Alchemy, the Epilogue and Slytherin (long)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 176163

Debbie:
<snipping>
> As the product of a union of pureblood and Muggleborn, it was his
> job to defeat Voldemort, principal proponent of the pureblood 
> supremacy cancer that Salazar Slytherin inflicted on his house.  By
> defeating Voldemort, there are no more heirs of Slytherin to carry
> on Salazar's ignoble work, and the WW has been made safe for 
> Muggleborns.

Jen:  Wow Debbie, really an amazing post.  This point hit me like 
an 'aha' I forgot about completely - no more Slytherin heirs.  I'm 
curious, do you think there's any alchemical meaning to Voldemort 
talking about the cutting away of the diseased parts of the family 
trees so that only 'true blood' remains?  It reminds me now of the 
reverse process of purification happening in certain families, 
because the refusal to allow new blood into the families is why the 
Gaunts ended up as they did. So he's contributing to his own demise 
in a way.

The only thing I'm wondering about here is whether the literal death 
of Salazar Slytherin's line will actually lead to unity - isn't that 
a recreation of what already happened, Salazar leaving Hogwarts and 
the other Founders?  

Debbie:
> It wasn't Harry's job to achieve unity between Gryffindor and 
> Slytherin.His job was to purge the cancer that prevented Slytherin
> from achieving unity with the other houses. Completion of the task
> of reunification, however, is left for the new philosophical orphan
>(s) and the rest of the new generation, whom we meet briefly in the
> epilogue.

Jen:  JKR may have been combining some of her alchemical readings in 
the story because the Jungian view of alchemy, the psychological 
view, is that Harry's journey toward wholeness is the unifying 
principle that made it possible for Voldemort to die.  When Harry 
completes the journey by integrating all he's lost, with the last 
stage a circle back to the first in recreating Lily's sacrifice,  
then he can truly live (shades of the prophecy).  

Actually, they work together since alchemists believed the 
transformation of the soul/self was part of the process.  

Debbie:
> Because muggle and magical were in conflict, Tom is an anti-
> philosophical orphan.  Instead of purification his magical 
> transformations debase him further, making him less human.  He is 
> not purified, but corrupted, and he must be destroyed because he 
> cannot repent and reform.

Jen: Wouldn't the addition of Harry's blood change his composition 
somewhat?  He's given the mother love from another union that created 
a philosophical orphan.  It was important to the story but perhaps 
not in alchemical terms.

Can't think of much else to add - really enjoyed reading your 
thoughts. :)