Number of Students at Hogwarts

[karenlyall666]

No: HPFGUIDX 69203

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I've cut all previous dialogue in this message as I'm not replying to 
a specific point in any of them.  Hope that's okay as far as admin 
goes???

I always believed there were only 40 students in the whole of Harry's 
year...

My reasoning is that in the programme 'Harry Potter & Me' JKR shows 
the camera a notebook with the 'cast' list for Harry's year.  
Although all the names are not clear it does show alphabetically 40 
students to be sorted at the same time as Harry.  (This kind of ties 
in with the 20 broomsticks theory).

I have compared this list with the students we hear about in the 
books and although not all are mentioned in canon - enough are that I 
believe this to be her 'master list' of students entering HW's in 
1991.

I have absolutely no idea if my idea's are correct, and they don't 
really help with the overall number of students within the school, 
but, it might give some food for thought and leads nicely into a 
question I have.

If anyone else out there in HP world has seen this program or the 
class list stills on the net, could someone help me work out what 
JKR's short hand symbols indicate beside all the names?

I have theories but would like to get some other opinions.  Also if 
this has already been discussed to death can someone point me in the 
right direction?

Thanks for listening

Karen