Animal communication

[kiricat2001 <Zarleycat@aol.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50840

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Maria Kirilenko 
<maria_kirilenko at y...> wrote:
> 
> I was reading the Shrieking Shack scene today again, and this 
suddenly struck me:
> 
> When Sirius explains how he made friends with Hermione's cat, he 
says: "Crookshanks, did you call him?" 
> 
> I reread the whole scene from the moment when Padfoot drags Ron 
into the Whomping Willow twice to make sure, and I am fairly certain 
that HHR *never* call Crookshanks by its name when Sirius is present. 
> 
> First I thought it was a mistake. Then a thought occured to me that 
maybe it isn't. Sirius did manage to talk to Crookshanks, obviously, 
since he did all sorts of errands for him, and Crookshanks was also 
able to talk to Sirius - Cr told S that Peter escaped from Gryffindor 
tower. 

> So, to what extent can animals talk to each other? Sirius' 
phrase "I managed to communicate to him" something or other implies 
(to me, in any case), that no straightforward exchanges can happen. 
That is just so contradictory.
> 
> Getting back to my original point, how did Sirius know the cat was 
called Crookshanks if its name wasn't mentioned by anyone in that 
scene? 

Well, I think some sort of rudimentary communication is possible.  
Maybe this can't be between animal/animal, but can happen between 
animal/Animagus. After all, Sirius/Padfoot somehow got Crookshanks to 
understand what he was supposed to do with the order form for the 
Firebolt for Harry. But, perhaps this was a simple, directional 
command sort of thing.  "You take this to red building. Give to 
wizard there." And Crookshanks understands that and happily takes the 
piece of paper, trots to the correct building and hands the order 
form to the wizard who wil send it on its way.

Whereas if Padfoot/Sirius asked Crookshanks the Kneazle what his name 
was or how he liked to be addressed, perhaps there was the fear that 
something was lost in the translation.  Crookshanks can't say in 
English "My name is Crookshanks."  But, maybe through whatever 
animal/Animagus telepathy exists, he was able to say "My bushy-haired 
girl calls me Crookshanks." So, perhaps he "told" Padfoot that his 
name was Crookshanks, but Sirius' human brain was not entirely sure 
that he got the message correctly. Hence, his question "Crookshanks, 
did you call him?"  as in "Did I interpret what he told me correctly -
you named him Crookshanks?"

Marianne, who wishes her own felines would occasionally make 
themselves useful..