Shapeshifting (was; Polyjuice potion and animal transformations)

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 59181


Helen asks:

<< Really, why didn't Hermione get to go with Harry and Ron? It was not, in 
anyway, particularly important to the plot of CoS. Much in the same way the 
polyjuice potion itself was a dead end. Malfoy was not the heir of Slytherin... 
but the polyjuice potion in CoS set up the use of the polyjuice potion in GoF. 
Perhaps Hermione's unsuccessful animal transformation was a setup for another 
type of animal transformation? >>

Almost certainly, but in the short run, the purpose of tying Hermione to the 
hospital wing for several weeks straight was that Harry and Ron could then 
reasonably be in the hospital wing visiting her and on the spot to hear Myrtle's 
tantrum on the floor above when Ginny tried to flush the diary -- enabling 
Harry to find it. There isn't much of a way that they would have known about that 
if they were all able-bodied in the Griffindor common room.

In the long run, yes. I am pretty sure that some sort of animal 
transfiguration is going to come up again in the series. We've been handed some form of 
shapeshifting in every adventure so far, I suspect that there may be other forms 
we haven't gotten to yet.

in PS/SS we only saw McGonagall shift from her cat form, I can't off the top 
of my head recall any other shapeshifting, unless you count QuirrellMort's 
hybrid form due to being possesed.

In CoS we get the Polyjuice incident. Minor results in this book for the 
amount of attention drawn to it, but it set the stage for later use.

In PoA we reexamined the Animagus transformation to major effect. We also get 
the werewolf change. This may come up again. Almost certainly will come up 
again whenever Lupin returns to the stage.

In GoF we got the Polujuice reprise and the incident in passing of Draco the 
Amazing Bouncing Ferret. Forcible, imposed animal transfiguration may very 
well be brought back as a major plot point in a later book. If it follows the 
current pattern I'd guess book six.  If we have a pattern here, Polyjuice may 
play a minor part in book 5. 

We also saw the Veela transform from beautiful women to harpy-like monsters. 
Whether that will recur in another book is anyone's guess. (Can a 
quarter-Veela transfom? Will Fleur be tending bar at the Three Broomsticks?)

And Rowling may yet have some more forms of shapeshifting to throw at us.

-JOdel