Number of students

[raolin1 at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 29415

I was quite surprised, on a recent reread, to find evidence that 
there are only five boys in Gryffindor for Harry's year: Neville, 
Dean, Seamus, and of course Ron and Harry.  (It is mentioned that 
Harry sleeps with all the boys his age, and these five are apparently 
the only ones in that dorm.)  We know of even less girls in 
Gryffindor, but that is likely because they don't play as much a role 
in the story, but this begs the question.

Assuming that this is the average number each year for each gender, 
Gryffindor only has about 70 students in it at any given time during 
the school year.  During one of the Quidditch matches, Slytherin is 
mentioned as having about 200 supporters in the stands, which 
possibly, do not include just students (we do know that Snape is 
there with them.)

So, is Harry's year just slim, or are there less students that get 
sorted into Gryffindor (maybe less fill the personality 
requirement??) or are there really only about 280 students at a given 
time?

Joshua Dyal

P.S.  For weird shippers, I just reread the Yule Ball, and noticed 
that Dean Thomas asked Harry and Ron how they got dates with the best 
looking girls in their year: the Patil twins (I'm judging from their 
names that they are of Indian extraction at some point??)  But I 
doubt anyone's shipped them off, have they?  :)