Gender differences and magic - ties to Bellatrix Lestrange & Lily Potter

[Ava Gordon]

No: HPFGUIDX 99057

On another forum, someone suggested that, all other things being 
equal, male wizards have greater endurance than female & therefore 
are likely to be better duelers.  I've had a few days to mull this 
over, & am convinced this is wrong Wrong WRONG.  Here's why.

(1) Physiologic fallacy:  A review of recent physiologic studies 
shows strong evidence that small-muscle (particularly the thumb 
adductor) endurance over time is greater in women than men.  
(http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/91/1/100)  Significant 
factor in dueling, no?

(2) On a magical level:  The power in the ancient magic that Lily 
Potter imparted to Harry is powerful enough to protect him ,even 
long after her death, from the extreme destructive power of 
Voldemort.  There is no question in my mind that the 'ancient' magic 
which V. fails to comprehend and vastly underestimates, is 'female' 
magic, while V's is distinctly destructive and 'male'.  What this 
would suggest is that JKR is leading up to the rather subversive 
conclusion that it is ancient, visceral, exclusively female witch-
magic that will finally be essential to defeat Voldemort.
Another thought - we've got Bella, who has the external trappings of 
a very attractive female, yet seems highly uncomfortable with her 
femaleness (I use the term 'femaleness' rather than 'femininity' 
deliberately).  The fact that she uses a repulsive baby-talk to 
taunt children rather than in its usual maternal fashion points to 
such an interpretation.  Meanwhile, she is the ultimate disciple of 
V.  She worships him.  She wants to e like him.  At 1st I thought 
there was a sort of sexual thing going on here, but I think it all 
comes down to Power.  If Bella is V.'s mistress, his disciple, his 
most loyal follower, it is because she wants to live through him, 
she wants a piece of his power.  In a word, she wants to be a man.  
Heck, she wants to be The Man.  And you know that in the end, she 
will fall, defeated, I am certain, by the female magic she so 
utterly rejects.

In other words, Girlz Rule, Boyz Drool.