Number of Students Argghhh!

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 3910

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer 
<pennylin at s...> wrote:
"If there are 8 Gryffindors in Harry's year & if the Hufflepuffs &
Slytherins are likewise afflicted with low populations, then Harry's
year would be incredibly disproportionately small in relation to the
other classes in order to come up with a final tally of 1000 
students at any one time.  Let's say there are 8 Gryffindors, 12 
Slytherins, 12 Hufflepuffs & 20 Ravenclaws (52).  The other years 
would have to be 3 times as large (158 students) to come up with 1000.
> 
BTW, I do agree that the Sorting Hat would *not* sort the students 
in equal numbers into the 4 Houses.  That's why I've always thought 
each House probably had 6-15 students per year.  There's an average 
range I would think.  But 8 would be way *low* on a range that is 
supposed to average out at 35.  Sorry, but none of this makes any 
rational sense to me.  

Granted, I have zero mathematical skills or logic but still . . . .
> 
> Penny"

I never thought you and I would be on the same side of the student 
census issue, but JKR managed it.  I think 1000 seems pretty high for 
all the reasons you name.  But let's review some of the things that 
argued all along for a higher population:

Wizarding society.  A wizarding society that has 300 kids between the 
ages of eleven and 17-18 is too small to have all the 
institutions/businesses etc. we've seen. Heck, Roger Sherman 
Elementary, where my daughters go, draws from a very small area. It's 
got 386 students in six years.

Hogwarts is big. There's more than enough room for even 1000.  There 
was seating for 1200 at the Yule Ball. We know there's extra guests, 
but there's no need for a 4:1 seat ratio if the student census is 300.

I felt it was perfectly possible there were more students in other 
houses than in Gryffindor and Slytherin.  Maybe these students are 
exceptional (in one direction or another).  There's never been any 
evidence for it, but it seems reasonable that there's more people who 
do the work (like Hufflepuffs) than get the glory (like Gryffindors). 
Is it coincidence that Gryffindors and Slytherins have so many
classes 
together?  Are all the Gryffindors and Slytherins in the same 
sections?

I always thought it was obvious the Sorting Hat puts people where
they 
should go without regard for numbers.  The Sorting Hat told us so
very 
clearly, IMO.