It's possible there ISN'T an Heir of Gryffindor and other matters

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 58322

Corinth, giving me a warm fuzzy by agreeing with me, said:

> 
> Godric Gryffindor is a very well-known historical figure in the
> wizarding world.  It makes sense, then, that a village be named after
> him (possibly the village where he himself was raised).  I agree that
> the this particular name will probably hold some significance in later
> books.  However, I don't think the Potters' residence there is proof
> in the least of their relation to Gryffindor.  After all, I'm sure
> there were other wizards living there; are we to assume they too must
> have some relation to Gryffindor?  If your own town is named after a
> person who lived a few hundred years ago, are you related to him or
> her?  Probably not.

My town was named after former U.S. President Andrew Jackson. I'm not 
related to him. Excellent point, one I hadn't thought of. 

I mean, did Riddle grow up on Salazar Circle? Did the Heir of Hufflepuff -- I 
get the giggles just reading that phrase -- grow up in the Helga Heights 
Apartment complex?

 
> I have always hated the Heir of Gryffindor theory, for reasons that
> I've gone over before (namely, that it contradicts the character over
> blood message JKR emphasizes throughout the books).  However, Darrin
> has hit upon another point that bothered me: why?  Why would Harry
> being the Heir of Gryffindor be important?  If Gryffindor had an
> anti-Slytherin-heir agenda, I think people would know of it, much like
> they knew about the Heir of Slytherin and the CoS, if only in rumours.
>  We know Slytherin had a special inheritable talent (Parseltongue),
> but we haven't been told of any similar advantage Gryffindor's heirs
> might gain.


I would love it if Harry isn't the Heir of anything and if it wasn't James' line that 
did much of anything except impregnate the Muggle-Born that was going to 
give birth to the wizard that defeats V-Mort. 

Lily is the Muggle-born, not James. She should, for irony's sake if nothing 
else, be the one most responsible for producing the one who slays V-Mort. 

 > Also, why would Voldemort want to kill the Heir of Gryffindor?  His
> main purpose has always been to destroy all Muggles and Muggle-born
> wizards.  There's the "Gryffindor's heir will be your downfall"
> prophecy theory, but that seems far too cliched. 

Welllll... if there IS an Heir of Gryffindor, it would seem to follow that he or she 
would want to follow in old Goddy's footsteps and oppose the Slyth's 
prejudice against Muggle-borns, which are exclusionary at best and 
genocidal at worst.

Darrin
-- Heir of Hufflepuff... heeheehheheeesnort