Hot Topics #2...CLOSING 8/16

Welcome to the first Discussion of our new series called..."Hot Topics"! Here we will discuss anything and everthing to do with Transfiguration. Each week we will talk about a different topic, and each topic will only be open for discussion for about a week. This way the discussions aren't drug out and we've got new and exciting things to talk about regularly! A "Hot Topic" suggestion thread will be open soon for all of you to post in!

In our discussion threads..I only ask a few things. Firstly, it's not necessary to post in RP style any longer. 2nd, no one sentence posts please. 3rd, respect others opinions. That's it! Have fun! 50 Housepoints up for grabs!


"Is it ethical to Transfigure animals without thier permission?"

i guess it not really 'the right thing to do' cause no one wants to be changed into something without their permisson. I just think all living beings...esp animals have feelings...and if you change them is like the dog wakes up one day looking like a fish. Well if someone changed me into a night stand personally i would be mad at them~

Truth be told I dont see how you could get an animals permission. Maybe if you where an animagus and you asked it when you transformed if they wanted to be something else. Otherwise how would other witches and wizards be able to know if they wanted to be changed into something else

I think the answer is no because how would you feel if suddenly you were turned into a fish. You wouldn't like it so the animal wouldn't of course I don't think it would be the same if you were saving the animals life or yours and then transfigured it back.

well theres bound to be some people in this world that would like to be turned into a fish... so maybe theres an animal that would like to be transfigured.... and what about the fish... maybe he dont wan to be a fish no more lol

hm..well i gues it depends on who it is & what's their personalilty cause maybe someone would like to be a bird while others want to be a turtle or something...

I dont think that it is... if it was ment to be something else then it would have been that something else to begin with instead of what it is.... does that make any sense

I wonder what the effect is on an animal that is transfigured into an inanimate object? Perhaps that does not have the unpleasant and frightening effects that being changed into a different creature has. Draco Malfoy was scared when he was turned into a ferret, but perhaps the fear would have been greatly lessoned if he had been turned into, say, an arm chair?

To the question of is it ethical to transform an animal without its permission, I would think it would depend on how strongly one feels about animal rights and how much you think they could be tramatized by such an event. I would think that if it were considered harmful to the animal then we would see Hermione at the front of the lines for Magical PETA....

In all honesty I believe it isn't ethical to transfigure a poor defenseless animal into something without their permission. After all it has no rights at all and what if you mess up and severely damage the poor thing. If by some miracle you found a way to get the animal's permission and it agrees to it then I suppose it'd be alright. But, really are you going to take the time to find a way to ask the animal's permission first? The bottom line is that there is truly no real reason as to why you should be transforming an animal in the first place. What purpose does it serve? You could just as easily change an inanimate object into a different inanimate object and it would serve the same purpose.

hwta if the animal was in danger. WHat if you could change it inot something else that would allow it to save inself from the danger that it was in would you change it then. I think that I would just so that it can escape. Than after it has defended itself than I would change it back

I would only agree to transfiguration of an animal if necessary. Say turning it into a stereo or a chair, no! But if I needed a blanket cause without one I would freeze, I would do it hands down. Like Nancy said though the witch or wizard transfiguring the animal should make sure the animal is not harmed in any way. So if I did need a blanket I would also put a heating charm on it, which would probably smart to keep myself warm anyway, so that way the animal doesn't freeze itself. Also if the animal needed rescuing from an animal experimentation facility then transfiguring it into something like a coat or a fashionable handbag as disguise seems fine as long as no harm comes to it.

I was wondering if it is not right for transfiguration to be performed on an animal how come it is used at hogwarts so much? I mean the transfiguration teacher would know what they were doing and would not seriously want to cause harm. So surly it could be okay.


(Btw I'm just looking at different points)

that is a good point Polly.... if it does effect the animal then why are they used so often in the book. Surely the teacher would know what is happening to thema nd weather or not it will be harming them in any way. After all they had to go to school for it

Maybe the teachers dont really give it a thought. Or if they do they think their teachers did it so why not. Maybe the whole transfiguring animals started with someone who could care less about them.

well i got to thinking... couldnt you turn a cup into an animal...

I see the point that Polly and Stephy are making about the Transfiguration teacher. But we do need to remember that she is the one asking the question, so not only are we supposed to ponder the question for ourselves, but maybe also it is to imply that there isn't a confirmed answer. Magic is an evolving thing. For the moment we don't see any effects but that doesn't mean a study wont be done in the future that proves effects are there. With our use of magic we have to consider all the consequences of what we do, ecspecially when living creatures are at stake.

Personaly, I think it is all about the respect you show for the animal. For example if you used transfiguration on a dog to serve whatever purpose, when done show you are grateful. Play with them and give them a treat.

oh absolutly not! no way. its not like turning a tea cup into a daisy. an animal is not an inaniment object it has feeling it is living and breathing and i really dont think the animal would sppreciate being transfigured, i mean come on would you? if someone just walked up to u picked u up by the scruff of ur neck and said hmmm maybe ill turn this into a goblet... no i dont think anybody would like that so i come to the conclusion an animal wouldnt like it either. so no i dont think this is an ethical thing to do
the only reason it should even be considered is if it was going to help do something good like cure a disease or something of the sort

Ginny :ginny:

All actions must be thought out properly before they are acted upon. Transfiguration is no different. It is not enough to just have the power to alter or change something, but to understand and accept the responsibility for those who will live with the consequences. Even if you changed an animal back to it's original state afterwards - the effect on the animal is permanent. An animal can feel, regardless if it can communicate with you or not. Imagine someone experimenting on you just because you don't have to ability to say stop.

What if the transfiguration or charm caused no harm to the animal? For instance, Geminio duplicates the object upon which it is cast. Would duplicating the creature be considered abusive? And, with those duplicate copies, would it be okay to transfigure the duplicates? After all, maybe the duplicates lack the emotional complexity of the fully developed animal from which they were replicated.

I would not change my little Cocoa. I like her the way she is. It would be kind of cool to see her transform, but I wouldn't do it though. I think changing your pet can cause damage to it, like if you chanegd it into a cat it might keep those cat like characteristics.

After doing a bit more research (reading about Dolly the cloned sheep and other clones), many duplicates of animals cannot live very long and suffer many health problems. However, we're talking about magic, not science. Thus, duplications of animals with the use of a spell would end up perfectly healthy and identical. Thus I stand by the fact that duplication spells on an animal are completely ethical.

I stand corrected on the transfiguration of the duplicates. One of the possible reasons for Dolly's death could be emotional stress or emotional impact, thus displaying that a clone does have the capability of emotion.

However, what if you transfigured the animal by giving itself a better means of protection? For instance, a fly can be easily squished, so what if you gave it an exoskeleton made of steel? Are helpful transfigurations of animals considered unethical?

House points are as followed:

Ravenclaw:
Stephy-50
Polly-40
Rigby-25
Lila-25


Hufflepuff:
Dragonweaver-30
Madagora Longbottom-25
Kendra Mckie-30


Gryffindor:
Amberg93-25
ginerva_24-25
Magic Guy93-25


Slytherin:
Snapes_girl-25
Drkangelcat-30
Riastlin the Wizard-25