Halfblood v. Pureblood

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 84850

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ghinghapuss" <rredordead at a...>
wrote:
> >  Adrianna wrote:
> > Which is something I never really understood. Both of his parents 
> > were magical. Yeah, Lily was muggleborn but I don't see how that 
> > makes Harry a halfblood, like, say, Tom Riddle.
> 
> > Thren wrote:
> > I think it's interesting, though, that Malfoy hasn't thrown his 
> > halfblood status up to him. .... So maybe while purebloods are the
> > 'best', halfbloods are also acceptable?  


> Mandy:
> 
> I know this has been discussed before but I can't remember the post 
> numbers. If you do a search you might find some interesting posts. 
> Basically the train of thought amongst the Purebloods is this if 
> you're have 2 Muggle parents your a Mudblood and if you have one
> drop of Muggle blood in your ancestry you're a Halfblood and there 
> for dirt, pure and simple.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> Thren brings up and interesting idea: why hasn't Malfoy brought up 
> Harry's Halfblood status?  ...edited...
> 
> I'd be interested in other opinions.
> 
> Mandy

bboy_mn:

I think one thing should be clear from the stories, and that is the
definitions of mudblood, half-blood, and pure blood are not etched in
stone. They vary with the attitudes of each person, and enter that
persons speech acording to that personal bias.

Strictly speaking, Harry is not pure blood, he is full blood. He is a
full blooded wizard with a witch and a wizard as parents. But he is
not pure blood because his ancestry can not be traced back on both
side through countless generations of full blooded witches and wizards.

To some people, if you have any trace of muggle blood in you lineage,
however slight or distant, then you are a mudblood; your blood isn't
pure. To others, if you are from a promenent family and have had
several, or perhaps only a few, generations of full blood
intermarriage, then you have redeemed yourself and are 'OK' again.

While there are times in the book when Harry is referred to, even by
close friends and associates, as a half-blood, it is usually in a
specific context, in a conversation or while making a statement
regarding his mother. 

I think we can all agree that Seamus is a true, by nearly any
definition, half-blood. My point is that other references to
half-blood are not as sharply defined.

So attitude, personal beliefs, emotional state, and context of the
moment are the factors in determining how these terms will be used.
Not every statement of lineage adheres to a ridged set of definitions.

Beauty and blood are in the eye of the beholder.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn