Patronus

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 190408



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nikkalmati" <puduhepa98 at ...> wrote:
...
> 
> Nikkalmati
> 
> ...  Lupin does not teach Harry to make a speaking Patronus.  
> Does that mean Harry cannot make one?
>  
> ...  Could Umbridge have been in the original Order?  She was never confirmed as a Death Eaather ....  It is strange that both Umbridge and Prof. McGonagal have the same Patronus.
> 
> Nikkalmati
>

Steve:

Once again, while the Patronus is a difficult spell, it is not an uncommon or little known spell. Quite the opposite, everyone knows about it, but few can do it. 

Dumbledore (presumably) took the basic spell and expanded on it so the Order could send untracable messages to each other. There is a difference between the Patronus Spell, and the Patronus Messenger Spell.  

Now if Umbridge could do the Messenger Spell, we might have a point of confusion and uncertainty. But, she can't, or at least we see no sign that she can. 

As to McGonagall and Umbrige's Patronus, I must ask, is there only one cat in the entire world? I don't think so. McGonagall's cat is very distinctive and has markings around the eye that match McGonagall's glasses. We don't have a lot of details about Umbridge's Patronus, but we have no more reason to think it looks like McGonagall's that we do to believe that every cat in the world look identical. 

So, the Patronus Spell is known and common. The Patronus MESSENGER Spell is know only to a very small few people in the Order of the Phoenix. 

As to Harry knowing the Messenger aspect, I believe in one part Harry (or Ron) asks Hermione if she has it figured out, and she says she thinks she has. That implies that once you know it exists, it can be worked out how to do it. 

Plus, every last member of the Order is not dead. It Harry or Hermione need more information, the can ask Molly or Arthur how it is done. But, during the last book, we don't see Harry use the Messenger spell, so it is fair to assume he hasn't personally worked out how to do it. 

So, it is important to make a distinction between the Patronus Spell and the Patronus Messenger Spell, one is built on the other, but they are not the same. 

Steve/bboyminn