Was Metamorphmagi and polyjuice ever addressed in canon? I'm trying to remember but I don't think it was explicit or implicitly stated metamorphmagi can't use polyjuice.

I've got this idea that they can and if they did take some the polyjuice would force them to take a certain form just like any other witch or wizard.

A quick look of the wiki doesn't say anything either.

 

Pretty sure there is no canon answer. Tonks didn't take any during the Seven Potters plan, but it was probably by choice and not out of impossibility, since she could have used her powers to impersonate Harry anyway.

Another info we have is that Polyjuice only works on humans (well it works on Fleur but not Hagrid so it's a coin toss for part-humans), so if you have a weird headcanon that Metamorphmagi are not fully human as I've seen in some fics, there's that.

The question however is, why would they take it? Unless you meant it as a way to "imprison" a Metamorphmagus in a given form, it would be pretty useless.

Using Polyjuice to take a Metamorphmagus' appearance is equally not adressed, so what form, if any, you'd take is up for guess. It seems unlikely that you'd get the gift while under the potion, however.

 

The question is to avoid a conflict with canon, not something that happens in the story. I don't want someone going "but they can't be a metamorphmagus because they took polyjuice that one time and it worked!"

 

In that case I think you're pretty safe, especially if even the wiki doesn't say anything about it. It tends to invent new canon (or consider very doubtful sources canon), not forget actual info.
And considering the amount of people who make Harry a Metamorphmagus for changing his hair that one time but still using Polyjuice, I don't think fanon has created such a rule either.

 

I dont think a Metamorphmagus under the effect of Polyjuice would loose his ability to change their appearance, after all Harry was still able to use magic when polyjuiced into a muggle.

Otherwise yeah, I dont see a reason fanon or canon why it wouldn't work on them.

 

Except general magic use isn't tied to form. On the other hand, if you've taken polyjuice you have a potion inside you that is essentially changing your form. A metamorphmagus would have to overpower it, if that is even possible.

 

That assumes the potion is actively maintaining the person in the designated form instead of just turning them, sustaining it then reverting upon end.

I feel the most likely is that the ability would work as normal and when duration of the potion runs out they are returned to the form they had when they drank.

It is also possible they wouldn't interact at all, that is a metamorphmagus could alter their actual form as normal under the false form the potion gives.

If does work like you suggest it would have interesting implications as to where it draws the line for what is allowed to change and what is not. On the more extreme end presumably dark magic wounds persisting still apply but otherwise on say a limb loss does it start growing a new one? When you are turned back is the wound carried over or not?

 

Why do you think the potion has some counter counting down instead of just wearing off?

 

I don't quite understand what distinction you are making. Polyjuice has a duration depending on how well you brew it, once you drink it starts the countdown until it wears off. And if you drink another dose more time is added.

 

Your previous post is treating polyjuice like it has an initial effect (transforming a person), a second effect (maintaining a transformation a as a distinct effect from transforming a person) and then a third effect (transforming a person back). All of which are apparently distinct and two of which are timed.

Rather than an effect (transformation) that wears off after a period of time.

 

From how other transformations work and the dangers thereof(transfiguration, animagi) as a reference I figured polyjuice must include the turning back part. Presumably then the duration from how well-made the potion is means how long that can last(that is what I meant being sustained not a third effect, I see now how that was not clear at all) and still turn a person back safely.

So like that I would expect a metamorphmagus to just be capable of using their ability, though I suppose it can maybe degrade duration or trigger end of the potion now that I think of it.

I also pondered the notion it works through entirely different mechanics and the ability doesn't interact with it at all, but thought was a less likely interpretation.

What you suggested of there being an active effect keeping the transformation a metamorphmagus would have to somehow overpower seems rather unlikely to me. But if it is true it would have implications on how it works and what it allows change on.

 

I've always agreed with the idea that the Philosopher's Stone was used to lure Voldemort out and the defenses were only meant to slow him down so that Dumbledore could capture him.

If Quirrell had succeeded in stealing the stone could it really have been used to give Voldemort a new body?

 

I've always read that not as 'it doesn't work for part-humans and perhaps even goblins, etc.' so much as 'half-giants are resistant to magic'.

 

Which kinda suggests you could theoretically modify it to work on non-humans but here you are, it's pretty straight-forward.

However, as I said it works on Fleur so maybe it is the giant's resistance that makes Hagrid effectively non-human for the potion, but her human. Or 1/2 is too much non-human but 1/4 is good. Or it only prevents a human to take a non-human form, not the opposite.

Which, if it means you get locked in a half-Veela form like Hermione was locked as a half-cat, actually doesn't seem so bad. Unless you take a bird form of a Veela. Mmh, seems like it could be a cautionary Beedle's tale: the jealous witch trying to become the beautiful queen for a day, only to discover that she's part Veela and be changed into an ugly feathered atrocity. Which would destroy the reputations of both the jealous witch, and the mean Veela using her powers to charm her way into nobility.

 

I'd tie this to the fact he was drinking unicorn blood to strengthen himself. So he could drink the elixir of life whilst in his shade form and it would presumably strengthen him substantially? Perhaps enough to open up new options of how to restore his body?

 

Harry uses Lily's protection to burn Quirrell at the end of PS, but if Quirrell had used the killing curse would Lily's protection have caused the curse to rebound again?

I can't see that part of the protection lasting after Halloween 1981, but then it doesn't make sense to me if all Voldemort gained from using Harry's blood in his resurrection was to be able to touch Harry without getting burnt.

 

I'd say there's no reason to think that the protection is something that wears off with time, as far as I'm aware there's no examples in canon of spells which wear off over time? They seem to either be present and do their thing, or no longer be active in which case they no longer do their thing - so the fact that it burned Quirrell says to me it would do anything else its capable of doing.

On the flip side, its something that isn't really specified in canon, so you can really deal with it how you want.

 

How about old brooms?

 

You also have the fading of normal inviability cloaks and the Potter stinks badges.

 

Interesting. I'd always interpreted the brooms thing as being that physical damage can interfere with enchantments. And that logic would hold true of invisibility cloaks, but not for the badges...