11

Could a very accomplished witch/wizard cast any number of spells or charms to give a muggle some amount of magical powers? Could it be even theoretically possible?

  • 3
    I imagine it would be similar to charming an inanimate object - over time the charm would wear off. – Robotnik Mar 11 '14 at 4:02
  • 3
    It seems unlikely; if it were possible, every Squib would attempt to avail him/herself of it. That being said, they do have some 'magical' characteristics, but your question is about muggles, not squibs. A muggle being levitated would appear magic, but it would be coming from the casting wizard. The same for transformations (Dudley's tail, for example.) To clarify, I think you are asking if magic could be imbued into a muggle, causing them to forever after have some magical ability, like magnetizing a piece of steel. – K-H-W Mar 11 '14 at 4:40
  • 2
    not possible.because wizards are born, not made in hogwarts – akhila Mar 11 '14 at 5:22
  • Don't think it is possible do to the fact your born with the ability to perform magic, not made to perform magic. – Izumi-reiLuLu Mar 11 '14 at 7:57
  • Only if you have the lost book of Fuaran – DVK-on-Ahch-To Mar 11 '14 at 20:26
12

TL;DR version: The magical gene is passed on from generation to generation; in purebloods it will always be passed on in full or as a Squib; if it is produced in a Squib, then that Squib's great-great-great x4 grandchildren will randomly get the magical gene. As a result, even Muggleborns are distantly related to Purebloods.

In the Deathly Hallows, it is explicitly stated that magic cannot be transferred or created within a person who was born without the magic 'gene', as it were:

“But how are they supposed to have ‘stolen’ magic?” said Ron. “It’s mental, if you could steal magic there wouldn’t be any Squibs, would there?”

“I know,” said Lupin. “Nevertheless, unless you can prove that you have at least one close Wizarding relative, you are now deemed to have obtained your magical power illegally and must suffer the punishment.”

- Deathly Hallows, The Bribe, page 209 -

Following the rules of genetic inheritance, we can ascertain that this is a likely sequence for the passing of the 'gene' for magic (please note, there is a minor error - Halfblood Traibortina is actually a Muggleborn):

Gene Patterns

  • Where pink is a pureblood wizard (dominant magic gene, for example MM);

  • Where blue box with black text is a Squib carrier (a mutated magical or Squib gene, for example Ss);

  • Where blue box with gray text is a Squib/Muggle (a hidden mutated magical gene) and;

  • Where pink box with gray text is a Muggleborn wizard (with a dominant mutated magical gene, producing SS and;

  • Where white box is a half-blood wizard.

This doesn't line up perfectly (or at all, really) with genetic rules, but we can see that magic recedes and dominates over generations - much like blood types.

In this example, Sorceress and Wizard Traiborn both are purebloods, and produce two pureblood children, but owing to a mutation, produce a third squib child.

This squib has the magical gene, but it will surface randomly over many generations. The squib marries a Muggle, and they create a prospering Muggle dynasty.

Meanwhile, Wizard Traiborn Jr marries Sorceress Bobby, and as they are both purebloods, produce only pureblood children.

Several dozen generations pass.

Randomly and inexplicably, the magic gene "resurfaces" in Muggleborn Traibornet.

  • Brilliant! Thanks a lot :) This answer was pretty much perfect. Just one query though, the line "deemed to have obtained magical powers illegally" makes it sound like there was a way to obtain magical powers illegally. Does this imply the existence of an actual way, or does it just imply the death-eater's ignorance towards the nature of magical inheritance? – Stark07 Mar 14 '14 at 1:56
  • @AshishKulkarni I'm not sure if you've read DH or not, but, (SPOILER ALERT) Voldemort takes over the Ministry of Magic and forces pureblood agendas through it. He commissioned a false report saying that Muggle-borns 'stole' magic - which is false, they always had a magic gene within them. – thegoose Mar 14 '14 at 3:02
  • thanks, I have indeed read DH(albeit a couple of years back). I was just wondering as to whether Voldemort was just being plain ignorant and was using this "stole" thing as an excuse to prosecute Muggle-borns... – Stark07 Mar 14 '14 at 4:55
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    This is conjecture, but here goes: Wizards are like sheep. They believe anything that the Prophet or the Ministry says. It's ironic that for such an eccentric and individualistic society, they believe everything the Ministry says. So yes, Voldemort did just make an excuse to persecute Muggleborns. He probably knew it was BS, like most despots. But either way, I suspect that people like Umbridge would be fine even if he didn't give an excuse. – thegoose Mar 14 '14 at 17:55
2

No. In Book 7, Harry says that if people could steal magical powers, no one would be a squib. This is when talking about the Muggle born registry. Therefore, people cannot steal or obtain magical powers without being born with them.

  • 3
    Can you add the exact quote from the book? – Anthony Grist Mar 12 '14 at 16:45
-1

The later books make it clear that it's impossible, but I guess a Muggle/Squib could acquire temporary magic powers due to blood transfusion if you look at the first book, where it's said that the Muggles were so because of absence of magical blood in their veins.

  • I think that blood is just metaphorical. – sumelic Jan 29 '16 at 17:22
  • May not be. I have read about other fictional settings where magical power was imparted using blood, but it faded slowly as the blood thinned. – cst1992 Jan 29 '16 at 17:23

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