Salazar Slytherin's descendants (Was Re: A strange silver instrument)

[jjpandy]

No: HPFGUIDX 86428

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Berit Jakobsen" 
<belijako at o...> wrote:

> Quote: "'You can speak parseltongue, Harry,' said Dumbledore 
> calmly, 'because Lord Voldemort - who is the last remaining 
ancestor 
> [descendant] of Salazar Slytherin - can speak Parseltongue.'" (CoS 
p. 245 UK Edition).
> 
> Note how Dumbledore INSERTS that little "unnecessary" detail of 
> Voldie being the Heir of Slytherin to explain why Harry can speak 
to 
> snakes... He is not just saying Harry can speak parseltongue 
because 
> Voldemort accidentally transferred parselmouth to Harry which just 
> happened to be one of Voldie's powers. Voldie being able to speak 
> parseltongue is not just a lucky coincidence. He can speak 
> parseltongue BECAUSE he is a direct descendant of Salazar; in fact: 
> He's the Heir of Slytherin. 

JJPandy's reply:  
OK, Tom Riddle is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin.  This is through 
his mother's side of the family, right?, since Tom Riddle becomes 
Voldemorte who wants nothing to do with his muggle father.  But if 
Tom Riddle's mother was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin who was 
very much into keeping the wizard blood pure, then why did she go off 
and marry a muggle?   Is this why Tom Riddle turns into such an angry 
person?  Is it because his mother went against the family tradition 
which in turn led to his shameful birth as a half-blood?  
Also, in the graveyard scene of GoF, why does Voldemorte use 
the "bone of his father" instead of his mother, since she is the one 
with the wizard blood?
JJPandy