Childhood Wizards

[Sam Brown]

No: HPFGUIDX 1346

Hogwarts is obviously THE school for wizards, but only after they're 
eleven. What do wizard children (that is, children of wizarding 
families) do before then? Are there special wizarding 
primary/elementary schools for younger tots? They can't go to a 
Muggle school because wizard children are often using basic magic 
from a very young age (eg, Fred and George turned Ron's teddy bear 
into a giant spider... which, when thinking back to Transfiguration 
doesn't seem a very basic magic at all, given that turning a turtle 
into a teapot is fourth year [?] stuff). It is more or less implied 
that Hogwarts is the only school for wizard children in the UK, so 
before the eleventh year children of wizarding they must be home 
schooled... I can see Draco having a tutor, but I can't see Mrs 
Weasley teaching her children how to read and write...

On another note, we're told (mostly in the first book) that the first 
indication a child is a wizard is some strange, reality-defying act 
of random magic (such as bouncing down from the roof, or growing all 
your hair back in one night). I feel sorry for the children of Muggle-
borns... imagine what their Muggle parents must think, having what 
they thought was an ordinary child doing some extraordinary things!

Anyway, just some of my ponderences (sp?... is that even a word?!) on 
the universe of HP.