What Makes a Viable Population

[doffy99]

No: HPFGUIDX 43433

> jferer said:
> > The wizard world in Britain is still small, very small, even at 
> > 20,000. It almost doesn't work at that figure.
> > The problem here is that, if Hogwarts is the only wizarding 
school 
> > in Britain, then the population of the wizarding world is nailed 
to 
> > the student census.  If there were other schools, or if most  
> > wizards were trained up in apprenticeships, then the 
population    
> > problem would go away. The population could be anything.
> > 
> > One problem I have with apprenticeships is that the wizard world 
> > seems to be a literate one, with a newspaper, magazines, and 
books. 
> > I also don't like to imagine a wizard world with that kind of 
class 
> > structure, where a small elite is educated and the rest not. I'm 
> sure 
> > JKR doesn't believe in that. Of course, that's not canonical, 
> that's 
> > gut, and doesn't prove anything.
> 


>From what we know, and it isn't much, of a wizards life BEFORE 
Hogwarts, they are 1) taught in ordinary muggle schools, unlikely. 2) 
Taught at home by their parents or 3) Taught in non-muggle private 
schools within their community. (Considering the size of the Wizard 
population in Britain is being estimated at 20,000, I'd say Floo 
powder is a good guess as to transport. Since, like the Weasley's, a 
community may have only one, two or three wizard families.)

If ANY of these are true, and one of them almost has to be, then 
the kids are taught to read and write and certain basic classes such 
as math and maybe history before ever coming to Hogwarts. I've 
noticed that Hogwarts does not teach English Compostion. Except as it 
applies to magic, Hogwarts teaches almost nothing of the basics: 
Reading, writing, mathmatics, history etc. So the wizard world WOULD 
be educated, but possibly not all trained in magic except in their 
certain area. Such as Stan Shunpike. The assistant driver(?) of the 
night bus. The man does not seem real bright nor magically 
inclined. 

My guess is he's just the magical side of a squib. He knows enough  
magic to get by and to do his job. What else does he need? He could 
have been trained to do this job, and the limited magic needed, as 
an apprentice. 

Perhaps a wand maker, like Ollivander, does not need huge amounts 
of magic to produce a wand. Maybe he just needs training. We don't 
know. 

Does Madam Malkin really need magic to make robes? The guy in the  
bookstore(Can't remember the name right now) has NEVER done a magic 
trick we've seen. 

The WIZARDS, the trained ones, the Hogwarts Alumni, would go to 
work for the MoM as Aurors and explorers, such as Charlie working 
with Dragons. The others, the not so proficeint, very well may go 
into apprenticeships. Being taught by a mentor or maybe even their 
parents. This, as you point out, would screw up the Wizard 
Population estimates, but it makes sense. Even in Muggle society, not 
everyone goes to a university. Not everyone can get into a high 
school for the Arts and, in essence, isn't that what Hogwarts is? A 
high school for kids with a gift? They're learning an art!

=Jeff