Hogwarts Student Population/Admittance to Hogwarts

[marephraim]

No: HPFGUIDX 45289

kateydidnt2002wrote:

>I was reading up in the FAQ on the numerous theories surrounding 
the Student Population of Hogwarts and I did not see one point 
brought up. It is possible that some British wizards send their 
children to foreign schools. Draco alludes to this possibility in 
GoF (Scholasitc, Hardcover pg 165) when the trio hear him say his 
father wanted to send him to Durmstrang.<

I read the FAQ on this and have perused the discussion. Frankly, 
this has never struck me as much of a boner. JKF says there's about 
1000 students. (FAQ footnote 13. Online Chat with J.K. Rowling, 
Scholastic, 16 October 2000.) The argument for fewer students seems 
to hinge on the mention of only 10 or so students per house in 
Harry's class. 

If we look back on our own school years didn't we have close 
friends, and also acquaintances, and then that rather larger group 
of people we might have seen but never knew personally? It seems 
more probable (could I start a new abbrv cnvntn? "ISMP" or is that 
already known?) that JKR simply gives us the names of those with 
whom Harry has a closer association either in his own house or 
through shared classes. 

I'm not familiar with the British boarding school system to know 
whether in such an institution there is only, say, one Math class 
for a particular grade. Could Hogwarts not have multiple DADA or 
Potions Classes for the first years? Harry shares Potions with the 
Slytherins but there could be more than one Potions classes for 
Gryffindor first years. 

I agree that the canon may be confused on this issue, but it just 
never struck me as being so until I read the FAQ.

On the attendence at other schools issue: just because a student is 
down to attend Hogwarts need not compell them to do so. Harry must 
reply to his letter of admittance. He _could_ have held out for 
Smelting.... ;-)

MarEphraim