JKR's website update - YES., YES, YES. :-)/ could be spoilers

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 145641


> > > Alla:
> > > Oh, and Petunia will not display the magic abilities.


Carol:
> I don't think it's Merope, who was only about twenty and whose
> love potion was not performed under "desperate circumstances." In
> fact, her desperation occurred when she admitted she was a witch and
> *gave up* magic.

Valky:
I do think Merope's love potion was made under desperate
circumnstances, in the sense that she became desperate to make her
dream of marrying Tom Riddle Sr come true, he had married and hence
her dream was fast slipping away from her, additionally she knew that
her father and brother could come back some day so her desperation to
escape while she could do so qualifies in my book. OTOH I don't think
the Merope qualifies for magic 'late in life' for two reasons. The
first is that she is not unmagical to begin with, her father may call
her a squib but she is not a squib, she is clearly a witch who has
been mistreated and badly trained. The second reason is that she is
barely (if at all) a decade older than eleven when she does correctly
make the love potion, to that end its leter than eleven but I wouldn't
really call it "late in life". 

The second reason is not bulletproof, around 20yrs old can technically
be called late in life for magic to develop in the Potterverse, but
IMO lat*er* in life actually seems more accurate for this scenario. In
any case I think the first reason is quite bulletproof. Merope, like
other children of the WW displayed magical ability while still a
child, as observed by Ogden, hence she probably isn't the person JKR
is talking about here.



> Carol:
> So my candidate is, as always, Mrs. Figg.

Valky:
I became fairly certain that Petunia's secret was not magical ability
recently, so I am with you on that. IMO Figgy was alaways the better
candidate. Figg or Filch are for sure the best candidates that canon
seems to suggest. Filch has been caught by Harry with the kwickspell
course and there is some canon evidence to the suggestion that Figgy
two has been trying spells and potions (ie "I have never been able to
transfigure a teabag", sounds like she tried to at one stage, and the
smells of her house are reminiscent of potion smells.)
Canon suggests that these two squibs have been trying to and want to
become magical, and it would be very disappointing if nothing came of
either of them in the end, I think.



> Carol:
> I'm also happy that the Sorting Hat is not a Horcrux, 

Valky:
Ditto! Though I never really minded others flagging the theory I just
felt it was never going to be.