Squib Possibility

[OliveOil_Med]

I have had a recent pondering that I really need some imput on. Can a Squib be born to a Muggle-born or a halfblood, or is it more a result of pureblood imbreeding? I suppose that also raises the question whether a child is a Squib or not is determined at conception or if it is some sort of deformity that occurs afterwards.

Any thoughts or imputs?

[AidaLuthien]

As I recall, Albus Dumbledore's mother was Muggleborn but his sister, Arianna was a Squib.

*runs to Lexicon*

Ok, Arianna wasn't a Squib, she was traumatized by being attacked by a group of Muggles who saw her performing magic, and she never recovered.

Given that wizards probably don't have any understanding of genetics, it seems unlikely that they would be able to test for being a wizard or not. JK has said that being a wizard or witch means that one had a witch or wizard for an ancestor somewhere, which doesn't quite make sense to me, shouldn't there be way more witches and wizards running around if magical genes are apparently dominant over Muggle ones?

Applying genetics to how the ability to do magic gets passed on seems somewhat ridiculous. All children of Muggles and wizards and witches seem to become wizards and witches (that we know of), many wizards and witches are born to two Muggle parents and it seems extremely rare that a wizard and a witch don't have magical children.

That being said, in-breeding does all kinds of odd things to genetics. But that doesn't explain how someone with magical abilities can be born to two Muggles and have a wizard or witch ancestor.

I think the only Squibs that show up in the books are Filch and... Harry's neighbor lady, who's name I can't remember... the crazy cat lady. I don't think their families were ever talked about.

Gah, I hope this wasn't too rambling.

[OliveOil_Med]

But what I wonder is do you believe it would be possible for a Muggle-born or a halfblood to give birth to a Squib, or is it believed that the birth of a Squib is the result of the inbreeding that being a pureblood must insue?

[AidaLuthien]

I think the genetics of wizardry according to JKR imply that it should be pureblood inbreeding, but honestly it could be anything. I've never really gotten a good explanation for why Muggleborn wizards and witches exist if magic is supposedly a dominant gene (which it otherwise acts like) and they do have a wizard or witch ancestor. The math doesn't quite work out.

[Equinox Chick]

But what I wonder is do you believe it would be possible for a Muggle-born or a halfblood to give birth to a Squib, or is it believed that the birth of a Squib is the result of the inbreeding that being a pureblood must insue?

A Squib is a non magical person born to two magical parents. They are the opposite of a Muggleborn. I don't think it necessarily means they're the result of inbreeding, although that's a decent hypothesis. There is a theory that Muggleborns have a squib ancestor somewhere - a throwback if you like.

I think it highly possible that a Squib could have a Muggle-born and halfblood parentage. But I don't think you'd be classified as a Squib if your mum was a witch, your dad a Muggle and you had no magic at all. You'd just be a Muggle.

Squibs are supposed to have a low level of magical intelligence, hence Filch could access Hogwarts and wasn't replelled by the anti-Muggle Charms.

I would think that being a Squib is a genetic thing occurring at conception, but until JKR writes that encyclopedia we won't know.

~Carole~

[OliveOil_Med]

But I though the gene that passed down magical ability was a dominant gene, seeing as almost all children born to one wizard and one Muggle are born with magic. Why is it that when a child born without magic to two wizarding parents is a Squib, while children born to split parents are only Muggles?

What is the logic in that? Or do you think it was some sort of pureblood ideal that child born to split families are innately inferior, even when they have the same genetic mutation?