After Penelope poured cold water on them, the Gryffindors' excitement was almost instantly snuffed out. Sirius Black started out feeling a little indignant on his friend's behalf, then realized that, among the Marauders, the most useful form had actually been that traitor rat. His own black dog had also helped him hide for a very long time. If it had been James...
And so Sirius Black wilted just like his godson, and the two of them sighed almost at the same time. That made Ginny and her mother, Molly, click their tongues at Penelope in disapproval almost simultaneously.
"Harry, what Penelope said might not be pleasant to hear, but she's right." Hermione did not blindly rebut Penelope; instead, she nodded in agreement. "Once Ginny and the others transform successfully too, we'll have to go register with the Ministry of Magic. You're very famous in the Magical World, so your Animagus form will soon be known by wizards everywhere. Even if you turn into something like a beetle, you won't be able to hide yourself."
Ron looked a little dazed, his side-parted hair blown into a complete mess by the fierce wind. He found himself rather agreeing with Penelope's words. Harry's Stag really did not seem very useful. His own Patronus was a Jack Russell Terrier, and Ron felt that even if he transformed successfully, it did not seem like it would be of much use either. It wasn't as if he could use it to chase Hermione's Patronus around. (Author's note: Ron's Patronus, the Jack Russell Terrier, carries the implication of chasing otters, while Hermione's Patronus is an otter.)
"Harry, generally speaking, mastering the Animagus transformation takes several years. Though it allows a person to become the animal most suited to them, the consequences of failure are usually impossible to