Squibs and Magic (wasBigotry or NOT? Re: CHAP DISC:HBP19,Elf Tails

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 157680

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dungrollin"
<spotthedungbeetle at ...> wrote:
>
> > > Geoff:
> > > That is in conflict with canon. It is quite clear in OOTP that 
> > Arabella Figg can see and 
> > > recognise Dementors. Just to give one instance....
> > 
> > Potioncat:
> > I think she can feel the effect of Dementors, and she knows what 
> they are, but I don't think she was telling the truth about seeing 
> them. It doesn't appear that wizards and witches are certain of what 
> Squibs can and cannot do--didn't someone ask?
> > 
> > I'm 99% certain that I've seen a quote from JKR that confirms 
> this, but I'm darn if I can find it.
> > 
> > James:
> > 
> > I'm sure I've seen that comment. If I remember correctly she 
> specifically stated that Figg did not see the dementors (Mealy felt 
> them and recognized them for what they were). 
> 
> 
> 
> It is here:
> http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=19
> 
> Dungrollin
> (Does that count as a one-liner?)
>

I hope I don't come off sounding too much like Bill Clinton but it all
comes down to what you mean by the word "see" doesn't it? In a very
real sense Dudley could see the dementor. He didn't see it in the
normal sense but he could see the world going black. He didn't know
what that meant but Arabella must have seen it too and she did know
what it meant. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Muggles
can *detect* dementors, if they are trained to recognize the signs.
Arabella and Dudley must both have felt the sense of despair that
dementors produce, that would be a pretty good indication that a
dementor is about in itself. So Figgy wasn't lying when she testified,
she was using her brain to supply the details that her eyes could not
see with their usual clarity. It is the sort of thing that Muggles do
all the time and that wizard's lazy brains are incapable of.

It's an interesting quote you link to. It pretty well establishes that
it *is* the cats, not the Squibs, who are special.

Ken