Person coming to magic late in life

[lealess]

No: HPFGUIDX 134803

Lasp1x said:
Secondly, I wanted to bring up the question of the person who came 
into magic late in life. I have mentioned my opinion of this at 
Fiction Alley but am curious enough about it to also bring it up 
here. HP fans are known for over analyzing, I do it myself all the 
time. But could the person who comes into magic late in life be as 
simple as being Merope? We are told by Dumbledore that she couldn't 
do magic until she left the Gaunt house and her father also calls her 
a squib.

azriona said:
I wonder *why* she couldn't do magic until she left the house.  Was
it because she wasn't very good at it to begin with, or perhaps her
family was so overbearing that she was afraid to try?  And if she 
never did magic, does that mean she didn't attend Hogwarts?  
(Although I don't imagine for a second the rest of the family did, 
either.)

lealess:

Merope might have been more-or-less a Squib, but skilled enough in 
potions to concoct a love drug.  Perhaps potions does not need
certain magical ability (wand waving)?

On the other hand, abuse may have caused her to become depressed and 
internalize the views of her abusers, thus suppressing her magic.

Snape's mother, if she let her Muggle husband abuse her, might have 
similarly had her magic reduced by abuse.  We have seen the effect 
thwarted love has on Tonks, supposedly.  She's draggin' her wagon all 
over Hogwarts.  So, it is not inconceivable that shock of abuse had
the 
same effect on Snape's mom.  And if she was abused, once that pattern 
sets in, it is hard to break it and return to wholeness, especially
if 
there is no external support.

lealess