Molly and Arthur's past (Was Re: Latin-Arabella Figg)

[corinthum]

No: HPFGUIDX 42661

I made the quick comment:

> However, I believe she is in constant contact with
> Dumbledore as well as many others in the "old crowd" (which, by the
> way, I don't believe includes Arthur or Molly Weasley; but I digress)

And HF hyperventilated while saying:

>   No, no, no! ::jumps up and down:: You're not allowed to digress
and > then not say anything! Elaborate! Pleeaaase! ::stops jumping up
and >down, pants:: In, out... Why do you think this? I'm not
challenging or > anything, just curious.

Sorry, didn't mean to leave you hanging.  :)  Many people seem to
think that because Dumbledore trusted Arthur and Molly enough to let
them into his "new crowd", they must have been a member of the "old
crowd".  I disagree.  

I base this assumption on a few small events.  As always, I don't have
the book with me, so forgive any mis-paraphrasing.  First of all,
Molly's reaction to Sirius.  When he appears, she doesn't react like
one horrified at seeing a traitor, an old friend/coworker who turned
against her.  She is simply horrified at coming face to face with
someone she believes is a murderer.  And she calls him by his full
name, Sirius Black.  If she knew him, I think she would have simply
called him Sirius.  After all, do you ever address those you know by
their full names?  I know I don't.  But I do refer to public figures
in this way.  It's how they are usually referred on the news and in
newspapaers, and therefore the full name sticks in my mind.  Since
Dumbledore asked Sirius to summon the old crowd, it seems that the
members of this crowd knew each other.

Also, Dumbledore seems to feel it necessary to question whether he can
count on Molly and Arthur.  I don't believe he does this because he
has any doubt as to their loyalty, but rather is making sure the two
of them are willing to get involved in what could turn out to be a
very dangerous mission.  He does not ask any of the others if they are
willing; they have already proved this to him.

Finally, despite all wild (and I don't mean to be offensive by saying
this; it's simply my opinion) theories about Arthur the Auror and
Molly the future DADA professor, I simply don't see either of them in
these roles.  Especially Molly.  I would be very disappointed if she
turned out to be some dark arts defense genious.  I think her role of
mother figure to Harry is much more important and would be obscured by
any wild character changes like this.  We have enough former heroes; I
am looking forward to two very normal, everyday wizards becoming new
heroes. 

HF also wrote:

>   To be fair (and academically correct), no language is completely
>pure. As long as it's existed in written form, English has borrowed
>from Latin, to varying extents. Most Germanic languages have
>appropriated little bits here and there -- blame the Romans for
>banging around Gaul and Germania and places like that. 'Candel'
>(modern 'candle') was a Latin loanword, and employed in all sorts of
>Anglo-Latin compounds, for example. We do have a mixed heritage, all
>of us :-)

Oh, I certainly won't disagree with that.  However, many languages
contain similar words which come from different sources.  Often,
coincidences in words are simply that.  I'm sure I could choose to
analyze the names in Harry Potter based on Latin, Old English,
Japanese, PIE, Quenya, anything, and come up with some possible roots.
 But it wouldn't mean anything.