Animagi talks
So I have this giant Harry Potter plunnie I've been messing around with for a while now, though nowadays it's more off than on.
Anyway, it's basically an adventure with our Golden Trio (+Draco), and I wanted to make them all animagi, so I did some research and character study into what they'd actually be.
Harry would be a merlin. Not only is this a very amusing play on words that helped me decide what he'd be, a merlin is a beautiful creature. First, Harry's animagus form would have to be something that can fly, and also a predatory bird, due to him being a natural Seeker. True, some could argue that he turns into a jackdaw or a magpie due to his affinity for catching the shiny snitch, but I like raptors more.
Also, merlins in general have a nice balance between speed and agility, between hawks and falcons. On his broom, Harry's both. Many people write up his speed, but quite a few also seem to forget that most of his maneuvers are amazing turns and twists that could put others to shame. Plus, merlins are one of the few birds of prey that go after other birds in flight. Harry is great at catching things in the air, too; both the Snitch and the key from the first book.
So basically Harry's animagus form is built around Harry's skill on a broom.
Draco would be an ermine. This was a bit easier to figure out. I mainly took inspiration from the fourth book, where he was turned into a ferret. You might ask me "why not keep it a ferret?" Well, a couple reasons, really.
Chiefly, the ferret he was turned into matched his hair. Some may call this a point for ferret, but I count it against. See, that breed of ferret originates in Germany, and I can't see Draco as being of German descent. This is also related to his last name, Malfoy, which is French. So French ancestry, yes. German? No.
Ermines' fur changes color depending on the season, from brown to white. This is the white that I associate with Draco's hair, though ermines do have a purer color. This can also relate to his personality. Draco, being Slytherin, metaphorically changes his colors to fit into a group; to not stand out or draw attention to himself in a negative way, while attempting to assert himself in a positive way (more on that later). This is also reminiscent of the last book, where he switches sides. Brown and white are very different colors, you know.
Finally, there's the personality of the ermine. A lot of this was taken from the Wikipedia entry on stoats (which is another name for ermine). Amusingly, a group of stoats is called a gang, and Draco was certainly the leader of one. Ermines are predators, preying on weaker animals, even if said prey is twice their size. They are also prey themselves to larger creatures, like wolves and raptors (ohoho symbolism! *shot*). And though stoats are territorial, most of their fighting is done with posturing. Draco does this with taunts, only resorting to firing off spells as a last resort. If it's shown that he's completely outmatched (such as with Snape and Voldemort), he'll defer to the more powerful person...just like stoats.
In addition, animals in the weasel family are more known for their cleverness and sneakiness than snakes. And Draco, being a Slytherin, would associate more with such an animal.
Wow, that was kinda long. Onto Ron!
Many people peg Ron as a dog, like his Patronus. I did the same thing, though he's obviously a different breed. An Irish Wolfhound, to be precise, with red fur, like his signature Weasley hair.
Wolfhounds bond strongly with what they consider pack, are fiercely protective of them, tend to be distrusting of strangers, and also get depressed when left alone for long periods of time (last book, anyone?). Their basic temperament and personality are so much like Ron's, I couldn't not pick it as his animagus form.
Wolfhounds are also a very old breed, possibly one of the oldest, and the Weasley family is an old pureblood family. Probably not as old as the wolfhound breed, but there's still a similarity there.
Hermione's was the hardest, since she has a rather complex personality. Also, a lot of people turn Hermione into an owl, which is associated with intelligence. That's as far as a lot of authors go, though. Most people look at animals that are well-known for a certain trait, completely ignore all other traits the person or animal may have, and go "well, that's a good idea!" No, it's not. Do some research.
So, after much mucking around in the animal kingdom, I eventually decided on Eurasian brown bear.
Many people forget that bears are highly intelligent. In fact, a lot of people call them dull, which they're not. Watch some nature shows, and you'll see just how "dull" a bear can be. Plus, brown bears are generally friendly and curious. So right there, you not only have Hermione's intelligence trait showing, but also her desire to learn and to be friends with everyone.
Common brown bears are also more docile on average than other brown bear subspecies (such as the grizzly or Kodiak). And usually, it is Hermione who's trying to find a non-violent solution to a problem. However, this does not mean that they cannot be dangerous. Far from it. Everyone knows not to get between a mother bear and her cubs. Not only has Hermione been shown to fight, but she can be brutal about it. She doesn't like it, and it's distasteful, but when she sees a threat, nothing can stop her. I generally see Hermione as having a "mama bear" attitude toward Ron and Harry anyway, separate from animagus ability.
