Magic as a Virus?

[jmwcfo]

No: HPFGUIDX 168036

>Doug:
>Rowlings own gene based explanation is inadequate, but it is canon. 
>alas. i suggested a viral mechanism as an alternative in discussions 
>on Mugglnet, only to have canon thoroughly slap it down.

>A virus is a gene, however.... :-)

> But it still leaves a huge conundrum over how Voldemort regained his  
> own previous magical power when reborn in the cauldron.


JW:
I would not be surprised if JKR is even weaker at genetics and 
microbiology than she is at algebra, so perhaps you need not take her 
so literally on this topic.

Without going too far off-topic with irrelevant detail, a virus is a 
packet of DNA (or RNA for retroviruses) enclosed in a protein coat.  A 
gene is a bit of DNA that encodes instructions for manufacturing 
proteins, or regulatory info on when to make and how to use these 
proteins.

When a virus invades a host cell, it takes over the DNA manufacturing 
process, causing the host to make many copies of the virus, which then 
burst out to invade more host cells.

In the course of evolutionary history, there have been occasions when 
infectious micro-organisms have actually been incorporated into animal 
and plant cells.  Sometimes such mergers have no impact; however, at 
other times, these mergers have resulted in highly significant 
evolutionary adaptations.  For example, chloroplasts, which contain 
chlorophyl that makes photosynthesis possible, could have been one such 
merger.  Mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles in animal cells, 
is probably another example.  Life as we know it probably would not 
exist without these mergers.

The point of this is that such a merger between an invading micro-
organism and a host cell would fit both the "genetic" explanation 
provided by JKR, and the "viral" explanation offered by Doug.  To 
impact both plants and animals, such a merger would either take place 
before the animal kingdom split from plants, or else there would have 
been mergers involving the same invader multiple times, or more 
probably multiple mergers involving multiple micro-organisms after the 
split between plants and animals.  The last possibility might explain 
the different "flavors" of magic exhibited by various plants, humans, 
and non-human magical species.

As for how LV regained all his previous magical powers, the answer 
would probably NOT be genetic.  Most of LV's ability to perform 
specific spells was LEARNED, NOT INHERITED.  As we ALL recall from 
middle-school biology, traits resulting from either learned or 
environmental factors do NOT impact genetic code, and can not be passed 
to or received from other generations.  This must be true in the WW - 
otherwise, young magicians would not have to go to school to learn the 
same subjects their parents studied.