Father/Protector

[Lilac]

No: HPFGUIDX 40253


Since we are on the topic of name meanings (at least a few posts ago with the flower names)...

The first time I read POA, the word "patronus" immediately reminded me of "pater", and because of mater=mother, as in Alma Mater, I naturally I concluded that pater is father...make sense?

I've always loved POA most because of the connection Harry feels with his Father [Harry's patronus being a stag just like Prongs and H1 mistaking H2 for his father sending out the patronus over the lake ("He lives in you, Simba...")] and then actually getting two real-life father figures-- Lupin and Sirius, who I personally don't think are Ever So Evil, at least not in POA anyway.  

I later read on What's In A Name  http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/
by the wonderful Priscilla Spencer that patronus = protector, which made total sense...it protected Harry from the dementors.  

But I couldn't get that pater/father thing out of my mind, so being inspired by name meanings, I did a little net research myself, and found...

p#259;ter , tris (old gen PATRVS. Inscr Corp. Lat. 1469; dat PATRE, ib 182), m. [Sanscr. root p#257;, to nourish, *protect*; Lat. pasco; hence, Zend, patar, protector; Gr. patêr; Sanscr pitri; Engl. father; Germ. Vater] , *a father, sire* (my emphasis)

and clicked on a similar word, which sounded like patronus...patritus:

p#259;tr#299;tus , a, um, adj. [pater, like avitus from avus] , of one's father or forefathers 



Here's the link:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2334152

So, IMHO, Harry's protector was indeed "of his father" in the shape of Prongs.  His father was protecting him again  (which is such a touching sentiment that I need a tissue...really, I'm not kidding!). 

*sniff, sniff* 

--Lilac (who, after dabbing her eyes, is worried that she used entirely too many parentheses in writing this (no... really?) and feels that Hermione would have worried about that little detail as well)

p.s. sorry if discussed before


"Tut, tut --- hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac.  I say so in Year with the Yeti." --Gilderoy Lockhart, COS


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