Book 2 - Your thoughts

[M.Clifford]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "mumweasley7" 
<shalimar07 at a...> wrote:
> 
> This subject comes up fairly often, but I haven't heard very many 
> original theories about the discovery Harry made in Chamber of 
> Secrets. It's always the same thing...The Chamber, Tom 
Riddle...what about some new theories?  I have a good one but I'm 
waiting to see what other people think. Let's throw out some good 
ones but support it with canon...please!
> 
> Mary


Actually, Mary I had one just not so long ago.
One possibly undeveloped discovery that Harry made in Chamber of 
Secrets, (well actually its quite a latticework of discoveries that 
mix to an interesting Half-Blood thought) is that Tom Riddle and 
Salazar Slytherin both thought noble ridding Hogwarts school of Non-
Pureblood wizards. 

I was giving rather serious and in depth thought to the Founders 
themselves, when I came to a realisation that JKR had blindsided 
something by me in COS. Tom Riddle slithered his way out of the 
consequences of having released the Basilisk on Myrtle by blaming 
Hagrid. At first glance it looks relatively obvious why Hagrid was 
chosen, a young overgrown hairy boy with a clear fondness for 
dangerous beasts "ahhh the obvious choice". But then I wondered, is 
that *really* why he chose Hagrid? I mean, perhaps there was some 
other student up to various mischief he could have framed with the 
whole beast thing, it's not inconcievable, not entirely anyway.

Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts, certainly not a disappointing 
outcome for Tom, he got to stay and one more Half-Blood was removed 
from Hogwarts. It all seemed closed tight enough, but something 
didn't sit right. I wondered would young Tom be so likely to have 
*not* tried to achieve so many ends in one blow. What I mean is, was 
Tom Riddle (young Voldemort) just planning to accidentally unleash 
the Basilisk and then think up some contingency at point blank when 
it all went pear shaped? I doubt it.

Tom had Hagrid pegged from the get go. And I am sure he had some 
better ideas about where and when he'd release the Basilisk too, but 
what I am really interested in is what reasons might go to 
constituting the choice to make Hagrid the scapegoat.

There is first off, no doubt, that he is/was a Half-Blood Giant, not 
a half-muggle-blood wizard, which goes to the thought that the 
Basilisk, *might* be entirely ineffectual against him. Then there's 
something entirely more interesting.......

We still haven't been informed precisely *who* is the owner of the 
Godrics Hollow estate. 

Now I go into deeper waters of speculation but it will all join 
hands.

Tom in the Chamber was continuing "Salazars noble work", he was 
getting his intructions straight from Salazar, perhaps through the 
Basilisk or by some other means (another book?) In any case Salazar 
was informing Tom of his *personal* wishes.

Godrics Hollow is a mystery, we are led (even encouraged by JKR in 
interview) to assume that this home is estate of the Gryffindor 
title, once perhaps belonging to Godric himself. Now if it was not 
the property of the Potters, which is likely since we are *also* 
encouraged to keep the assumption that 'Potter' is an heritage 
wizard name, then it must have been lent to the Potters as a safe 
haven for the fact that it bears the seal of a wizard who was of 
certainty *equal* to Salazar Slytherin, and by someone to whom the 
Potter family was quite dear.

Now these Slytherin folks (family not house) may very possibly be in 
a pattern of trying to make absence of their *equals*. Like Tom with 
Harry, and it can be supposed perhaps of the Hogwarts founders 
fallout also, echoes of history repeating. 

Rubeus Hagrid lives in a hut at Hogwarts. But he was raised by a 
loving wizard father in a family home. A loving wizard father who 
was of a Gryffindor sense of values, he loved a giantess without 
shame and Half-Giant son acceptingly embracingly, despite his broken 
heart and tiny stature. Hagrid father died shortly after he started 
school. Without him, when Hagrid was expelled he was alone and 
didn't return to his family home. It probably became too small for 
him anyway. 

Dumbledore kept Hagrid on as gamekeeper of Hogwarts after he had 
been expelled, giving him a home and a family and a chance for a 
life in which he might be happy and content. But I wonder, is this, 
as are things with Dumbledore, an even more profound gift than that.

To bring it all together I speculate that Salazar Slytherin 
personally asked of his Heir in the Chamber to seek out the Heir of 
Gryffindor and destroy him in vengeance against his ancestor Godric.

Hagrid being expelled from Hogwarts very nearly *did* destroy *him*, 
a 16 yr old boy half wizard boy without a license for magic, or a 
chance for acceptance in the greater community, if it hadn't been 
for Dumbledore would Hagrid have lived? Or suffered alone and broken 
to his early death. 

Insert same old, same old, ruby encrusted sword and sovereign animal 
symbol of Gryffindor going to canon that Gryffindor is a royal breed 
etc etc 

And here's the punch line, finally, Hagrid is Godric Gryffindors 
Heir, and the Half-Blood Prince is what he *would have been*, if he 
ever had completed his schooling and taken his *true* place in the 
Castle Hogwarts.

That's my theory, 
Mary's turn... :D

Valky