Questions from American Muggle/'Shipping Post

[Charmian]

No: HPFGUIDX 8193

Apologies again, as a relative newbie, if these things have been 
discussed before. 

On the school:  I get the impression from my limited amount of 
British cultural knowledge that Hogwarts is sort of like Eton or 
Harrow in terms of prestiege, but appears to be funded by the 
government. On the other hand, it also seems to be the wizarding 
equivalent of Oxbridge, based on what I heard Rowling has said (no 
higher ed.), and various clues in the books (Ron's elder siblings 
went to work right after school). 

On how nearly all the adults work for the state (with the exception 
of one of Ron's brothers who works for the bank, Lockhart, Skeeter, 
L. Malfoy, and Voldy...it seems to be the expected thing to go into 
civil service) :  I recall reading an British novel set recently 
where a lot of the characters also all worked at Whitehall (and the 
rest were academics). Is this some sort of British convention? 

'Shipping:  I wish I could get involved in the whole H/R/H/Cho/Ginny 
imbroglio, but am sadly afflicted with Subversively Interesting 
Secondary Character Syndrome, a condition in which one is unable to 
obsess over the relationships of the main character, for some reason. 
(I also suffer from Angstiness Syndrome, but that's another post.) 
Also, they seem too young, mentally, at this point. But if Rowling 
decides to give the older characters some semblance of personal 
lives, I'll jump into the whole darn 'shipping thing. 

Charmian