Muggle born magical sibs? Genetics and Social Order

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 130187

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Laura Ingalls Huntley
<lhuntley at f...> wrote:
> Donna:
> >> If Colin is muggle born so would his brother be.  Isn't
> >> it a bit unusual for sibs from muggle families to be
> >> magical?  If sibs from muggle families can be magical,
> >> isn't it possible for Petunia to be magical, too, but just
> >> reject it?  We know Petunia knows more about the ww than
> >> she lets on.
> 
> Heather the Buzzard:
> > ... if ..., muggle-born wizards are just random, say 1 in a 
> > million births -- then it's highly unlikely for siblings to be 
> > magical. Unlikely, but not impossible. ... Perhaps there's 
> > something important about them, though, that will be revealed 
> > later.


> Laura:
> 
> ...per JKR's explanation, that magical ability is determined by 
> genes.  Now, if magical ability is genetic (...), then that means 
> that there must be magic genes floating around... in the ... Muggle 
> population, and that any muggleborns are the result of these genes 
> combining in the right way.  Therefore, while producing a muggleborn
> might be rare (...), once you already *have* a couple (i.e. Colin's
> parents) that are capable of producing a magical child, the chances 
> of them producing *another* magical child are actually relatively 
> quite good .
> 
> Laura 


bboyminn:

I'll add a lot of words, although I'm not sure if I'll add too much
new information.

I look at magical ability as a form of genius. Families of extreme
genius tend to produce kids with genius capability. Of course, we
can't deny the environment aspect, children of geniuses tend to grow
up in an environment that nurtures genuis, but that is more about
genius realized then about the existance of genius potential. I knew
someone who was a member of Mensa, a social club for geniuses, and she
pointed out in response to our assumption that all geniuses were
stunningly successful, that one of the members with an outstanding IQ
was content to spend his life as a dishwasher in a bar and the rest of
his time collecting comic books. More on this later.

So, intelligent people tend to product intelligent kids. Every now and
then two generally intelligent people produce a child of extreme
intelligence; genius. Re-enforcing Laura's point, once this couple
produces a genius, they have pretty much verified that they have the
genetic combination that brings that potential forward, and increase
the likelihood of it happening again. Collin's parent in a sense have
verified they have the combination of genes that can product magical
genius, and therefore have in increased potential for it to happen
again, hence Dennis.

In some ways magic genius is like intellectual genius, in that it's
either there or not. JKR has said that there is no such thing as
slightly magic or almost magic; you either are or you aren't. But once
you cross the threshold into genius/magic, they is a range of power in
magic just as there is in genius. 

My point is that unlike general intelligence which is always there,
magical genius is either ON or OFF, but once it on, it manifest itself
in a range of power levels and specific talents.


Now on a point made by Heather-the Buzzard... 

"Back to the issue of Petunia though... if she *did* have some magic
ability, then what happened to it? ..."

As I pointed out above, the presence of genius doesn't always mean the
manifestation of genius. If we except the premise of Petunia as
magical, we must realize that she is now an adult and completely
untrained in magic. Further, given her restrained manner and that she
is an adult, she is unlikely to /do/ magic except in the most
exceptionally extreme circumstance.

Heather again: "People have speculated that she might have 'refused'
the invitation (to Hogwarts), but that would only be possible if she
originally hated magic..."

I don't think it's question of Petunia hating magic at the time she
received her (hypothetical) invitation to Hogwart. It's a question of
her loving social propriety and fear of being different. Prim and
proper Petunia would never do anything as unsavory as go to a school
for witches, I mean, afterall, what would the neighbors think? 

Further, since she places so much value on social propriety, she would
think that she was doing the right thing, that she was making the
choice that her parents, her peers, and her society would approve of.
She is one of those middle class people who lives by the subconscious
credo 'That which does not validate me is not valid'. Schools for
witches would not validate Petunia's preconceived image of proper
social order, and therefore she would reject it as invalid.

The hating of magic would come in when Petunia saw how much praise and
attention Lily got for doing what Petunia deemed to be improper.
Again, 'that which does not validate me is not valid'. In Petunia's
middle class mind, the praise and attention Lily was getting did not
fit Petunia's model of social order, since it doesn't validate her,
then it must not be valid, and therefore is a horrible terrible
voilation that must be despised and hated.

This concept of 'validation' or lack there of, is responsible for a
lot of ill-will, hate, and conflict in the world. 

Final note; I'm in that camp that believes that Petunia indeed did
turn down her own inviation to Hogwarts.

Just a few observations.

Steve/bboyminn