Late Start to Magical Education (Was: Re: WQ)

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 53182

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "persephone_kore
<persephone_kore at y...>" <persephone_kore at y...> wrote:

bboy_mn again with a preface:

I don't think you and I are that far off in our opinions. And I wasn't
some much responding to you directly, as I was to the tone of the
general threat which seemed to be unconsciously looking at these kids
as adults or sort of, adult-like; coming to school with adult minds
and experience and an adult approach to life. Their kids, they spend
their time running and playing.

>  <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> > The thrust is that logic ... indicate(s) ... magic kids should be 
> > much father ahead of muggle kids ...
> 
> I write: (persephone_kore)
> Well, actually the thrust of *my* post was that Hogwarts doesn't
> appear to assume that any of its students know anything about magic
> before first year, ...

bboy_mn:

... and Hagrid tells Harry as much, 'everyone starts at the beginning
at Hogwarts'. (not an exact quote, but close enough)

There are some kids who come to school with a great deal of knowledge;
Snape and Hermione. Just as you pointed out that some kids like
myself, know more about heavy construction equipment, and you know
more about Chocolate Chess Pie (...mmmmmmmmm.... :P Have you got the
recipe, or I'd settle for at least a good picture?). Some kids start
Kindergarden (in the US) with tremendous reading skills, but none the
less the teacher starts from the begining and teaches everyone the basics.

Magic kids like Ron come to school with a great deal of knowledge of
the Magic WORLD, but only a general knowledge of magic. We see this in
Harry and Ron's relationship. Harry doesn't envy Ron knowledge of
magic because they are about the same, but he does envy Ron's
knowledge of the magic world. It's this cultural knowledge not applied
knowledge that gives magic kids an advantage.
-end this part-



> 
> bboy: 
> > But, I don't think they put enough emphasis on the fact that these
> > kids are 11 years old. 
> 
> PK:
> ... the post I responded to, ... speculation on what children are 
> taught before age eleven...

> 
> *If* witch-born children were routinely taught anything about how to
> do magic prior to Hogwarts, then logically they would be well ahead.
> This is why I don't think they are. :) 
>

bboy_mn:

There is the Restriction for Underage Wizardry; in the copy I have,
Section TWO deals this children in school not being allowed to use
magic outside of school. Section ONE deal with pre-school children NOT
being allowed to use magic at all. Obviously, if you are not allowed
to use magic outside of school and you are too young to be enrolled in
school, then you are not allowed to use magic. That doesn't seem like
muc of a stretch of logic.

Again, these are not absolute, Fred and George are using magic up in
their bedroom all the time, but since it is a minor infaction that
doesn't take place where it can be seen or detected by Muggle's I
don't think the Ministry cares. It's just too low a priority to chase
after every magic kid in the magic world who is making a little magic
mischief. But if magic mischief becomes magic trouble then they don't
hesitate to step in.

The same goes for people like Snape, if he was away from muggles and
with adult supervision and wasn't causing any damage or harm when he
was learning magic, then the Ministry saw it as a low priority. If it
doesn't effect public safety or compromise wizard secrecy, then they
have more important things to deal with.

Based on this, I have to agree that the school assume that all student
generally come to the school with no more than a casual knowledge of
magic.
-end this part-


> 
> Do you see mine? (point)
> 
> PK

bboy_mn:

Yes, magic kids do have a cultural advantage in that they know all
about the wizard world. Things that Harry finds fascinating, Ron finds
boring and ordinary. So there is a familiarity that does give them
some general advantage but when it comes to applied knowledge of the
school's curriculum, there isn't that much difference between magic
and muggle.

Just a few more thoughts.

bboy_mn