Transfiguration vs Animagus

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 56069

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Monita" <valkyrievixen at y...> wrote:
> Hey Tom,
> I agree that the correlation between transfiguration and animagi is 
> smudged by the picture of Macgonagall as a Transfiguration teacher. 
> True Animagus is a separate condition linked but not the same.
> My guess is that we will discover the link is strong between skillful 
> transfigurers and animagi. But that is not canon yet.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> TheValk speaks

bboy_mn:

I'm inclined to agree with this line of thought.

Animagus is certainly a form of Transfiguration, but is much different
than what Viktor Krum did for the second task (shark tranformation),
and is much different than turning guinea fowl into guinea pigs.

Common Transfiguration is that casting of a specific spell that is
probably short lived (I didn't see anyone casting a counter spell to
change Viktor back to his normal self, so I assumed after an hour the
spell just wore off). Although, it is possible that there are other
tranfiguation spells that would cause permanent or at least long term
changes. These would be more like transfiguration spells used as curses.

Animagus, I can only assume, is a long complex process that may
require several potions as well as many complex and dangerous spells
and charms, and a lot of time to complete the transformation. That
transformation I speak of is not the tranformation of the person into
his animal, but the transformation of a wizards into an animagus. The
transformation into a wizard who can change himself to and from an
animal form at will. 

That's far far different than casting a spell on an as needed basis,
but I suspect that it still falls into the catagory of magic labeled
Transfiguration.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn