Thoughts about Voldy

[Tom Wall]

No: HPFGUIDX 79141

Loony wrote:
So in comparing HP and LV we automatically think `Oh well Harry must 
be related to G. Gryffindor'.
 
WRONG! As much as I really, really like the `Harry is related to G. 
Gryffindor' theory I this it's wrong. However I do think that 
the `Harry is the Heir of Gryffindor' theory is completely on. 
That's the point IMO; in Slytherin blood matters, so the heir of 
Slytherin has got to be related by blood to S. Slytherin, even 
tainted blood (see below). But in Gryffindor it matters what you do, 
not who you are related to. So Harry can be the Heir of Gryffindor 
by exemplifying the qualities of G. Gryffindor himself.

Tom replies:
I see where you're going with this, and would tend to agree that 
Harry *is* a sort-of metaphorical Heir of Gryffindor. 

And like you, I do not prefer the theorizing that leads to 
conclusions that "Harry must be related to Godric Gryffindor." Nice 
wordplay, there! I wrote a TBAY a while back at #67141 taking this 
viewpoint - as far as I can see, Heir of Gryffindor is out the 
window now. The prophecy has completely nullified its relevance, as 
far as I'm concerned.


Loony wrote:
Since we're talking about LV being the Heir of Slytherin there's 
something else that's bothering me. `How did Voldy's mom hook up 
with a muggle when she's supposed to be from this notorious muggle 
hating family'.

Tom replies:
We-ell, we don't really know that Voldemort's mom was from a muggle-
hating family, much less that the family was notorious. We just know 
that Slytherin's blood ran down to Tom through her side.

There is also an interesting distinction to be made regarding all of 
this `Heir' stuff, and that is this:

An `Heir' is not the same thing as a `descendent.'

In other words, being related to Salazar Slytherin doesn't 
automatically make you the `Heir of Slytherin' except in the loosest 
terms of lineage. Yes, Tom Riddle's mother was descended from 
Slytherin, and from what we know about Slytherin's Heir, the Chamber 
of Secrets could not be found (or, supposedly, opened) by any but 
Slytherin's true `Heir.' In other words, we are never told that 
*she* was Slytherin's Heir, either.

In this sense, `Heir' doesn't indicate simple relation. It indicates 
something more specific... almost a kind of quest-related-
inheritance. After all, we know that the only way to open the 
Chamber is through speaking Parseltongue, and it's not a foregone 
conclusion that all of Slytherin's descendents would be able to 
speak Parseltongue. Therefore the true 'Heir' of Salazar Slytherin's 
noble work would have to possess this particular skill.


Loony wrote: 
It works too that his family wouldn't want him, half blood scum that 
he is, and would ship him off to a muggle orphanage.

Tom replies:
We also don't know anything about this lady's family... for all we 
know, she had no family. We do know that Riddle's family didn't want 
anything to do with her or her baby, and that ultimately she decided 
to leave the baby at a *muggle* orphanage - which also sort-of begs 
the question of whether or not the WW has wizard-orphanages, as well.

I do concur with your argument for Riddle's being sorted into 
Slytherin house, though. Not only was he a descendent of Slytherin, 
but he also could speak Parseltongue, and probably (like Harry) had 
a thirst to prove himself - all qualities that Slytherin would have 
appreciated.

-Tom