Social Structure in the WW

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 152145

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Cassy Ferris 
<cassy_ferris at ...> wrote:
>
>   And Riddle was the brightest student of Hogwards, got a special 
reward for sevices for school and still couldn't count on making a 
good career because of being (presumably) muggle-born!
>    

Tonks:
This brings up an interesting point. I am sure that we have explored 
this before. But remind me, please.

If Tom was in a Muggle orphanage, and his mother died at his birth, 
how did anyone know that she was a witch?

He is a half-blood, not a Muggle born. But how did anyone know?  

The WW just seems to "know" which kids have the gift of magic so 
that they can invite them to come to Hogwarts.  But if all of her 
family is gone and she died at the birth of Tom, how did anyone know 
that Tom's mother was a witch? And how did they know that she was in 
the line of Slytherin?  And if the WW knew, why did they allow Tom 
to stay in a Muggle orphanage?  Surly someone would have know that 
he would start to show signs of magic and would not be treated well 
in a totally Muggle environment.  Does the WW have orphanages?  We 
never hear of any.  Sounds like kids go to live with other 
relatives.  What about wizard kids who lose all of their relatives?

Tonks_op