So yep, that's what I think their animagus forms would be, if they had one.
Any questions?
Anyway, it's basically an adventure with our Golden Trio (+Draco), and I wanted to make them all animagi, so I did some research and character study into what they'd actually be.
Harry would be a merlin. Not only is this a very amusing play on words that helped me decide what he'd be, a merlin is a beautiful creature. First, Harry's animagus form would have to be something that can fly, and also a predatory bird, due to him being a natural Seeker. True, some could argue that he turns into a jackdaw or a magpie due to his affinity for catching the shiny snitch, but I like raptors more.
Also, merlins in general have a nice balance between speed and agility, between hawks and falcons. On his broom, Harry's both. Many people write up his speed, but quite a few also seem to forget that most of his maneuvers are amazing turns and twists that could put others to shame. Plus, merlins are one of the few birds of prey that go after other birds in flight. Harry is great at catching things in the air, too; both the Snitch and the key from the first book.
So basically Harry's animagus form is built around Harry's skill on a broom.
Draco would be an ermine. This was a bit easier to figure out. I mainly took inspiration from the fourth book, where he was turned into a ferret. You might ask me "why not keep it a ferret?" Well, a couple reasons, really.
Chiefly, the ferret he was turned into matched his hair. Some may call this a point for ferret, but I count it against. See, that breed of ferret originates in Germany, and I can't see Draco as being of German descent. This is also related to his last name, Malfoy, which is French. So French ancestry, yes. German? No.
Ermines' fur changes color depending on the season, from brown to white. This is the white that I associate with Draco's hair, though ermines do have a purer color. This can also relate to his personality. Draco, being Slytherin, metaphorically changes his colors to fit into a group; to not stand out or draw attention to himself in a negative way, while attempting to assert himself in a positive way (more on that later). This is also reminiscent of the last book, where he switches sides. Brown and white are very different colors, you know.
Finally, there's the personality of the ermine. A lot of this was taken from the Wikipedia entry on stoats (which is another name for ermine). Amusingly, a group of stoats is called a gang, and Draco was certainly the leader of one. Ermines are predators, preying on weaker animals, even if said prey is twice their size. They are also prey themselves to larger creatures, like wolves and raptors (ohoho symbolism! *shot*). And though stoats are territorial, most of their fighting is done with posturing. Draco does this with taunts, only resorting to firing off spells as a last resort. If it's shown that he's completely outmatched (such as with Snape and Voldemort), he'll defer to the more powerful person...just like stoats.
In addition, animals in the weasel family are more known for their cleverness and sneakiness than snakes. And Draco, being a Slytherin, would associate more with such an animal.
Wow, that was kinda long. Onto Ron!
Many people peg Ron as a dog, like his Patronus. I did the same thing, though he's obviously a different breed. An Irish Wolfhound, to be precise, with red fur, like his signature Weasley hair.
Wolfhounds bond strongly with what they consider pack, are fiercely protective of them, tend to be distrusting of strangers, and also get depressed when left alone for long periods of time (last book, anyone?). Their basic temperament and personality are so much like Ron's, I couldn't not pick it as his animagus form.
Wolfhounds are also a very old breed, possibly one of the oldest, and the Weasley family is an old pureblood family. Probably not as old as the wolfhound breed, but there's still a similarity there.
Hermione's was the hardest, since she has a rather complex personality. Also, a lot of people turn Hermione into an owl, which is associated with intelligence. That's as far as a lot of authors go, though. Most people look at animals that are well-known for a certain trait, completely ignore all other traits the person or animal may have, and go "well, that's a good idea!" No, it's not. Do some research.
So, after much mucking around in the animal kingdom, I eventually decided on Eurasian brown bear.
Many people forget that bears are highly intelligent. In fact, a lot of people call them dull, which they're not. Watch some nature shows, and you'll see just how "dull" a bear can be. Plus, brown bears are generally friendly and curious. So right there, you not only have Hermione's intelligence trait showing, but also her desire to learn and to be friends with everyone.
Common brown bears are also more docile on average than other brown bear subspecies (such as the grizzly or Kodiak). And usually, it is Hermione who's trying to find a non-violent solution to a problem. However, this does not mean that they cannot be dangerous. Far from it. Everyone knows not to get between a mother bear and her cubs. Not only has Hermione been shown to fight, but she can be brutal about it. She doesn't like it, and it's distasteful, but when she sees a threat, nothing can stop her. I generally see Hermione as having a "mama bear" attitude toward Ron and Harry anyway, separate from animagus ability.
So yep, that's what I think their animagus forms would be, if they had one.
Any questions?