How Do You Know Your Patronus?
Last week, JK Rowling revealed the form her Patronus takes — a pine marten. Which is so adorable that I’ve stopped coveting the rabbit that lives in our backyard, and now I’m coveting my very own pine marten friend who will chillax with me while I write. Nerdist also reviewed several characters’ Patronuses, and you can see the complete list on the Harry Potter wiki.
Of course, it makes you wonder what your Patronus would be. Pottermore is getting a Patronus quiz soon, though I imagine that it has a limited number of options, so we’ll all end up with the same Patronuses. Whereas the animal world is large and varied, and our real Patronus may not be included in that algorithm.
You know, our real real Patronus.
I realized that I have no idea what my Patronus would be. No clue. No animal pops to mind. I mean, there are animals I like, and animals that mirror my personality, behaviour-wise. But still, I don’t even have a short list of possibilities. Whenever I get my Hogwarts letter and finally learn how to create a corporal Patronus, I will be shocked to discover my animal.
Whereas I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that I was sorted into Ravenclaw. I imagine most kids aren’t that shocked by their House placement when they come to Hogwarts. The four Houses are all associated with certain personality types, and you generally know yourself. While I’m sure there were disappointments from time to time, there was no one who continued to sit on the chair and say to the Sorting Hat, “Wait, are you sure? Because that doesn’t make any sense. I thought I’d be in Gryffindor, but you put me in Hufflepuff. And I’m actually kind of a bitch. I mean, brave and all of that, but I’m really a mean girl. Are you sure you meant Hufflepuff?”
Which begs the question: are people surprised when they discover their Patronus form? Or is everyone just thrilled to see their little protector running around in front of them? Does anyone express disappointment: “Really? I’m a seal? I kinda sorta hate seals. I thought I’d be a fox. Or a goat. Or something other than a seal.”
Do you have an inkling of your Patronus form? And do you think anyone knows that sort of thing beforehand, or do you just get what you get and you don’t get upset?
14 comments
I wasn’t surprised that I was sorted into Ravenclaw either.
And with the Patronus, I have an inkling mine would be a cat of some kind, because it’s just, well, me. So yes, I’d be really surprised if it was, say, a seal. But I suppose I’d find a way to explain that. “Well, I do like the sea, and seals swim pretty fast and they’re loyal…”
Still, though, if your Patronus is a part of them, then I can’t imagine that most kids are surprised at what they get.
You are totally a cricket! 😀
I crack myself up…
I would say my patronus is a lion or dragon and I am pretty sure hubby would agree. 🙂 Or he would at least suggest some other fierce animal, as he tells me often enough how stubborn, fierce and independent minded I am. LOL
I do like frogs very m uch too.
Cricket, that made me laugh out loud. It would be bad form for your patronus to be something that scares you.
I self-identify as a Ravenclaw though I never found out for “real.” And I’d like to think my patronus is a polar bear but it’s probably something smaller and less intimidating… like a prairie dog.
My miscarried baby has a baby polar bear patronus, of that I am sure. For myself I’d be happy to see a platypus, because seeing one in real life was magic.
I would be kinda unhappy if it was a swarm of mosquitoes, that is only a one way love affair.
Wait a minute- wasn’t Lyra’s daemon a pine marten? In Pullman’s His Dark Materials, when Pantalaimon settles in one form, I’m sure it’s a pine marten.
You really have to wonder if there was unconscious influence there. I don’t for a moment think Rowling meant the connection. But that is an odd animal to turn up twice, and I’d be shocked if she hasn’t read the Pullman trilogy.
I would love for my Patronus to be a cougar, but it is probably a house cat.
I think it is a self fulfilling prophesy, the patronus shape. You know you get it because it defines you, so how can you not like it? “Oh, yeah, i see, I totally like sloths, that is my kindred animal spirit, indeed”. Or a cricket, right? 🙂 I wouldn’t be surprised if yours were a minx, sorry, typo, mink, A!
I think mine is a wolf. Don’t know why, because many see me as a a cat person, which I am, but my patronus is most probably a wolf. A very cosmopolit one, who loves cats, especially the ones that play fetch.
This totally cracked me up. 🙂
Mine would probably be a pangolin.
i have no idea what my patronus would be.. i am not really an animal person.. huh. food for thought!
You’d think I would have gotten one when I started working at Hogwarts, but nay … they haven’t even given me a character yet (everyone in my office has been assigned a character–no joke. It’s a source of some anxiety for me).
I think I’d be a fruit bat.
I guess there could be a big list of possible animals… I mean what are the chances of you getting an exact same wand as someone else? Maybe that’s why it’s taking so long, maybe (hopefully) they truly are trying to create a wide range of options. Still, the site itself says domesticated animals are very common, so I guess a lot of people do and will share their animal form. I guess the site already knows about you by your house and wand, so they could limit certain animals to certain profiles and stuff like that.
I’ve taken tons and tons of patronus quizzes, all of which I was never happy with my answer, it being from around five other very general animal answers. I did some reseaarch on anmals and spirit animals, and found mine to be between a hummingbird, dragon fly, chameleon or a quokka. A very wide range of type of animals, but these four stuck out to me and were similar to how I feel.
Plus, some peoples patronus change. From who they love to the memories that produce the charm, it probably varies in a persons lifetime I’m sure.