Analytical - Other Themes

Pureblood marriages exist, but are seemingly rare, since the majority of old Wizarding families have either died out or married into Muggle families. There is nothing wrong with Pureblood marriages in theory, of course, the taboo lies in how such marriages occur. Arranged marriages, for example, are a possibility, but they tend to represent the desire to propagate 'purity' instead of affection or love. The Malfoys are purebloods, and while we do not know if Lucius and Narcissus's marriage was arranged or not, we can deduce that they are not 'nice' characters. Additionally, those who are Pureborn tend to be snootier about their origins than others. (Not that this is a universal rule, of course - Molly/Arthur is a pureblood pairing, and they're perfectly nice.)

Voldemort, the major antagonist of the story, is also against Muggleborns. His ultimate goal is to rid the world of Mudbloods - which is obviously a very bad thing to want. He's been compared to real life figures such as Hitler, who shared a similar desire - to bring about the extinction of a race/culture. Ironically, Voldemort himself is a product of a Muggle/Wizard pairing, making him a Halfblood, like Harry. Furthermore, it seems that mixed heritage gives rise to stronger ability, if the cases of Tom and Harry are to be judged.

We are basically being taught a lesson: don't judge others on account of who they are, but what they do. Dumbledore said it at the end of GoF, and it is a very important truth: peace is only achieved through interaction, and interaction is only possible through tolerance. The old values and insistence upon being 'pureblood" is outdated and should be discarded. The pairing of Harry (a halfblood) with Ginny (a pureblood) therefore cements an ideal: love should transcend trivial traditions. It also satisfies the themes outlined above, as does the pairing of Ron/Hermione, interestingly enough. This is not to say that H/G will happen for sure - it's just one way that the ship satisfies a theme that runs throughout the series.

Growing up with the Dursley's, Harry always had to be more mature and self-reliant than an average child. I've always felt that Dumbledore left Harry with his aunt and uncle partly for this reason - to teach him how to survive on his own. He most certainly did, rushing through his childhood while Voldemort waited on the other end - perhaps, if he had not been raised the way he was, Harry would not have been able to defeat Voldemort and Quirrel in his first year.

It may sound harsh, but Harry's dream of living with Sirius was a false hope from the beginning. He is too entrenched in his past to be capable of taking care of a child. Sirius may be a misunderstood soul, but he's not exactly what you'd call responsible - rash, emotional, temperamental and unpredictable, more like.

It might be good to mention that Sirius and Molly Weasley are often at loggerheads - opposing one another in a lot of situations that involve Harry. The Weasleys - as does Ginny - represent the future, while Sirius, as much as I love him, belongs to an era that has passed - that of the Marauders. Sirius's death is a means of forcing Harry to face his world, and to face the future, instead of forever lingering in his past.

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