[HPforGrownups] Muggleborn vs Pureblood

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 168802

Magpie wrote:
> The idea that Muggleborns who excel at magical studies are the exception is 
> what Slughorn is claiming, and is perhaps more disturbingly something he 
> uses in deciding how he treats students, but it isn't true and canon states 
> this outright.

	You can't judge individuals by statistics. The last person who claimed 
you could drowned in a lake with an average depth of 2 feet. One problem 
is that many people are so afraid that individuals might be judged by 
statistics that they deny the statistics.

	Magic, in the books, is shown to be mostly a matter of book study and 
physical skill. There is a natural talent, such as understanding of 
magical theory. However, if JKR is saying that those kids who grew up 
with magic around them do not do statistically better than those who 
have never been exposed to magic before their 11th birthday, then I am 
afraid she's wrong.

	And it's environment, not pureblood; if you switched a muggleborn 
wizard and a pureblood wizard at birth, then the pureblood will be at 
the disadvantage.

	Bart