I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

So Terry, when you get back:

You said it's a claw between brown and black. Curved. Longer and narrower than a fingernail, pointed but not super sharp (so not a hunting animal) and fur near the knuckle.

I'm trying to think what sort of animal it might be. Nearly everything with paws has claws -- rabbits do, squirrels do, weasels, rats, bats. Rat claws are pretty sharp, though. Definitely not a lizard or other reptile because those don't have fur.

If you were turning into a weasel (for instance) you'd get a whole lot smaller but maybe that didn't happen because you transformed just one finger? The Headmistress would know for sure but I can't exactly go ask her.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

Probably not a rabbit, come to think of it. Their claws are blunt but also pretty short. Maybe a squirrel or weasel.

Not a deer. They have hooves.

[alt_neville]

He didn't say what colour the fur was, did he? That might give us a hint, too.

[alt_neville]

We should take bets!

[alt_luna]

He also didn't say whether the claw was smaller, proportionately, than the rest of his hand. I wonder if that's different if he's going to turn into a really smaller animal? Does everything shrink at the same time as you change?

[alt_sally_anne]

Have you ever seen the Headmistress transform?

Maybe I'll see if Professor Brutka would persuade her to come and give us a demonstration.

[alt_luna]

I never have. I've never seen any animagus transform, which makes sense because they're really rare.

And I suppose the Headmistress doesn't have much call to turn into a cat, in the regular course of her duties, I mean.

[alt_sally_anne]

If I were the Headmistress I'd transform into a cat just to roam around the castle because everyone would assume I was someone's pet. Think how much you'd overhear.

[alt_neville]

Oh, thanks. Now I'm going to be looking funny at every cat I see!

[alt_hermione]

She looks like a tortoiseshell, with little markings around her eyes like glasses.

Also when she does it it happens all at once. So it looks like she's just hunching over and then she sort of gets smaller. She doesn't just put out a claw.

[alt_neville]

No idea.

[alt_sally_anne]

No, just that it was short.

Which doesn't narrow it down all that much. I can't think of any animals that have long fur down by their claws; think how tangled it would get in twigs and so on when they were running around.

[alt_neville]

Sloths do. I dunno. Maybe? Except their claws are really long and curved.

And I can't exactly see Terry turning into a sloth.

[alt_sally_anne]

No! And yeah. Don't sloths have ENORMOUS claws?

He might be a fox. Although I'd think he'd have commented on the reddish fur.

[alt_neville]

Or what about a ferret?

Probably not a badger. That'd hurt his Ravenclaw soul.

[alt_sally_anne]

Ohhhhhhh that would be almost as bad as if a Gryffindor became an animagus and turned into a SNAKE.

[alt_neville]

No kidding! Any Gryffindor would probably die of shame.

[alt_sally_anne]

'Oh hurrah! I have mastered this incredibly difficult bit of wizardry! I am so proud!'

'Oh HORRORS! I have turned myself into the symbol of a rival house! I CAN NEVER TELL A SOUL OR TRANSFORM AGAIN!'

[alt_sally_anne]

Honestly I think I'd rather transform into a badger than a snake. Snakes are cold-blooded and this isn't a very warm castle.

[alt_luna]

Probably not anything in the cat family, either. Their claws are all very sharp, aren't they?

[alt_sally_anne]

VERY sharp. If he were turning into a cat he'd have been able to draw blood if he pricked one of his other fingers with it.

[alt_pansy]

Well, if it isn't any sort of cat, what about a wolf? Or a fox?

[alt_justin]

Hullo, Sally-Anne,

I've just looked through my journal for the evening. Hydra and I were working on a letter to Mr Rosier so I couldn't before.

I'm glad you suggested the charm for Terry's hand, what?

I've no idea what sort of claw it could be, though. Bear?

-Justin

[alt_sally_anne]

Well that would be absolutely huge but then again a weasel would be tiny. If you don't shrink or grow until the end of the transformation...

[alt_neville]

Oh, great. Then Terry could turn into a bear and BITE CARROW'S HEAD OFF.

[alt_luna]

I'm not sure he'd really like to do that. When you think about it.

I mean, it would really be sort of nasty, wouldn't it?

[alt_neville]

Oh, er...yeah. I suppose it would.

Sorry.

[alt_justin]

Hullo, Luna.

He shouldn't have to actually chew it, what? I mean to say, he could spit it out.

I would do.

But it would certainly solve his problem!

-Justin

[alt_neville]

Urgh!

[alt_sally_anne]

I say, old chap, that's an excellent idea.

Terry: if you turn into a bear, spit Carrow's head out after you bite it off.

[alt_sally_anne]

That would be brilliant except he'd want a bezoar handy, Carrow's got to be completely poisonous.

[alt_pansy]

Point.

[alt_neville]

Another thing...he didn't mention whether it was a retractable claw or not, did he? Are there any animals that are able to retract their claws besides cats?

(Maybe it didn't even occur to him, or he was too freaked out to try. I would probably be!)

[alt_sally_anne]

I think it's just cats.

If he could've retracted it that would have solved most of his problem right there.