to think Hogwarts could have taken squibs?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

I was thinking about this, and surely they could take the majority of classes there? Ok, not Charms or Transfiguration, but presumably Potions, History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Ancient Runes and Astronomy could be done, maybe with some minor adjustments?

It doesn't seem like adult wizards do magic all the time either, and a lot the 'everyday' magic they use, they don't actually cast themselves (floo powder for example). I don't think you have to be magic to ride a broomstick either.

So surely they should at least have the chance to go to Hogwarts (and follow a slightly altered curriculum) rather than have to integrate into the Muggle community?

[IneedAwittierNickname]

Maybe the giant squid used to be a squib pupil, transfigured as a punishment for being a squib

I should start a group like Hermione's S.P.E.W and campaign for the poor squibs (and squids too) Just need a name now!

[Chippednailvarnish]

There is apparently a Society for the Support of Squibs...

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

I wonder if squibs are more likely to marry muggles than other witches or wizards? So many seem to meet the future spouses at Hogwarts.

[RenterNomad]

IIRC, the Ministry of Magic uses the existence of Muggle borns for some very sinister social cleansing/ a terror campaign: they allegedly "stole magic from pureblood wizards"..... but of course never brought squibs into their sympathies. The disparity in numbers (squibs vs muggleborns) would have made a clear lie of that one!

[IneedAwittierNickname]

Darn I'm too late Just as well really, I don't have time to be running organizations like that!

[Chippednailvarnish]

Maybe a society for the support of squids?

[IneedAwittierNickname]

I like squid rings yum!

[Chippednailvarnish]

Society for the support of squid in batter?

[IneedAwittierNickname]

that's a good one! So, wanna join? Membership is only 1 sickle each :) and you get a badge lol!

[sashh]

Renter do you know if wizards are home schooled until 11, or do you just think it?

It's what JK said, some go to primary, some go to wizarding primary most are HE.

Not sure squibs could do care of magical creatures, think you might need some wand waving abilities for that.

[quirrelquarrel]

But I always was confused on this, because I thought it was just a kind name for Muggles born in magical families? I mean, they were Muggles really right. Non magical folk. Or is that too un PC.

[MissPryde]

Sending a squib to Hogwarts would be like sending a muggle to Hogwarts. They'd just be out of their depth.

I assume they could continue to he homeschooled or go to muggle schools. They have to live as muggles, after all.

[quirrelquarrel]

there should be squib counselling really. can you imagine how it would feel to be one! I mean Filch clearly has a longstanding complex about the whole thing. who thought it would be a good idea to have him around loads of magic kids....poor Filchy

[DevlinMaccabee]

But what about Divination, surely a squib could learn that too, wasn't it just looking at tea leaves or something?

[Chippednailvarnish]

Funny how they like cats.

[ProfessorDoredumble]

Hogwarts should provide an outreach school for squibs, providing a non magic syllabus.

I presume when they're older they must take on administration and facilities type roles at the ministry of magic, or shopkeepers on diagon alley.

[FestiveSpiritedwolf]

Cats? Or Cat-Kneazle hybrids? The behaviour of Mrs Norris (snooping on students and Hagrid), Mrs Figgs cat (warning about Mundungus disapparating) and Crookshanks (recognising Scabbers and Snuffles) all seemed a bit Kneazleish to me.

Poor Filch, presumably he hoped he'd pick up magic by working at Hogwarts, but he is just frustrated and bitter at 12 year olds learning more magic than him, and he's fairly ineffectual at his job compared to a wizard or witch who could use spells to clean, tidy and repair stuff after the students. Though I suppose the house elves help.

He seems to use that magical mess remover, so not all wizarding products must require magic to activate.

At first I figured the Quick Spell thing could have just meant he didn't do well at school, rather than being completely unmagical but he does self identify as a squib.

I thought it unfair that Hagrid, after being vindicated over the reason for his expulsion didn't seem to get a new wand, and possibly magic lessons to make him a fully qualified wizard - though he did get to teach.

I think you are right that squibs could study some subjects and have jobs in the wizarding world, perhaps especially muggle studies and in muggle relations.

You'd have thought that witches and wizards from all magic families would have picked up more magic from their parents before they started school (even if they aren't allowed to use it outside school, presumably they would have heard the incantations etc).

And if its common to dress in muggle clothing in the summer holidays, attend muggle primaries and in their down time at Hogwarts (not sure the latter was true in the books) then why are adult witches and wizards so hapless at muggle dressing when necessary or are they just not keeping up with muggle fashions.

I think the children are either home educated or attend muggle primaries, I hadn't heard of wizarding ones.

[FestiveSpiritedwolf]

The whole: you either are magic or not thing is really hard on squibs and muggle siblings of muggle borns.

Also... I know that Tom Riddle and co didn't value muggleborns much. But its a bit that they see Harry as a HalfBlood like himself and Professor Snape, when both his parents were magical. I guess it fits into their 'muggle borns aren't legitimate magic users' thing.

[FestiveSpiritedwolf]

DH wonders if they would need to hold the hand of a magical person to get onto Platform 9 3/4 or whether they could at all. I seemed to remember that Hermione's parents have been on the platform at some point but I'm not sure. They have definately been in other all-wizarding places like The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley and Gringotts.

[FestiveSpiritedwolf]

WRT to muggle borns going off to Hogwarts, you'd have thought that the Grangers might have been particuarly concerned when their daughter spent loads of the second year in the hospital wing, partly because she had half transfigured herself into a cat, and then when she was petrified.

I think I'd want to visit her, possibly take her home, or expect her to be moved to St Mungos where hopefully they'd already have stocks of the Mandrake restoritive thing...

I do love the books though

[RenterNomad]

Counselling, definitely!

It must be considerably worse to be a squib than a muggle, not least because of their impotent awareness of magical dangers around them. Imagine having been a squib at the time of Voldy's first reign of terror!

[TheRaniOfYawn]

I think that Care of Magical Creatures must be possible for squibs because Hagrid wasn't able to much magic and he embed up teaching it.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

But a lot of wizards end up married to Muggles don't they? So where do they meet them all/not scare them off by seeming a bit odd?

[Bettercallsaul1]

It's pretty discriminatory, excluding squibs, but boarding school stories have always been elitist. Doesn't stop them being fun, though!

I always though Durmstrang was supopsed to be in Russia, with the headmaster called Karkaroff.

[RenterNomad]

In that magical world, nature itself is oretty discriminatory! However, JKR is idealistic, too: free will is very important, and even the apparently weak and ridiculous get to make some very important stands, e.g. Neville getting the "deciding" house points for the interHouse trophy, for having hsd the guts to stand up to his friends. The points of the apparent "heroes" weren't enough!