Random ideas

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51763

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Trond Michelsen
<trondmm-hp4gu at c...> wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 25, 2003 at 01:15:31PM -0000, Tom Wall
<thomasmwall at y...> wrote:
> 
> > -----
> > Q: How many students attend Hogwarts, and how many 
> >    students per year per house? 
> > A: There are about a thousand students at Hogwarts.
> > -----
> 
> > So, about 35 students per year per house.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> In case there's anybody that hasn't seen this list, here are some
> pictures:
> 
> http://www.fictionalley.org/harryandme/schoollist1.jpg
> http://www.fictionalley.org/harryandme/schoollist2.jpg
> http://www.fictionalley.org/harryandme/schoollist3.jpg
> 


[NOTE: enhanced versions of these same photos are available in the
Photo gallery for this group.]


> 
> If we make some assumptions, that we know all the Gryffindors in
> Harry's year (no, I don't believe a word of the "two unknown 
> Gryffindor girls during the Boggart class" theory), and that 20 
> brooms and 20 earmuffs are exact numbers, then we have 12 
> Slytherins and 12 Hufflepuffs, which leaves us with 9 Ravenclaws.
> 
> (Now, if there really are 10 Gryffindors, there are also 10 
> Slytherins and 10 Hufflepuffs, which means that there are 11 
> Ravenclaws.)
> 
> -- 
> Trond Michelsen

bboy_mn:

A few small weaknesses in your analysis. 

I assumes relatively equal class sizes between house. The latest
theory presumes that Slytherin and Gryffindor's are rare individuals
and therefore, their houses are smaller. I like that theory.

You assume you know all the students in Harry year, when in fact, you
only know the characters. That is, students who take and active part
in the story.

The same hold true for JKR's list of students. It doesn't necessarily
define all the students, it define all the characters who will be part
of the story. We know there are many Ravenclaws who have never been
mentioned beyond a general reference to the group. Do we even know the
names of any of the Quidditch team members? We know two, Roger Davis
and Cho Chang, because the have an active presents in more than one
book. So the point is that the book probably defines all the active
character and not all of the students.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn