uniforms

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 84714

> ARYA said:
> The only classes that we seem to have any canon evidence for the 
> classes being mixed together is for Potions with the Slytherins and 
> Herbology with the Hufflepuffs.  It hasn't ever been mentioned for 
> any other classes and it could be possible the classes are almost all 
> one house per class.  Or it could be that the classes are segregated--
> Slytherins all up front and on the right, Gryffindors on the left, 
> Hufflepuffs, in the back, behind the Slytherins and Ravenclaws, fall 
> in into the last quadrant of the room.  Afterall, except for 
> Herbology or Potions, we never hear Harry describe what any student 
> other than a Gryffindor says or does in class.  
> 

Actually, his first-year flying class with Madam Hooch and his classes
on Care of Magical Creatures were with the Slytherins. (For all I
know, he may have History of Magic with the Ravenclaws--we just don't
know.) In any case, these classes are clearly small (which takes us
back to JKR's very odd statement that there are about 1,000 students
at Hogwarts). Notice, too, that there appear to be only ten students
(and eight boggarts, not counting his own) in Lupin's first DADA
class. If the school population is that small, the teachers wouldn't
have any trouble identifying students' houses. My assumption (and,
yes, I know that's all it is) is that certain teachers (Snape,
MacGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout) teach every student for the first five
years (till O.W.L.S.) because their classes are mandatory. These
teachers could be expected to know every students' name and house.
Others, like the divination and arithmancy teachers, would know only
those older students who choose to take their courses. The four
teachers I named are the heads of their respective houses, which would
give them an additional motivation for quickly becoming acquainted
with one fourth of the student body. If I'm right, these teachers, at
least, would have no need for distinguishing badges to determine the
houses of the students they encountered. (The everyday robes we know
to be black.)

Carol