Harry's patronus, how many are there?

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 55017

weeoo0 wrote:

> If Harry produced the prongs patronus that fateful night with the 
> dementors, and that is when Harry discovered his 'inner
> father' as i refer to it, then I ask, what was his patronus before?

and Finwitch responded:

> As I see it, Harry didn't manage proper Patronus until he saved 
> them that fateful night. Nor did Harry know what his father's 
> animagus form was, until he had summoned it! 

Now me:

I think Harry's patronus has always been the stag.  When he produces 
his first successful patronus during the Ravenclaw match in 
PoA, "Something silver white, something enormous, erupted from the 
end of his wand.  He knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but 
*didn't pause to watch*..." (Ch. 13, my emphasis).  So Harry didn't 
see the shape his patronus took the first time he successful cast 
it.  It wasn't until he actually saw the stag patronus during the 
time-turning, and when Dumbledore explained afterward that his 
father's animagus was a stag, that Harry was able to put it all 
together.  

Further support for the theory that Harry's patronus always takes the 
same form (of a stag) is found in GoF, when Harry meets a boggart 
disguised as a Dementor in the maze, and his Patronus Charm produces 
a stag: "...a silver stag eruped from the end of Harry's wand and 
galloped towards the Dementor..." (Ch. 31).

I believe it's important that Harry's patronus has always been, and 
will continue to be, a stag, because I see this as a clue that 
supports the Heir of Gryffindor theory, as there are historical 
legends about the association between St. Godric and stags.

~Phyllis