[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Bigger names + bigger pay = smaller budget?

[clshannon at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/24/04 7:51:46 PM, patientx3 at aol.com writes:


> Not to mention the fact that its rather clear in the books (and
> mostly clear in the movies...based on this mystery boy not being in
> their dorm) that Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus are the only
> Gryffindor students in their year.
> 

Well, this brings up a contradictory issue. Rowling said a long time ago in 
some interview (please don't ask me where, but the figure has been somewhat 
accepted for a while), that there were close to 1000 students at Hogwarts. I 
remember folks discussing this on a message board somewhere and trying to figure 
out how many kids were in each level, etc. Then they went on to try to figure 
out how so few teachers could handle that volume of students, how many classes 
are there per day, why aren't the dorm rooms bigger or how many are there for 
each year, and on and on.
So, although she mentions so few students in the books and it would seem that 
only Harry, Seamus, Ron, Neville and Dean are the only Gryffindors in the 
same year, it would be impossible given the total number of students she claims 
is in the school ;-)
Let's calculate based on 5 Gryffindor boys in 6th year - Harry's year coming 
up. If that was the same for the four houses, that would mean a total of 20 
boys in 6th year in the whole school. If there are an equal # of girls, then 
that makes a total of 40 students in 6th year. If that is the same number for 
each level, then that makes 280 students in all of Hogwarts. Something doesn't 
add up ;-) 
I'll look for that particular interview of hers, but if someone else finds 
it, please post the quote (if it exists - maybe I'm imagining the whole thing, 
lol!). I just tried to access the Lexicon, but it won't load. Maybe the page is 
down for some reason?
I did find one page of message board comments on Diagon Alley where someone 
quoted JKR by saying she answered a direct question as to the number of 
students as 'about a thousand'. Oh well...
Cindy


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