Inheritance of Magical Abilities

[Koinonia2 at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25548

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., mdconnolly at h... wrote:
> Apologies if this question has been asked before, and if it has 
could 
> somebody please point me in the direction of the original message.
> 
> Hermione's parents are both Muggles, whereas she is a witch. So how 
> come she was born with magical powers? Is it a recessive gene? Also 
> if witches can be born to Muggles, then can Muggles be born to 
> witches?


I believe it just happens :-)

Scholastic Interview/February 3, 2000

Question:  Since Harry Potter's parents were sorcerers and Petunia 
was Harry's mother's sister, shouldn't Petunia be a witch or wizard?

Answer:  No.  As Hagrid explains in Book I, sometimes a witch or a 
wizard occurs in an otherwise Muggle family, just as a Squib is a non-
magic person who occurs in an otherwise magic family.

Question:  How can two Muggles have a kid with magical powers?  Also 
how does the Ministry of Magic find out these kids have powers?

Answer:  It's the same as two black-haired people producing a 
redheaded child.  Sometimes these things just happen & no one really 
knows why!  The Ministry of Magic doesn't find out which children are 
magic.  In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth 
of a magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large 
parchment book.  Every year Professor McGonagall checks the book, and 
sends owls to the people who are turning 11.

Koinonia