Testrals, Patroni, and Animagi

[lagattalucianese]

No: HPFGUIDX 146653

La Gatta Lucianese:

Sent the following to a friend off-list, then decided it would add to 
the general confusion if I posted it as well:

I think there's a difference between a) seeing a Patronus and seeing 
a thestral (whether or not the Patronus is a thestral); and b) seeing 
a Patronus and being able to produce one.
 
a1) The consensus seems to be right now is that a Patronus can 
probably be seen by any wizard, even if it is a thestral-Patronus, 
unless it is sent to a specific person, in which case it can be seen 
only by the sender and the recipient(s).
 
a2) A thestral (assuming it's a real thestral and not a Patronus) can 
be seen only by someone who has experienced death. Theodore Nott, I 
suspect, can see thestrals because his father is a Death Eater, so he 
has had the opportunity to witness somebody dying, probably rather 
nastily. (EEK! Do they off people in front of their own kids?)
 
b1) For seeing a Patronus, see a1. Theodore Nott could probably see a 
Patronus, but we don't know, because nobody has offered to produce 
one when he is around.
 
b2) I doubt Theodore Nott can produce a Patronus, it being a skill 
usually peculiar to very advanced wizards. Harry is a special case.
 
Then there is the rather gnarly issue of Patroni vs Animagi. I think 
everyone assumes, on the basis of James' Animagus form and Harry's 
Patronus, that if a wizard is an Animagus, his Animagus form and his 
Patronus are the same animal. But I'm not sure this is so. 

(a) Lupin isn't an Animagus (AFAIK), just a Werewolf, and we don't 
know for sure whether he can even produce a Patronus. Do we? Has he 
ever? On the train he used that hand-held flame to route the 
Dementors. 

(b) Sirius in Animagus form is a dog, but I don't think we've seen 
him produce a Patronus either, so we don't know whether he can, or 
(if he can) if his Patronus is also a dog. 

(c) Peter's Animagus form is a rat; we also don't know whether he can 
produce a Patronus (I'm guessing not; he's kind of a crappy wizard).

(d) James' Animagus form is a stag; we don't see him produce a 
Patronus either; Harry does produce a stag Patronus, and thinks it's 
his dad, but in fact the stag Patronus is produced by Harry; we don't 
know whether Harry, at this point, has potential as an Animagus or 
not. 

(e) Tonks (if it is Tonks ;D) produces some sort of an animal 
Patronus which everyone assumes is a wolf because she's in love with 
Lupin, but we really don't know; heaven only knows what sort of 
animal, if any, Metamorphmagus Tonks is capable of turning into. 

(f) Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix; it may also be his Animagus 
form, if he has one.
 
I am now going to take two aspirin an lie down in a cool room...