[HPforGrownups] Squibs/muggles

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 50523

   Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 16:46:24 EST
   From: eloiseherisson at aol.com
Subject: Petunia as Squib

>Sorry. I think this is a case of movie contamination. In the same scene in
>the book, (Ron belching up slugs) it is Ron himself who tells Hermione that
>most wizards are now half-bloods. I have always taken this to mean just
that
>most wizards are now of mixed blood, since, technically, someone could be
>half-blood if the offspring of a witch and wizard both of half-blood.

No, for some reason I had that line down for Hagrid rather than Ron -
rechecking, you are of course right.

I'd be fascinated to have a geneticist's "take" on the "wizard" gene...

>It's a matter of viewpoint, IMHO. From the WW's standpoint, they might well
>be some kind of Squib (though I doubt if it is as much a matter of shame as
>it would be for the offsrping of a witch and wizard to be a Squib). From
the
>Muggle POV, no such concept exists, except for those of us privileged
enough
>to have an insight into the WW.

We've not yet had any insights into how mixed families reconcile living in
two worlds simultaneously (most particularly how the Ministry deals with
inconvenient, nosy, or hostile Muggle relatives - maybe a Don't-Notice-Me
Charm!)

Mixed families do seem to me to be the key source of cultural change in WW.
Magic seems to develop in line with Muggle technology (the Hogwarts Express
looks like a steam train for example, irrespective of its true method of
propulsion). I don't think it's as easy to replicate something magical using
technology as it is to do the reverse.

Cheers

Ffred

O Benryn wleth hyd Luch Reon
Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
Gwret dy Cymry yghymeiri