Explain This Passage

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 180490

--- "rlevatter" <rlevatter at ...> wrote:
>
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Defining terms:
> 
> Mudblood: a witch/wizard with two Muggle parents
> Half-blood: a witch/wizard with one Muggle and one Magic 
> parent
> Pure-blood: a witch/wizard with two Magic parents
> 
> From bottom of page 842 (paperback edition), OoP [Dumbledore
> explaining the prophesy to Harry]:
> 
> "He [Voldemort] chose the boy he thought most likely to be a
> danger to him...and notice this, Harry. He chose, not the
> pureblood [Neville Longbottom] (which, according to his
> creed, is the only kind of wizard worth being or knowing),
> but the half-blood, like himself."
> 
> Voldemort IS a half-blood, witch mother and Muggle father.
> And Neville is a pureblood, whose parents were both magical.
> But Harry is also a pureblood, is he not? Both James and
> Lily were magical. ...
> 
> Or does it? What am I missing?
> 
> RL
>

bboyminn:

Here is the problem we always run into when we discuss this,
people assume that 'Half-Blood' is a constant, it is not,
it is a variable.

When Dumbledore refers to Harry as a half-blood he has 
established, though a longer discussion, a context for his 
statement. That context is a comparison between Harry and
Voldemort. 

When Pure-Bloods use the term 'half-blood' it is in the
context of prejudice, and not an absolute statement of fact.

So, context is the driving factor. 'Half-blood' means 
different things to different people at different times in
different conversations and in different contexts.

Harry is a full-blood, and I acknowledge that term doesn't
appear in the books, but it best describes Harry's 
situation. He has two magical parents, but on his mother's
side, he has no magical history. She, Lily, is the progeny
of muggles. But as is already noted, she is a fully magical
person. Harry, therefore, is the progeny of two magical
people making him fully magical. 

At true half-blood by definition is someone with one muggle
parent and one magical parent like Seamus. Other references
to half-blood reflect prejudice or context. 

It's a variable.

Steve/bboyminn