[HPforGrownups] Explain This Passage

[Bob Connors]

No: HPFGUIDX 180445

lesley/wrappedinharry:
'And I am sure it is Hagrid who tells Harry that there is no such thing as a pure-blood anymore because there were just not enough of them around and if they hadn't bred with Muggles somewhere in the past, wizards would have died out.

Just recollections I am afraid.'


Bob Connors:
It was Hagrid, I think it was in POA, and while you are very close to what he said, I just don't think he was so strong in his wording.  Like the saying goes, never say never, always, etc.  There will often be an exception.  While we lack a true definition of what is a mud blood (in POA I thought that was anyone who was not pure, therefore their heritage was muddied).  So there COULD be some pure bloods left.  We just do not know how much 'mud' is needed.  
 
In the US, look at what we did with determining if someone was 'colored' or not.  I think it went down to 1/16, if not further, and you were considered to be 'colored'.  How much worse than that can you get?  And that was true well into the 1950's, and later.
 
But let's remember what we learned from English History, where royalty married within royalty.  Any weak features became pronounced.  The word 'in-breeding' comes to mind for me.  The same with dogs.  When bred too close in the same family tree, for the  purpose of getting some features pronounced, we often have to live with things we did not want.  I can give specific examples if you would like.

 
Bob Connors