HWGA -- Number of students

[plinsenmayer]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C6858
From: plinsenmayer
Subject: Re: HWGA -- Number of students
Reply To: [Yahoo! #6856] Re: HWGA -- Number of students
Date: 8/14/00 5:30 pm  (ET)

Hi:

<<<Ahhhhh! My math's off. 800 people, I mean. Which gives about 14 girls
and 14 guys in each year in each house.>>>

I still think most of the "excess" attendees at that Quidditch match were
alumni or just Hogsmeade residents, rather than students or professors
at Hogwarts. The evidence regularly cited (other than that one Quidditch
match) for a larger student population is the 100 carriages that hold 4
students. I think that argument can be countered with the fact that each
carriage holds up to 4 students (but in PoA, Harry's carriage only has
3 students). Plus, as someone else argued, those carriages might well
also be used for transporting the students' luggage to the castle. So,
I don't think it's logical to conclude that there are 450 or so students,
based on the carriages.

I still think the preponderence of the evidence suggests that Hogwarts
has a student body of 225-300 students. We know that Harry's year in
Gryffindor has only 8 students. I think a range of 8-12 students per year
per House is supported with stronger evidence than that one Quidditch
match. For some of the recent discussions on this issue, you might want
to search the message archives at:

http://members.xoom.com/hpfg/

IMO, most school sporting events like that are attended regularly by
alumni & interested community members.

Penny