[HPforGrownups] Hogwarts population and Wizarding culture

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 9738

Steve Vander Ark wrote:

> We Muggles see reality TOTALLY differently, down to the underpinnings
> of everything that we believe, from the way the Wizarding World sees
> it. A famous quote says that "the speed of light will never be broken
> by someone who has already decided that it's impossible." Wizarding
> kids have a different set of things that they know are possible from
> the set of things we teach our Muggle kids. And what we teach our
> kids then requires a whole lot of additional education to give them
> the details. Add to that our assumption that we impart this education
> to ALL kids, regardless, which they clearly don't do in the Wizarding
> World, where you have to have a certain level of magical ability to
> get into the school (e.g. Neville).

This whole discussion, while it answered the point it was addressing,
also covers a point I had tried to make on whether the books are "fair
mysteries." I believe they are, if the reader had the background to make
automatic magical assumptions--i.e., a wizarding reader would "get" them.
We, as Muggle readers, have hints sail right past us, that later become
obvious, but we don't have the correct set of world assumptions to solve
the mystery the first time 'round. I think that's part of the charm of
the books, that they *are* figure-out-able, but only if you can unbend
your mind sufficiently.

--Amanda