form of a patronus

[dkgrubb at earthlink.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 28601

All the discussion of the difference between transfiguration and the 
animagus spell is very interesting, but I'd like to draw a distinction 
<holding up a large distinction pencil> between the Patronus and any 
form of transfiguration.  When Hermione describes Lupin's Patronus on 
the train she says "a silvery thing shot out of his wand", and when she 
descibes Dumbledore's Patronus she says "Then he whirled his wand at 
the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them." It seems that Harry's 
Patronus is the only one we know of which takes a form at all.

Since the Dementors represent to Harry the worst thing that ever 
happened to him (the loss of his parents), it seems plausible that his 
Patronus represents, on some unconscious level, getting his father 
back. Possibly, to other people, who have no such well defined "worst 
moment", the Patronus doesn't have such a specific form.

Two knuts for the day I got movie tickets!
Debra