That also works! There was definitely something up with Newton, and I do like the idea of having a famous Muggle who collaborated with wizards.
The Principia was published before, but the CALCULUS IS MINE DAMMIT controversy didn't get started until after. And since I doubt the Statute was a surprise dumped on them all of a sudden during the 1689 legislative season, you could probably argue that he decided to publish then to start laying the groundwork for the Math Is Cooler Than Magic Which Totally Doesn't Exist Honest campaign. If he was a Muggle, maybe he hoped cooperating with the upcoming secrecy would convince them he didn't need Obliviating, poor guy.
The child-witches thing is just so... convenient, for Potterverse purposes. Lucky for them that development came at the tail end of the burning times, and some of them ended up getting off unscathed... but still, quite a catastrophe. And hm, will have to think about changelings!
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Re: Newton and Alchemy
Date: 2011-06-03 08:35 pm (UTC)The Principia was published before, but the CALCULUS IS MINE DAMMIT controversy didn't get started until after. And since I doubt the Statute was a surprise dumped on them all of a sudden during the 1689 legislative season, you could probably argue that he decided to publish then to start laying the groundwork for the Math Is Cooler Than Magic Which Totally Doesn't Exist Honest campaign. If he was a Muggle, maybe he hoped cooperating with the upcoming secrecy would convince them he didn't need Obliviating, poor guy.
The child-witches thing is just so... convenient, for Potterverse purposes. Lucky for them that development came at the tail end of the burning times, and some of them ended up getting off unscathed... but still, quite a catastrophe. And hm, will have to think about changelings!