Animagus Training

[hestiajones]

I have a few questions regarding Animaguses.

1) We know that unless the Animagus registers himself or herself, there is no way of knowing which wizard or witch can turn themselves into an animal. E.g., Rita Skeeter. Let's take a hypothetical situation: what if Rita's secret was exposed? Do you think the Ministry would create a few measures of tracking Animaguses? If so, what kind of approaches could they take?

I feel that a Tracking Charm can devised which records when an Animagus has transformed himself/herself, but would it be legal to also check where the transformation has taken place? Would that be restrictive and akin to violation of privacy? I'm just throwing this out here and would love to know your thoughts.

2) Only powerful wizards and witches can become Animaguses, but the Marauders did it while they were still at school. Rita was another one - she seems very talented, but she doesn't appear to be on McGonagall's level. My conjecture is that any witch or wizard , if they are willing to devote years of study, and if they are talented in both Charms and Transfiguration, can become Animaguses. What do you think?

3) Animaguses are required to register themselves with the Ministry at the Improper Use of Magic branch. Do you think it's possible to have a small department that not only registers Animaguses, but also trains those who are interested? Applicants would obviously have to possess the required skill in Transfiguration and Charms in order to be accepted - for example, Outstanding in both subjects in O.W.L and N.E.W.T, and maybe a few years' training in advanced Transfiguration and Charms, if such courses exist.

[Equinox Chick]

Do you think the Ministry would create a few measures of tracking Animaguses? If so, what kind of approaches could they take?
Hmm, perhaps they could invoke some form of The Trace on the culprit. Becoming an Animagus doesn't require a wand so I think that would make it far harder to detect. Sirius was able to turn into Padfoot in Azkaban and that magic wasn't detected, so maybe it's hard to actually detect. It's not as if you're transforming something else, you're only altering yourself.

Would that be restrictive and akin to violation of privacy?
It would be a violation of privacy, but I don't think that would stop the Ministry if the violation had been committed by a known offender. Their forms of justice (certainly under Fudge's rule) seem arbitrary.

My conjecture is that any witch or wizard , if they are willing to devote years of study, and if they are talented in both Charms and Transfiguration, can become Animaguses. What do you think?
I think you're right. Peter was able to Transfigure and he was perceived as a mediocre student- certainly McGonagall didn't rate him. Sirius and James may have been brilliant, but they were still underage.
I wonder if the studying was actually very boring and/or dangerous, so it would put off a lot of people. The Marauders and Rita had a strong motivation to become Animagi. I couldn't see Harry or Ron being that bothered by it. Hermione would be like McGonagall and want to do it because she could, though.

That's all I've got .

~Carole~

[Karaley Dargen]

Becoming an Animagus doesn't require a wand so I think that would make it far harder to detect.

But then the Ministry doesn't track the use of a wand, but magic in general. Remember - in CoS, Harry got that slap on the wrist because Dobby hovered a dessert. So I think it might be possible to track the Animagus-transformation... But on the other hand, it might make it much harder to track WHO did it rather than where it was done... And then you're right of course with the wand. Maybe after some research, the Department of Mysteries would come up with a way of tracking - like that every Animagus form has a different kind of magical wavelength, or something like that, and that's how they can track it.

Depending on who's Minister, I can imagine them just enforcing higher penalties - like a stay at Azkaban for being an unregistered Animagus (when they do find out), and the same if you conceal one (ie don't tell the Ministry if you know about someone). That would probably scare enough people into surrendering themselves or their neighbours...