Animagus/Salazar/RATS live on no evil star/Social Class

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 45616

Richard Thorpe wrote:

<< For instance, is it possible to choose what animal's form you will 
take or is it pre-determined... >

JKR has confirmed in interviews that the Animagus doesn't get to 
choose his/her animal form, but instead the animal form is a 
reflection of his/her personality.

http://www.geocities.com/aberforths_goat/October_2000_Live_Chat_Americ
a_Online.htm
Q: Does the animal one turns into as an Animagi reflect your 
personality?
JKR: Very well deduced, Narri! I personally would like to think that 
I would transform into an otter, which is my favorite animal. Imagine 
how horrible it would be if I turned out to be a cockroach! 

http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript2.htm
Q: If you were Animagus, what kind of animal would you be?
A: I'd like to be an otter -- that's my favourite animal. It would be 
depressing if I turned out to be a slug or something.

I want to know, what happens if a person who has become an Animagus 
goes over the whole training again, from scratch, will heesh get 
another animal form? Can a person who is a werewolf become an 
Animagus? with an animal form other than wolf? Can a werewolf who is 
an Animagus with an animal form other than wolf avoid turning into a 
wolf monster at Full Moon by turning into hiser animal before the 
moment?

Hickengruendler wrote:

<< If every wizard can turn into an animal, than what's the whole 
animagi thing about? What's the difference between able to transform 
myself into an animal, and beeing an animagus? Also, aren't all wizard 
who can transform themselves into animals unregistered animagi? >>

Heidi replied:

<< JKR addressed this in Fantastic Beasts quite clearly,where she 
said that transfiguration into an animal means that the transfigured 
person has the animalian brain - in other words, when Draco was 
transfigured into a ferrett, he had a ferrett brain, not a wizard's 
one. Also in GoF, it's implied that Krum's transformation was not a 
wandless one, and it's clear from PoA as well that the animagus 
transformation is wandless. >>

It occurs to me that the two spells which we know that it is illegal 
to use without registering are the Animagus transformation and 
Apparation, both wandless. Maybe the reason why registration is 
required is in case the person ever has to be imprisoned. By taking 
away his/her wand, the Authorities can neutralise all his/her 
wand-dependent magic, but they need to take additional measures to 
neutralise his/her wandless magic; therefore they need to know what 
wandless magic the person has.

IIRC, the other wandless magic we have seen is Snape shooting ropes 
out of his fingers. I wonder if that spell also is required to be 
registered and, if so, did Snape register? If (God forbid) Severus 
were sent to Azkaban, could those ropes tie up each Dementor guard so 
that he could escape?

JOdel wrote:

<< It is not at all difficult to assume that Salazar Slytherin, or 
his own ancestors, settled in England after removing from some 
unspecified warmer climate. >>

As the name Salazar is originally Basque, meaning Old Palace, and is 
apparently the name of a valley in the Basque area of Spain, I think 
it is very likely that Salazar came to Britain from Spain. Personally 
and without canon, *I* think he came by way of Rome before the Roman 
Empire pulled out of Britain, about five hundred years before the 
founding of Hogwarts. Why shouldn't one of the greatest wizards of 
his era have had a Philosopher's Stone and lived as long as Nicolas 
Flamel?

Grey Wolf quoted Meg:

> Dudley is still technically half transfigured. He has spent four of
> his formative years as a half-human and half-porcine being.
> Surgically removing his tail could not possibly have reversed
> Hagrid's failed transfiguration spell.

Dudley has never been HALF-human and HALF-pig, because he never was 
HALF-Transfigured. Hagrid's FAILED Transfiguration spell, intended to 
turn him into a pig, only gave him a pig's tail. What percentage of a 
person is those last (seven? five?) vertebrae that hang around 
vestigally in human backsides, doing nothing but occasionally aching 
from rheumatism, which would presumbly be what was Transfigured into 
a pig's tail (which is kind of vestigal itself)? 1%? Dudley was 99% 
human and 1% porcine? How is TRANSFIGURING those last couple of 
vertebrae into a pig's tail difference from CHARMING the person to 
grow a pig's tail, like giving the keys wings and sharp beaks along 
with the ability to fly (Flitwick's ordeal, book 1) was considered a 
Charm?

Elfun Debbie wrote:

<< Crabbe & Goyle -- the younger C&G seem not to be Draco's friends 
so much as his bodyguards. I have never imagined them to be part of 
the wizarding aristocracy, as the Malfoys clearly are. They seem 
perilously close to being Draco's servants. However, they are 
unquestionably purebloods, or Draco wouldn't have made the comments 
he made to Polyjuiced!Harry & Ron. >>

I agree VERY STRONGLY INDEED! Altho' I prefer the term 'henchmen' 
to 'bodyguard' to describe them. And their fathers have the same 
relationship to Malfoy's father.

I had the impression of Amos Diggory having a regional or 
working-class accent.

<< So, in summary, I believe class distinctions are woven into the 
pureblood wizarding community, and that working-class purebloods are 
visible at Hogwarts. >> 

I agree VERY STRONGLY!

Richard GulPlum wrote:

<<  <<Then *she* messed up >> Confusion about my gender has occurred 
once before >>

I meant *JKR* had messed up.