Twenty 20 Twenty - Always 20

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 43359


We've recently returned to discussing the number of students at
Hogwarts and how that relates to the number of people in the wizard
world in UK. Well, forget that for a minute and let's go back in time
to part of the old 'number of students' arguement that I didn't bother
to join in before.

Some people are putting a lot of weight in the number 20 as being the
significant indicator of how many students there are. Although I
haven't track it down yet, I came cross another reference to the
number 20 that was unrelated to the number of Hogwarts student and
that made me suspicious.

Let's examine some 20's (I'm working from memory here so cut me some
slack.)

20 Cauldrons in Snape's potions class -

But all the students have their own cauldrons. So, maybe, they came
into a class room that had 20 school cauldrons in it already, and to
that, the student brought their own cauldrons. Now it doesn't mention
the student's cauldrons, but where else could they possibly use them.
I mean, besided the girl's bathroom. Why does every student have a
cauldron, it they are already provided in the class room. I say that
number 20 related to cauldrons, does not reflect the class side.
Depending on how you want to view it, once the class was in the room,
there could have been anywhere from 30 to 60 cauldrons there (best
guess, not mathermatically calculated.)

20 Brooms-

Apparently, most of you never went to a poor small town school. In an
hour of 'Intro to Broom Flying', 40 to 60 kids could have had a go at
the brooms. Twenty step up and try it, they step back, and 20 more
step up to try it, etc.... Sixty kids in an hour, that's 20 minutes
per group of 20. Twenty brooms does not equal 20 students.

20 Ear Muffs in Herbology-

Isn't it a bit odd that 20 is just the right number for Slytherins
plus Gryffindors, and it just the right number for Hufflepuffs plus
Gryffindors? Seems like very exactly match class sizes. Apparently, no
chance that there could be one more or less Hufflepuff than Slytherin.

So what is to say, there aren't another 20 Hufflepuff/Gryffindors in
the next greenhouse. Pro.Sprout gets Harry & friends started with the
Mandrakes, then goes to the next greenhouse and gets the next 20
started, then goes back to check on the first 20.

General Alternative Theory - Or classes could be broken into sections-

Transfigurations (illustration only)
10:00am Gryffindor - 3rd yr - section A
11:00am Gryffindor - 3rd yr - section B

DADA
2:00pm Tuesday - Gryffindor - 3rd yr - section A
2:00pm Wednesday - Gryffindor - 3rd yr - section B

Someone tried to shoot down this theory, indirectly, by saying that
teachers would have to teach something like 13 hours a day. I doubt
that they can back that up with numbers. If Snape teaches 3 hours in
the morning, and three hours in the afternoon, that's enough for 15
double potions classes per week. Two double classes per grade with
time left over. DADA to my knowledge is one class per week. So the
DADA teacher could teach 30 classes a week (3hrs morning, 3hrs
afternoon, 5 days, total 30hrs). 

Our window into Harry's world is primarily through Harry's eyes, and
Rowling can't possible account for the were abouts of every student;
well she could, but he book would be about as long and boring as an
encyclopedia. Just for sake of practical writing TONS of stuff simply
has to be left out. 

Conclusion, I think JKR has seized on 20 as a not too big, not too
small, just right number as a literary construct. I'm guessing if
Harry goes to buy new glasses, he will have 20 styles to choose from.
If he goes into a cafe, there will be 20 things on the menu. If he
goes for a walk it will take about 20 minutes. If he goes into
Fortescue's, he will be able to choose between 20 flavors of ice
cream. If he walks into a room of people, it will have about 20 people
in it. Everything seems to be in units of 20.

Twenty is a nice easy middle of the road, not too big, not too small
number that make for smooth easy writing. I don't think it's a
statement of absolute quantity. Frequently, you will find that it is
not 20 ear muffs but ABOUT 20 ear muffs which is just a quick glance
guess by Harry.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

bboy_mn