Sirius/Tonks

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 93684

Kathy's wrote:
> 
> I think you may have hit on the very reason they did change. If the
ministry officials were to have captured Tonks as Sirius, all Tonks
would have to have done is switch back. In fact, she could be very
slippery to catch being able to inpersonate anyone at will. (Even
Fudge himself)<snip>

Carol:
I've already presented my reasons for not believing that Tonks and
Sirius switched places, so I'll just ask here: Do we really know the
extent of Tonks' abilities as a Metamorphmagus? We've seen her change
her hair and her nose at will and assume the shape of two different
older women, neither of whom is a character we recognize--and both
female, as well.

I don't know if this is relevant, but the sex of the animal an
*animagus* turns into is apparently the same as that of the witch or
wizard who's transfigured into the animal. James is a stag, definitely
male. Scabbers is male. Padfoot/Snuffles is also IIRC referred to as
male. So it's possible that a Metamorphmagus would be subject to
similar limitations. For that reason, I don't think we can freely
assume that Tonks can turn herself into a man, or even into a young
girl smaller than herself, whether or not the man or girl is a real
person like Sirius or Fudge or, say, Ginny. *Could* Tonks perhaps turn
herself into Professor McGonagall or Mrs. Weasley, or, more usefully
if she's a spy, Bellatrix? We haven't seen her do any such thing.
Until she does, I don't think we can safely state that she's "able to
impersonate anyone at will," only that she was born with the ability
to disguise her own identity.

Carol