The Podmores/Filch

[Dalriada]

No: HPFGUIDX 90391

Once again, apologies if this has been discussed to death.
I've been re-reading CoS. In the Deathday Party chapter, Sir Nick's 
letter denying him membership in the Headless Hunt is signed by Sir 
Patrick Delaney-Podmore. Considering the importance of names, is it 
safe to assume Sir Patrick is a distant relation of Order member 
Sturgis Podmore?  Sturgis was sent to Azkaban after being caught in 
the MoM. I wonder what Sir Patrick did to get decapitated? A while 
back there was discussion about `aristocratic' wizards and 
hyphenated names. Are there any wizards out there with the Delaney 
name we know of or could Sir Patrick be going by Delaney-Podmore 
just to be fashionable?

For random speculation, I present this: I propose it is Filch who is 
the previously incapable wizard that will be able to use magic in 
the future. It is during the Deathday Party chapter that Harry is 
taken to Filch's office and he reads the Kwikspell letter. When I 
first read this book, I thought the letter was a charming detail 
that JKR put in for fun (in addition to illustrating the 
insecurity/tension Squibs face in the wizarding world). Now, I take 
no detail for granted. Why would JRK even create a method of 
training like Kwikspell if it is never used or mentioned again? 
Sure, it's supposedly used by the witches and wizards who give 
testimonials in the Kwikspell letter, but who are they to us, the 
readers? Why should we care if these random witches and wizards were 
able to learn magic? Now Filch learning magic has more ramifications 
for the story. After all, he was so close to having the power to 
punish students with Umbridge as Headmistress-- what would Filch do 
to misbehaving kids if he could perform a few effective charms or 
hexes? Would a magical Filch (along with Mrs. Norris) roaming about 
end HRH sneaking around the castle with, or without, Invisibility 
Cloak? Then again, it's also been said that the newly-magical person 
would use magic in a certain situation, implying the power is not 
permanent, so who knows if this scenario could even happen? Still, 
it's fun to imagine.

Dally