Individual issues and JKR (was Re: Snape and the "Chosen One" )

[Peggy Richter]

No: HPFGUIDX 153594

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "quigonginger" <snip> > My 
personal soapbox, about which I posted here before HBP was JKR's
 treatment of "inbred" people.  <snippage> The difference in calling 
a racist a racist and calling someone inbred  is that the racist 
chooses to be racist and can change, should they  decide to do so.  
Someone who is genetically homogenous (thank you, Catherine!) esn't 
> choose to be that way any more than someone chooses to be white or 
> black or short or tall.  
> <snip> There are also derogatory terms for the choices we make.  
Some can be  very harsh. <snip> JKR has made the WW virtually free 
from gender bias and racial bias.   One can't choose one's race or 
gender.  All are equal.  <snip > What I wonder is why she will 
champion Hermione (Muggle-born), Hagrid  (halfbreed) and Lupin 
(disabled), but allow the inbred issue to go  unchallenged.  
>
PAR: Actually, I think JKR has answered this issue.  The Gaunts 
aren't actually "in cannon" inbred. We never meet Morfin or Merope's 
mother. There's no information as to how closely related she was or 
wasn't to their father. It's only implied.  On the OTHER hand, we DO 
have a clear case of "closely related" people in Sirius -- an 
individual who has his mother as a cousin (according to the Black 
family tapestry) and who was considered, with James (who is a 
probable cousin) "the brightest student" of his time at Hogwarts and 
who is, at least for some of us, a caring, loving and quite 
brilliant godfather for Harry.  Even his brother, Regullus, who 
became a DE still is apparently smart enough and clever enough to 
fool LV in discovering LV's horcrux secret, defying LV and taking 
the locket -- something that clearly took courage and smarts well 
above the average.  So I think JKR HAS addressed the issue, she just 
hasn't been obvious about it.  It's our own preconceptions that make 
us target the Gaunts.  Maybe it was practicing dark magic that made 
Meriope and Morfin the way they were, or even a bad curse or hex 
(wasn't it one of the Weasely boys who had an ear shrivel up because 
of a curse from a pen pal?)
PAR