The nature of Patronuses (Patroni?)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 152013

I've been thinking about Patronuses, what we've learned about them,  and 
when. I've also been wondering about what we don't know about them.
 
What we've learned about Patronuses so far:
1. A first Patronus is (or can be) a spontaneous formation,  representative
of some part of the wizard's character or nature. When Harry produced
his first Patronus in POA, he didn't consciously think of a stag. A  stag
simply appeared. It was only later that he learned a stag was also  his
father's patronus. Therefore I surmise that somehow Harry's nature,  in
the manner of his connection to his father (or his subconscious  memory
of his father) influenced the configuration of his Patronus. 
 
2. A wizard's Patronus can change/can be changed. In HBP Tonks has
a new patronus. Here is the exact quote from Snape--"I was  interested  
to see your new Patronus...I think you were better off with the old one. 
The new one looks weak." It strikes me that this statement isn't one
hundred percent clear about how a Patronus changes. Is it Tonks  who
initiated the change herself, or did her Patronus change in response  to
some alteration of her nature--e.g. in response to her pining for  Lupin,
which at the time was foremost in her thoughts?
 
3. While a Patronus can chase away Dementors, there are also 
other methods of repelling Dementors. Harry's method of choice is
a Patronus, but apparently this is not Snape's method, if we go by
Harry's comments in HBP. 
 
The When: I can't think of any reason for JKR to introduce the
concept of a patronus changing so late in the saga, and in such
a brief, isolated moment (Snape mentions it, then the subject  
never resurfaces) other than to set a foundation for the  subject's
reappearance in Book 7, this time with plot relevance. 
 
What we don't know about Patronuses:
1. As mentioned above, can a wizard consciously change a 
Patronus, or  does the Patronus spontaneously change in response
to an alteration in the wizard's nature?
 
2. More importantly, can a wizard create a Patronus that does
*not* reflect his nature or character? For instance, could Voldemort,
who we know to be evil, create a phoenix Patronus, something 
related to Dumbledore's nature--to healing and rebirth--if these
traits do not reflect anything within Voldemort's nature or belief
system?
 
(I think the answer to #2 is critical, because if a wizard can only
create a Patronus that directly reflects his own nature/beliefs,
then it would make sense for the Order to trust a phoenix Patronus,
which is associated with Dumbledore and all he believes. Even
without knowing the identity of the sender, the Order would know
the sender has to be loyal to Dumbledore because, in a sense,
a Patronus couldn't lie.)
 
3. Stretching it a little further, can a wizard give or will a  Patronus
to someone else? I do realize that more than one wizard could
have a certain type Patronus, i.e., several wizards could have a 
hawk, or a wolf, or an otter as a Patronus. (Though since it  isn't
easy to conjure a Patronus, I do wonder if enough wizards have 
them that this would be an issue.) Even so, could, say, a phoenix
Patronus be specific enough in features to be identified with only
one certain wizard? Say, if the phoenix Patronus bears the exact
features of Fawkes, rather than of some generalized phoenix?
Certainly Dumbledore of all wizards might be powerful enough
to make such a Patronus. And if that Patronus showed up again,
being used by someone else, the Order would know Dumbledore
had given his Patronus to that wizard, in essence assuring that
wizard's loyalty to the Order's cause.
 
I said I was stretching it! ;-)
 
4. Since Tonks changed her Patronus, how did Snape know it was
hers? Did she identify herself within the message? Can a wizard
choose not to identify him/herself if that is preferred?
 
5. I've been thinking along the lines of someone else having a 
changed Patronus in Book 7 (okay, yes, Snape!), but I also have
been wondering why Tonks' changed Patronus wasn't identified.
I mean, we all (or most of us) are assuming it was a wolf, that
it represented Lupin and Tonks' feelings for him. But Snape never
exactly identifies the Patronus.Why didn't JKR just have Snape
sneer that it was a wolf? Or a dog (if it represented Sirius)? Was
it just such a throwaway moment, or a moment specifically there
to foreshadow a changed Patronus in Book 7, that she felt it
unnecessary to waste words identifying the exact Patronus? Or
was she just trying to keep the mystery of Tonks' wan, changed
appearance and attitude from being revealed? (I ask this being
one who wondered if Tonks was Imperioed or something because
she was acting so strange.) Or could it be the identity of Tonks'
new Patronus will be important in Book 7 thus couldn't be revealed
to Harry, or us?
 
5. Finally, will the mentioned difference in Harry's and Snape's
approaches to repelling Dementors have significance in Book 7?
If so, how? (I've been speculating that Harry might save Snape  from
the Dementors with his Patronus--it makes some poetic sense for 
Harry to save Snape's soul--though how Snape's unknown method
might play into such a scene I don't know.)
 
Questions, questions! The only think I feel sure of at the moment
is that the changed Patronus issue will come up again in Book 7.
It's just a matter of how, who, when, and why. And maybe where ;-)
 
Any other thoughts or theories?
 
Julie
 
 
 
 


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