[HPforGrownups] How many students at Hogwarts? (yes, again) (was: How do they know?)

[illyana delorean]

No: HPFGUIDX 48223

>suzanne wrote:
>I don't believe that we can accept your statement as true. If I'm not
>mistaken, which I often am, we can only assume that in Harry's class in
>Gryffindor, there are *at least* the 5 boys that share the same dorm room
>and *at least* 3 girls.  There are lots of Gryffindors that are never named,
>and I see no reason that some of the never-named Gryffindors belong to
>Harry's class.

Unless the boys in Harry's year live in two different dorm rooms, 
there are only five boys in his class in Gryffindor. Although we all 
know that JKR frequently likes to use the word "around" when stating 
the number of objects in a certain situation, if i remember 
correctly, she has never said "around five" when stating the number 
of four-poster beds in Harry's dorm room. The number has always 
stated as being just "five."

Of course there are lots of Gryffindors that are never named - these 
books would be twice as long if JKR found it necessary to include 
every single Hogwarts student in the story. However, JKR likes to 
keep us posted on Harry's surroundings, and would obviously want to 
include information about who shares his dorm room (he *does* spend a 
lot of his time with those boys!).

I would find it very strange if we learned about another boy in 
Harry's class in Gryffindor, because that would mean that there would 
have to be at least a few more extra boys who shared a dorm room 
separate from Harry's. Otherwise, why wouldn't this other boy just 
live in the same room with Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus?

illyana
-- 
S1.3 MIL+++ RWG++# FRI++ CBG++ P&S-- f++/+++ n- $++++ 9F13, 1F22, 
2F13, 3F02, 3F05, 4F01, 4F08, 4F11, 4F19 F1980

HPGCv1
a22 e+ x+* Rm Ri HP4 S+++ Mo++ HG+/VK++ HaP+/SS+++& FGW++ DM++& VC-- 
GG-- CD+ VK++ SS+++& PT--- AF-- MM++ RL++ O+m FAo F- Sl FHo SfD

"What's the point in having a Honda if you can't show it off?" - 
Superintendent Chalmers

visit my livejournal! http://www.livejournal.com/users/illyanadmc