What makes a Muggleborn a Muggleborn?

[babewithbrains]

OK, I'm not entirely stupid. I know that Muggleborns are, at least, the wizards/witches whose parents are Muggles, and I know that purebloods are those whose parents are also magical. I even know that halfbloods are wizards/witches who have one magical parent and one either Muggle or Muggleborn parent.

So...the question is, what are, for example, Harry's kids supposed to be? Harry's a half-blood and Ginny's a pureblood. Would that make Al, James and Lily three-quarter bloods?

The same thing applies if, say, Dean Thomas married a Muggleborn. If his kids were magical then what would they be? Muggleborn? Or halfblood?

This has been bothering me for quite a while, so I'd really like it if someone could give me an answer.

Thanks!!

~Soraya~

[Northumbrian]

Harry and Ginny's children will be Half-bloods. Because there is Muggle blood in the family. There are only the three categories and JKR says that really almost every wizarding family is Half-blood.
After the battle, it shouldn't make much difference. And after Miss Granger/Mrs Weasley moves into Magical Law Enforcement the pro-Pureblood laws will be ripped up anyway. No-one but prejudiced Purebloods were interested in blood status.

Neil

[Inverarity]

They'd be halfblood too - they wouldn't be Muggleborn because their parents are wizards, and they certainly aren't pureblood. Halfblood doesn't really mean technically half, just part Muggle[born]. All the middle ground between Muggleborn and pureblood's probably covered by halfblood.

I think that's fanon, not canon. The books never go into that much detail about how blood status is determined, so we don't know how many generations back your last known Muggle ancestor has to be before you can call yourself "Pureblood." Death Eaters might call anyone with a known Muggle in the family tree a "Mudblood," but we know the Weasleys, while supposedly not bigots, still recognized and referred to blood status labels, so would they call someone whose grandfather was a Muggle a "Pureblood"? Would other wizards?

I'm also not convinced all such labels would just vanish after the war. Certainly pureblood prejudice would become much less acceptable, but just as every German post-WWII had suddenly been against the Nazis all along, anti-Semitism didn't just disappear.

ETA: Gah, struck by the time-warp bug again!

[babewithbrains]

Oh, thanks, Neil. That clears up what James, Albus and Lily's blood statuses are, not that they're that important. Still, there's the question of two Muggleborns -- would they be pureblood, halfblood or Muggleborn?

[minnabird]

They'd be halfblood too - they wouldn't be Muggleborn because their parents are wizards, and they certainly aren't pureblood. Halfblood doesn't really mean technically half, just part Muggle[born]. All the middle ground between Muggleborn and pureblood's probably covered by halfblood.

[babewithbrains]

I'm also not convinced all such labels would just vanish after the war. Certainly pureblood prejudice would become much less acceptable, but just as every German post-WWII had suddenly been against the Nazis all along, anti-Semitism didn't just disappear.

To be honest, I don't know why such labels are that bad. I mean, there's nothing offensive about being called a Muggleborn but there is with Mudblood. You're right about the German/Nazi thing.

I think that's fanon, not canon. The books never go into that much detail about how blood status is determined, so we don't know how many generations back your last known Muggle ancestor has to be before you can call yourself "Pureblood."

That's true too. I think if you have a direct Muggle ancestor you're probably halfblood. If they're distant most likely you're pureblood. Then if you have four Muggle grandparents you're Muggleborn (three or two or one, half blood). I suppose that makes sense.

[AidaLuthien]

One of my favorite fanfic authors (Joisbishmyoga) invented the following system as a way out of the Muggleborn/half-blood issue:

pure-bloods can trace the ancestry, which is all wizards/witches to the Middle Ages about (she postulates most European records were lost from before then)

Middle-bloods can trace their ancestry back somewhere around the 17th-18th centuries (as I recall)

Late-bloods are anywhere from 19th cent to grandparents.

Definitely different, and (I think) still plausible, even without any direct basis in canon.

[Equinox Chick]

That's true too. I think if you have a direct Muggle ancestor you're probably halfblood. If they're distant most likely you're pureblood.

JKR said she based the pure-blood ideals and family trees on the Nazis. In that situation any trace of Jewish blood could lead to confiscation of property, imprisonment and death, so many Germans faked their family trees or omitted certain relatives.

We see the parallel in the Black Family tree where anyone who was a Squib (could imply Muggle blood somewhere in the line) or who married as Muggle (or Muggleborn) was blasted off the tree. Muggleborns according to Walburga Black's logic were Muggles, by the way, hence Ted Tonks is referred to as a Muggle and Nymphadora doesn't even make it onto the tree.

I don't think the pure blood families would think there's any way a family could become more 'pure' if there were any link to Muggles. If you have a Muggle ancestor - however far back - then you'd be a half-blood.

Still, there's the question of two Muggleborns -- would they be pureblood, halfblood or Muggleborn?
Two Muggleborns having a child, is that what you mean? The child would be a half blood because it has both a witch and a wizard for parents, but four Muggle grandparents mean their parents are not 'pure'.

~Carole~

[babewithbrains]

Aida Luthien: I think that's a very innovative way of looking at it. My only issues are that a) it's fanon and b) it's this particular author's system, and therefore hers, not mine. I wouldn't be able to take someone else's ideas, even if I did get his/her permission.

Carole: Thanks, I think that makes things clearer now. That explains why a lot of people -- probably the majority -- would be half-bloods.

I'd just like to thank everyone for their comments. They helped a lot!

~Soraya~