[HPforGrownups] Number of Students, who goes to school?

[Snuffles MacGoo]

No: HPFGUIDX 8111

References Amy! References (please)

On p123 (brit/aust ed) PS chapter 'Hallowe'en' she says "Hundreds of seats were 
raised in stands" which is pretty different to 'a couple of hundred'

And where in CoS does it say the 200 Slytherin students? I can't find it in my 
edition at all. The description on p.125/6, COS "the rouge bludger' (which is 
where I assume you are looking) doesn't give any numbers.

I agree that entrance to Hogwarts is by invitation only, but I thought 
(somebody correct me if I'm wrong) that JKR has said that Hogwarts was the only 
wizarding school for the all of the UK.

I understand the idea of varying student numbers but I can't imagine, in a 
population presently unaffected by war or famine that changes in birthrate 
would be significant (ie if it were to drop it would stay low for a number of 
years and then raise as circumstances improved)

And I disagree re Ernie and other 'plebs' (for want of a better term) of the 
wizarding world not needing specifically focused magical training. If they have 
any magically skill level they will need to be trained to they can control it. 
IMO jobs don't appear to be 'allocated' on the basis of other than magical 
interests and skills (ie Fudge - I just can't see him being a great wizard!) 
but on other, non-magical, aptitudes. Obviously in some jobs specific magical 
powers are going to be more useful (eg Autor) but for many people there powers 
would simply be life-enhancing rather than life-defining (Or so I reckon).

Had Neville been a squib he would have attended the local comprehensive. 
(them's fighting words)

And completely OT (because that is so unlike me *not*) lock up your dogs and 
cats (and ferrets and rats) for the next few nights. Even animals who have no 
history of noise phobia can suddenly develop it and you don't want to lose a 
companion animal to the fireworks, or at least I assume you don't want to.

Storm (who is annoyed that people have started letting of fireworks ALL READY - 
BASTARDS - and who will be spending tomorrow night in a house full of sedated 
dogs and wondering cats)

-----Original Message-----
From:	Amy Winters [SMTP:amy at wintersmoon.com]
Sent:	Saturday, December 30, 2000 12:00 PM
To:	HPforGrownups at egroups.com
Subject:	[HPforGrownups] Number of Students

I'm in the middle of re-reading SS/PS and I noticed that when JKR is
describing the Stadium seats, she says that there are "a couple
hundred seats...".  I'm thinking that this contradicts what's said
later about the 200 Slytherin watching...multiply that by 4 and even
if the the other houses don't have quite as many students, you're
still talking between 600 and 800 students...that's a little bit more
than "a couple hundred".  Of course, when the 200 Slytherin were
there, they didn't all *have* to be in seats...some of them could be
standing elsewhere I guess.

Also...have you all discussed whether a certain number of students
are accepted each year or if that number is flexible?  I would
imagine that the Knight Bus driver wouldn't have necessarily have
gone to Hogwarts.  I've always gotten the impression that Hogwarts is
pretty much like a "private" school - admission is by invitation only.

If the number of students accepted each year is a flexible number,
then the number of students at Hogwarts could be vastly different
from year to year.  Say you've got 200 students accepted in one
year...they're now 7th year students.  The following year, only 50
new ones come in (it was a slow year for Wizards and Witches
births<G>)...you've just dropped your attendance by 150.

Amy



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