What *Really* is the Purpose (or nature) of Transfiguration?

[archeaologee]

No: HPFGUIDX 39690

This thread has got me wondering.  How permenant is transfiguration?

Animagi switch into animals, but they never really stop being wizards 
do they (they keep their human minds it would seem).  Also the pin 
cusion that kept curling into a ball, that seems to suggest that it 
was really a hedgehog all along.  The fact that Peter (the rat) 
stayed alive for an extended lifetime for a rat(would he have lived 
his normal 
lifespan, would he return form being a rat the same age as he became 
one, would he have some average of the two ages?) this seems to 
suggest that you remain, essentially, the same but change outer 
appearance\form.

This would mean that a leaf transfigured into food would remain a 
leaf, so not nourish you....

Back to the original point.  We have no evidence that transiguration 
is lasting.  The lenth that something remains transfigured may depend 
on the skill of the magician, the similarity of the object, the power 
of the spell - whatever.  As I said, Peter remained as Scabbers for 
years, but he may have been constantly repeating the spell\process\or 
even switiching back to human form every now and again.  How long 
does the change last (it could be like Leprecaun (sp?) gold and just 
change back).

This would definately allow there to be poor and rich people in the 
Wizarding World.

Also this fact would heavily limit the use of transfiguartion.  The 
keys in PS\SS couldn't be transfigured as they would switch back 
(although I seem to remember the chess set being - assumed - to be 
transfigured?).  So the use of the spell would have to be short term, 
such as the temporary dog, or the shark head in GoF.

James (who is fairly certain that there will be ten posts disproving 
this within the hour)