[HPforGrownups] Slytherins heir? Says who?

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 43635

Heather:

> > Eloise:
> > Ah...but assuming his mother had also been at
> > Hogwarts, there were likely to 
> > be other students who knew her family, some of the
> > staff were likely to have 
> > known her. Perhaps the old head of Slytherin house
> > quietly took him aside one 
> > day and told him.
> > I think there are ways he could have found out.
> 
> Now me-
> It makes sense that Riddle's mother could have been at
> Hogwarts and therefore the staff knew her. However,
> does that nessecarily mean that her heritage is common
> knowledge? I suppose it's possible, but that in itself
> creates a larger problem. How could Tom have gotten
> away with what he did if anyone *knew* he was
> Slytherin's heir? The atmosphere at the time of the
> first Chamber opening was obviously nervous and
> frightened, judging by the fact that someone died and
> they talked about closing the school. In a situation
> like that, wouldn't *anyone* have come forward and
> told? Hagrid may have made a suspicious candidate with
> all his freakish pets, but he certainly isn't more
> suspicious than someone who is *known* to be the heir!


Very good point! You may have got me there! :-)

<thinks quickly>

First, I think we may be into the 'heir'/ descendent thing again.
Because he was a descendent didn't mean he was the *Heir*, particularly, as I 
suggested later in that post, as the legend itself doesn't seem to suggest 
that there is only one living descendent, but only one *true* heir.

Secondly, Prof Binns is insistent that it *is* a legend. Was he around at the 
time?
I have three possible explanations relating to his insistence:

1) He's a historian and he simply doesn't believe in all that stuff. This may 
have been the climate of the time. Do we know that the staff *really* thought 
that it was the *Monster of Slytherin* attacking students? Were they really 
*looking* for the Heir of Slytherin, or just trying to find whatever 
dangerous creature was stalking the corridors?

2) His insistence is a blind, in order to protect the students from 
undesirable knowledge. The legend was believed at the time and Hagrid was 
thought to be the Heir. But if so, then how on earth did Dumbledore persuade 
Dippet to let Hagrid stay, or the MOM not to imprison him?

3) Prof Binns is Ever-So-Evil and colluding with Riddle. 
Now come on, I had to say that, didn't I? In fact I think we could make out a 
case here. Just when I thought there were no more hedgehogs to be found! ;-)

But leaving aside point (3), No, I don't think the staff would immediately 
have pointed the finger at popular, model student Riddle. IMHO, Dumbledore 
was not only the only person on the staff to realise that Riddle was 
Slytherin's Heir, he was the only one who realised that the legend was true. 

Eloise
(who is still only *suggesting*, not stating, that Riddle's mother went to 
Hogwarts and thinks she missed out a word yesterday, speaking of *her* name, 
rather then her *father's* name.)


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