Squibs in Fanworks
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | Squibs, Squib AU, Squib headcanons, Squib Worldbuilding |
| See also | Squib |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Squibs in Fanworks is a trope in Harry Potter fandom.
Blood status is a big theme in the Harry Potter series, but the lives of squibs are almost never discussed.
Definition & Scope
Imagining what the lived experiences of a squib (or squibs) might be; any fanwork which does so.
Canon
Book canon is unconcerned with the lives of people who are squibs. Squibs are mentioned four times in the series: two times[1][2] they are played for laughs, and two times[3][4] we are told that it's horribly sad and difficult to live in the wizarding world when you can't do magic, and they're probably better off living as muggles and forgetting (or not knowing) they ever had any magical relatives. At Harry's disciplinary hearing in book 5, it is implied that the Ministry of Magic has no record of squibs' births, which implies that this attitude is shared officially by the Ministry.
For information about squibs in extended canon, see the Squib page on the Harry Potter Wikia and related pages.
Fandom
Considering the lives of squibs is uncommon in Harry Potter fandom.
As canon gives fans almost nothing to work with, all fanworks have some element of worldbuilding, however small.
Meta and headcanons about squibs (or some squibs) generally are common examples of the trope.
Works concerning the experiences of a specific character, rather than those of squibs more generally, usually feature an original character(s), or a canon divergence AU in which a canonically wixen character(s) is a squib (or a combination of the two). They may also be about Mrs. Figg or Mr. Filch, but it is less common.
Other examples of the trope are fusions in which another fandom's characters are placed in the Harry Potter setting, and one or more of those characters is a squib; and crossovers in which another fandom's character(s) is a squib, and their source work is some of the story of their life in the muggle world.
Squib worldbuilding was requested in both the 2017 and 2018 Worldbuilding Exchanges.
Fanworks
Meta
- Ok so Muggle Born Culture at Hogwarts is all well and Good, But what about SQUIB CULTURE IN MUGGLE SCHOOLS by mrsmarymorstan (June 2014)
- It bothered me that there were no Squibs allowed in Hogwarts. by fallingivy (Aug 2014)
- k but think about squibs that are the opposite of muggle borns. by pfdb (July 2015)
- Just want to talk about squibs. by tumblr anon (July 2016)
- A consequence of the Muggle and Wizarding worlds growing closer together is that Squibs and the Muggle siblings of Muggleborn wixen are no longer cut off from their worlds of their families. by harryjamesheadcanons and luthorslesbian (May 2017)
- On Squibs and Explosives by caducus (Aug 2017)
Fic
- An extract from The Witch's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby Care, by Alarica Rosier. Chapter Nine: What if my Baby is a Squib? by nineveh_uk. Documentation fic: "I found this book engaging, informative, and frank. The chapter on 'What if my baby is a Squib?' is particularly valuable for the responsible mother seeking full information on the best way to deal with the situation." Medea Mulciber, The Daily Prophet. There is some good (short) meta in the comments. (2007)
- these little powerless bones by dirgewithoutmusic (originally posted on Tumblr; Podfic by Shmaylor). "Only one non-magical person has ever managed to get as far as the Hogwarts Sorting Hat before being exposed as a Squib." Gosh, it just makes me want a story where a squib did make it through. So here's a drabble about a squib with a quick mind and a hand-me-down wand, who refuses to be denied her birthright. (2014)
- he will have power the dark lord knows not by dirgewithoutmusic (originally posted on Tumblr). If Harry Potter, the chosen one, had turned out to be a squib, how do you think history would have turned out differently? (2015)
- We Were the Potters by celestineangel. "How does one deal with a child who is different? Some do, some can't bring themselves to." In which Lily Luna Potter is a squib. (2011)
Fanart
Arabella Figg by eva21nesco (2014)
Marius Disowned by DidxSomeonexSayxMad (2017)
Argus Filch and Mrs. Norris by xander08 (2017)
Archives & Fannish Links
References
- ^ "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him." Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, chapter 6.
- ^ Mrs. Figg at Harry's disciplinary hearing, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, chapter 8.
- ^ Mr. Filch and the fraudulent Kwikspell course, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, chapter 8.
- ^ Auntie Muriel on "back in our day," Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, chapter 8.