======The Ferret======
=====Creature Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Creature]], [[Transfiguration]] Form
  * **Notable Instance:** [[Draco Malfoy]]
  * **Distinction:** A common [[Muggle]] animal also found in the [[wizarding world]], most famous as the form [[Draco Malfoy]] was transfigured into as a punishment.
=====Description and Appearances=====
A ferret is a small, carnivorous mammal. While they exist as regular animals in the [[wizarding world]], their most notable appearance in the series is the result of a [[Transfiguration]] spell.
In 1994, after a lesson on the [[Unforgivable Curses]], [[Draco Malfoy]] attempted to attack [[Harry Potter]] from behind in the [[Entrance Hall]] of [[Hogwarts]]. The new [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor, [[Alastor Moody]] (secretly [[Barty Crouch Jr.]] in disguise), witnessed the act and swiftly transfigured Malfoy into a ferret as punishment.
The ferret was described as being **sleek, white, and pointed**, mirroring Malfoy's own physical characteristics, particularly his pale blond hair. Professor Moody then magically bounced the terrified ferret up and down on the stone floor, a spectacle that [[Ron Weasley]] found immensely amusing. To further humiliate him, Moody levitated the ferret over to [[Gregory Goyle]] and dropped it down the front of his robes. [[Minerva McGonagall]] arrived and, appalled at the use of [[Transfiguration]] as a punishment, reversed the spell, returning a furious and humiliated Malfoy to his human form.
The incident became legendary among [[Hogwarts]] students, and Malfoy was taunted with the nickname "**the amazing bouncing ferret**" for years afterward, particularly by [[Ron Weasley]].
Ferrets are also mentioned as ordinary animals within the wizarding community. During Harry's visit to the [[Magical Menagerie]] in [[Diagon Alley]] in 1993, he overheard a witch complaining that she was having her ferret "re-boned," indicating they are kept as pets or companions and are subject to magical remedies.
=====Role in the Story=====
The transfiguration of [[Draco Malfoy]] serves several key purposes in the narrative:
  * **Character Humiliation:** For Malfoy, a character who relies heavily on his pure-blood status and influence, being forcibly turned into a small animal and publicly ridiculed is a moment of profound humiliation that defines his school-age rivalry with Harry and his friends.
  * **Establishing a "New" Moody:** The act immediately establishes the new professor's immense power, zero-tolerance policy for dark behavior, and his unorthodox, borderline cruel methods. For the reader, it serves as an early, albeit misleading, characterization of the real [[Alastor Moody]].
  * **Foreshadowing:** [[Minerva McGonagall]]'s firm declaration, "//We never use Transfiguration as a punishment!//," highlights that Moody's actions are far outside the ethical norms of [[Hogwarts]] teaching. This hints that something is amiss with the professor, foreshadowing the later reveal of his true identity as [[Barty Crouch Jr.]], who held a deep-seated hatred for [[Death Eaters]] and their families.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, the scene is largely faithful to the book, though Moody himself stuffs the ferret down [[Gregory Goyle]]'s (or [[Vincent Crabbe]]'s, depending on the shot) trousers. The scene is extended with the arrival of [[Lucius Malfoy]], who complains to [[Albus Dumbledore]], an interaction that does not occur in the novel. (film)