"No, I actually like your opinion. I could probably tell you why it makes sense that someone can be muggle-born and be able to practice magic. but I don't want to bore you... I like being in a magic household and I can't say I have any problems with it. I have a muggle mother and my eldest brother is a squib so sometimes I feel bad for them, but I hope they aren't too mad. I mean most muggles don't get to even experience the magic at all but sometimes I wonder if it's better to not even know about magic or better to know but not use it." Margaret explained.

"I know this isn't really on-topic but I guess it has to do with knowing verse not knowing magic, just a random question. I was wondering about your opinion... Do you think it is harder to be born blind or become blind? At first, I thought it would be harder to become blind because you know what you're missing but when you're born blind you know that everyone else has something you don't but you don't really know what it is because you've never experienced it. Anyway, what do you think." Margaret knew she was just blabbering on but this question had popped into her head after he last comment and she wondered what he thought.

"No, I actually like your opinion," Margaret said. "I could probably tell you why it makes sense that someone can be muggle-born and be able to practice magic, but I don't want to bore you..." Margaret trailed off for a second before starting to speak again. Apparently, Margaret was a half-blood and her brother was squib, meaning that she grew up with two non-magic users as well as already being part of the wizarding community. In Robert's eyes, this meant that she had the best of both worlds, both muggle and magical. She then went on to ask two very interesting questions. The first was whether it was better to know about magic, but not be able to use it, or to not know anything about magic. The second question was in a similar vein; which is harder, being born blind, or becoming blind later in life?

Two thoughts went through Robert's head after Margaret's response. First, wow, she just said a lot of things all at once. Second, how is it that someone this amazing just happened to walk into his compartment! Robert had never met someone before that had such similar interests and personality as he did. Also, someone who grew up in a wizarding household could probably answer some of his many, MANY, questions about magic!

"No, please, bore me," Robert said with a smile. "I've been wondering about how it's possible to be a muggle-born wizard for a while now. It's probably just the young scientist in me, but I really want to know more about this. How about this, I'll answer your question about blind people if you answer my question about muggle-borns."

Margaret blushed a little "sorry, that I'm talking so much, I don't usually talk as much as I am right now. I took a confidence potion this morning and it's like all my words are just flowing out." She tried to laugh but she felt too embarrassed to actually laugh. Margaret knew that he probably didn't want to hear all of her jibber jabber. But her embarrassment quickly wore off due to the potion. She was embarrassed that she was talking so much but she was still pretty glad that she took the potion.

"No, please, bore me," Robert said, jokingly, with a smile. "I've been wondering about how it's possible to be a muggle-born wizard for a while now. It's probably just the young scientist in me, but I really want to know more about this. How about this, I'll answer your question about blind people if you answer my question about muggle-borns."

Margaret huffed in a laughing sort of way. "I'd be happy to answer your questions about wizard borns." She smiled, curious about what sort of questions he might have about witches and wizards who had parents or a parent with magical abilities.

She also wondered a little about people with muggle parents but she didn't ask any more questions or say anything else. She didn't really want to talk too much... again. She just kept her many thoughts to herself.

She looked around the train compartment. She took in all of the details around her, the red sheet cushions and dark brown wood, and the green mine trees outside the extremely clean windows. She quickly looked back toward Robert. Even though most people could still focus on what the person was saying without looking at them she wanted to make sure he knew that she was paying attention. She found the things he was saying very interesting and didn't really want to miss any of it.

(Sorry for the late response but wanted to let you know I will be leaving for another trip tomorrow morning and won't be able to talk for 2 or 3 days, sorry. I just wanted to let you know I'm not ignoring you or anything.

Apparently, Margaret had taken a confidence potion before boarding the train, which raised another couple hundred questions in Robert's mind. How do you make a confidence potion? How does it work? Can I get a confidence potion? and many others. "I'd be happy to answer your questions about wizard borns," Margaret continued.

Robert waited a moment, thinking she was going to keep talking. She leaned back in her seat and looked around for a bit before looking back at him. Robert realized that she wanted him to answer first. "Oh, okay," he said with a start. "Personally, I would rather be born blind, because then I wouldn't know what I'm missing. If you used to be able to see, you will always know what it's like, and would always long to have your sight back. I kind of think of it as how ignorance can be bliss, or how you can't miss what you've never had. I get that some people might think it's better to have at least experienced sight for a little while, but I think that little bit of seeing will just make the blindness even harder to deal with."

"Now, your turn," said Robert with a smile. "How can I have a trait, the ability to do magic, that neither of my parents nor any of my ancestors have ever had? It just doesn't make sense!" He was genuinely curious about how Margaret would explain this.

Robert leaned back in his seat and looked outside while waiting for Margaret's reply. They had already left the station and were now speeding along towards their destination. It was really beautiful outside, and watching the trees zoom by was quite mesmerizing. Robert tore his eyes away from them and focused back on Margaret.

OOC: I am actually back from my trip already sorry for the confusion

The trees outside the window where also memorizing for Margaret but she had snapped back as soon as Robert had. She had two theories about how muggle-born wizards, one that it was a gene that was passed down form another family member such as an uncle or grandmother but since he had specified that he had no other members of his family that could use magic she explained her second theory.

"I think the reason some people can be muggle-born is because of the coding of our DNA. You know how different patterns in our DNA code for different things ad how the child's DNA is a combination of its parents?" Margaret asked rhetorically. She then continued "I think the DNA of your parents chosen at random coded for the ability to use magic. For example, if two full sets of complete adenines on the left side make a person able to perform magic maybe your DNA selected from your parents chosen at random codes for that ability. Do you fallow?" Margaret asked, this time not rhetorically.

