Dumbledore, Animagi, and animals

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 90439

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> Pippin wrote:
> > I think the animal companions and counterparts may 
represent a 
> > desire or ability that's being repressed. The more developed 
> > characters  have more than one animal because they are 
>>more  complex. 

> Carol:
> I personally think that we know the pets (I  can't say "animal
> companions" without cringing, sorry) 

Oh, I was shooting for alliteration not pc-ness. But Hedwig, 
Buckbeak and the Thestrals are not pets, anyway, IMO. They're 
working animals. 

Carol:
> All of which makes me wonder what Snape's "animal 
>companion" (pet? familiar?) was when he was a student. (I 
>know you'll say a bat, thoughI don't know if bats are allowed at 
>Hogwarts as anything but Halloween decorations.

That didn't stop Lee from bringing a tarantula, or Ron from 
bringing Scabbers.

Carol:
>Imagine one flying along the corridors and teachers and
> students screaming and running in all directions!) 

Surely witches and wizards aren't afraid of bats, except vampire 
bats of course <g>


Carol:
>And what might his Patronus be? 

He probably doesn't know himself, as I doubt he's ever produced 
one. Not every wizard can manage a corporeal patronus. It's a 
rare feat.

Carol:
> In any case, he's the most complex character of all, so if the 
>theory that "the more developed characters have more than one 
>animal because they are more complex" is valid, it would have 
>to apply to him.

David already pointed out that Snape  has quite the collection of 
slimy things in jars. Presumably that's where the rat organs 
harvested by Harry and Ron and the horned toads harvested by 
Neville end up, along with the cockroaches. Note that bats, rats, 
cockroaches and toads are nocturnal. <g> So that's hmm, 
vampirism, treachery, furtiveness and sexuality. 

(The RL horned toad is a variety of lizard, however JKR's 
reference to "frog guts" under Neville's fingernails makes it 
appear she had some sort of amphibian in mind.)

Pippin
who agrees with Carol about Snape's boggart