Explain This Passage

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 180437

>  > Potioncat:
>  > Welcome to the group.
>  >
>  > What are you missing? The effects of bigotry on people. To
>  > LV's gang,
>  > being Muggleborn was the same as being a Muggle. So Lily counts 
as
>  > Muggle. Actually, Muggleborns are "worse" than Muggles, because 
the
>  > Muggleborn stole magic. Which I guess is why there are Squibs. 
(In
>  > the minds of the radical Purebloods.)
> [snip]

Trekkie:
> 
> But squibs are found in pureblood families too. Remember how 
everyone in 
> Neville's family thought he was a squib at first. Granted they 
were 
> wrong in that case, but if it wouldn't occur then why would they 
worry 
> about it in the first place? Neville is pureblood as far as I know.
> 
> And I know that facts has never disturbed radical people in 
believing 
> they're right regardless, but I just don't think the "squib" thing 
has 
> to do with purebloods/halfbloods.

Magpie:
I believe that Potioncat is suggesting that if people believe 
Muggleborns have magic because the "stole it" then Squibs must be 
the people they "stole it" from. That idea comes from the Ministry's 
claiming that Muggleborns stole magic and that this is why they must 
be brought in.

I don't agree, myself. Draco and others have been the voice of 
bigotry in the WW since PS and there's never been any hint that they 
think Muggleborns stole anything. That was just thrown in in DH as 
the reason the Ministry was going after Muggleborns. I don't think 
anybody had to actually believe it. The series never went into 
exactly what the feeling was that was supposed to rationalize 
prejudice against Muggles but we did get some hints--Draco once says 
they just "don't know our ways" and then there's the stuff about 
their blood not being pure, both of which make more sense than the 
idea that anybody believes that it's possible to steal magic from 
someone else. That opens a new set of worms that never goes anywhere-
-if Muggles can steal magic why are they Muggles? Since when can 
magic be stolen?

So I think Rowling just made that up in DH as the false pretense the 
Ministry came up with for rounding up the wands of Muggleborns, and 
that that particular myth hadn't been used before. It was a 
disappointment for me in DH. Bigotry isn't really rational but the 
alleged reasons for it usually have some basis in the history and 
the beliefs of the people and this was out of left field only making 
sense as something everybody knows is a lie. I don't think she 
wanted to get into the actual mindset of why people would had and 
fear Muggleborns. 

-m