TBAY: Stoned!Harry Voldemort's Relative?/Green Symbolism

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No: HPFGUIDX 39473

Caroline grabs Stoned Harry's hand and pulls him off to a private 
spot on the deck of the Big Bang destroyer.  "Harry," she says, "a 
lot of people seem to think you might be related to Voldemort."

Harry looks confused.  "But I hate Voldemort," he says.

"Of course you do, Harry," Caroline says comfortingly.  "But, well, I 
have to say it is a bit possible."

Stoned Harry looks shocked.

"Remember back in message 38542, when we discussed all the symbolism 
that makes you Stoned?  Well, further exploration of that symbolism 
can point to you being related to Voldemort on your mother's side."

Harry gets up a bit unsteadily, ready to wander away.  "Come back, 
Harry, and hear me out," Caroline pleads.  "This isn't required 
dogma, by any means.  You can be Stoned without it.  But it sure 
would be Bangy."

Harry settles down to listen, humming to himself.

"Now, we agreed that your mother represented the mercury in the 
alchemical equation for developing a philosopher's stone.  One symbol 
relating both to mercury and your mother is the unicorn, a symbol of 
purity, just like the lily and willow tree."

Stoned Harry nods, liking this part.

"Another is the color green, like the pretty eyes you both share."

Harry likes this too.  Caroline hopes he will still like it when she 
explores some of the negative symbolism surrounding the color green.

"Another is, well
 it's the serpent.  Mercury, you see, is 
represented by the Caduceus, a wand entwined with two snakes."

Stoned Harry mumbles something that sounds like, "Slytherin."

"Yes," Caroline agrees.  "The serpent often symbolizes water, 
because... well, there are fourteen pages explaining that in my book, 
so you might just want to take my word for it.  And, well, mercury is 
often symbolized by water.  And the color green is often considered a 
symbol for water."

"Too many symbols," groans Stoned Harry, clutching his head.  

"I know," Caroline agrees, "but I do think She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named 
put them there for a reason.  And I think there's a good chance your 
mum's related to Voldemort.  Perhaps his niece or great-niece on his 
mother's side."

"Now," Caroline says briskly, "let's talk about the color green, 
shall we?  It really is a *terribly* interesting color.  First, it is 
the color of humanity.   And it is, according to my book, `set midway 
between the inaccessible absolutes of the Blue of Heaven and the Red 
of Hell.'"

"Blue
 Dumbledore's eyes," Stoned Harry mutters.  "Red
 Voldemort's."

"Exactly," Caroline beams.  "Green is also the color of the awakening 
of life, of spring, and of regeneration.  Medieval artists often 
painted Christ's Cross green as it was a symbol of regenerative 
sacrifice."

"That sounds like Mum," Harry mutters.  "And me, if Cindy's right 
about the decapitation and the catwalk over lava."

"But," Caroline adds hesitantly, "the color green does have some dark 
symbolism as well.  It is the color of sickness, decay, and death.  
The emerald was the jewel of Lucifer before he fell from heaven.  
Medieval artists often depicted Satan as green too."

"Slytherin's color is green," Harry says unhappily.  "And so is the 
killing curse, and the basilisk was, too."

"Now repeat with me, Harry: *It is our choices that make us what we 
are, rather than our abilities.*  Green as a color just sort of sums 
that up, doesn't it?  It can go either way.  I wonder what color Tom 
Riddle's eyes were before he went all evil.  You didn't mention that 
when you met him in CoS, just that they began to gleam red at one 
point."

"I was *busy* at the time, OK?  Harry snaps.  "He kind of looked like 
my dad and me, though."

"Honestly, Harry!"  Caroline says reproachfully.  "Don't you know a 
red herring when you see one?"

"And," Caroline continues, "the serpent can go either way as well.  
That's a chat for another day, but one reason there are fourteen 
pages about serpents in my book is that it has a dual symbolism too.  
Good and evil.  Death and life."

"Then there's the alchemists again," Caroline says.  "They believed 
that the Elixir of Life was actually housed in a vessel made from a 
cut emerald.  And they had some interesting ideas about the power of 
green light.  That it could pierce all secrets, and kill or heal 
depending on how it was wielded."

Stoned Harry looks at the bar longingly.

"I'm almost done, Harry," Caroline says reassuringly.  "Just one more 
quote, about the emerald.  It was `universally regarded as a powerful 
talisman.  Although hell-born, it could turn itself against the 
inhabitants of the infernal regions, whose secrets it knew.'"

"Can I get a drink now?"  Harry asks abruptly.

"Sure, Harry.  Bring me one too.  This research stuff is tiring."

***********

Caroline
(Who thinks that if Harry ends up being an heir of Gryffindor, he 
better be one of Slytherin too, or the choices-rather-than-abilities 
thing is meaningless)

***********

Citation: The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, pub. 1994