[HPforGrownups] Just a thought concerning Lily

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 95708

Jo Ann wrote (though with a little snippage):
>I think that the ability (and/or inability) to use magic is
>controlled, at least in part, by genetics.  Either a Muggle or a
>Squib is simply a person who was born either lacking all the
>necessary genes to be able to use magic (but may still carry some of
>them, and be able to pass them along,) or else a person who did
>inherit a combination of genes which somehow suppresses the ability.

Many of us would agree with that. But there is one key point to bear in
mind: wizards have been steadily removing people with the wizarding gene
from the Muggle world for generations. The official Separation was in the
late 17th century so something like 10 Muggle generations have gone by since
then. But a good case could be made for saying that wizards intermarried by
preference for a long time before that. Whereas the gene pool _used_ to be
evenly distributed in very ancient times, I would argue that a wizard with
two Muggle parents is now quite rare.

>Actually, it occurs to me that the terms "Muggle" and "Squib" may be
>misleading.  The only difference between the two, as far as I can
>tell, is the magical or non-magical status of the person's parents.

Others would argue that there _is_ a subtle difference between the two. Mr
Filch and Mrs Figg _do_ appear to be able to do certain things that Muggles
can't: _perceiving_ the magical world and communicating with cats are both
supported by canon.

But JKR alone knows all

Cheers

Ffred

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