In the wizarding world,
we encounter so many fascinating spells.
Some useful,
some a little more dangerous,
and some that show us just
how beautiful and powerful magic can be.
Today, we're thinking about
A complicated and immense spell,
using hope and happiness
to conjure a silvery animal,
which acts as a guardian to the caster.
The Patronus Charm is
Most famously known for warding off
the awful magical non-beings,
the Dementors.
But a Patronus, and the form it takes,
also reveals a part of yourself
through the vision of
this majestic silver animal.
But why?
What makes a Patronus unique to the caster?
In the Harry Potter stories,
we discover several characters' Patronuses,
with some forms
revealing a deeper truth.
J.K. Rowling defines the Patronus
as representing that which is
hidden in a person,
an awakened secret self
that lies dormant when needed.
A Patronus appears to be able
to reflect people's personalities,
their desires, their family,
or even a loved one.
Famously, Harry has a stag
that mirrors his late father's Animagus form
and shows Harry that he and James Potter
are deeply and eternally connected.
It was my dad who conjured the Patronus.
Harry, your dad's—
Dead, I know.
I'm just telling you what I saw.
Patronuses can serve as
manifestations in other ways too.
Perhaps the most tragic example of this?
It could only be Severus Snape's Patronus,
which was the same as
his long-lost love, Lily Potter.
We also know that a
Patronus can change form
depending on someone's
personal circumstances.
For example, in the books,
Nymphadora Tonks's Patronus
changes from a jackrabbit to a wolf
when she falls in love with Remus Lupin,
a reference to Lupin's furry little problem.
So, if someone has an animal
that is already personal to them,
it seems this can also
influence a Patronus's form.
For example, a witch or wizard
that also happens to be an Animagus
is likely to have a matching Patronus.
For instance, Professor McGonagall
can turn into a cat at will,
and her Patronus, also a cat.
This makes sense,
as both McGonagall and our feline
friends never suffer fools gladly.
But some Patronuses are
a little more abstract,
and we can only make educated guesses
on what they may mean.
Take Hermione's Patronus,
for example,
an
But why an otter?
With Hermione's great wisdom,
you might have thought she'd
have a dolphin or an owl.
I checked this out weeks ago
for a bit of light reading.
But otters are pretty canny too.
They also happen to be
J.K. Rowling's favourite animal.
Not only that, but otters are known
as adventurous and playful creatures,
a side to Hermione that we get to see
the more we get to know her.
It's sort of exciting, isn't it?
Breaking the rules.
And you could also interpret
that an otter comes from the
same family of mammals as the weasel.
Weasel kind of sounds
like something else.
Pleasure.
Side note, Ron's dad, Arthur Weasley,
actually has a weasel for his Patronus.
Weasels tend to be very cunning animals,
and although you may
not think of Arthur Weasley
to be sneaky,
he did have his moments.
Your sons flew that enchanted car
of yours to Surrey and back last night.
This brings us on nicely to Ron's Patronus,
a
A bit of a random choice.
But on closer inspection,
this is quintessentially Ron.
First and foremost,
a dog is known as a loyal companion,
one of Ron's greatest attributes.
Then, there's a Jack Russell specifically,
a dog known to be fearless.
But also pretty stubborn.
Let's vote on it.
Those in favour?
Luna Lovegood also has a
beloved furry creature as a Patronus,
a friendly
Yes, regrettably, not a Nargle.
Luna's eccentric personality
fits a hare quite well.
Firstly, there's the phrase —
— which some people may perhaps
say is fitting for Luna.
Everyone, this is Loony Love—
Luna Lovegood.
But it goes a little deeper than that.
Hares are often referenced in folklore
to be associated with the moon.
Luna's name in Latin also means "moon."
And remember how we told you
Tonks's original Patronus was a jackrabbit?
A jackrabbit is also a form of a hare,
and her future husband Remus's
connection to the moon is clear.
Coincidence?
But sometimes, a person's Patronus
really isn't that complicated.
Can you take a wild guess at what
Dolores Umbridge's might be,
for example?
No further explanation required.
But for someone a bit more complex,
a Patronus can be a fascinating
extension to them.
Professor Dumbledore, for example,
has a magical creature as a Patronus,
a
just like his friend, Fawkes.
This makes absolute perfect sense.
With Dumbledore and his family
being intrinsically linked to
this magical bird for many years,
Dumbledore even named the secret society
he founded,
And with Dumbledore being
so generally amazing,
we're not surprised in the slightest
that he has such a fantastic beast
for a Patronus.
So, as we've learnt,
a Patronus can sometimes seem like
a logical interpretation of your character,
or on other occasions,
can teach you something about
your inner self
that you might never have known.
So, how about you?
On
you can take our Patronus experience
and discover your own
silvery animal guardian.
We have over 100 creatures,
with some rarer than others,
you could discover
by answering a few simple prompts.
Our most popular Patronus is a dolphin,
which is a good sign.
Dolphins are notoriously friendly,
intelligent and elegant mammals.
So, we're heartened that so many of
you discovered that one.
But like Dumbledore,
you too could find a more magical
creature in our collection,
from unicorns to fiery dragons.
So why not log in to —
— and discover yours today?
Just remember to think of a happy thought.