Grandparents redux (was Re: What am I missing?)

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 97845

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "vmonte" <vmonte at y...> wrote:
> Susan wrote:
> I too find it odd that so many parents and grandparents are dead.
> Were they caught up in the WW war? We don't know anything about
> anyone's parents.
 
snip<

> vmonte responds:
> All these missing parents worry me as well.  It makes you think 
that 
> the DEs targeted these people to get at DD and his people.  
snip

Potioncat:
I'm taking this in a slightly different direction.  There are those 
who are missing, like the ones referred to above, and ones that just 
aren't mentioned.  Ron has his grandfather's chess set, is the 
grandfather dead or did he give Ron one of several?  Harry of 
course, doesn't  have much opportunity to see "grandparents" 
although he has seen a number of "old" witches and wizards.  

There may be more than grandparents missing. Think of this, if it's 
typical (or even not unusual) to grow up  
get married and have kids fairly soon, DD could easily have a bushel 
of great-great-great-great-grandchildren.  (Assuming a new 
generation every 25 years.) So it would be reasonable that kids 
would have several "greats" as well as the usual "grands."  We 
haven't ever had that mentioned. Where all are these folk?

Is it meaningful that Serius' mother looks old?  And why does 
Neville's grandmother look like a grandmother?  McGonagall is in her 
70's and she isn't described as looking old, she looks stern and has 
black hair.  (Nope, try as I might she looks like Maggie Smith.)

I don't know if I'm looking at details that aren't important to 
JKR.  But If I'm correct, when does someone stop being "known" 
family.  What's the chance that DD is Ron's multi-great grandfather?

Potioncat