website SPOILERS . Who goes to Hogwarts

[Bex]

No: HPFGUIDX 119854


Kjirstem wrote:
> I vaguely recall JKR saying something about magical ability usually
> showing up in young kids, but surely there are some kids whose 
> ability isn't shown until after their eleventh birthday.  What 
> happens to them?  Neville only showed his ability under pretty 
> extreme conditions IMO.  I wonder what would have happened if his 
> family hadn't been so bent on testing him to destruction.

Alla:
 
> Oh, but what does it mean "to be magical"? I stated earlier that I 
> imagine magic as essential part of the child's soul. I don't think 
> that Neville's family was worried for a right reason. 
> Remember "magic quill" which records the birth of magical kid, 
> then Minerva looks in the books and sends admission letters.
> Theoretically the quill recognises the child as magical, when 
> he/she was just born. Clearly child can not do any magic yet, 
> wandless or otherwise.
> 
> I think Neville had magic in himself from birth and his family was 
> just acting crasy. :o)

Yb now:
But, Neville's family probably didn't know that the quill had 
written him down. Surely children two or three years old usually 
show a little magical aptitude, before they learn to keep their 
emotions in check. Perhaps Neville wasn't showing that. Also, 
remember that Neville's Grandma keeps comparing him to him father 
(her son). Maybe Frank was doing all sorts of wandless magic when he 
was a toddler, like slinging toys around or breaking dishes. If 
Neville wasn't showing these very obvious signs, she'd be concerned 
that he was a Squib. (Maybe she didn't notice that her flowers 
perked up when he played in the flower garden?) Frank was this great 
wizard (he was in the order, and he couldn't have been past his mid-
twenties), and Alice was probably pretty skilled as well. When 
Grandma didn't see Neville showing the signs, she started getting 
worried.

Of course, there's always Protective!Grandma, who saw what happened 
to her son and daughter-in-law and desperately /didn't/ want that to 
happen to Neville, so she was hoping he *wasn't* magical, possibly 
to the point of doing something /about/ it.

~Yb