Minerva & DD-Transfiguration Professors-have they been playing other Charact

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 88640

vmonte wrote: 
<*snip*> Can a wizard transfigure into a cat (for example) and not
necessarily be an anamagi?  
 
Marianne:
Well, Krum tried to transfigure himself into a shark for the second 
task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. <snip>
So it seems to be implied that wizards can transfigure themselves 
into another life form.  Which then begs the question, what's the big 
deal with Animagi, if a wizard can transform himself into whatever 
other animal he chooses? <snip>  
 
> Taryn:
> IMO, this is answered, but I suppose it's debateable. I'll give the
following quote from Quidditch through the Ages:
<quote snipped>
> So it seems answered that when a person is TRANSFIGURED into an
animal, they also retain the animal's brain, which is certainly
detrimental. This is opposed to Animagi, who seem to retain their
mind. For the most part, anyway, as we must remember Sirius talking
about how his emotions were simpler when in dog form, so he could slip
past the Dementors. But it seems a very dramatic difference between
the two.

Now Carol:
I think that Animagi can transform themselves at will and instantly
into a particular animal. They don't even require a wand or a spelll
to do it (Sirius's wand was taken from him when he was sent to Azkaban
but he could still transform himself into a dog even in prison). It
takes long years of study and practice to become an Animagus, so the
process must be more complex than a simple transfiguration spell. The
dog, cat, stag, rat or whatever retains a knowledge of who he is and
some ability to understand human conversation and can return to human
form at will. I suppose that some of these details also apply to Krum,
who may be an unregistered shark animagus for all we know, but would
have limited opportunities to use that ability in Durmstrang or
Bulgaria. ;-)

Carol