The Useless Animagus

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 53650

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "psychodudeneo"
<psychomaverick at h...> wrote:
> Something's been annoying me.  Wizards aren't allowed to choose
> their Animagus form, although one would hardly be able to tell 
> this from the books.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> "psychodudeneo"

I'm pretty sure that JKR implied in an interview that your animal form
is a reflection of your personality. Which in turn, implies that you
do not get to choose it.

I agree that there is indeed a risk not only in the tranformation
process itself, but in the animal you become. Someone a while back
sited the example of a certain type of fly that lives for only 24
hours. That would certainly be limiting. 

As another person pointed out, Rita Skeeter's animagus form is great
for stealth but it leaves her extremely vulnerable. There are lots of
people would squish a bug, who would never kill a small bird. In fact,
nearly all birds in all modern countries are protected, so a small
bird animagus form would be much preferable to a bug. As a side note;
did anyone else catch the clue in Rita Skeeter's name? Just as the
name Sirius would tell us that Black was a dog. Skeeter as in mosquito
is our secret clue to Rita's animagus form. 


I now do that voodoo that I do so well; speculate.

Now to my point; I really do have one, although, it is pure
speculation. As difficult and dangerous as the animagus tranformation
process is, and as unreliable as your potential animal form could be,
I suspect that there is a way to find out in advance what you will
turn into. For example, you could go to someone like McGonagall who
specializes in transformation, and she could cast a charm that would
reveal your animagus form. Once you know what it is, you could then
choose whether to proceed with the animagus transformation process. I
think to do it any other way is too much risk, for potentially
unusable results.

As far as Hernione not pointing out that you can't pick your animagus
form, I don't put much stock in that. We know she has great volumes of
knowledge, but that knowledge is from a variety of source and to a
variety of degrees, and we have no way of knowing that she went as far
as reading 'The Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Transformations'.

On a side note:
I am reminded of the shaman/medicine man brand of magic in which
people find a spirit guide, an animal that is their guide to wisdom,
their eyes into the unseen, and their protector. Your spirit guide is
also a reflection of your personality. It reflects a spiritual nature
to which you have an affinity. Although, that might apply more to your
Petronus than your animagus form.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn