Harry and the Phoenix

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 43522

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "emma_look_alike" <Mysticwolf_girl at h...> wrote:
> I am a *huge* fan that Harry is the heir of Gryffindor. I sincerely 
> think that that is the reason Voldemort tried to kill him; ie The 
> rivalry of Salazar and Godric. Harry is the last remaining descendant 
> of Gryffindor and Voldemort/Tom Riddle is the last remaining 
> descendant of Slytherin. Though highly unlikely as many other posts 
> have said, anything's possible in fantasy books. 
> 
> Also, Voldemort DEFINETLEY did not mind killing James, but he said 
> that Lily didn't have to die. Why? Lily wasn't a descendant of Godric 
> Gryffindor, Harry got it from his Dad's side.
> 
> Dumbledore said: 'Only a true Gryffindor could pull that out of the 
> hat, Harry' (or something like that) -SS/PS. Maybe he was ALSO 
> referring to only a true DESCENDANT of Gryffindor could have pulled 
> that out of the hat.
> 
> The last reenforcement I have is that the Potters lived in Godric's 
> hollow. Perhaps another hint? 
> 
> Almost certainly this subject has been picked to death already, but I 
> love it. I really think Harry is the heir. 
> 
> "emma_look_alike"

Some general thought on Heirs and Descendants that have been
accumulating in my head as this subject has been discussed at various
times. None of this is especially new or original, more like expanded
thoughts on the subject.

First there is the whole heir vs descendant problem. What constitutes
an heir and what constitutes a descendant. I won't get into dictionary
definition, instead let me illustrate by example.

Many people have said that after 1,000 years in the small wizard
world, there must be drops of Gryffindor blood all over the place. So,
let's look at the Royal Family of Britain as an example. There are
cousins and uncles and all kinds of people who can trace the heritage
back to the roots of the Windsor family, but they are neither the
descendants of the Royal Family nor the heir to the Royal Family.
Right now Prince William, the first born, is the crown prince and heir
to the throne, his younger brother, Prince Henry (Harry) is nothing
'to the throne'. The next heir will be the son or daughter of William.
So even as close as Prince Henry/Harry is, he and his children will
never be the 'heirs' to the throne. The only exception is, if Prince
William's blood line dies out, although it would have to die soon or
their would be too many descendants directly under William who could
claim the throne. Poor Prince Henry/Harry, him and his descendants
forever doomed to be second best, although filthy rich, which is not
so bad.

So my point is that while there may be many branches to the Gryffindor
tree, the is only one branch that is the direct descendance of Heirs
to the Gryffindor legacy. Just as people very directly related to the
Royal Family get chopped off the tree of descendants of heir as in
Prince Henry/Harry's case, so to do branches of the Gryffindor tree
that do not contain DIRECT descendant of heirs. 

It goes without saying that the name Gryffindor gets lost when the
direct descendant and heir is a woman who marries. The line of direct
descendants and heirs continues, but the original family name is lost.


Blood vs Choices-

There seems to be a belief that if Harry is the Gryffindor heir that
this cancels out Dumbledore's statement that choices are more
important than blood. But I don't see it that way. Let's face it,
there are people born to the roll of king or queen who are scum, in
many cases possessing only marginal sanity. 

Again, illustrated by the Royal Family; Prince William could though
choices rebel and become a self-centered egotistical drunken carousing
obnoxious lout, but he has instead chosen to live his life with some
pride, dignity, modesty, and service to others. I think he's a pretty
cool guy, although time will tell. Prince Henry on the other hand, I
worry about. Has to be hard to spend a lifetime standing in his
brother's shadow, but that's a discussion for a different group.

No matter how Royal your blood, no matter how spectacular your
inherited talents, your life is still ruled by the choices you make
with a dash of luck and fate thrown in. Very talented men have died in
the gutter, their talents squandered and wasted.

Harry could be heir to Gryffindor and the Crown Prince of England, and
who and what he is and becomes rest solely on the choices he makes. 

I think Harry is being contrasted to Draco who believes he is born to
privilege. He believes things are automatically and unquestionable due
him, because of his blood. Dumbledore's message to Harry is that you
have to earn your 'privilege' in life no matter what you blood.

Final point, blood and choices are not mutually exclusive.

The Chosen One-
This is also a valid option and comon in fairytales. It could be that
among all the drops of Gryffindor blood out there, the chosen one, the
crown prince is selected or predicted perhaps by the reading of the
stars, or the Gryffindor who purely and unselfishly displays the
characteristics of a true Gryffindor, or perhaps by searching and
finding the 'holy grail'; the completion of a quest, or perhaps by the
approval, bond, and friendship of a gold and red pheonix. 

Again, the point is here, that the Heir to Gryffindor could be a
'chosen one' selected not by purity of blood or direct descendance but
by being the purest, truest, and noblest Gryffindor at heart. Kind of
romanic, don't you think?

This 'Chosen One' theory doesn't discount choices, because Harry still
has to choose and live by the pure, true and noble character of
Gryffindor.

Just some thoughts.

bboy_mn