Is (was) Harry a squib? (or born a not-so-great wizard?)

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 108253

Snow wrote (previous):
>> This idea that Voldemort had given any and all of Harry's magical
capabilities to him has been and still is controversial. I see too
much referencing to Harry's magical capabilities belonging to or
inherited by James for this to be true. Sirius saying, you fly as
well as your father and you truly are your father's son. Harry is the
youngest quiddich player in a century. <<

HunterGreen:
That could just an *ability* rather than a specific magical ability.
It most likely requires magical blood to be able to fly a broom, but
being able to be a great seeker requires good reflexes, good
instincts, good aiming ability and good vision (not as in eyesight,
but as in an aptitude for focusing your eyes on something small and
far away -- concentration, I suppose). Those aren't *specific* to
being magical. Squib!Harry could have inhereted all of these traits
from James, and then the ability to fly a broom came from Voldemort.

Snow again:
James was not a seeker he was a chaser (per a JKR interview). Sirius 
actually says you "fly" as well as your father to Harry. Furthermore 
we have never heard of Voldemort having a significant flying ability. 

Snow previous:
>> Harry can produce a patronus, not just any patronus, but one that
looks like his father's animagus figure. <<

HunterGreen replied:
But Harry can produce a patronus at age *thirteen* which is rather
strong magic for someone so young. Having strong enough magic to
produce one with only a few months (weeks?) of training, could have
come from Voldemort, but the actual patronus would still come from
Harry, and would still take on a form determined by Harry (I'm not
sure how the patronus form is decided, but it is a reflection of the
wizard that casts it and the Stag is a reflection of Harry through
his father, whether or not the *magic* behind it came from James or
not).

Snow again:
Yes, it is rather young to produce a patronus but his father becoming 
an animagus at the age of fifteen, which is also extremely young if 
not an impossible feat for a youngster, would be very accomplished as 
well. Also the fact that he had the ability to teach his friends one 
of whom was not of the highest standard of learning. 

Snow previous:
>> Harry is very adept at Defense against the Dark Arts even to
the point of teaching it, which appears to be one of James fortes,
defense against it. Harry's "magical" abilities appear to be based
with his parents not Voldemort. <<

HunterGreen replied:
I don't know about that. Leadership qualities came from both James
and Lily, but that's not 'magical'. And we don't know how good James
was in specifically DADA...it could easily be that transfiguration
was his best subject (based on that being what his wand was the best
for, and that he became an animagus when he was fifteen). James and
Lily were involved in the fight against Voldemort, but that doesn't
mean they had a specific aptitude for DADA, it reflects their
personality more than their magic abilities.

Snow:
James and Lily would have to have had been extremely talented at 
defense against the dark arts to have defied Voldemort three times 
and still, at that point, been alive to tell the story (we haven't 
heard).