[HPforGrownups] School Size/Class Size was Re: Scary Teachers - Good Teachers

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 153016

On 27 May 2006 at 13:36, Neri wrote:

> Neri:
> I fully agree. My strong impression during all the books is that there
> are much more than 280. Just one example out of many: Harry doesn't
> know *both* seventh-years Gryffindors Belby and McLaggan when Slughorn
> introduces them in HBP, and they must have been in Gryffindor house
> through the five years of Harry being there. I flatly refuse to
> believe he doesn't know them after five years if there are only 10
> Gryffs in his year and about another 10 in the year above him.

Shaun:
To me, that isn't hard to believe at all. In my school, we had tutor groups within our houses. 
Each tutor group had 16 members - four from each year in the school. So there were only 
four in the year above me, and I was in contact with them my whole time at the school (well, 
until they left). Out of those four I knew two of them. Just because you're in proximity to 
people doesn't mean you get to know people. It comes down a lot to personality.

And Belby, by the way is a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor (HBP, p143).

And with Harry, I actually think he's got very real reasons why he doesn't get close to people 
easily, and he doesn't make friends casually. He's capable of friendship - very close 
friendships - with those he has come to trust, but there's all sorts of factors that I think easily 
explain why he doesn't seem to have much in the way of casual relationships. And McLaggen 
doesn't really strike me as the sort of person, Harry would want to get to know - or who would 
want to get to know Harry unless and until it's interests to do so.

My personal impression of Hogwarts is of a fairly small school, but personal impressions 
really don't mean a lot.

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