House Points

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 80006

After I finished my  last post about manners and Harry's first 
encounter with Snape, a thought crossed my mind.

Do the houses start with a "float" of house points - perhaps deducted 
later in the year? The idea arose because, in the early days of his 
Hogwarts career, Harry loses a couple of house points in Potions. 
What happens if someone loses some right at the very beginning of the 
school year? 

We know that the system won't go into negatives in that rather 
amusing exchange in the last chapter of OOTP:

"'I'm trying to decide what curse to use of Malfoy, sir' said Harry 
fiercely. (remembers his manners though :-))

Snape stared at him.

'Put that wand away at once,' he said curtly. 'Ten points from Gryff='

Snape lookes towards the giant hour-glasses on the walls and gave a 
sneering smile.

'Ah, I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hour-
glass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to-'

'Add some more?'

Professor McGonagall had just stumped up the stone steps into the 
castle....."

Just curious as an ex-Maths teacher.

Geoff