OOP: 'Dung' and Crookshanks etc.

[sueeeyqbong]

No: HPFGUIDX 65960

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Alon van Dam" 
<alanphoenix1 at h...> wrote:
> [wonders whether or not there's still a spoiler-line policy]
> 
> You know... The more I think about the Dung = Crookshanks theory, 
the 
> more I like it. There's only two major flaw with this theory: 
> 
> 1) Their personalities are nothing alike. 
> 2) It's a bit of an old plotline, no? Unregistered Animagus? 
> 
> Of course, it could be that he's a registered one, but I doubt that 
> Hermione would forget that. 
> 
> The two major points in favor, in my eyes, are: 
> 
> 1) Their appearances are basically described identically (bandy-
> legged, long ginger hair, shaggy)
> 2) Dung is unshakingly loyal to Sirius. Remember when he was asleep 
> at Grimmauld Place and wakes up with a start, raising his hand in 
the 
> air and mumbling "I agree with Sirius". 
> 
> I don't think I need to remind anyone how instrumental Crookshanks 
> was to Sirius during PoA. And, yes, of course I've entertained the 
> thought that Crookshanks was an Animagus, especially seeing as how 
> antisocial he was in the pet-shop to anyone who tried to buy him 
> before literally throwing himself at Hermione. And, though I don't 
> find it incredible that Wizards could learn how to talk to animals, 
> I'm pretty sure we'd have heard more about it if was a big thing. 
> Hagrid, for one, would have perfected it, and we've heard nothing 
of 
> it. How, then, was it possible for Sirius to communicate such 
things 
> to Crookshanks as 'Go to Gryffindor Tower and find a way for me to 
> enter it, remembering that it requires a password'?
> 
> On the other hand, I kinda liked the idea of Crookshanks actually 
> being what he seems, a normal cat who's quite smart.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Alon, signing out for the night

I LIKE this theory a lot, or ANY theory which speculates on future 
revelations about Crookshanks, since he was a significant figure in 
PoA who has since retreated to be being background detail for the two 
subsequent books...in JKR's world this usually means that the 
character is going to re-emerge later as a significant part of the 
plot. AND she went to the trouble of including kneazles in 
the 'fantastic beasts' book and then hinted that Crookshanks 
was/might be part kneazle. (forgive me, I can't substantiate the 
latter claim with a quote since I picked it up second hand from 
someone on this site ages ago and can't for the life of me remember 
who/when/where. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. )

ANYHOW....definite future significant role for Crookshanks in my 
(ever so) humble opinion. One other thing which struck me regarding 
the similar appearance of Mundungus and Crookshanks...I'm sure it's 
totally insignificant (though you never know in JKR's world where 
insignificant things turn out to be crucial) is that so many 
characters are mentioned as having ginger / red hair. Crookshanks, 
Mundungus, Albus Dumbledore (in youth - the flashback with Tom Riddle 
in CoS), All the Weasleys (I'm remembering an earlier post when 
several people - sorry can't remember who -  suggested that Ron 
Weasley and Dumbledore might be the same person due to their both 
being described as tall, thin, long nose, red hair), Lily Potter. So 
many people share similar attributes that it's very possible there 
are some links between them which we haven't stumbled upon yet. 
Highly unlikely too, I know...that's the joy of speculating about the 
Harry Potter books. Almost anything's possible no matter how unlikely.

Sueeeyqbong (who has just realised that lots of people are also 
mentioned as having black hair (Snape, Sirius, James, Harry, 
Cho)...yet doesn't really feel that that means there's a connection 
between them, so that's another theory busted. Damn!)