Heir versus Descendant of Slytherin

[fanofminerva]

No: HPFGUIDX 99009

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Lady Macbeth" 
<LadyMacbeth at u...> wrote:
> Julie Wrote:
> 
> Tom Riddle is the /Heir/ of Slytherin.  Being an heir is more than
> being a descendant.  An heir, by definition, is "one who inherits 
or
> is entitled to inherit another's property, title, etc." whereas a
> descendant is "an offspring of a certain anscestor, family, group"
> (Webster's New World Dictionary).  Being an heir implies being
> designated as such by the person bequeathing the property, etc.
> This is especially true in Tom's case.  Otherwise, any descendant 
of
> Slytherin would have been able to open the Chamber, control the
> Basilisk, etc.  What is it about Tom Marvolo Riddle that made him
> the HEIR, not just the descendant?  His maternal anscestory was 
full
> of descendants of Slytherin, but Tom is the heir.  Why?  Do we know
> yet?
> 
> 
> Lady Macbeth Replies:
> 
> If his mother's maiden name was Slytherin, and she had no 
brothers, uncles
> or older sisters to inherit the estate, she would have been the 
rightful
> "heir".  All of her stuff would have passed onto her husband upon 
her death;
> her wizarding inheritance would have passed onto her wizard 
children, which
> we know of only one - Tom.  Upon Tom killing the Riddles, he would 
have
> gotten everything - part of the reason he had no problem obtaining 
rights to
> keep and use the Riddle House.
> 
> -Lady Macbeth
> <snip>

But we're not talking about houses, etc.  When Tom refers to himself 
as the HEIR of Slytherin, he talks of carrying on Salazar Sytherin's 
noble work.  If that was something that was passed down generation 
upon generation, then why didn't one of his ancestors open the 
chamber?  No, it had to be Tom, the heir.  How did he know he was 
the last remaining heir unless he already planned not to marry and 
have children.  Could it be that this choice precisely was needed to 
become the heir, the last to carry on the work?

Could all descendants of Slytherin speak parseltongue?  If not, why 
not?  How was it that Tom could?  How did Tom find out how to open 
the chamber while in school?  My theory is that something (and I 
don't know what) had to happen for Tom to be bequeathed of the 
powers of Slytherin.  Could this be where Grindelwalde comes in?

Something has set Tom apart from being more than a descendant.  He 
is an heir.  I am a descendant of Jim Bowie, but I'm not an heir.

I think we will find out more about how Tom was chosen, just as we 
will find out how Harry was chosen.

Julie