[HPforGrownups] Re: Magic late in life

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 161918

Steve:
> JKR tried to squelch the rumor further by stating that
> Petunia was a 'muggle', but was that the absolute truth,
> or a play on words? Some of us speculated it might be a
> play on words. That truly Petunia is a muggle born of
> muggles which could imply that in the magical sense she
> might be a 'muggle-born', in other words, a witch. We
> are good at twists of logic here in this group.
>
> In making the statement quoted above, JKR seems to end
> the rumons that it is Petunia who will do magic. Yet,
> it doesn't completely end the speculation that Petunia
> could be a witch who simply denied that aspect of herself
> and refused to go to Hogwarts. The door is still open but
> admittedly, just the tiniest of cracks.

Magpie:
I have to be honest--I think saying that the door is still open, even with 
the tiniest of cracks--is inaccurate--just as I thought a lot of the 
"cracks" in the door re: shipping questions were inaccurate pre-HBP. Readers 
have kept their foot in the door, but I don't see how "she is a Muggle" is a 
play on words. A Muggleborn witch is a witch. The only time we've heard a 
Muggleborn witch called a Muggle it was a slur on Hermione-I can't imagine 
JKR would use it that way. If she meant to say that Petunia was not a Squib 
because her parents were Muggles but she herself was a witch not using 
magic, I'd think she'd have said, "She's not a Squib, her parents are 
Muggles, but...".

I just don't see how "she is a Muggle" can in any way leave the door open to 
"she is a witch" of any kind. She can be a special Muggle, one that has some 
kind of ties to magic that others don't, but if she's a witch then I think 
Rowling just lied.

-m