mixed marriages

[stbjohn2]

No: HPFGUIDX 124555


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> 
> Imamommy wrote:
> "I think we also have to take into account that the pureblood
> aristocracy does not view muggleborn wizards and witches (ie Tonks' 
> father or Hermione) as counting as pureblood.  Ron  may be including
> them when he says this. "
> 
> Del replies:
> It's not just Ron either. Harry, the son of a Muggleborn and a
> pureblood, is counted as a halfblood by the purebloodists and by
> apparently the rest of the WW. That would make Nymphadora Tonks a
> halfblood too, for example, as well as all the kids of all the
> Muggleborns.
> 
> Oh, and we know of another halfblood, though we don't know if his
> non-pureblood parent was Muggle or Muggleborn : Remus Lupin.
> 
> Del

Sandy,
Yes, but what Ron says is "if we [wizards] hadn't married muggles 
we'd have died out."  Ron is dividing the world into 2 camps -- 
muggles and wizards. In Ron's world view, muggleborns and halfbloods 
like Hermione and Harry fall into the "wizards" camp. Therefore, I 
have to believe he's talking about totally non-magic folk when he 
says muggles in this context (or any context, really; Ron does not 
see Hermione or Harry as "muggles," ever). Even Malfoy, for all his 
prejudice, does differentiate between someone with magical ability, 
no matter their background, and a muggle.
Also this comment comes right after Malfoy calls Hermione a mudblood 
(in COS). This is the first time Hermione or Harry have run into this 
prejudice against people who have a muggle background and Ron's 
pointing out what a senseless prejudice it is.
I read it as Ron saying that, at least at some point in the history 
of wizardry, marriage between magical and non-magical people was 
quite common/