The curse on MacFinn

[Paviel]

Chauncy said in "Fool Moon" that according to legend, St. Patrick cursed the MacFinn bloodline to become loup-garou, passing from generation to generation, and that the cursed bloodline would last until the end of days.

In light of this, I see four possibilities:

1. Chauncy was lying.
2. The legend was inaccurate.
3. The end of days had already arrived as of the end of "Fool Moon", ending the curse on the MacFinn bloodline.
4. Harley MacFinn's death did not make his bloodline extinct; he had at least one younger relative, who inherited the curse.

[Mr. Death]

Chauncy said in "Fool Moon" that according to legend, St. Patrick cursed the MacFinn bloodline to become loup-garou, passing from generation to generation, and that the cursed bloodline would last until the end of days.

In light of this, I see four possibilities:

1. Chauncy was lying.
2. The legend was inaccurate.
3. The end of days had already arrived as of the end of "Fool Moon", ending the curse on the MacFinn bloodline.
4. Harley MacFinn's death did not make his bloodline extinct; he had at least one younger relative, who inherited the curse.

There's been some speculation that Fitz is MacFinn's son, based mostly on him physically resembling him or Tera West (the eyes, if I'm not mistaken), the name "Fitz" meaning "bastard," and WOJ that he was aware of this when he picked the name.

There's not a lot of information to go on, but for my part, there are a few questions that the possibility brings up that would need addressing, mainly why either MacFinn or Tera would apparently abandon their son.

[RobReece]

It's possible that he's MacFinn's son by someone other than Tera West and/or that the mother kept knowledge of his son from him, but we've already gone down that road in this series, so I don't know that Jim would want to use it again...

[Griffyn612]

Also, the age is wrong.
Fool Moon, October, 0ASF
Ghost Story, May, 12ASF - Fitz: "He couldn’t have been seventeen, but his eyes were decades older."

To me, there's a huge difference between 11/12 and 15/16, growth-wise.  If Fitz were closer to 12, Harry would have made that observation.

For Fitz to be MacFinn and Terra's kid, he either spent a few years in the never-never to age more than temporally appropriate, or he was born prior to FM.

[Mr. Death]

For Fitz to be MacFinn and Terra's kid, he either spent a few years in the never-never to age more than temporally appropriate,

Unlikely, considering how he reacts to Harry and Aristedes; he reacts more like someone who has little to no experience with the supernatural, which doesn't square with someone who was raised in part in the Nevernever.

or he was born prior to FM.

Which brings up the question of why he wouldn't have been with his parents. Both of them know about the werewolf curse, meaning if they put the kid up for adoption, they know they're basically sending someone a time-bomb. Given the precautions we saw MacFinn take on himself, and Tera's general personality, that seems out of character for the both of them.

[wardenferry419]

Well, if Fitz was a minor maybe the curse does not kick in until 18 or adulthood? I cannot recall if he looks more like Tera or MacFinn. Maybe not her child?

[raidem]

4. Harley MacFinn's death did not make his bloodline extinct; he had at least one younger relative, who inherited the curse.
First the MacFinn's bloodline curse was the curse on the original MacFinn, not our MacFinn.  So, there can be many branches that are possible recruits to the Loup-Garou bloodline other than our MacFinn's kids.  It also makes since for Tera West to want to join her 'pups' with the MacFinn bloodline since it allows the possibility for some pup descendants to live to the end of days.  Perhaps even her bloodline endure till the last battle.

[Paviel]

This reminds me: The MacFinn loup-garou has existed for centuries (since the days of St. Patrick, according to legend), yet loup-garou massacres are extremely rare occurrences according to Bob. So it seems reasonable to suppose that every MacFinn loup-garou in history would have known how to restrain himself during the full moon, including the current one (as evidenced by the lack of loup-garou massacres since Harley's).

Does that make it more or less likely that Fitz is the (or perhaps just a) current MacFinn loup-garou?

