I always took them not to be diseases of magic (i.e. that infect a person's magical ability) but rather diseases which are themselves magical in some sense.

E.g. it seems to me that dragonpox would be a bacteria that can use magic, given the clear parrallel to the other poxes.

On the other hand, not all magical diseases would be magical microorganisms. The bite of a werewolf seems to be a curse in the traditional sense, which happens to be able to be passed on via a bite.

Under this conception of magical disease, yes, Muggles can catch magical illnesses. When this happens Muggle doctors would either be unable to identify the disease or misidentify it as a non-magical cousin (e.g. dragonpox might be misidentified as smallpox and freak a Muggle doctor out).

In these cases the infected Muggle would almost certainly die from the disease as they have no magical defences - they'd be as vulnerable to the disease as an AIDs sufferer.

That said, disease generally needs some kind of transmission vector to spread, and with Muggle-wizard interactions very infrequent there wouldn't be too many examples of Muggles with magical diseases. On top of that, the speed with which the Muggles died from the diseases would be a self-limiting factor on their ability to spread through Muggle populations.

 

The main interaction would be returning Muggleborn.

Whilst I've never been to boarding school, I HAVE been to university, which functioned roughly similar in that you live away from home during term-time, and return for the breaks.

I can only use my own experience, as I haven't exactly gone and studied it, but I found that in the week or so after I got back there were large amounts of parties/family get-togethers and so on planned. anecdotal evidence (not true evidence in any way, but perhaps indicative of the truth) points the same way too.

Not neccesarily because aunts and uncles wanted to see me specifically, but because they were planning on visiting, and if they held off another week then they'd see me as well. My parents would organise a barbecue with a few family friends, and they'd sort it out so it was after I came home, just in case I wanted to catch up with Mrs Smith and her daughters. Or they'd plan a few days out, knowing that as a student I couldn't exactly afford day trips every week, such as going to the zoo, cinema, or whatever.

In the first few days back from uni, I'd normally have at least one day trip, one visiting relative, and one or more family/friends parties.

Neither of my parents are full-time employed, so they have the time to do such things without worrying about prior commitments, but I'm also 21, so they don't plan four day long parties. With younger kids, I could easily see parents wanting to show off little Joe, who "goes to this incredibly elite school up in Scotland, don't you know?", meaning more large gatherings/parties.

You've also got the muggleborn visiting their old friends. And depending on term-match ups, the incubating illness could easily then spread through to a muggle school.

 

I don't think Muggles would catch it. The diseases won't act on a wizard's magical ability, but they might be limited to those who do possess some magical ability. Even if they don't affect your magic, you catch them because you are magical, because you have magic.

EDIT: 'Magic leaves traces . . . ' which are probably what attract magical diseases to wizards.

 

At least some of diseases may be related to objects, food and other influences unique to magicals. For example - diseases with Puffskein or Flobberworm as a carriers, without ability to transmit from human to human would be almost completely unique to magicals.

Note that to keep Statute it is necessary to keep things that are obviously magical to spreading in uncontrolled way - and it includes diseases.

 

Is it ever stated outright that Tom killed Burke or was it just implied? Was it even implied?

 

Definitely not stated and I don't think it was implied. His memory of ripping off Merope Gaunt was acquired by Dumbledore once Riddle had disappeared having gotten hold of the locket and Hufflepuff's cup. Borgin was the one running the shop by the time the books took place so if Voldemort or someone did decide to off him at some point it was well into the first war.

 

When did Harry discover that Snape was the one to deliver the first half of the Prophecy to Voldemort? I can't remember, if he knew about it before watching Snape's memories in the seventh book.

I don't have my books with me to check.

 

End of the sixth book, right before he leaves with Dumbledore for the cave. Trelawney let it slip while drunk off sherry she was hiding the evidence of in the Room of Hidden Things. She was complaining of being accosted by Malfoy and Harry was feeling conflicted because he didn't want to leave for the cave with Dumbledore with Malfoy plotting to do shit, so he checks on the RoR and finds Trelawney. He takes her with him to Dumbledore's office to prove Malfoy is up to something, then she tells him about Snape on the way to the office and he rages, hard.

 

Don't know if this has ever been asked before, but why didn't the Marauders Map pick up on the fact that Voldemort was on the back of Quirell's head in first year by the Weasley Twins. Obviously the map would have said Tom Marvolo Riddle instead of Lord Voldemort and they wouldn't have known who he was, but shouldn't the map have at least picked up on the fact that there was someone hanging in the back of Quirell's head. Shouldn't the Weasley Twins have reacted in some way? Then again, the map should have also picked up on Peter Pettigrew sleeping on Ron's bed.

 

You give the Mauraders too much credit. While the map itself is a pretty awesome artifact, I hardly think it would pick up possession. And Voldemort is not the most brilliant wizard in the 19th century for nothing.

Hell, even Dumbledore never suspected anything amiss, except for a few wild guesses.

 

My theory is that the Map senses people through their souls, that's why regular animals are not visible. Since Voldemort split his soul into Horcruxes, the map can't see him.

And the reason Pettigrew was not visible until third year? I think he actually cast a spell on himself so the map wouldn't see him, but the presence of Dementors and his fear of Sirius made the spell weaker.

Sure, this isn't confirmed by canon, but this explanation works for me.

 

Dude. He wasn't even alive in the 19th century.

 

Or did he?!

I think I read a fic once were Voldemort and Hermione got trapped in the 18th or 19th and Voldemort decided to try to build up his power in a time before Dumbledore or something along those lines. The premise of Voldemort trying to rise to power in a time where no one really opposed him, with the exception of Hermione had been interesting, up until Voldemort giving up his power because he had fallen in love with Hermione. Then it got stupid.

Anyways back to topic, Xandrel's theory is actually kind of interesting.

 

Well, Xandrel's theory would require Pettrigrew to be in human form with a wand at various points in time. Is it ever stated that Pettigrew kept his own wand during the twelve years he was a rat, or did he steal one when he went to look for Voldemort?

 

Pettigrew was one of the authors, Marauders certainly predicted that Map may be lost or stolen and added ability to hide themselves from Map.

 

I always found it convenient that once Pettigrew stopped having nearby access to the Marauders' Map his name is also clearly visible. It's a bit of a post hoc fallacy problem, but it makes logical sense. The fact that Fred and George took quite a lot of time to figure out how to access the map (at first all they knew was that it was a piece of parchment that Filch kept in contraband) might explain how Pettigrew saw the map: they were working on it all summer after their first year and he'd recognize the distinctive parchment anywhere. Perhaps.

 

My bad. It's the 20th century.

And the map seeing through souls is purely insane. The Mauraders were good, but not that good. I think it has something to do with integrating the map with the wards of hogwarts.

 

There're not wards of any type neither at Hogwarts nor the Wizarding World. Wards are a fanon concept.

 

Wards... I've heard the explanation before and never liked it. Even setting aside that wards as a type of magic does not exist in Harry Potter, high-jacking the defensive spells on Hogwarts sounds impossible (or at least Voldemort/Dumbledore level) to me.

Anyway, for people's information, this is what Pottermore has to say.

 

If I recall correctly, had had his own wand and Voldemort's wand (which he later gave back to the Dark Lord).

Before you ask, yes he went to Godric's Hallow to get Voldemort's wand from the rubble. Rowling Interview-Confirmed.