DD as Animagus

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 182811


Magpie:
> > We've got a lot of information on Dumbledore and no hint that 
>  > he's an animagus.

CJ: 
> Absolutely. For me, the question of whether he was is less
interesting than the question of why JKR left it hanging. Given the
central role  animagism played in the plot, it would seem to be a
natural question  fans would ask, and perhaps even important enough to
warrant addressing  in canon itself either way.
> 


Pippin:
But the question isn't "hanging", since it's never raised in canon.
It's the obligation of a mystery writer to explain the intentional red
herrings, but she doesn't have to explain why everything that didn't
happen in the story didn't happen. JKR did not create the details of
her world to satisfy fannish curiosity but because she needed them to
tell the story of a boy who does not know who he is. Animagism is
important to the plot, but no more so than legilimency, polyjuice,
horcruxes or parseltongue -- they are all devices that allow JKR to
explore the central question of the books: who is Harry Potter, and
more generally, how do we know who we are.

I suspect Dumbledore was made Transfigurations Master in order to hype
the Marauders' achievement in concealing their activities from him --
but to make DD an animagus himself would  make that achievement even
more incredible, and also raise the question of why he couldn't have
kept company with Lupin while he was transformed  (it might, IMO,
raise  questions of propriety for McGonagall to do so, and in any
case a cat could not control a werewolf.)

Canons, whether true or feigned, are full of errors in chronology,
improbable coincidences and unexplained events, all of which give rise
to extra-canonical theories. These would never catch on if they
weren't emotionally appealing, at least to their creators, but the
chronicler can't possibly anticipate them all nor make room in the
record to contradict them.  

Pippin