Re: significance in McGonagall’s years of service?

[psychic_serpent]

No: HPFGUIDX 78183

Elli wrote:

I believe she is Harry's great-grandmother on James's side

Rachna replied:

I agree in that I also think McGonagall is James's mother or 
grandmother. When I read the message, I immediately remembered this:
 
  Sheila McCleary: Have any of the Hogwarts professors had spouses? 
 
  JKR: Good question - yes, a few of them but that information is 
  sort of restricted - you'll find out why. 
 
 (Comic Relief, March 2001 Live Chat)
 
It could very well be restricted because she is related to Harry.
 
Lana Lovegood:
 
I can't imagine this without picturing the scene where McGonagall 
and Dumbledore are at the Dursleys in PS/SS awaiting Harry's 
arrival.  If McGonagall is a blood relative of Harry's, why wouldn't 
SHE have taken him in and thus sealed the "ancient magic" that 
protects Harry?  Furthermore, it seems she would have known more 
about what was happening at the point Harry was brought to the 
Dursleys...as I recall she seemed pretty clueless and was asking DD 
for specifics.  

Me (Barb):

I agree that it is highly unlikely that McGonagall is Harry's 
relative, but not the for reason cited above.  We learn in the fifth 
book that it was Petunia's relationship to Lily, not just to Harry, 
that was important, since it was Lily's blood that had protected 
Harry.  A relative on his father's side wouldn't have had the same 
effect, according to OotP.  The thing in the first chapter of the 
first book that strongly implies that McGonagall is not related to 
Harry is this passage:

------------------------
'Hagrid's late.  I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by 
the way?'

'Yes,' said Professor McGonagall.  'And I don't suppose you're going 
to tell me WHY you're here, of all places?'

'I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle.  They're the only 
family he has left now.'

'You don't mean - you CAN'T mean the people who live HERE?' cried 
Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number 
four.
-------------------------

At this point, Dumbledore does not reveal to McGonagall the basis of 
the ancient magic that will protect Harry (Petunia/Lily).  If she 
truly were a relative of Harry's, she would have jumped in here and 
corrected Dumbledore's statement and say that SHE was family to him, 
that the Dursleys were NOT all he had left. But she didn't do that.  
Instead she argues about how famous Harry will be, causing 
Dumbledore to respond that because of that it would be better for 
him to grow up away from the sort of attention that would likely 
bring him.  Her 'fame' argument seems like grasping at straws, 
frankly, and if she had a much better argument, like being his great-
grandmother, I don't doubt that she would have used it.

I believe that JKR's answer about the marital status of professors 
is completely irrelevant here, and that the information is 
restricted for reasons having nothing to do with Harry.  There is 
absolutely nothing in the books to indicate that McGonagall is 
related to Harry and, indeed, the above passage from the first book 
strongly implies quite the opposite.

--Barb

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