A Gift from Mother Magic
The ancestry of muggleborns has long been an under-researched topic, leading to heavy contention within our society. Research recently undergone in MACUSA has reported that they have categorically proven that the majority, if not all, supposed muggleborns are in fact squib-born. While no similar research has been conducted within wixen Britain, the research is widely accepted by theoreticians around the world. Many wanting to research the topic closer to home to further prove or potentially disprove the hypothesis.
One thing is certain, that if it is true, we are making a fundamental mistake by ostracising squibs from the magical community. Although many will disagree with this statement.
The Social Stigma of the Squib
We first have to consider the social stigma that is assigned to those who have a squib child. The magical population is insignificant compared to the population of muggles. We are a small and very insula society. This often leads magicals to feel a rather large need to protect not only oneself but the magical way of life, and our family gifts. To many magicals, the loss of a family's magic is a mark of shame upon the family and for still more it is believed to be a sign that Mother Magic is unhappy with the family. Some choosing to blame the child for being "unworthy" of the gift of magic. This social stigma has led to many families disowning their squib children at best, killing them at worst, for generations. It is a dark stain on our history that many do not like to talk about. To even mention the existence of squibs in polite society is considered to be a social faux pa of epic proportion.
Some families will try to force a child to show accidental magic, an ancient practice that is both detrimental to the child, can potentially stifle their magical growth, and actually increases their likelihood of becoming a squib. As for squibs in our society, they are at best marginalised and ignored, and at worse heavily persecuted, so many magicals would argue that sending them out to the muggle world is actually an act of kindness. It is frustrating that this stigma actually proves to be a serious risk to the statute of secrecy. Squibs that have grown up learning our ways and living in our world, to suddenly find themselves isolated in the muggle world, often grow to be resentful of their secret history and may prove willing to cause harm to our society or may in childish innocence share the secrets of their childhood with the muggles.
Squibs living within our society often find themselves on the outside looking in. They have no place in magical education and therefore are awarded no proper education. They struggle to find adequate employment, especially as the laws of our society completely disregard their existence. There are no job protections for squibs for example. They are not required to be paid the minimum wage or to receive the same health benefits that are required for wixen.
What is a Squib?
While we know what magical society believes squibs to be, new research has been conducted abroad that is showing advancement in our understanding of the squib problem. It is this author's belief that the vast majority of squibs are a result of the imbalance between light and dark magic in our society. The research by one Andromeda Malfoy with the Mysterious Research Department of MACUSA has identified three distinct types of squibs and she describes being a squib as being inflicted with "squib-disease". This is a new viewpoint to many, most of us never having considered that the squib problem might in fact be medical in nature.
Malfoy argues that a squib has magic. They have a magical core but are unable to access said magic for one of three reasons. If she is correct, then squibs are far more like us than they are like muggles.
The Three Types of Squib
This radical new research would suggest that some squibs are born as squibs while others develop squib-disease as a result of accident or injury. The disease can manifest in different ways, often in correlation with the squib's magical core affinity. According to Malfoy's research there are three types of squibs: Stunted Core Squibs, Tainted Core Squibs, and Shattered Core Squibs.
1. Stunted Core Squibs
Malfoy's research describes the first type of squib as one whose core does not grow to its full potential. The cores of these squibs seem to fail to grow prenatally and during infancy.
These squibs seem to be more prevalent in dark leaning families. Malfoy and her team hypothesise that it may be the result of inbreeding and a genetic anomaly, a mutation of the DNA that allows for core development. To truly understand this hypothesis, one might want to further research the muggle science of genetics. She is currently searching for the exact genetic markers responsible for this type of squibism, in the hope that they may find a way to prevent it happening in the future. There is some belief that a potion might be used to stimulate the core's growth.
This type of squib disease also seems to weaken with each generation, making Malfoy's team suspect that eventually their descendants will make a full return to the magical world as muggleborns, even without intervention.
2. Tainted Core Squibs
The next type of squib disease results in cores that are cloudy and murky.
There is some correlation that suggests that these squibs are more common in light families, or to be more specific, families that have rejected the Old Ways. Malfoy is of the opinion that ritualistic cleansings and participating in the sacred days might be enough to see some improvement, if not full recovery. So far, the evidence she has gathered has so far agreed with this assertion. Many squibs of this category in MACUSA have already begun receiving treatment. While these squibs might never be the strongest of magicals, many test subjects were able to perform basic magic after a year of treatment. It is also believed this is likely to be the easiest form of squib disease to prevent, if society as a whole returns to practising the Old Ways.
Much like Stunted Core Squib-Disease, this type of squib disease also seems to weaken with each generation.
3. Shattered Core Squibs
Their cores appear to have shattered under extreme strain. It is feared that these squibs are not the result of disease but rather injury. The squibs in this category that Malfoy mentions in her research papers all share horror stories. Their childhoods have been abusive or their births were particularly traumatic. In several instances, disaster had struck even before their birth. A mother cursed during pregancy, another falling while suffering from magical exhaustion.
It is these squibs that Andromeda Malfoy fears will be the hardest to help.
A Place for Squibs?
Perhaps the most crucial question of all is do we have a place for squibs in our society? If squib-disease can in fact be cured or at the very least treated, this author believes that we owe it to them to put a heavier focus on finding a curse and treatment for them. Squibs are our siblings, our nieces and nephews, our children. They are family until we cast them out. If Andromeda Malfoy's research shows us one thing it is that Mother Magic has not forsaken squibs, so we ought not either.