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harry potter - Can an Animagus Be Infected With Lycanthropy While In Animal Form?


Pursuant to Why did Remus and Sirius fight in Prisoner of Azkaban (Werewolf vs Dog) I wondered if a human in Animagus form could be infected with lycanthropy if bitten by a werewolf.


An Animagus seems to retain at least some human awareness, as it can turn from human to animal and vice versa at will. Does this mean there is some humaness within an Animagus?


If so, would this mean that an Animagus is vulnerable to lycanthropy, should he or she be bitten while in his/her animal form?



As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry’s side. He had transformed. The enormous, bear-like dog bounded forwards. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other –

Prisoner of Azkaban - page 279 - Bloomsbury - chapter 20, The Dementor's Kiss



The fact that Sirius did not turn into a werewolf after the above encounter seems to indicate that either Remus didn't actually bite Sirius even though he tried to, or Remus didn't bite Sirius because werewolves prefer and seek out full humans to bite. Or, of course, it could be that Remus did bite Sirius, but Animagi are not vulnerable to a bite from a werewolf. I suppose it depends on what position of the mouths "jaw to jaw" describes. Nevertheless, I still wonder if an Animagus retains enough of his/her humanity to be at risk from the bite of the werewolf, and therefore lycanthropy.




Answer



No. The entire purpose of them turning into Animagi was that:



“A werewolf is only a danger to people."



Further evidence to this is given when Lupin talks about how they would leave the Shrieking Shack and roam the school grounds, and that Sirius and James:



transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check.



This implies that since in order to keep the werewolf "in check" that large animals were required, physical assertion was the means by which they kept him in check. Again, the purpose of turning into Animagi was to bypass the threat of being bitten. After Lupin says this, Hermione is quick to explain:




That was still really dangerous! ...What if you’d given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?”



She is worried about Lupin biting someone in the school, and not one of the Marauders, further indicating that they were in no danger.


Finally, after the "jaw to jaw" encounter:



Black was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back...



Indicating that the "jaw to jaw" caused the gashes across his muzzle, and as you pointed out, he does not change.


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