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

[zanooda2]

No: HPFGUIDX 182923

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Bex" <kaleeyj 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.

  
> Bex wrote:
 
< SNIP>
 
> 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...).
 
> 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?
  
> Draco's Patronus would almost certainly be something representing
> Snape - if not before the end of HBP, certainly afterward.

> Anyone else have some thoughts?


zanooda:

Sorry it took me so long to reply, but better late than never :-). I 
agree with most of your points (snipped), except for one thing. 
Judging by your examples, you seem to believe that a Patronus always 
represents some person - a mother, a father, a lover etc., and in 
some cases it's true. 

However, I'm not sure it's always the case, because it doesn't fit 
sometimes. I see Patronuses more like those Power animals/Spirit 
animals, or whatever else they are called. Yes, they are protectors, 
but they represent just themselves, and not necessarily someone's 
mother.
 
I want to note here that I personally don't believe in such things as 
Power animals, but I read an article about them once (just out of 
curiousity :-)), and I think there are some similarities between them 
and Patronuses.

There must be a certain affinity between you and your power animal, 
but the link is not always an obvious one. Sometimes they represent 
some trait that is so deeply suppressed that a person may not even 
suspect he/she has it - the power animal is supposed to help the 
person to get in touch with this much needed suppressed part of 
him/herself. At least that's what that article said, and to me 
sometimes it's easier to explain someone's Patronus this way than to 
try to find its connection to another person.

Take Aberforth, for example. To follow your rule :-), his goat 
Patronus must represent his father or mother, right? But to me it's 
easier to think that this goat is just that - a goat :-) - a spirit 
goat, I mean. He loves goats, he keeps goats - why wouldn't his 
guardian also be a goat?

Or look at Umbridge: of course it's possible that her cat Patronus 
represents her dear deceased mother, who was the greatest in the 
world cat-lover, and from whom Dolores inherited that plate 
collection. But why can't this cat be just a cat? She obviously loves 
cats (or at least pictures of cats :-)). It's just easier for me to 
see it this way :-). 

So to me, Cho's swan is not her mother (about whom we know 
practically nothing), but the spirit swan who chose her for some 
reason. In some cases however (Harry, Tonks), your explanation 
obviously works perfectly well for me. And thank you for answering my 
question in such detail :-).
 


zanooda, failing to find an explanation for Ron's Jack Russel 
terrier, except that maybe JKR loves this breed ...