Number of Students, who goes to school?

[Amy Winters]

No: HPFGUIDX 8115


Storm wrote...
> References Amy! References (please)>

I know, I know...and I'll try to do better in the future.  I've been 
at my parents for a week now, using their computer.  The only HP book 
I have with me is SS, which I've been reading to pick up more little 
details.  I was downstairs, writing the email from memory, the book 
upstairs and my parents internet connection gets tempermental at 
times, so...but I will try to do better in the future<G>.

>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<

Yeah, I saw that when I looked it up last night before going to 
bed...but that still comes across to be as maybe 500 or 600 seats, 
not thousands.  (If there had been 2000 seats, shouldn't it have 
said "Thousands of seats"?)


> 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.<

To be honest, I have no idea...I thought I had seen it in a previous 
email on this subject.


> 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.>

I don't see where they're being trained to control their powers at 
Hogwarts - they're being taught to use them and taught to do 
different things with them.  There probably is a certain amount of 
control that is learned for the students that either have Muggle 
parents or in Harry's case, were raised in the Muggle world.  But, I 
think that comes more from simply understanding what they are.  I 
don't think Ron needs any training to use his power - just 
instruction as to what to do with it (learning new spells, charms, 
etc).  Molly and Arthur would have (I hope) seen to it that the kids 
weren't blowing up things every time they got mad.  Can you imagine 
what their house would have been like if they hadn't?  7 
children...even the best behaved children will throw a temper tantrum 
once in a while.  Molly and Arthur would have HAD to have trained 
their children to at least control their power.

Of course, this also seems to make Hogwarts an elitist(sp) school, 
which I'm not sure I really like.  So maybe I'd be happier going with 
the idea that all wizards and witches in the UK go to Hogwarts.

I'm off to begin a 5 hour drive home...what I wouldn't give to be 
able to apparate<G>

Amy