How do Hogwarts' muggle-borns drop off the radar?

[mfterman]

No: HPFGUIDX 127811



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "redlena_web" <redlena_web at y...>
wrote:
> Since the Muggle-born/raised students like Harry and Hermione 
> are transferring to Hogwarts, a *magic* school, I would presume 
> that the explanation of their disappearance from the Muggle 
> school system would be magical.

Yes and no. I tend to subscribe to the simplest theory possible.

> Memory charms, magically altered documents and the like, 
> possibly by some office of the Ministry of Magic, could be used to 
> adjust the records of a particular student who otherwise would 
> seem to have "disappeared." Perhaps the records would even 
> be expunged... removing any reference to the particular child, so 
> there'd be no reason for any Muggle authority to seek out the 
> records of said child.

The problem is that Hermione Granger exists in a huge list of
different files. Sooner or later someone would find a discrepancy.

> For anyone who might think this is unlikely because of the effort 
> involved in locating the appropriate documents and people to 
> "adjust," remember that potentially Hogwarts-bound children are 
> identified upon birth.  Those responsible for the magical altering 
> of the small portion of students for whom this would be 
> necessary would have 11 years in which to track where the 
> efforts would be needed.

Even so, they'd be constantly using magic to expunge a huge number of
records and there's always the possibility that they'll miss something
important.

No, there's a much simpler way: register Hogwarts with the Muggle
authorities as a British public school (that is, it's independently
financed, not open to the general public, etc.). Harry and Hermione
have Muggle school transcripts which are probably based on their
actual grades translated somehow.

Muggle-borns thus never drop off the radar, or even Half-bloods who
attended a Muggle primary school. They simple in the records transfer
to an obscure public school in Scotland and that takes care of that.
Makes life easier for the parents as well.

mfterman