[HPforGrownups] Re: Sorting Muggle-borns ( was: The Basilisk)

[S]

No: HPFGUIDX 46886


>Say wrote:
> >Voldemort was a mudblood, too - his father was a muggle. If he got
> >into Slytherin, it makes sense that other muggle-born pupils could,
> >as well.

And Melody replied:

>Actually you have the definition of "mudblood" too encompassing.
>
>Let me quote (my favorite thing to do lately):
>CoS Ch7
>"Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born -- you
>know, non-magical parents."
>
>Note the pleural parents.  Also, no one in the books who has half and
>half parents are ever called mudblood.

I stand corrected on the definition of mudblood - but on the other hand, 
off the top of my head I can't think of anyone other than Hermione who gets 
a hard time because of her parentage.

Two other points . . . mudblood or not, Voldemort was certainly half-muggle 
- which goes against the idea that anyone muggle-born would not be 
considered worthy for Slytherin. Also, to discriminate only against people 
with two muggle parents seems odd, to say the least . . . if Hermione 
married a muggle and had a child by him, that child would be accepted as a 
half-blood, but his or her mother would still be reviled? Hmm.

Going off on a slight tangent, it occurred to me that as much as the likes 
of the Malfoys hate rmuggles, a whole lot of muggles feel the same way 
about witches and wizards. Voldemort's father (allegedly) left for no other 
reason than his wife was a witch, at least one half-blood pupil made 
reference to his father being "surprised" to find out his wife was a witch, 
and the Dursleys have a violent and abusive hated of anything that isn't 
"normal". Going back a couple of hundred years, muggles happily burned 
suspected witches quite legally (has that been mentioned in the books?). It 
isn't entirely surprising that a lot of witches and wizards want to return 
the favours.

~Say