Heirs of Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff was Re: Why the Potters? (some OOP)

[Julia]

No: HPFGUIDX 58425

Rachel wrote:
> > David Burgess went out on a limb and wrote:
> > <<<Has anyone but me noticed that Hermione and Ron
> > seem to be in the wrong
> > houses?  Clearly, these two should have been sorted
> > into Hufflepuff and
> > Ravenclaw (respectively? I don't have my books handy).
> > 
> > <snippity snip>
> > 
> > <<<Yes, I am suggesting that Ron (who comes from a
> > pureblood family that
> > could easily go back to a certain Miss Ravenclaw) is
> > the heir of that
> > bloodline.
> > 
> 
> I agree with Odile that it seems well, wrong, to think that Ron 
and Hermion=> e 
> are:
> 1) Shouldn't be in Gryffndor
> 2) The heirs of other houses
> 
> There seems to be no evidence to support these claims as far as I 
can see. =>  
> Many people point to the fact that Hermione's superior intellect 
would make=>  
> her a perfect fit for Ravenclaw, but I don't agree with that 
assesment.  
> 
> We must not unjustly belittle the courage of Ron and Hermione just 
because => 
> their actions aren't at Harry level.  Harry personifies Gryffndor, 
which ma=> kes 
> him a huge measuring stick to, well, measure up to.  Very few 
(none really)=

Adding on now - I'm a little, I don't know the best word to use, 
surprised, I guess, over all this speculation about the heirs and 
correct placement in houses.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the 
significance of Harry perhaps being Godric's heir.  (Oh, Rachel, for 
clarification, the proof of this is the Potters staying at Godric's 
Hollow, the red and gold sparks from Harry's wand, his bravery, the 
sword in book two, etc.) But I don't see why Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw 
are such an issue, considering the biggest rift was always between 
Godric and Salazar, according to book two.  I think my biggest issue 
is the fact that we know literally nothing about Ravenclaw, the 
Gryffindors never have classes with them.  We know about their 
intellect, the Grey Lady, and of course Cho Chang, and a handful of 
other names, but that's it.  There's never been interaction with 
them, unless you count Cho.  And I stick with the choice vs. blood 
lineage theory.  JKR emphasizes it, and even if Harry is Godric's 
heir, that fact alone will obviously not enable him to defeat Lord 
Voldemort.  Otherwise his father or mother (whichever side is 
Godric's heir - not making assumptions about Lily) should have been 
able to defeat him.  This has been brought up before, countless 
times, but I just keep hearing this whole theory of Ron, Hermione, 
and Harry being the heirs and ultimately defeating the fourth heir, 
a.k.a. Voldemort, which I don't agree with.  It just seems so... not 
just predictable, but well, for lack of a better term, blah.  I 
honestly think it'll come down to Harry.  His destiny, if you will, 
seems to intertwine and effect others, but remains unchanged even 
so.  Personality wise, the other characters change.  Yes, Harry has 
matured, grown, but he's arguably still the eleven-year-old kid we 
met in book one.  Wiser, perhaps, especially since book four, but 
still good, brave, reserved, soft-spoken, and self-doubtful.  

On to the house issue.  I, too, think that everyone has been placed 
in the correct house.  We are given our characters' entire psyche 
from the Sorting Hat, in a vague, very small way.  Ron, and his 
siblings, show bravery and daring countless times, as does 
Hermione.  Same with Neville.  The Sorting Hat is able to ascertain 
characteristics we realize later, and thus is able to place the 
first years.  Like Harry, the Sorting Hat technically could have 
placed Harry in Slytherin anyway, but it understood Harry's will not 
to choose self-ambition over morality.  Thus, it lets Harry into 
Gryffindor.  It's not a matter of the Sorting Hat agreeing, it 
understands Harry will only ultimately do well in Gryffindor simply 
because of who Harry is, whether or not, characteristically 
speaking, Harry would have done well in Slytherin.  Same goes for 
the rest of the students.  Hermione is the top student of her class, 
so were James, Lily, Bill, and Percy, and they were all in 
Gryffindor.  Ron, Ginny, and Neville, arguably could be in 
Hufflepuff, just as Hagrid could have been, but they still truly 
belong in Gryffindor.  Neville is brave simply for growing with his 
family situation, Ron for following and in a way, protecting Harry 
through all his trials.  And Ginny we don't know much about yet.  I 
think that's the great aspect about the whole Sorting ritual.  We 
don't know why some of the students are in the houses there in, but 
the Sorting Hat understands things we don't.  It's just something 
else to be solved (as if we need anything else :)).  

To be honest, I think of Ron and Hermione, and the rest of Harry's 
friends, to be just ordinary, for wizards compared to Harry, 
anyway.  I want Ron to have something special, besides the girl 
(Hermione) as some have hypothesized.  But at the end of the day, it 
all comes back to Harry.  He's the reason I read these books in the 
first place.  There are things about himself he doesn't know, and I 
find it interesting to watch him seperate WHO he is from WHAT he 
is.  It's interesting to watch his friends do it, too, like Ron in 
book four.  I do want to know how Ron and Harry's relationship will 
develop with Ron becoming Keeper, and if he does date Hermione, and 
so on.  It could very well strain the relationship or strengthen it. 
And it may very well put Harry even more on his own, in a way.  He 
relies on his friends, yet at the same time, is forced to 
concentrate and worry about being the hero, if you will, even though 
he'd gladly give up the role.  He's the one Voldemort's after, and 
know one knows why.

Went off on a tangent, sorry about that, but there my thoughts in 
all their glory (ugh).  I have to finish writing a paper now, so 
later all!

Julia