[HPforGrownups] Re: numbers again

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 13056

Hi --

naama_gat at hotmail.com wrote:

> I have another point to make regarding the number of students.
> JKR has said quite specifically that there are 1000 students in
> Hogwarts. Now, obviously that doesn't sit well with (or rather is
> flatly contradicted by) evidence in the books. BUT - I can't believe
> that JKR, who has spent years planning and thinking of the HP world,
> and who is at least as intelligent as most of us here, hadn't thought
> of this very basic problem. Its not a reasonable slip up, IMO.

But, neither is the wand order mistake a reasonable slip-up, but from
all accounts, that's exactly what it was.  A mistake.  A huge one.  But,
one that was made by the author & missed by every editor who looked at
the manuscript before it went to press at both Bloomsbury & Scholastic.
So, I don't think it makes too much sense to assume that JKR is
infallible & has every detail completely worked out.  If she did, then
there wouldn't be the flatly contradictory evidence about the number of
students.

I personally think the number of students response was an off-the-cuff
remark that she didn't think through.  Or, maybe she thinks there should
be 1000 students at Hogwarts, but she hadn't focused on that when
writing some of the scenes that contradict this in each book.  Either
way -- I'll also be interested to see if and how she addresses this
issue in a later book.  :--)

Penny


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