Patronus shape in FB

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 55194

Julie (innermurk) wrote:

> So maybe an animal isn't that unusual for a patronus shape?
> Except that Dumbledore said that Harry's patronus took on a most 
> unusual shape. 

Now me:

Well, all we really know from canon is that when Harry asks "What 
does a Patronus look like?", Lupin responds "Each one is unique to 
the wizard who conjures it." (PoA, Ch. 12).

In an AOL 2000 chat, JKR was asked "Does the animal one turns into as 
an Animagi reflect your personality?" and she responded "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!" (see: 
http://www.geocities.com/aberforths_goat/text.htm)

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that if one's 
animagus reflects one's personality, one's patronus would also 
reflect one's personality. But while one's animagus is always an 
animal, it's not clear from canon whether one's patronus has to be an 
animal.

I think when Dumbledore referred to Harry's patronus as "most 
unusual", he didn't mean that it was unusual that it was an animal, 
but rather that it was unusual because it was a stag.

~Phyllis