Misunderstood Weasel? (was Stag&Weasel / Harry's grandparents / Draco / Robes)

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 32031

> William mongo wrote:
> 
> > It is interesting that both the Stag (Potters) and Weasel 
(Weasleys) 
> > are considered to be enemies capable of defeating the Serpent 
> >(Voldemort?)

And catlady_de_los_angeles replied:
> But it is Draco who is a Weasel (twitchy little ferret, Malfoy). 
Btw,
> I am NOT doubting your sources, but Weasels as good guys is news to 
> me.

Hmm, on one hand, in terms of mythology, the weasel isn't all bad.  
For example, Hecate, the greek goddess of the cross-roads and the 
underworld, but also a 'nurse of the herds,' adopted the weasel as 
her sacred servant, taking pity on a woman who, though she had 
deceived a god, had done so in protection of her pregnant mistress, 
and for that had been turned into a weasel as punishment.

But I think in the point made by William Mongo is an excellent one, 
beyond the common symbolism of the weasel.  The weasel is, in 
mythology, the enemy of, and the only creature other than the cock 
able to defeat, the basilisk (King of the Serpents, also known as the 
cockatrice, i.e. the critter Harry battled in CoS):

from Bulfinch's Mythology, http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/bull36.html 

"But what was to attack this terrible and unapproachable monster [the 
basilisk, aka cockatrice]? There is an old saying that "everything 
has its enemy"- and the cockatrice quailed before the weasel. The 
basilisk might look daggers, the weasel cared not, but advanced 
boldly to the conflict. When bitten, the weasel retired for a moment 
to eat some rue, which was the only plant the basilisks could not 
wither, returned with renewed strength and soundness to the charge, 
and never left the enemy till he was stretched dead on the plain."

In some of the 'new age' mythology drawn from Native American Indian 
mythology, the weasel represents cunning, stealth, the ability to see 
beneath the surface (through deception), and latent supernatural 
power.

The actual animal, while in a lot of ways completely different than 
the Weaselys (i.e., anti-social, not family-oriented at all), have 
some things in common with the Weasely's in general, and even Ron 
specifically.  They're very independent and resourceful.  They 
(rather like Ron, imho) need a lot of space to flourish.

Additionally, (and this would be worrisome if one decided that 
Rowling used the surname for this reason) many types of weasels are 
considered endangered species.

However, the interesting fact that weasels and ferrets are of the 
same family, and that Ron is a Weasely and Moody/Crouch turned Malfoy 
into a ferret to teach him a lesson ~ I wonder if Malfoy *will* be 
redeemed, but that it will be through interaction with Ron, rather 
than Harry; or alternatively, if Ron's morality/loyalty/goodness will 
be tested and he'll end up learning a serious lesson by way of 
interaction with Malfoy.

Rambling,
Mahoney