Margaret smiled awkwardly "sorry, I just geeked out there for a second, but that's my theory. I'm not sure if you followed at all though?" Margaret said as if it were a question. "I'll explain it in other words if you don't get it."

Margaret explained her theory about muggle-borns to Robert. In summary, the random combination of traits that Robert had received from his parents had coded for his ability to do magic. It was a good theory, and with a few tweaks, it could actually be some semblance of the truth.

"So, because I have both red hair and unattached earlobes, I'm able to do magic?" Robert laughed. "That could actually make sense though. The one problem with it is that the DNA you get from your mother is never actually right next to the DNA from your father because they are in different chromatids. It would have to be DNA from your grandparents that code for magic because then the crossing over during Prophase I in meiosis would put their DNA in the same chromatid." This was accompanied by lots of hand waving that probably just made an already confusing statement even more confusing.

"The next things we would have to figure out is where this magical code is in your genetics, what the code actually is, and how the protein works. Of course, that would include actual research and experimentation, which could be kind of difficult in a train compartment." Robert paused. "Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about geeking out around me," he said with a grin.

Margaret laughed too. "As for the first part, maybe your mom's DNA was one atonine (on the left side) and then one cytocine and your dad was one tynine then an atonine so together it's two atonines (on the left side). I hope that makes sense, even though your parent's DNA doesn't line up one parent's DNA codes for the first part and the other parent's DNA codes for the second part." She said using the example she had first used.

She paused for a second "as for the second part, I have no idea what the actual coding is but it would be interesting to know."

She smiled "so, you said you had questions about people with wizards or witches as parents, so I assume you have more." She straightened up in her chair remembering how bad her posture was "or maybe you don't" she added quickly. "Do you mind if I ask a quick question, first?" She paused for a very fast second "how do your parents feel about this magical stuff, how'd they take it when they found out?" She hoped it wasn't a bother to him to ask a quick question about his parents being muggles or overstepping a line.

"So, you said you had questions about people with wizards or witches as parents, so I assume you have more," said Margaret. Oh, do I have more questions, thought Robert to himself. "Do you mind if I ask a quick question, first?" She continued. "How do your parents feel about this magical stuff, and how'd they take it when they found out?"

Robert laughed a bit. "Well, when I first got my letter, my parents thought that it was a joke. They are both scientists, so they obviously did not believe in magic. However, because the Leaky Cauldron was not too far from our house, we decided to check it out anyway. I guess all that hard evidence managed to convince them that magic was real. They actually took it a lot better than I would have ever expected. I think the amount of times that they have made a hypothesis that has turned out to be incorrect has made it a lot easier for them to change their preconceptions of the world."

Robert remembered something Margaret had said earlier and asked, "How did your mother take it when she found out about magic? I assume she learned about it before you were born, but did you hear any stories about it?" He was a bit disappointed that he would have to wait a bit longer to have all of his questions answered, but it would be interesting to learn how other muggles reacted when they learned about magic.

Margaret smiled "I bet seeing all those people preforming magic really through them for a loop. Are they still a scientist?" Margaret asked, slightly as a joke but also with some sincerity. She did actually wonder if they decided to change heir career because of it.

After Robert replied he also asked about how her mother took it when she found out. Margaret remembered her when her sister first got into Hogwarts and she set the acceptance letter down on the table. They had all grown up with magic so it wasn't as confusing to them as it probably was to Robert and his family. They were sitting down eating dinner and her older sister asked how mum reacted to the news.

"Well, according to my father's story, he had purposed to my mum, and about two weeks later after she had agreed to marry him, he decided it was time to tell her." Margaret began to explain. "She didn't really get it at first. He told her that he could do magic and she thought he meant like he was a fake magician, and it was like a side job or something. Then he began to explain that he could do real magic and he showed her some tricks and he said her face was so funny. He wished he had taken a picture, but she believed him. My mum always believed in magic and miracles and I'd say she took it pretty well compared to other muggles. She was actually very happy with marring a wizard." She remembered the story so clearly, although she said paraphrased it. "My mother said she liked having a magical assist to help around the house. She said it saved us a lot of money having to fix things or buy new ones and helped us save a lot of time cleaning around the house. You know it was very useful when having 4 children." Margaret laughed a little bit at that.

"So how'd your parents react when they saw Diagon alley?"

Margaret smiled, and said, "I bet seeing all those people preforming magic really threw them for a loop. Are they still scientists?" She then told Robert about how her mother had reacted to learning about magic. She said that her mother learned about magic two weeks into her marriage with her father. At first, she didn't totally understand what he was talking about, but after he showed her a couple tricks, she believed him without too much trouble. "So how'd your parents react when they saw Diagon alley?"

"They are most definitely still scientists," Robert said in answer to Margaret's first question. "I think they're both going by the 'magic is just science we don't understand' idea, although my dad is kind of taking it a bit far. He sent the Ministry of Magic a letter asking for permission to study magic." Robert laughed. "They weren't very happy about a muggle saying he was better equipped to study magic than they are."

Talking about the Ministry reminded Robert of one of his many questions he wanted to ask. "What does your father do in the wizarding world? The only jobs I know of are store owners, ministry workers, and professors. It seems weird that every magical adult would work in either government, local business, and education, so there has to be some other jobs, right?"

Robert looked outside and saw that the trees were gone, and in their place was a large, empty field. Watching the empty plain was nowhere near as interesting as the trees for him, so he turned his attention back to Margaret.