[HPforGrownups] Re: # of Students

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 3894

milz wrote:

> Let's assume that the 1000 are divided evenly among the 4 houses.
> Then each house would have 250 students (1000 divided by 4).

okay.

> There are 7 years/grade levels at Hogwarts.

Each house's 250 divided by 7 is 35 to 36.
Then when you divide by gender, you get about 17 to 18 females and 17 to 18
males in each house in each year.

So from what we know of Harry's class, they seem to be about ten off, in
both genders, yes? That's not a whole lot of fudging, considering the
possible variability in the number and gender of new students each year (I
don't think it's a set number, I think they take the ones who qualify), and
considering the following equally valid point about the Sorting Hat. There's
no reason to think it is compelled, thinks it should, or ever does sort the
students so that they come out numerically even.

> IMO, I don't believe the 1000 students are evenly distributed among
> the houses. Why? The Sorting Hat system seems to be based more on
> quality than quantity. The Sorting Hat examines every student's
> character and sorts them to whichever house best suits the student.
> IOW, if there are more hard-workers in a particular year, then there
> would be more Hufflepuffs. So it's entirely possible that there are
> only 5 Gryffindor boys in Harry's year, because these 5 were the only
> ones the Hat could match to Gryffindor, IMO.

I also don't think you use enough acronyms, milz. IMO. FWIW.

--Amanda