Squibs

[ninnamie]

No: HPFGUIDX 71092

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Rach" <rachrobins at h...> wrote:
> I don't know if this has been posted before, but during a recent 
trip 
> to the Powerhouse Museum with my 6 yr old brother I discovered that 
a 
> Squib is a kind of firecracker casing (i.e. like a roman candle or 
> catherine wheel). 
> 
> This is an out there interpretation - but could a Squib act like a 
> firecracker and explode to reveal dormant magical abilities. Could 
an 
> adult squib like Filch or Mrs Figg be like Neville - not showing 
the 
> tiniest hint of being magical until he was thrown out of a window 
and 
> bounced. 
> 
> Its pretty out there, I know!
> 
> rach

In the pyrotechnic world, the term "squib" is used to describe a 
firework that is set off but fails to explode properly.  I've never 
heard it used as just another type of fireworks.  Any kind (catherine 
wheel, roman candle, etc.) can be a squib as long as it fails to 
burst after it is launched.  This also makes more sense in terms of 
squibs in the wizarding world.