The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Exposure to Magic?

(1/8) > >>

nadia.skylark:
So I've been trying to figure out how magic is passed down, because if it's only passed down from mother to child, then Harry shouldn't have magic, and I think I've come up with something:

There are two parts to inheriting the ability to use magic: genetics and exposure to magic in the womb.

You can get the genetic component from either parent.

You also need to be exposed to some degree of magic while in the womb. This is significantly easier if your mother is a magic user, because there is always some magic circulating through magic users even when they're not casting spells (based on the fact that wizards still hex things even when not using magic).

It's significantly harder to be sufficiently exposed to magic if your mother is not a magic user, because it requires that your mother be around multiple fairly powerful magic workings while pregnant with you. This explains why magic appears to normally be inherited from the mother, especially with minor practitioners.

This also explains why Molly inherited magic from Charity but none of her other siblings did: Charity wasn't practicing magic while pregnant with her, but she hadn't stopped long enough for magic to stop circulating through her yet. (After all, if it were just genetic, then Charity abandoning magic would have no effect).

It also explains Margaret--her mom wasn't magic, but was hanging around Ebenezer (since she was married to him).

In addition, it explains both why Maggie might have magic and why it would be influenced by her mother's vampirism--she inherited strong magical genetics from Harry, and was exposed to rampire energies rather than mortal magic while in the womb.

peregrine:
That's more or less my take on it.  In Utero exposure to magic means that it's more likely to come from the mother, but a suitably strong and/or present magical father would do it as well.

I don't think it's something we'll see from Maggie though.  I have a feeling it applies only to human magic.  Living with Michael as Charity did, if, for example, faith magic was relevant, all their kids would have it.

Slowpool:
  From what Jim has said, magic isn't only passed down from mother to child- that's just how it usually happens.  It can happen from father to child- and it can even show up with no known magical heritage.  It's just less common.

  And you're right on the money about the Carpenter kids- Jim's stated that Charity had still been practicing fairly recently when Molly was conceived, and it wasn't until her talents had started to atrophy that the rest of the squad came along.  There's something like a 25%ish chance that they could each have inherited the genetic disposition to work magic, but they'd have to dig for it.

Mr. Death:
Yeah, this is more or less the closest explanation we've been able to cobble together from the books and what Jim's said.

Kindler:
Can't really think of anything that would disprove this. Though I'd argue that it's not necessarily required for womb exposure, just that it produces a powered kid more consistently. See Luccio's remarks about checking in on her descendants to see if any of them have talents—it's possible, just not as likely. I'm also reasonably sure that the Council would be able to track new talents much more efficiently if this was the case. 

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page