Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-9482181-20130513004632/@comment-8505655-20130609160124

Well, first of all, recall in A Change of Face, Charmcaster commented on Gwen's body's natural aptitude for magic. That is to say, some humans, whether of Anodite lineage or not, have magical prowess. It could simply be that Ben has more magical aptitude than he is presently aware of. He seems never to have bothered to really attempt magic before.

Alternatively, a variation of 76.181.9.156's theory presents itself. Rather than to say Ben has suppressed his potential magical abilities, I would propose that they are in a natural state of dormancy, like Gwen's once were, because they were never awakened. Whereas Gwen had significant exposure to magical artifacts, Ben never did. That could make a difference.

As another alternative, Ben's future development of magical abilities could be connected to a certain event that present Ben has not yet encountered, such that he currently has no magical abilities dormant or otherwise.