Skip to main content

harry potter - Can a Squib Own a Wand?




KWIKSPELL
A Correspondence Course in
Beginners’ Magic

Intrigued, Harry flicked the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment inside. More curly silver writing on the front page said:

Feel out of step in the world of modern magic? Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wandwork?

There is an answer!

Why on earth did Filch want a Kwikspell course? Did this mean he wasn’t a proper wizard? Harry was just reading ‘Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips)’ when shuffling footsteps outside told him Filch was coming back....

Chamber of Secrets - pages 97-98 - British Hardcover



In Is It Genetically Possible for a Squib to Produce Magical Offspring, the two answers given agree that it would be possible for Squibs to produce magical offspring. Going off this premise, a Squib would have to be harboring magical genes (they would be recessive, I believe?). Would a wand be able to sense these magical latent genes and "choose" a Squib, even if the Squib could never perform purposeful magic with the wand? Is there anything in the law that states a Squib cannot own a wand, even if it seems silly or stupid that they would want to?


Can a Squib own a wand?


04.26.12 - I'm still looking for answers to compare on this question. Please feel free to leave an answer. :)



Answer



Anyone could possess a wand, whether Muggle, Squib or Wizard. While it's a magical object, it's clearly visible, and generally wands have no enchantment that would keep a Muggle from picking one up (and as Squibs, while having no ability to exert magical power, do seem to have some capacity to sense magic, such enchantments may not even work on a Squib anyway). The question is whether the Ministry would allow a non-Wizard to own a wand. There are many magical creatures of (near-) human intelligence and of varying magical power which are forbidden by wizards from possessing wands.



Specifically regarding Squibs, I would think it's a question of necessity. A wand that can sense no magical power in a person simply will not choose that person. If a wand cared about recessive genes that never manifested, it could choose the Muggle parent of a Wizard. With the Statute of Secrecy, and the fact that Squibs are usually encouraged to integrate fully into the Muggle world, I would think that even if Ollivander or Gregorovitch would let a Squib walk in and purchase a wand they could do nothing with, the Ministry would have something to say about a person living wholly in the Muggle world having such an object, and the risk of exposure that could cause.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Do the Kwikspell courses work?

In Harry Potter we are introduced to Kwikspell course in The Chamber of Secrets (and never hear about it again). We see Filch taking courses, presumably by mail. The descriptions of Kwikspell make me think it is for people who are weak in magic (kind of like how Neville was supposed to be when he was younger), but had magic in them nonetheless. However, Ron's comments later in the chapter make it sound like it is mainly for Squibs to learn magic. However, it is strongly implied through out all the books that Squibs are essentially Muggles, and will never be able to do magic. How then is a Kwikspell course supposed to work? Do we have any information to know if it works at all? Is it a scam? An answer from any level of canon is welcome. Answer Kwikspell courses are (probably) useful to some wizards, but not to squibs. The Kwikspell course literature comes with two testimonials. Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes: ‘I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke...
Post a Comment
Read more

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?
Post a Comment
Read more