Heir of Gryffindor (was: These two things stand out)

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 169897

dobbycat:
> > Is it possible that Lilly was adopted by the Evans, and that she 
is related to Godric Gryffindor in some way? Which would make Harry a
> descendant of Godric Gryffindor as Voldemort is a descendant of 
Salizar Slitherin? And is this why the Potter's were living in 
Godrics Hollow? Family land in some way?
> > 

Sherry:
> JKR answered this on her web site quite a while ago, I think.  She 
says Harry is definitely not the heir of Gryffindor.  

Dungrollin:
No, unfortunately she didn't say it outright like that.

Quote from 
http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-
3.htm

******************************
MA: What about Harry's family — his grandparents — were they killed?

JKR: No. This takes us into more mundane territory. As a writer, it 
was more interesting, plot-wise, if Harry was completely alone. So I 
rather ruthlessly disposed of his entire family apart from Aunt 
Petunia. I mean, James and Lily are massively important to the plot, 
of course, but the grandparents? No. And, because I do like my 
backstory: Petunia and Lily's parents, normal Muggle death. James's 
parents were elderly, were getting on a little when he was born, 
which explains the only child, very pampered, had-him-late-in-life-so-
he's-an-extra-treasure, as often happens, I think. They were old in 
wizarding terms, and they died. They succumbed to a wizarding 
illness. That's as far as it goes. There's nothing serious or 
sinister about those deaths. I just needed them out of the way so I 
killed them.

MA: That sort of shuts down Heir of Gryffindor [theories], as well.

JKR: [Pause.] Yeah. Well - yeah

MA: Another one bites the dust.
******************************

Dungrollin:
I've always hated this quote, (and it's possible I've gone on about 
this before, though I don't remember...) because I don't understand 
Melissa's inference that what JKR says about Harry's grandparents in 
any way shuts down Harry as Gryffindor's heir theories. Just because 
she needed them out of the way, doesn't mean they can't have been 
descendents of Gryffindor.

JKR's seeming uncertainty ("Oh $#!&, what did I just say to make her 
think that... I can't backtrack now, or everyone will know that Harry 
*is* the heir of Gryffindor...") makes me think that even if harry 
*isn't* the heir, she wasn't intending to shut down that line of 
speculation with her comments on Harry's grandparents. 

Unfortunately I don't think the interview (which was presumably 
recorded for the transcript) is available in audio – if anyone knows 
that it is and can point me to it, please do, because I'd *love* to 
hear exactly how that part sounds. 

Dungrollin