[HPforGrownups] Re: Is education a right or a privilege in WW?

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 104141

On 3 Jul 2004 at 4:51, justcarol67 wrote:

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" <drednort at a...>
> wrote:
> > On 27 Jun 2004 at 14:05, djrfdh wrote:
> > 
> > >  So, how did Harry get into Hogwarts? By virtue of his "magical 
> > > wizarding level"? Hardly, since he was not exposed to anything 
> > > magical from age one to age eleven;( unless you count the odd things 
> > > that seemed to "happen" whenever he got mad or upset!)  Did he get in 
> > > because he was the "notable" son of two of Hogwarts most well-known 
> > > students? Or did Harry gain entry because he was "famous" for having 
> > > survived a LV attack and therefore entitled to the best "defensive" 
> > > education as compensation for losing his parents, that the WW could 
> > > offer? 
> > 
> > No, on the MQ/MP idea I've postulated he got in because his MP/MQ 
> > was high enough (I suspect it's unusually high) and because he did 
> > have exposure to magic as an infant which did trigger later 
> > spontaneous magic.
> > 
> > What I have proposed is not an idea that requires a child to have 
> > constant contact with magic - just *some* - to trigger magical 
> > ability at MP 900. Harry had a solid year of it with his family. 
> > That's enough. The key to the idea is that if there is virtually 
> > none, it won't happen at that point - but Harry had at least some 
> > (and being surrounded by protective magic may also have been a 
> > factor).  
> 
> Carol:
> But Hagrid says in SS/PS that Harry's name has been down in the
> Hogwarts book since he was born. I imagine Neville's was, too; Gran
> and the rest of the family just didn't know it. also we have no
> evidence of any kind of contract or test of magical ability; only the
> magical quill, which appears to apply to all magical children, not
> just Muggleborns. (The question JKR was answering was a two-parter.
> Only one part related to Muggleborns.)

Yeah, but the idea doesn't *require* testing. Somehow the Quill 
knows at birth which children will qualify and which don't.

There's no testing involved.
 
> I'm thinking that the Stan Shunpikes of the WW got into Hogwarts
> originally because they were born magical but failed all their
> O.W.L.S. and consequently couldn't continue in school and so became
> bus conductors and the like. Maybe that will happen with Crabbe and
> Goyle, who by your criteria should never have been admitted to
> Hogwarts--although at least they haven't melted any cauldron bottoms
> like Neville. Crabbe and Goyle as janitors in the MoM, anyone? (Just
> don't make them prison guards at Azkaban.)

No, my criteria does *not* mean Crabbe and Goyle should never have 
been admitted to Hogwarts. In fact the theory as I presented it 
specifically addresses Goyle:

"[Note - it must be stated here that MQ must be only part of  
the standard for success at Hogwarts. Conventional IQ -  
intelligence - obviously plays a part in a students success  
as well. But I think MQ is the determining factor for entry  
- otherwise its hard to explain Goyle]."

MQ has nothing to do with intelligence - it only has to do with 
magical power. To be a highly successful wizard, both intelligence 
and magical power are useful - but they don't always go together.

Goyle may lack intelligence - it doesn't mean he lacks raw magical 
power.

See - Hermione is undoubtedly smarter than Harry (higher IQ) but I 
think Harry is more powerful than Hermione (higher MQ). Which is 
more important depends on the spell - if it's complex Hermione will 
have the edge. If it simply requires a great deal of power, Harry 
would. Hermione I don't think is weak - just as I don't think Harry 
is stupid. They just stand out in different ways.

The theory is not that complex, and it's not necessarily correct by 
any means - but it does take people like Crabbe and Goyle into 
account.



Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia


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