Creevey Brothers and Genetics

[aiz24 at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 8942

This is an old thread, but I just reread CoS and thought of it again.

Rebecca wrote:

> Instead of the "wizarding gene" being recessive it is possible that 
it 
> is "sex-linked".  An example of a sex-linked gene is colorblindness, 
> which is found mostly in males.  This would explain why both Creevey 
> brothers are wizards even though their parents are Muggles <snip> Do 
we know really how big a proportion of 
kids 
> are from Muggle families?  Or how many are wizarding siblings from 
> Muggle parents?  Is it rare?

What I noticed in my rereading is that Colin only mentions his dad.  
The way he talks about him, it sounds as if his mother may be dead.  
It's quite noticeable that he mentions only his dad, if you look 
at the passage--he says his dad was surprised by his magical 
abilities, his dad's a milkman, and (the clincher) he wants to send 
"him," not "them," a picture of Harry (page 96 US ed., "Gilderoy 
Lockhart").  That's the way you talk if you don't HAVE a mom or at 
least, don't live with her.

SO--the Creeveys' mom could have been a witch who never told her 
spouse (a la Seamus's mom).

Or maybe their dad adopted them.

Or maybe their parents ARE both Muggles.  There are certainly families 
where siblings share talents that both parents lack.  I just thought 
it was interesting that Colin and Dennis don't seem to have a 
mom.

Amy Z

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The most exciting thing that ever happened in [Professor Binns's]
classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. . . . 
many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead.
                        --Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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