Tom Riddle/Voldemort bloodline/basilisk/heir bussiness

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 46792

Callie603 wrote:
> Slytherin wanted to get rid of anyone who wasn't "pure-blood." 
> However, as I understand it, Tom Riddle (Voldemort) was only half-
> blood as his mom was a witch and his dad was a muggle. Is this an 
> inconsistency? Is he really the heir of Slytherin? Also, if the 
> basilisk is trained to kill "mudbloods," isn't his "blood" kind 
> of "muddy?" Why should it listen to him?
> 
> Just a thought...
> 
> Callie603

Mudblood and halfblood are not the same thing (mudblood: both parents 
muggles; halfblood: parents wizards, but a muggle within the last  n 
generations, where n is open to suggestions, but probably between 2 and 
7). Besides, it's not uncommon that a defender of "purity of blood" is 
not pure of blood himself: look at Hitler, and how badly he represented 
the Aria (sp?) race.

Also, in the line of him being the heir of Slytherin, you'll see that 
in the list many people are very busy drawing up descendances for 
Slytherin, managing to make everyone and their little cousin the true 
heirs of slytherin (my count, so far, is Harry, all Weasleys, 
Dumbledore and 6 siblings of Tom Riddle, apart from Tom himself, which 
we know is the last descendant of Slytherin, and I'm not even reading 
those posts). Do of those theories what you will, but I have one of my 
own: the heir of Slytherin is anyone who can speak parsel, since that 
is all you need to get into the chamber and control the basilisk.

We know, in fact, that parsel is not exclusive to Slytherin's family: 
Slytherin searched for students which could also speak it. Although we 
have not been told if he ever found one, I assume that he knew what he 
was doing and in fact people that weren't related to him could also 
have the gift. Tom is the "true" heir (in his eyes) because, apart from 
being a heir (since he speaks parsel), he's also the last descendant 
(how he chacked that, I can't even begin to imagine. Elementary family 
tree building will tell you that after 1000 years anyone could carry 
blood from a given individual).

I don't really think the basilisk is trained for anything at all. I 
keep picturing Tom!Ginny (that is, Ginny's body being controled by Tom) 
following the basilisk and giving it commands about who to attack. 
Thus, on Halloween they are met by Mrs. Norris (and her ability to find 
any student that's doing mischief) and is promptly stoned. Tom!Ginny 
hangs her body and paints the message and returns the basilisk to the 
chamber. On the other ocations, they roam the castle (the normally 
empty parts) until they meet someone. They attack and hide again.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf