Patroni (speculation) WAS: (Re: CHAPDISC: Ch. 19: The Silver Doe)

[Bex]

No: HPFGUIDX 182784

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> zanooda wrote:
> > 
> > I would really like to know how common it is for an Animagus to have
> the same Patronus and Animagus form. I was surprised that McGonagall's
>  Patronus was a cat. Is her "double cat" a rule or an exception? Is
> this a random thing? Practically no hope to ever find out ... ;-(.
> >
> Carol responds:
> 
> I don't know the answer, and I'm not sure that JKR does, either,
> considering that she sometimes seems to mix up the two, as here
> (Snape's/Lily's Patronus form matches James's Animagus form) and in
> some of her interview responses.
> 
> I can't think of any character besides McGonagall for whom we know
> both the Animagus and Patronus form, for one thing because there are
> so few Animagi. Would Wormtail's Patronus (and he must have had one if
> the original Order used them to communicate) have been a rat?
> Charming. (Don't get me wrong; I like pet rats. But Peter is a common
> street rat.) Would DD's Animagus form have been a Phoenix? Was Sirius
> Black's Patronus form a dog? We just don't know.
> 
> However, we do know that a Patronus is a kind of protective spirit,
> sometimes representing someone else (DD's represents Fawkes, if Fawkes
> counts as a someone; Harry's Patronus represents James, Snape's
> changed Patronus represents Lily; Tonks's changed Patronus represents
> Lupin). I can't imagine Tonks's Animagus, if she had one, being a
> werewolf, or Snape's being a doe! Rita Skeeter's, however, might well
> be a mosquito to match her name and he beetle Animagus (a mosquito
> Animagus probably wouldn't survive very long; it would be squished the
> moment it landed on someone's arm!)
> 
> Carol, who thinks that Ron's Animagus form would be an otter, to match
> Hermione's Patronus
>


Well, "Patronus" is a derivative of "patron", and in turn, "pater" -
both pointing to protectors or, in the case of "pater", literally,
"father". Patrons in Roman history were protectors - sometimes former
masters of freed servants who still had some rights over them. And of
course, the first thing any Catholic would think of when hearing the
word patronus is "Patron saint", who is seen as a special guardian of
an individual or a group.

So it makes sense that Harry's Patronus takes the form of his father -
someone Harry would consider his protector (that boy just doesn't seem
to get the depth of Lily's sacrifice - *shakes Harry voodoo doll*). I
expect that if Harry had been allowed to move in with Sirius, his
Patronus would probably have become something representing his godfather.

Animagi forms depend on *your* personality traits. Patroni generally
reflect people who mean a great deal to you. (Snape's doe, Tonks'
wolf, Hermione's otter (which is very, very similar to a weasel...).

So if we assume DD's Patronus is a phoenix, and Lily's is a doe, then
 McGonagall and Lily and DD are the exceptions to the rule - their
patroni represent themselves. At least we think so - perhaps DD's
really represents Fawkes. And McG and Lily's could represent anyone
they knew. I think that McG's "double cat" syndrome is probably the
exception rather than the rule.

Arthur's weasel - could represent his family (like his father), or
perhaps his immediate family - clearly his sons would be willing to
fight to the death for him.

Cho's swan: I read this as representing her mother - very gentle and
graceful.

Ron's terrier: Terriers are tough, very energetic, and brave,
especially considering their size - they aren't the biggest dogs in
the park, but they sure think they are. Very energetic... I wonder if
this could represent the twins? Or, brave and tough beyond all
expectations - perhaps Molly?

Shacklebolt's is a Lynx, and Ernie, Luna, and Seamus have a boar, a
hare, and a fox, though we don't know which one is whose. Ah, well,
speculation is more fun...


I imagine that Lily's Animagus is probably something bold, daring, and
yet playful - a raccoon comes to mind (my mind, anyway, half buzzed on
Nyquil to fight the cold I caught in 80-flipping-degree weather).

Draco's Patronus would almost certainly be something representing
Snape - if not before the end of HBP, certainly afterward.

Sirus Black's Patronus... Sirius looked out for himself, that I can
tell - he was not dependent on anyone for protection, and when he was,
he was not happy about it. Perhaps his Patronus *would* represent
himself. In fact, that could explain Lily's for sure - from what we've
seen of her, she was very independent - she was her own protector. As
for McG, I'm not so sure.



Anyone else have some thoughts?

~Bex