Student numbers

[annachie]

How many students are at Hogwarts anyway?

I'm sure I've seen a thread on this somewhere but I couldn't find one.

[carsten]

How many students are at Hogwarts anyway?

I'm sure I've seen a thread on this somewhere but I couldn't find one.

Yes, there was one, but I don't bother to find it, too. So just a quick summary: There are two methods for estimating the number.

1. Take the number of boys in Harry's year and house (5 / Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, Seamus), add the same number of girls (makes 10), multiply by houses (makes 40) and multiply by years (makes a total of 280).
2. Method number two counts the crowds at Quidditch: roughly 800

You choose.

[annachie]

Method 3.

Take the number of brooms at the broomstick flying course, and since it was Slytherin and Griffindor together, and double it. 40 per year

[SilverShadow]

approx. 5 kids per room (sleeping room)
double it because of 2 genders
x by 7 because thats how many years there are
x by 4 because of the 4 houses

Approx. 280 student

[carsten]

approx. 5 kids per room (sleeping room)
double it because of 2 genders
x by 7 because thats how many years there are
x by 4 because of the 4 houses

Approx. 280 student

It is difficult though to extrapolate such a small number. If they had another guy in the room, it would be 6*2*7*4=336 students. And we are making assumptions, eg. that there are equal numbers of witches and wizards, nobody has to repeat a year and constant reproduction numbers in the magical community.

[SilverShadow]

...and there's also the fact that the students arnt divide equally either, thats y i said approx.

[Simatra]

Uhhh,... my head, off to the bar for a Butterbeer!

[Petronella_Pettigrew]

There can't be simply 5 boys and 5 girls per house per year. For example, the theoretical "Aaron A Arronson" (Sorted first) could be placed in whichever house suited him best, eg Slytherin. Now say he is followed by four boys perfect for Slytherin too.
Last to be called, "Zach Z Zacharus", even if a total Slytherin through personality, views, family etc he could not be housed there, and thus his school life would be seriously disrupted as he spent his school life with, say, Hufflepuffs.
Therefore, I don't think the 'only 5 per gender per house' makes sense, although as a rough estimate it probably works (Some houses may have 4 girls, another six).

Another thing, I remeber JKR saying that squibs are rare, and that magic is a dominant gene. Also, it is mentioned that many witches and wizards have children with muggles (Therefore, it can be assumed that, as magic is dominant, there is an very high chance the children will be born with magical abilities), and some magical children are born to muggles. We can say, then, that the number of witches and wizards will increase in a population.
As magical power spans back centuries, I think it is hightly unlikely that only 40 kids would be born every year with magical abilities, even when giving room for some muggle-born kids that choose not to attend Hogwarts. (I think it is McGonagle who says something about every magical child is recorded and will be offered a place at Hogwarts)...?

It's a kids book... I want to go outside and enjoy the sunshine now...

GCSE Statistics, grade B

[Scellanis]

hmm...and Harry's year could be considerred to be a small year I suspect if we look at the population statistics we had in Britain for the world wars and the following years as an example.

Since Harry's year is the last year to be born during the time of Voldemort its highly likely its a very small one because people would be busy fighting Voldemort and possibly not want to have a young child at such a dangerous time and then Voldemort and his supporters also killed alot of people.

Its quite likely that a baby boom would follow the defeat of Voldemort so maybe 2-3 years above Harry the class sizes could increase by huge amounts now that people are feeling safe and happy again.

[GodrictheGriffon]

Who are the other girls in Harry's year besides Hermione, Lavender, and, Parvati?

[FawkesthePhoenix]

hannah abbot, susan bones, mandy brocklehurst, millicent bulstrode, pansy parkinson, padma patil, sally-anne perks.

[GodrictheGriffon]

There must be more.

[Simatra]

No I think that's it. There really isn't that many kids there if you think about it.... It's like a private school really.

[GodrictheGriffon]

Even smaller than your average one, I bet.

[youknowwho]

You have to remember that this is a work of fiction, so the numbers of stundent that are mentioned in the books would be much smaller than the amount that is statisticaly probable because it would be very hard to develop that many characters.

Also if the majic gene is indeed dominant than there should be more wizards and witches than muggles, which there are not.