Number of students

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 7980

Nathan:" Maybe Hogwarts is set up so that Slytherin  and Griffindor 
are the hardest to get into, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have more 
students..."

Who goes where is entirely up to the Sorting Hat, which puts people 
where their personal qualities suit them without regard to quotas or 
anything else.  Having said that, I think you may well be right; 
Gryffindor and Slytherin students are exceptional, and there's a lot 
more people who do the work in life (Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw) then 
get the glory (or the notoriety). There's no evidence for this, 
though.

I have a hard time with the 20 earmuffs and 20 brooms too. If the 
houses are indeed larger, as they must be to meet JKR's number, then 
the explanation might be that combined sections don't include ALL the 
Slytherins and ALL the Gryffindors.  This actually has to be true once 
students start taking electives such as Divination and Arithmancy.  
Also, if the school only has 300+/- students (too low, IMO)the 
teachers have a lot of time on their hands.

I said this before, but I have a hard time with very low numbers for 
the Hogwarts student body.  The evidence is conflicting in many areas. 
We have the 20 student joint classes and the small dorms on one side, 
and the huge castle and seating for 1200 at the Yule Ball on the 
other.