Chapter 36 Summary: Figg/Crookshanks

[Indigo]

No: HPFGUIDX 15193

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Magda Grantwich <mgrantwich at y...> wrote:
> >7. JKR confirmed in one of the chats that Arabella Figg, part of 
the
> >"old gang" in Dumbledore's camp, is the same "Mrs. Figg" with the
> >cats who lives around the corner from the Dursleys on Privet Drive 
> >and had baby-sat Harry for years in the past.  What has been her 
> >likely role in living in such close proximity to Harry all those 
> >years?
> 
> She kept an eye on him and reported to Dumbledore that he was
> growing, looked healthy, etc.  
> 
> I believe in PoA, she reappears as Crookshanks.
> 

That doesn't seem to fit to me.  

[Comments in brackets like this are counterpoints that occurred to me 
that support that Mrs. Figg might indeed be Crookshanks.  Trying to 
be fair, I suppose :)] 

Sirius was sent to get the "old gang".  It doesn't seem 
characteristic of Dumbledore to me to send Sirius into populated 
England (Little Whinging is at least a good drive from London as I 
recall), given that he's a wanted man. His existence is known to the 
Dursleys, given that he was on TV and Harry mentioned him expansively 
to scare the Dursleys into behaving more decently toward him.  If 
Sirius was spotted in populous areas, he could be caught. If he was 
caught, Dumbledore's crew would have one less person on their side, 
and Dumbledore would have to send someone else to pick up where 
Sirius left off.

[I suppose Sirius could risk Apparating in and out of Arabella Figg's 
house. Do we know if he can?]

If she were Crookshanks, though, none of this would be necessary, as 
she'd already be on the school grounds, and would already be aware of 
what was going on. 

Hermione's a bright girl, as we all know. She had the perspicacity to 
figure out Rita Skeeter. I believe she would have figured out if 
Crookshanks was an animagus. 

[On the other hand, if Crookshanks is the animagus Figg, that could 
be partly how  Dumbledore seems always to be on top of what's going 
on with Harry and company.]

Plus, as I recall, the person who sold Crookshanks to Hermione said 
he'd had a hard time selling him  (I am pretty sure Crookshanks is 
described as male.  Do animagi gender-switch when they animalize?), 
and that he'd been there for a while.  Is the time Crookshanks was 
supposedly unsellable in the petshop  jibe with or overlap with Mrs. 
Figg's times at home, down the street from the Dursleys?

The animagi on Dumbledore's side also do not customarily display the 
tendency to debase themselves and hide. The exception to this is 
Sirius, and only that because his name has not yet been cleared.

But Skeeter and Pettigrew both tend to hide in their animal forms to 
avoid getting caught doing something sneaky.

It doesn't fit in with the 'good' animagi's established behaviour 
patterns that Figg would be Crookshanks either, IMO.

Plus, who'd take care of Figg's cats while she was away with 
Hermione? Wouldn't Hermione notice if her cat went AWOL during June, 
July, and August (so Mrs. Figg could be in Little Whinging to babysit 
Harry for the Dursleys)?

I believe I'm sticking with the idea that Crookshanks is full or part 
kneazle, rather than Mrs. Figg. 

Indigo