Hogwarts should have been a summer camp.

[sandra87b]

No: HPFGUIDX 127729



Following on from my original question regarding the point of 
why Hogwarts exists, I've come to the conclusion that it should 
have been nothing more than a summer camp. That way, JKR 
could have treated it like a place where certain kids learn 
responsibilities for their quirky magical abilities, and can still 
take part in the ordinary world afterwards.
Instead, it's 7 years spent studying to wind up with a medieval 
education, a flair for party tricks, and a dismal start in life outside 
their school environment. So the whole school (and the few 
others like it) all fall victim to yet another 'little something' that has 
never been addressed.

I feel that if a writer is going to create a world and set 7 books in 
it, it would be nice if that world had a smidgeon of purpose. I 
know I'm being pedantic, but I just keep on feeling like the 
Emperor has no clothes, and nobody else is willing to see that. I 
would have thought that one of the first things JKR would have 
wondered when she was imagining Harry getting his Hogwarts 
invitation is "Why would anyone go to a school for wizards - 
where would it lead them?".
As often happens, she either didn't think of it, or simply didn't 
bother addressing it. And everyone is happy to miss it. To me, 
that just weakens the whole idea. Combine that with her happy 
disregard for simple logic on time travel (don't worry, I'm not 
starting that one up again!) and the easy changing of characters' 
intelligence (Dumbledore in book five), and I'm even less 
inclined to read book six.

I  feel like all the issues for HP could have been addressed in 
book one, and the rest is just one monstrously hyped 
bandwagon. Speaking of which, is anyone expecting another 
100 million dollar law suit to be thrown around in July, to grab a 
few headlines? A couple of days before the release of book 5, a 
New York newspaper dared print some details of the story and 
the tv news ran huge stories about the massive, crippling lawsuit 
which was 'about to be served' for such an obscene act. So far I 
still haven't heard anything... have you?

Sandra (with a sigh of despair at overhyped short stories)