TobyBartels comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 2 - Less Wrong

13 Post author: dclayh 01 August 2010 10:58PM

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Comment author: TobyBartels 26 August 2010 12:54:15AM 0 points [-]

I did that research, thank you. I always read the Wikia.

I just got a copy of the Author's Notes for Chapter 22, and now I'm confused about your statement here (although I'm less confused about the story itself). Didn't you admit in those notes that you did not do the research? From the notes:

A reviewer pointed out that J. K. Rowling has declared Squibs to be, by definition, born to at least one magical parent [which is also what Ron says in the quotation on the Wikia that I cited]; looking up the reference shows that she also said the magical gene was dominant. I'm not clear on how this is to be squared with the existence of Muggleborns, except, of course, by magic. Plus if the magical gene is dominant then almost all Muggleborns would presumably have only one copy, and then when two Muggleborns marry a quarter of the children would be Muggles [should be Squibs]. In this case I think I have to say that I'm just not sticking to JKR's rules, and also plead, of course, "but that wasn't in the books".

I'm perfectly satisfied with that explanation; you change what you have to change to make the story work how you want it to. But because I had not read that before, the story seemed wrong to me.