[HPforGrownups] Re: Distribution of students in houses (was: Dorms)

[Penny & Bryce]

No: HPFGUIDX 26122

Hi --

cynthiaanncoe at home.com wrote:

> 
> But I don't understand the assumption that people don't exist at
> Hogwarts unless JKR names them and shows them in action.  If I read a
> novel about a fictional law firm, the author doesn't have to
> introduce me to every document clerk.  I just assume there are other
> people in the setting aside from the main characters. 
> 
> In HP, there are a staggering number of named characters and stock
> characters, and I think there could be lots of "placeholder"
> characters.  How can we rule out the possibility that there are not
> additional teachers of transfiguration, etc. and other sections of
> students?  Forgive me if this has already been discussed somewhere,
> but I haven't seen a satisfactory explanation. 

Well, this is certainly possible.  But, it is fairly clear that there 
are about 40 Gryffindors in Harry's year, unless there are a 
disproportionate number of Ravenclaws.  We have 8 (possibly 10 if you 
believe there are 2 unnamed female Gryffindors in the Boggart lesson in 
PoA) Gryffindors in Harry's year.  One reason we can be pretty sure that 
there are only the 5 boys in Harry's year can be found in CoS: "Harry 
was joined by *the* other Gryffindor boys (not *some* of the other 
Gryffindor boys).  How do I get to the 40 number you ask?  Well, when 
Harry's 8-10 Gryffindors have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs of his 
year, there are 20 earmuffs.  When Harry has Potions or flying lessons 
with the Slytherins, there are 20 cauldrons and 20 brooms, respectively. 
  This suggests that in Harry's year, there are about 8-12 students per 
House.  Harry & the Gryffindors have no lessons with the Ravenclaws, so 
it's possible that there are lots of Ravenclaws, enough to bring up the 
total to 143 students in Harry's year (to get to the 1000 students at 
Hogwarts figure).  But, this seems very unlikely to me.

As for there being other unnamed teachers, this is possible.  Although 
the descriptions of the Staff table sort of work against that theory IMO.

If you haven't already, check out the Hogwarts FAQ (full of interesting 
tidbits we've debated before):

http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/faq/hogwarts.html

Penny