Explain This Passage

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 180602


> clcb58:
> Other Muggle/Wizard marriages that aren't "totally dysfunctional &
> poisonous" (at least not obviously so):
> 
> Ted and Andromeda Tonks
> Seamus Finnigan's parents
> 
> ...which leads to the question of why Seamus was at Hogwarts in DH
> when only purebloods were allowed to attend?
> 
> clcb


lizzyben:

No, Ted Tonks was actually a muggle-born wizard. This surprised me a
little, because I was sure that he was a Muggle, but he's actually a
wizard. So, presumed-Slytherin Andromeda Tonks was brave, noble &
right for marrying a muggleborn wizard over her family's objections.
But was presumed-Slytherin Eileen Prince brave, noble & right for
marrying the Muggle Tobias Snape? The text strongly suggests that she
was not. There's the split again - wizard/wizard marriages seem good &
strong; while wizard/Muggle marriages are bad & wrong. 

I'd forgotten about Seamus Finnigan, who might be an exception to this
pattern. But we don't ever meet or see his parents, so it's hard to
say anything about them. We do know that she concealed her wizarding
background until after they married - repeating the WW pattern of
secrets & lies. Maybe it's a miserable, awful marriage too or maybe
they're  blissfully happy, who knows? But these are incredibly minor,
unnamed, unseen characters. So it's not a real contrast to the unhappy
Muggle/wizard marriages that we do see. 

lizzyben