Being an animagus?

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 94952

Amy C. wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > Here is my question...In the chat with JKR recently she says that 
a 
> > person who studies to be an animagus cannot choose what they are 
to 
> > become, and in the PoA, I got the impression that the boys picked 
> > their animals in order to be big enough to "control" the werewolf
> > (Remus)???...and my 2nd question is this...how did a stag fit in 
that 
> > tiny passageway to the shrieking shack? (p. 337 American 
Ed. "They 
> > moved as fast as they could, bent almost double...")
> > 

Sue B. wrote:
> 
> Well, it's JKR's universe, she should know, but I can't recall her 
sharing the 
> information with us in the novels themselves. 
snip
The boys' animals certainly seem to suit their 
> personalities - James the one who charges right in, Sirius the dog -
 
> aggressive, but loyal, Peter the rat - he was,after all, the 
smallest of them.
snip 
 

Potioncat:

In at least 2 interviews, JKR states that you cannot choose. In one 
she says how embarrassing it would be to do all that work and turn 
into a slug  and in another she says how terrible it would be  to 
turn into a cockroach. 

I look at it as they worked to become animagi to be with him, and by 
luck their size permitted them to control him out of the shack. 
Although I don't know how Wormtail kept up. 

I agree the animagi do fit the boys.  Even in OoP, Sirius is 
described in dog-like ways  (a barking laugh).  And I thought James' 
attack on Severus was very much like a stag showing off for the herd.

So if you do all that work, the animagus is going to fit your 
personality in some way and would likely be useful to you. 
(hopefully?) Maybe Rita was shocked to be a beetle until she realised 
its value to her.

Now, I'm not sure when JKR made the statement about the cockroach.  
It could have been before Rita Skeeter and she didn't want to say 
beetle.  But, I had a brief theory about someone's animagi being a 
cockroach  before I ever read the interview. 

As for the stag and the tunnel.  The boys go to the tree, Sirius and 
Peter go through the tunnel.  James goes to the shadow of the 
forest,  transforms and runs (trots?)  to the shack. Of course, I'm 
not sure how anyone opens doors.  But we do see Padfoot open a door 
in the one of the books.

Potioncat