universities/WizWorld structure

[devajones55d at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 24274

Steve Vander Ark wrote:

It seems to me that the amount of magical power intristic to a
person, while by far the most important factor, is not the only 
criteria for entering Hogwarts.  Influence from a patron or a famous 
family enters into the picture.  Why else would someone like Crabbe
or 
Goyle make it into Hogwarts?


This makes sense to me, because it's how things work in our Muggle 
world.  However, didn't JKR say in an interview that there's a magic 
book and quill somewhere that records when a magic child is born and 
that those are the kids who get letters of acceptance to Hogwarts? 
It seems to me that the purpose of something like this would be to 
have an impartial judge of the kids who get in and the kids who
don't. 
 I can think of two ways this would be circumvented: 1) The quill is
more lenient on kids who come from old wizarding familys or 2) The 
influential patron or member of a famous family of a kid in question 
*suggests* to the headmaster or headmistress that the kid should be 
let in.  # 2 is more likely, but I'll be interested to see in
upcoming books how much of acceptance is actually impartial and how 
much is based on human decisions.

magpie1112 wrote:
I've always figured that there was some kind of apprenticeship 
program in the Wizarding World.  You graduate from Hogwarts, and then 
are put into a basic-level apprentiship (sort of like the old ways of 
training solicitors and nurses).  For example, Bill Weasley would, 
after Hogwarts, go to Gringotts and begin his work as an 
apprentice/assistant (much like what Pearcy is doing now).  After a 
period of time, Bill goes out on his own as a full-fledged member of 
Gringotts.  

This seems perfectly logical, and even necessary, especially for 
Mediwizards. (I'm assuming that no colleges or universities also
means no medical schools.)  It'd be like the internships of today. 
(Well, not exactly, but you get the same real-world experience.)  
After all, being able to heal is obviously the most important aspect 
of being a Mediwizard, but you also have to learn to deal with people 
and emergency situations.

Also, if a kid wrangles his way into Hogwarts without being "on the 
list" and proves to be hopelessly in over his head,  offering an 
apprenticeship at some point to a less magic-oriented job might be
the 
best way to get the kid out of school and still let him be part of
the Wizarding World until he can do the job on his own.

Deva  (who is on the young side but is desperately trying to think 
like a mature adult)