Homework on Defense Against the Dark Arts

Professor Levy

July 11, 2011 9:56 PM

Advanced Level (6th and 7th Years): Lesson I - Homework by Professor Levy

1) Any additional thoughts regarding the advantages and disadvantages of Transfiguration in regards to Defense Against the Dark Arts? (Optional)

2) Do you think wizards should be required to register when they acquire the Animagus ability? Why or why not?

3) If wizards did not have to register, what are some of the ramifications that could occur?

4) How do animagi differ from werewolves? Do you feel that they are more or less dangerous than werewolves?

5) What do you think your animagus form would be? Why?

OOC: Bonus points will be rewarded for completion of homework.

Subthreads:

Homework by Daniel Nash, Aladren

Homework by Edmond Carey, Aladren

0 Professor Levy Advanced Level (6th and 7th Years): Lesson I - Homework 0 Professor Levy 1 5

Daniel Nash, Aladren

August 08, 2011 7:46 PM

Homework by Daniel Nash, Aladren

Daniel Nash II
Seventh Year
Aladren
DADA Homework: Animagus

1) The biggest disadvantage seems to be that the bad guys can take advantage of the advantages and they're going to do that regardless, so there is no reason not to use Transfiguration when Defending Against Dark Arts. Also, there is rarely any reason not to use any and all resources available.

2) Registering Animagi is like muggles getting gun licenses. The people who probably aren't going to be a problem are the ones who comply with the law. However, for the average witch or wizard, they don't really lose anything by registering - they managed a very complex transfiguration that most magical people can't do; I, personally, would be glad to register just to prove I did it - so I see no reason why they shouldn't be registered since it might help in crimes of passion or when someone is stupid.

3) People might take advantage of their animal forms more often since there would be no legal documentation of their unique abilities. If, say, Wizard A (who is normally a pretty decent guy and properly registers himself as an insect animagi) sees a bag of galleons sitting just inside a house and the window is cracked open a few inches, he might be tempted to transform, fly in, grab the money and go. But he'd been seen by a few neighbors in the area. So if he was registered, and the authorities knew he could make himself small enough to pass unnoticed into the house, he would decide the aurors would figure it out, and he pushes aside the temptation. But if he's not registered, nobody knows he can get inside undetected, and it's much harder to dismiss the idea because he thinks he can probably get away with it.

4) Animagi are in full control of their thoughts and actions while in animal form. They are basically still human except with a different outer appearance. Werewolves lose the ability to reason and their minds are far more wolf-like than human-like. They are driven by instinct and usually do not recognize friends or family when transformed.

5) I would be a parrot. Parrots can repeat lines and are one of the most distinctive birds in the world. My feathers would mostly be blue because I fly for Aladren.

1 Daniel Nash, Aladren Homework 130 Daniel Nash, Aladren 0 5

Edmond Carey, Aladren

August 12, 2011 1:53 AM

Homework by Edmond Carey, Aladren

Edmond Carey

Sixth Year, Aladren House

Professor E. Levy

[Date]

1) Any additional thoughts regarding the advantages and disadvantages of Transfiguration in regards to Defense Against the Dark Arts? (Optional)

Theoretically, it seems possible that Transfiguration in general, beyond animagus forms, could be used in a defensive situation, either to make the environment better suited to defensive or offensive positioning (chair to solid shield, etc.), to create weapons if weapons beyond the wand seemed necessary (less practical, admittedly, but historical records of quite powerful wizards occasionally using swords for other than ceremonial purposes suggests they may be of use in some situations), to create diversions (rolling balls on the floor to trip an opponent, things flying in the air, things alive, etc.), and perhaps to disable the opponent, though this would be exceedingly dangerous for all but highly skilled practitioners due to the risk of accidentally killing the subject through bungled partial transfigurations if the defending wizard’s strength and talent were not sufficient for a total transfiguration.

In the case of animagus transformations, some forms could also be used as weapons in and of themselves. It is my understanding that an attacking bear or large cat could do considerable damage, if that was for some reason deemed necessary – perhaps the wizard is separated from his wand? This would likely be a killing tactic, though, and so might not be deemed appropriate in the general course of things, and it might be more difficult to dodge curses from still-armed opponents anyway.

2) Do you think wizards should be required to register when they acquire the Animagus ability? Why or why not?

The logic behind the argument – that those with the unregistered ability to change their physical appearance and size at will could put that skill to extralegal uses – seems sound to me. It might, however, be beneficial to have the records of some with the skill, for instance those in high-level defense positions, to be less accessible to the general public in case their use was ever needed with a degree of secrecy. There could still be problems if such individuals were of less character than their positions required and abused their ability to commit crime in the community, but since I doubt many bother to memorize the identifying markings of the entire animagus registry, this could be dismissed as a point of theory. Possibly.

3) If wizards did not have to register, what are some of the ramifications that could occur?

Security of some information and locations could be compromised, particularly in the case of insect forms, and perhaps there would be a lowered perception of the difficulty and severity of making the attempt, which would lead to more persons who lack the skill necessary attempting it and injuring themselves in the process.

4) How do animagi differ from werewolves? Do you feel that they are more or less dangerous than werewolves?

The animagus transformation is a voluntary one, in which the shapeshifter keeps his or her mind and can return to human form, as far as has been determined, at will (though there are some theories touching on those who remain too long in animagus form). The werewolf transformation is involuntary, triggered by the full moon, and, unless appropriate medication is administered to the victim ahead of time, leads to a complete loss of self in which the rational mind is replaced by one which actively seeks humans out as food and is aggressive, malevolent, and quite mad seeming.

Because of the intrinsically harmful nature of the werewolf transformation versus the technical neutral of the animagus one, which is used by choice, I think I will choose the werewolf as the more dangerous of the pair.

5) What do you think your animagus form would be? Why?

I really have no idea, I’m afraid. Perhaps an elephant, if the old saying about their memories is true. My memory is not as good as my foster - that word was cramped, just squeezed onto the page, where it had nearly been forgotten about – sister Jane’s is generally, but I did have to learn to make it better when I was small, and I like to think it did some good.

0 Edmond Carey, Aladren Homework 0 Edmond Carey, Aladren 0 5