Claim: Hogwarts is for students with magical abilities.

In the Harry Potter series created by J. K. Rowling , magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature . Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series , while ordinary creatures sometimes exhibit new magical properties in the novels ' world . Objects , too , can be enhanced or imbued with magical property . The small percentage of humans who are able to perform magic are referred to as witches and wizards , in contrast to the non-magical muggles .   In humans , magic or the lack thereof is an inborn attribute . It is inherited , carried on `` dominant resilient genes '' . Magic is the norm for the children of magical couples and less common in those of muggles . Exceptions exist : those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as squibs , whereas a witch or wizard born to muggle parents is known as a muggle-born , or by the derogatory term `` mudblood '' . While muggle-borns are quite common , squibs are extremely rare .