Really socks? (was Snape//COBOL)

[foxmoth at qnet.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 1186

	I assume Dumbledore really saw socks in the Mirror of Erised. 
However...
	Dumbledore's condition could be similar to that of the 
wizards of Earthsea and Discworld, ie.  his ability to fantasize  has 
been suppressed or at least distorted. 
So, much as  Dumbledore would like to get his hands on something warm 
and fuzzy,he, being a mature and magically powerful wizard, just
can't seem to get any, er,  socks...;). 
	 JKR is not just winking at us over Harry's shoulder here, I 
notice that people keep twitting Arthur Weasley about the size 
of his family, that most pure bloods seem to have one child at most, 
and that the really powerful wizards  seem to be single, with the 
exception of Crouch Sr., whose family life was a disaster.
	In GoF Percy Weasley has clearly put Penelope Clearwater right out 
of his mind, perhaps in an attempt to persuade his bosses at the MOM 
that he has proper wizarding pride. Also Ron says something in CoS 
about if "we hadn't married Muggles we'd have died out".
	This could be related to what somebody said earlier about the 
Death Eaters wanting to gain immortality...it could be they need a
way of perpetuating themselves without having to sully their heritage.
Just MHO.