Snape, "blood," and Phineas Nigellus (Was: It's "blood" that counts)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 148190

Elisabet wrote:
> Carol, brilliant analysis - I think you are reight about the
genetics as a mechanism being irrelevant to the story, but that the
idea of "bloodlines" is of crucial importance to many characters and
to some degree drives the plot. (Did I get that right?)

Carol responds:
Thanks. Yes, exactly.

Elisabet:
> Looking at the examples you cite, it has struck me that there is a
distinction between the terms like "muggle", "muggleborn", and 
"squib", which are based on fairly objective criteria having to do
with an individual's (in)ability to perform magic, and the "blood"
terms, which rely on an underlying definition of wizarding blood which
is, when it comes to it, a cultural construct. 

Carol:
Yes. Good. You're probably right. I still think Hagrid is a hypocrite,
but probably an unwitting one, and he does place a high value on his
"blood" connection to Grawp, for what it's worth. (Anyone agree or
disagree about the hypocrisy?) Also, I stand by my argument that the
prejudice against Muggleborns is blood-based (see upthread), and the
"Mudblood" epithet brings the basis for the prejudice out into the open.

Elisabet:
<snip>  PN to Mundungus, though, that's adult-to-adult, a different
> matter entirely.

Carol:
Actually, Phineas makes the remark about Mundungus being a "mangy old
half-blood" in DD's office when he hears that Mundungus has stolen
some artifacts from 12 GP (HBP chap. 13, incidentally one of two
chapters in which Phineas is affronted by Harry's refusal to respect
Snape). So it really isn't an adult-to-adult insult; it's behind
Mundungus's back (and, for that reason, probably reflects Phineas's
real opinion of Mundungus). So, again, I wonder what Phineas would
think if he knew that Snape was also a half-blood. Would that affect
his views on the respect due to Snape, HOH of Slytherin though he is?
Or are those views based on Snape's loyalties as Phineas perceives
them, regardless of his blood status?

I think, and of course I could be wrong, that there's more to
Phineas's defense(s) of Snape than merely the respect due a professor
from a cheeky adolescent. Unfortunately, Phineas could not have
overheard the argument between Snape and DD in the woods after Ron is
accidentally poisoned (an incident that both DD and Snape can't help
but associate with Draco) and consequently can't enlighten us as to
the full conversation, but Phineas has certainly overheard Snape's
many reports to DD over the years--and just possibly his original
confession of remorse, the one Harry doubts so strongly. If we're
going to find out Snape's true loyalties and the secrets about him
that DD has kept from him and us, Phineas Nigellus may just be a key
witness. And, unless the death of DD changes his perspective, it seems
 clear to me that he will argue (if he argues at all) in defense of Snape.

Carol, thinking that Phineas would probably have preferred Severus to
Sirius as a great-great-grandson, half-blood or no