Animagic and Transfiguration

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 45623

hickengruendler wrote:

> > > Yes, I agree with you in general, but there is a big problem. 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?

Amanda wrote:

> Being transformed into an animal is passive. Someone does it to 
you. It's
> something that *happens* to you. You become an animal and do not 
retain your
> human intelligence. (I count curses and magical diseases in this 
class, too,
> because *they* act on *you.*)

However, neither of these are true of Krum.  He transfigured himself, 
AFAWK, and retained his human intelligence.  In short, there is such 
a thing as a transfiguration *of oneself* that is not an Animagus 
transfiguration.

So Hickengruendler's question's a good one, and leads to another:  
why would anyone take the trouble to become an Animagus when it's 
apparently easier to transfigure yourself into any animal you like?  
Maybe the latter is only for short-term or has other drawbacks (e.g., 
disappears when you sleep . . . ?).

Amy Z

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Ern jerked the wheel so hard that a whole
farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.
            -HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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