[HPforGrownups] Re: questions about HP (Evans?)

[Taryn Kimel]

No: HPFGUIDX 82558

Ravenclaw Bookworm "scoutmom21113" wrote:    
> > Lily's parents were proud to have a witch in the family, which 
> > indicates to me that they were either squibs, or the children of 
> > squibs - close enough to know about the WW.

Salit:
> No. It is said in many places that Lily was muggle-born. 


Sherry asks:  Where exactly (canon here please) does it say that Lily 
is a muggle or muggle born?  I have read all 5 of the books and still 
don't know where it says that Lily is muggle born.  Only that her 
parents say "look we have a witch in the family"  and the belief sort 
of took off but where does it say it in sentence form that they are 
muggles?  
 
Taryn:
It's definitely been a topic of argument. I'm convinced that JKR isn't going to pull out an origin for Lily other than that of muggle-born, and I don't really understand why there are so many people who seem determined to make her a pureblood of some sort.

It isn't ever directly stated in the books, no. Implied plenty. And here's an interesting bit from a JKR article:
She has become edgy. "I do get kind of frustrated with this conservative world thing because..." She explains at length, and somewhat defensively, that the school had to be a boarding school because most of the magic happens in the middle of the night, and if it was a day school you wouldn't get the same sense of community. She also argues that, in a way, Harry does reflect the modern world because he is mixed race - his dad being a wizard, his mum being a muggle (human) witch - which seems to be pushing it a bit. 

(http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2000/0700-guardian-hattenstone.htm)

Now, you can always pull the "it's not a direct quote it so it was the interviewer embellishing it" route, but that's always been good enough proof for me. Plus Petunia's, "I saw her for what she was--a freak, our parents were proud having a witch in the family" stuff in PS and Tom referring to Harry as a half-blood like him (not technically true, but Tom's prejudice obviously extends far enough that if you're the child of a wizard parent with muggle parents, you count as half-blood).

I think the role of Harry's mixed blood is important to the story, to his position as mediator between the two sides. It balances the trio, as well. Ron's pureblood, Hermione's muggle-born, and Harry (although not immediately as a muggle parent and a wizard parent) has both.

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Taryn : http://taryn.shirataki.net

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