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Bodily transformation commonly occurs in the world of the J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. From the Animagus, to the metamorphmagus, to the effects of polyjuice potion, characters slough off one identity for another with ease. While the changing of one's external appearance usually facilitates espionage, the potential to shift external shape also provides the means to reveal the innermost traits of a character. In no instance does a stronger connection between the exterior and the interior exist than in the characters of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. These two men, last loyal remnants of James Potter's Hogwarts friends, routinely undergo outward transformations, the former through choice and the latter due to the curse of lycanthropy, which causes the sufferer to turn into a werewolf during the full moon. Whether their changes are voluntary or involuntary, the creatures they become provide the reader with insight into the darkest, most flawed aspects of their personalities. Sirius's Animagus form takes the shape of a huge black dog, but those who encounter him immediately associate him with the Grim, a folkloric harbinger of death, rather than as a stray or potential pet. Although the dog's size and seeming hostility during Sirius's first encounter with Harry do not lend themselves to creating the image of a comforting pet, the association with death highlights Sirius's lack of judgment both prior to and during the events of the novels. The werewolf form liberates Remus from the constraints of propriety and the passivity he usually displays out of others' discomfiture with his condition. For Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, the external transformation proves critical in exposing the depths of their characters.
Given the extent to which magic envelops the world of the Harry Potter novels, it becomes easy to dismiss both Sirius's mastery of the Animagus spell and Remus's lycanthropy as mere window dressing with no deeper textual meaning. Throughout his adventures, Harry Potter encounters all degrees of magic and enchantment, from Bertie Bolt's Every Flavor Beans to the Knight Bus, convenient transportation for the stranded witch or wizard. While the preceding examples highlight the wondrous and oftentimes humorous nature of the Wizarding world, Rowling also borrows from a variety of darker and complex folkloric and mythological traditions, including the use of...