[HPforGrownups] Animagi

[The Fox]

No: HPFGUIDX 55873

From: "Katy Cartee" <rainbow at rainbowbrite.net>

>did James, Remus and Sirius find nothing suspicious about Peter turning 
>into a rat, since it does in fact seem that they do not control which 
>animal they turn into? I mean, if i were in a group of friends, me and 2 
>others turned into "noble" animals such as lions, tigers and bears...and 
>then one friend turned into a rat (an animal known for killing babies)...i 
>believe i'd rethink my opinion of that friend! That would certainly speak 
>loads about their true inner character to me. Why did they not keep a 
>closer eye on him after that?

I don't think the rat has the same cachet in the wizarding world as it does 
in ours.  It's true that in our world, there are those who keep pet rats -- 
but two things are true in conjunction with that:  these are 
specifically-bred pet rats, for one, and even given this, there are plenty 
of people who consider rats a disgusting and inappropriate animal to be kept 
as a pet.  The same does not appear to be the case in the wizarding world.  
Nobody blinks at all at the fact that Ron's pet is a rat; nobody has 
anything to say about the fact that Neville's pet is a toad.

The question of which animals are worthy or suitable, and therefore 
domesticated, is answered by how dangerous they are (so Hagrid's dragons, 
hippogriffs, blast-ended skrewts, etc. do *not* make good pets [g]).  It 
seems that in the wizarding world, the rat per se is not considered 
dangerous, and therefore the fact that Peter turns into a rat is no cause 
for comment.  (I don't believe Lupin or Black ever says, once it becomes 
clear that Peter was the fink, "does anyone smell a rat?" and Peter is never 
described as having "ratted out" James and Lily -- which may not be common 
expressions in Britain, for all I know, but their absence illustrates my 
point anyway:  there was no reason to be suspicious just because Peter's 
animal form was a rat.)

Besides, a werewolf is more dangerous than a rat any day, and they weren't 
suspicious of Lupin -- who had no more control over his transformation than 
they did.  (Less, even!  [g])

Fox

...........
Matthew 7:1
Luke 6:37
...
"You want to tempt
the wrath of the whatever
from high atop the thing?"
-- West Wing
...
Come on, Nature
Just because I don't feel weak
Don't mean I feel so strong.
-- the Proclaimers
..............................

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