Polyjuice Potion plus hair of Tonks equals what?

[I_LUV_MOONY]

What would happen if one put a Metamorphagus' hair into a Polyjuice Potion? Would you be able to morph? Or would you take on the form that that he/she was in when the hair was taken? Someone in a story I'm getting ready to write takes a Polyjuice Potion to become Tonks, so that's why I need to know. It's not going to be a major plot point, so that's why I'm asking. Thanks in advance!

[Crows]

Hey Lluv (what an awesome pun!) I'm betting that the person in questino taking the Polyjuice Potion with Tonks's hair in it would turn into whatever Tonks looked like at the time, if my whole "Science of Metamormagi" (did I spell that right?) theory is in check.

[jenny b]

I think that they would look like whatever Tonks looks like at the time the hair was taken, but you could make them morph if you want that for your fic, and I think it would still be plausible. But the first idea would probably be more correct.

[red haired mom]

Unless the person taking the Potion also does a spell or takes a few more potions, I do not think they would be able to morph.

If that were the case, then The Seven Potters wouldn't have needed to take Harry's Polyjuice. They could've taken Tonks' and been done with it.

Metamorphmagi are born, not made. No potion will give you the ability to morph at will. I am not sure what the actual canon thoughts are on this, but I personally wouldn't read past the sentence that allowed someone to morph just from the potion with her hair.

The Polyjuice Potion with Tonks' hair in it would turn you to look like her in her normal natural state. The mousy hair, and fairly normal, but pretty face.

Hope that helped.

~Wendy

[I_LUV_MOONY]

Wow, I'm glad everyone was able to help so quickly! I think I'm going to go with the person taking the potion becoming what current state Tonks was in.

However, the person will be ready with potions and spells so that in case people become suspicious, he/she (how I love the secrecy ) can morph. Sadly, though, there will be no mealtime entertainments.

I'm still open for more discussion on the matter, though. And thanks for the help Azalea, Jennifer, and Wendy. It certainly helped me reach many conclusions, and very quickly!

[Indigoenigma]

It also may go to whatever features Tonks has normally (not that she ever is normal....)

But, as the hair would include her genetic make-up, I'd assume that whomever used it would look like somewhat of a cross between Andromeda and Ted - the way Tonks would look if she didn't morph at all.

~Kelly

[star_sailor]

I'm not sure if they would take a neutral form of the person, though it does have plausibility to certain degrees. I definitely agree with Wendy though:

Metamorphmagi are born, not made. No potion will give you the ability to morph at will.

There's something in the genetic makeup of a Metamorphmagus that allows them to shift their form, obviously. But the Polyjuice Potion doesn't exactly transfer genetic make-up. It temporarily alters the genes of the person who consumes it so that they assume the physical form of another. As it has been shown, people who take Polyjuice Potion don't lose their natural voice, which suggests those genes weren't shifted. I doubt someone would randomly inherit the ability to morph their form via Polyjuice Potion, though theoretically, a really complex potion might give someone metamorphmagus properties for a short time, and that could be taken with a Polyjuice Potion.


Speaking on spells, I don't think there are any that endow metamorphmagi properties. That would be messing with genetics via magic, and in general, messing with genetics isn't a nice thing to do to a body. (Come to think about it, shifting forms with the polyjuice potion isn't exactly like drinking a hot cup of tea either.) But if there was essentially a metamorphmagi spell, I'm sure the death eaters would have been using it. Think of how much easier it would have been to get close to the Order if they could shift their form at any time. Bad business.



Edit: Oh, I'm getting my books and movies all mixed up. The voice does transfer. And (also in book 2) Harry's eyesight shifted, so there are genetic changes as well. Excuse my lapse in sanity and canon and ignore that part, haha. I still don't believe you could shift forms after taking the potion though... It just seems like it would make things too easy. There must be some sort of catch.

[Stubbornly_appeared]

To start with the original question.

I think that, if you took a Metamorphamagi's hair, you would get whatever/whoever they looked like. So if you took a hair from Bellatrix!Tonks, you would look like Bellatrix after you took the potion, but with Tonks' voice and whatever mistakes she had in her semblance.

As it has been shown, people who take Polyjuice Potion don't lose their natural voice, which suggests those genes weren't shifted.

That depends what canon you're following. As per COS, the voices don't change (although it might just have been Hermione's potion). But, in DH, they do. Harry does sound like Runcorn (his voice comes out 'deep and gravely') in 'Magic is Might', and Hermione is a perfect image of Bellatrix. I imagine Polyjuice as a sort of temporary gene fabrication and replacement, but I digress.

-Stubby

[I_LUV_MOONY]

Hmm... You guys have given me a lot to think about.

I think that, if you took a Metamorphamagi's hair, you would get whatever/whoever they looked like. So if you took a hair from Bellatrix!Tonks, you would look like Bellatrix after you took the potion, but with Tonks' voice and whatever mistakes she had in her semblance.

I'm going to agree with Stubby on this one. Morphing itself is like changing your genetic makeup, right? So, theoretically, the person taking the potion would get Tonks' physical appearance at the time the hair was taken.

However, the person will be ready with potions and spells so that in case people become suspicious, he/she (how I love the secrecy ) can morph. Sadly, though, there will be no mealtime entertainments.

By this I merely meant appearance altering spells. For example, if the person wanted to change their hair color, they would cast a spell. It's like how Muggles dye their hair, just faster. So their would be no mealtime entertainments because the person would have to whip their wands out, which would be very suspicious.

Thanks for all the help everyone! I'm still open for more discussion, seeing as I haven't started writing yet... See you!

[MaiaMadness]

I agree with the others, that they wouldn't be able to morph. If the Polyjuice Potion copied a person's genetic material, things like scars wouldn't transfer, because scars aren't genetic. If the DNA had been transferred when using the potion, I'd say they'd be able to morph, but that doesn't fit with how the books explain it.

I also think that they'd turn into what she looked like at the time the hair was taken, for the same reasons. If Barty Crouch Jr got all of Moody's scars and his missing eye when he turned into him, the same things would happen to anyone. The Polyjuice Potion copies a person's current appearance, including length of hair, ammount of freckles and scars. If these traits had been changed at will, I don't see that it would make any difference.

And to elaborate on the voice thing... I thought it was just in the movie they didn't change? In the book CoS I'm absolutely certain they did. Or am I just mixing things up here?

Maia