[HPforGrownups] Number at Hogwarts

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 42611

Animagi raven considers the number of students at Hogwarts, 

>I don't have access to the exact quote by JKR but what if 1000 is the 
>approximate number of beings (students, teachers, ghosts, creatures 
>in the Forbidden Forest, etc?) at Hogwarts?  Mull that over for a 
>while. 


Eloise:
The number of students at Hogwarts is one of those old chestnuts to which 
there seems to be no satisfactory answer.
The only piece of canon I can think of which is in any way helpful, is in 
POA, The Qudditch Final, when three quarters of the crowd is described as 
sporting Gryffindor colours and 200, Slytherin green, which implies that the 
entire crowd is about 800 people. Of course, we don't know how many of those 
are students. Do parents and families watch? Possibly, although I personally 
doubt it (I'm sure there would have been a reference to spotting the Weasleys 
or something if JKR envisaged that).

>Maybe that will satisfy enough people that we can move onto 
>the important things like:
>
>How do owls (and tropical birds, too) find the people that they are 
>looking to deliver mail to?

I think they can home into an individual's magical aura, or such like, in the 
same way as an animal which uses scent can home in an an individual.

> Does the Ford Anglia need gas now?

I don't think it ever has, since Arthur tinkered with it. Flying to Scotland 
on one tank would be quite an achievement, especially after they'd already 
driven to London.

> Where is Hagrid storing Sirius's motorcycle?

My theory is that, like the Flying Ford Anglia, it is now roaming the 
Forbidden Forest (I don't think Hagrid would have wanted anything to do with 
it, once he knew of Sirius' 'guilt').
Honestly, I haven't the foggiest. I think he's got rid of it, but I enjoy the 
fantasy of it forming a liaison with the Anglia and bringing up a little 
family of motor cycles with side-cars.

> What happened to James and Lily's wands?

Anybody's guess.
I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore had them somewhere. OTOH, they could 
have been retrieved by the MOM, whom I imagine had to remove any magical 
items from the house before the Muggles got there.

>How does the Marauder's Map know your name?

It's, um, *magic*. ;-)
I don't know. Does anyone? But a Remembrall can tell what's going on in 
someone's mind (ie, they've forgotten something), a Sneakoscope can tell if 
someone's intentions are reliable, Moody's Foe Glass can detect an 
individual's enemies, etc. It seems quite in keeping that an object could be 
enchanted to know people's names.

> 
> Why would *anyone* sell blood-flavored candy?

Vampires are allowed to have sweet teeth (fangs?) too, you know. 
OK, they don't eat, I know.
But there may be other magical types out there with a penchant for blood and 
in any case, JKR is keeps throwing in little vampire references, which some 
interpret as hints that Snape is a vampire and others of us vigorously deny.

>Look for a problem and you will find one.
>Look for a solution and you will find one.
>Look for your car keys and they are nowhere to be found...

That's because they've had a shrinking spell put on them. I know mine have.

Eloise





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