[HPforGrownups] Is education a right or a privilege in WW? Was: Re: More on Snape

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 102779

On 25 Jun 2004 at 2:54, dumbledore11214 wrote:

> I found it. Here is the relevant part.
> 
> "Question:
> How can two Muggles have a kid with magical powers? Also how does the 
> Ministry of Magic find out these kids have powers? 
> 
> A. It's the same as two black-haired people producing a redheaded 
> child. Sometimes these things just happen, and no one really knows 
> why! The Ministry of Magic doesn't find out which children are magic. 
> In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a 
> magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment 
> book. Every year Professor McGonagall checks the book, and sends owls 
> to the people who are turning 11. "
> Scholastic Online chat, February 2000.
> 
> 
> I think the last sentence implies that every magical child gets 
> Hogwarts letter.

If this was the only information we had, I agree. But it's not.

I can't get past the fact that Neville's family discovered he was 
magical when he was eight, but apparently still had concerns about 
whether he was 'magical enough' for Hogwarts after that time, if 
the mere fact a child is magical is enough.

To me, all JKRs statement really implies is that this 'magical 
quill' is able to tell if a child is magical enough for Hogwarts at 
the time they are born, even if the fact might not be clear to the 
family of the child.

It doesn't mean there isn't a non-zero minimum standard of magic 
required.






Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
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