Why Dunbledore and Harry are not directly related

[mrflynn6]

No: HPFGUIDX 39693

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "thesuddenstrike" 
<christopher_g_nuttall at h...> wrote:
> It has been speculated that Dumbledore and Harry are related, but I 
> believe that canon shows that they aren't.  
> 
> What do we know about Harry's family?  His mother was a muggle-
born, 
> therefore dumbledore cannot be her father, grandfather or anything 
> other than a very distant relation, if that.  Therefore, assumbing 
a 
> relationship, it must be on his fathers side.  But its obious that 
> James is not Albus's sun, their surnames are different.  Therefore, 
> if there IS a direct relationship, there must be at least one other 
> person, a girl, James mother, between them.  
> 
---------
First of all, we don't know that Lily Potter was born to muggle 
parents.  Some speculate here that Petunia is a squibb and thus her 
hatred of the wizarding world.  Dumbledore could very well be Harry's 
grandfather.  James could have simply changed his name upon entrance 
to Hogwarts to ward off anyone thinking he would be shown favoritism 
being the son/grandson of Dumbledore (not likely, but possible).  If 
he is related on James' mothers' side, which is very possible, we can 
simply assume that James' mother is dead.

Dumbledore states in SS/PS that it is better for Harry to grow up 
away from the wizarding world, away from all the attention until he 
is ready.  I think that growing up in the Dursley's house helped him 
prepare for Voldermort more through character building than growing 
up with a "good" family.  

It would be impossible for Dumbledore to raise Harry and be 
headmaster.  His work often takes him away from Hogwarts and then 
Harry.  Harry is safe from Voldermort, somehow, in his relations 
care.  He is also only safe at Hogwarts when Dumbledore is there.  In 
SS/PS, CoS, and GoF, each meeting Harry had with Voldermort/Tom, 
Dumbledore was gone (in London, removed from Hogwarts by the 
governers) or Harry was off Hogwarts grounds.

I also think that Dumbledore/Harry are descendents of Gryffendor.  
Many of the the objects, like the door knocker and the sword, in 
Dumledore's office have Gryffins on them or are objects once 
belonging to Godric himself.  When Harry pulled the sword out of the 
Hat in CoS, Dumbledore told him "only a TRUE Gryffindor could have 
done that".  Was he refering to just being put into Gryffindor or 
that Harry was of Gryffindor's blood?


Gretchen