, I got the impression that becoming 
an animagus was something that was like, really high-tech wizardry, 
and Krum manages to (partly) do it to himself on a bare minimum of 2 
and half months notice (assuming he figured out the clue right away). 
And earlier, Hermione mentions that they "don't even get to human 
transfiguration until 6th or 7th year." If they're teaching it 6th or 
7th year, why are there only 13 (or was it 11) registered animagi? I 
mean, we can assume that there would be more that who are 
unregistered, but still. It's expressed as a very rare trait, and they 
teach it in 6th and 7th year? Now granted, we can assume that Krum, as 
the Durmstrang champion, was no magical slouch, and that he had the 
help of Karkaroff, but it just seems a little wonky.
-Mike