Not sure why this is dead, but AFAIK magnetism in iron and steel is dependent on "domains" of iron molecules that are aligned in a crystal structure so the magnetic effect isn't just scattered to all directions. That's why some kinds of stainless steel aren't magnetic - the adulturant elements break up the crystal structure. In this case I think the question would be whether these particles are big enough to form a "domain" and become magnetic.
And if iron(III) oxide is near the melting point, it's unlikely to be magnetic and may not even be paramagnetic. This would be an interesting lab experiment: heat a sample to 1500 C exactly and test for paramagnetic properties.