3.8.1 Magical Ability

[carolynwhite2]

--- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "dungrollin" 
<spotthedungbeetle at h...> wrote:
>
> Having been confined to the house most of last week while 
government-
> supporting youths displayed their love of Côte d'Ivoire by hurling 
> Molotov cocktails at the UN, I have spent a higher-than-usual (and 
> most profitable) amount of time on the internet. Under alarmingly 
> surreal circumstances (read: influence of intoxicant[s]) I stumbled 
> across http://www.beedogs.com, and had to go offline for a bit to 
> recover.

Alas, your link did not work, but am alarmed for your safety..should 
you really stay out there??? [Loved the intrepid swamp pic by the 
way..].


> 
> 138 shouldn't have been in this category for one reason or another 
> (mostly because they should be in WW genetics or barely mentioned 
> magical ability at all, e.g. the Philip Nel question on class), and 
> have been (or rather, are being) uncoded.
>    8 of these were assigned to no other category and will therefore 
> rejected as `adds nothing new' (I checked they really did add 
> nothing new). 

Yep, totally agree with decisions here.


> 
> Leaving 229, of which:
> 
> 106 refer to the magical ability of specific characters 
<snip>
> I reckon all discussions of a character's magical ability should 
> stay with the character, 

Yes - so do I.


Since the 
> multiple character comparisons of magical ability can't (or 
> shouldn't) be coded to all characters, I'll leave them in here for 
> now, unless anyone has a better suggestion.)

This seems legit.

> 
> Continuing:
> - 8 refer to the identity of the muggle/squib who will exhibit 
> magical ability late in life (do we need a code for this? There 
> aren't many posts yet, but it's a recurring topic.)

Shall we add something like 'Latent magical ability' under squibs?

> - 9 on how important Magical power is in casting/resisting 
> unforgivables (should I put them under unforgivables?)

I think I would cross-code in both places.

> - 11 refer to house elves' magical ability (I'd keep them with 
house 
> elves)
> - 1 refers to Centaurs' magical ability (to stay with centaurs)

Yes, on same principle as characters.

> - 9 on the powers Voldy transferred to Harry at GH (is there a 
> convenient code for this? I can't find one that isn't very general.)

Anne has one: 2.5.1.5


> 
> The 32 posts on whether muggles/squibs can make potions, can 
muggles 
> use magical objects (broomsticks etc), and what are the differences 
> (genotype/phenotype) between wizards and muggles: I'd like to put 
> them (some may already be coded there) into WW lifespans, genetics 
> and population estimates. I don't think anyone's reviewed it yet – 
> is that right? There really are an awful lot of posts resulting 
from 
> JKR's foolish comment about the magical gene being dominant, since 
> it gives the impression that she might know what she's talking 
> about, so the lucky reviewer may decide to split the category 
> further. Yes/no?


I rather think Ginger is taking a look at that section. Maybe she has 
a comment on this?


> 
> 14 posts I've filed under `Misc', since they don't seem to fit in 
> this category, but it's not immediately obvious where they should 
be.
> I need to spend a bit longer musing over the much-changed category 
> list, I think.
> 
> The remaining 53 posts, are actually about "what magical ability 
is, 
> how it manifests itself, and how wizards use it to make things 
> happen," which is the definition in the catalogue.
> 

Sounds a brilliant bit of analysis to me. Many thanks!

Carolyn