[jonas]

Chauncy said in "Fool Moon" that according to legend, St. Patrick cursed the MacFinn bloodline to become loup-garou, passing from generation to generation, and that the cursed bloodline would last until the end of days.

In light of this, I see four possibilities:

1. Chauncy was lying.
2. The legend was inaccurate.
3. The end of days had already arrived as of the end of "Fool Moon", ending the curse on the MacFinn bloodline.
4. Harley MacFinn's death did not make his bloodline extinct; he had at least one younger relative, who inherited the curse.

2UIt's not that I think it inaccurate, but incompletely given from a skewed perspective, Chauncey. I think, from  how he says it and the function it provides, St. Patty cursed his own lineage to contain the beast.(which is the same metaphor used in Fenrir's story)
3 holds value to me especially as the idea it was Fenrir bound til Ragnarok. The thing kept in check by the curse was fearbringer turned to rage. They meant for Denton to become the new reflection but Murphy stopped that.
4 certainly possible... but what if he's only Terra's son from before MacFinn? From an animal standpoint it would make much more sense why she'd abandon him then vs the strength she loved in MacFinn being passed down.

[dspringer1]

I think the key point is that MacFinn had a child with Tara West.  After all, they did a little nookie in the book and that could have been the moment.  Or it could have been any somewhat earlier moment in the last month.  I suspect Tara would have know if pregnant longer than that.

The other explanations could be true, but the above one is by far the easiest.   

I do not believe we have seen that child yet in the series.  My personal feeling is that it will be a girl, not a boy.  But that is just because Dresden bonds more closely with female characters, especially in the sense of his protective impulses.   I am certain we will see that child at some point.   

[jonas]

One odd point I keep my eye on is Marcone and MacFinns eye's being similar when Marcone was younger.
Fitz literally meaning bastard seems too much of a coincidence when i'm busy looking for a likely Mordred archetype to John's Arthur. Of course like the Odin Thor/Zeus Hercules generational mash up seems confirmed by his given name, Vadderrung. So perhaps Mordred/Arthur are actually mushed vs Arthur/Uther?

[wardenferry419]

If Fitz is part wolf then maybe he matures at a faster pace and Fitz just thought he was big for his age.

[jonas]

If Fitz is part wolf then maybe he matures at a faster pace and Fitz just thought he was big for his age.

Dog years huh? He'd had to grow smarter faster too.

[wardenferry419]

Well, not all dogs can be Mouse.

[LordDresden2]

Chauncy said in "Fool Moon" that according to legend, St. Patrick cursed the MacFinn bloodline to become loup-garou, passing from generation to generation, and that the cursed bloodline would last until the end of days.

In light of this, I see four possibilities:

1. Chauncy was lying.
2. The legend was inaccurate.
3. The end of days had already arrived as of the end of "Fool Moon", ending the curse on the MacFinn bloodline.
4. Harley MacFinn's death did not make his bloodline extinct; he had at least one younger relative, who inherited the curse.

Item 1 is almost surely true, though it may not be the complete explanation.

If you go back and reread that scene, there's an interesting point.  Up until the curse came up, Chaunzogorroth had answered all Harry's questions straightforwardly, with simple declarative statements.  Yes he is this, no he is not that, etc.

But when the curse was the subject, Chaunzogorroth suddenly switches to 'It is said..."

That way, even if what he's telling Harry is partly false, completely false, or a mix of truth and falsehood, or whatever, he still isn't technically lying as long as somebody somewhere said it.

Now, Chaunzogorroth is not a Sidhe, he can certainly lie, but it he wants to be summoned to Earth by lazy naïve/arrogant suckers like Harry, he has to be offering something at least potentially useful to bait the trap.  So he can't afford to get a rep for lying.  It would remove the only reason to summon him in the first place.

Which suggests to me that he was almost surely lying about at least some aspects of the link between Patrick and MacFinn, but lying in a Mab-ish way with the 'It is said'.  After all, if matters were just as he was saying, he wouldn't need to say, "It is said...", he could say, "Saint Patrick cursed the family."  But he did not.