Hello and welcome back to the quiz world! Today we have a fun one for you. Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, have you ever wondered what would your true Patronus be like? Would it be an otter, a stag, a doe? Or something else? If that question is on your mind, wait no more – answer our questions and find out your true Patronus now!
If it has been a while since you read Harry Potter books or seen any of the movies, you might be a bit confused. For example, do you remember what the Patronus even is? Worry not! I will explain it all in a moment.
In the Harry Potter universe, Patronus Charm is one of the most powerful defensive charms known in the magical world. That form of advanced magic is something even skilled wizards could struggle with. It is a spell (Expecto Patronum) that creates a positive energy force known as Patronus.
The Patronus has two forms: non-corporeal and corporeal. The non-corporeal form has no particular shape and could appear as “a thin wisp of silver” that hovers “like mist”. It does not offer protection against Dementors the way corporeal Patronuses do. However, some wizards choose to cast incorporeal Patronuses to hide their identity. Corporeal Patronus has a clearly defined form and shape – usually of a regular animal, and rarely a magical creature.
The ability to cast a corporeal or non-corporeal Patronus depends on the skill of the witch or wizard. Each Patronus is unique to the witch or wizard who conjures it. In some cases, it is possible for Patronus to change – for example, when a person casting the spell fell in love. Nymphadora Tonks’s Patronus changed from its previous form to that of a four-legged creature. Others guessed the creature was a wolf because then it would reflect her love for Remus Lupin, who was a werewolf. If a wizard was an Animagus and could summon a corporeal Patronus, the two might take the same form. This was the case for Minerva McGonagall and James Potter.
There are two known uses for the Patronus Charm. The first is to guard oneself against dark creatures like Dementors and Lethifolds, and it is the only spell that can work against them. The other is to use Patronuses as a means of communication. They could deliver messages, speaking with the voice of the wizard casting the spell. This use was invented by Albus Dumbledore. Multiple Patronuses could be cast for communication, for example, Minerva McGonagall was able to create three.
Harry Potter was one of the youngest wizards ever to cast a corporeal Patronus, having been taught by professor Remus Lupin at the age of 13. Harry’s Patronus was a stag. It took the same shape as his father’s. He saw it for the first time during a Dementor attack with Hermione and Sirius at the Great Lake.
Harry’s mother, Lily Potter, had a doe for Patronus. It was a female form of her husband’s Patronus. Later we learn that Severus Snape, who was in love with Lily his whole life, also had a doe for his Patronus. Albus Dumbledore’s Patronus was a phoenix. As we know, a Patronus taking a form of a magical creature was rare but not surprising in Dumbledore’s case. After all, his animal companion was a phoenix, Fawkes.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry taught his friends and fellow members of Dumbledore’s Army how to cast their Patronuses, with some having more luck than others. We learned then that Hermione’s Patronus was an otter, and Ron’s – Jack Russel terrier. Interestingly enough, Jack Russel terries are known for chasing otters.
We do not know for sure where did J.K. Rowling take inspiration from for the Patronus. She implied in an interview that the idea came from the concept of spirit animals and totems in indigenous religions. A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or a symbol representing a group of people, like a clan or a tribe. While the word totem comes from the Native American Ojibwe language, the belief in guardian spirits and deities is not limited to the Ojibwe people. Many cultures around the world have similar beliefs, and some historians theorize that spirit animals may be the origin of religion. The practice was adopted into Western popular culture through so-called spirit animals. It is likely Rowling adapted this when developing her Patronus spell.
The time is up now, and the question is urgent: what is your true Patronus? Do not hesitate and start solving the quiz now! We hope you will like your Patronus. Whatever animal it happens to be, it will be unique to you. Is that not amazing? Get down to the questions and have fun!