Registration at Hogwarts

[Alz]

Ok - this came up in another thread - so thought I would shove it into it's own space ...

Harry was told that his name was down to come to Hogwarts as soon as he was born ...
Is this normal do you think?
It was also mentioned that Neville's relatives were worried that he might not ever show any magic - so was his name down automatically?
Then you have muggle students ... when does there name get added?

Just a few thoughts ...

[MissWhizbee]

So about Harry being put down on the list from the time he was born...Perhaps it is the case that this is how it happens and then the students could be evaluted when they get older to confirm that they should be at Hogwarts before they come and they would also be looking for muggles etc in the mean time that might also fit the qualifications.

I was also thinking that it could have just been that they knew the profecy was about Harry, and so how could they think that he wouldn't be magical if he was going to be the one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord, so they just assumed and put him down. Maybe Nevil's name was on the list from birth as well since when the two were born they didn't know which was going to be the one with the power.

[Kingsley]

Was the quote as soon as you were born?
I was thinking it was as soon as any magic was done--
Maybe purebloods are already listed and muggleborns earn it later

[Tonks]

I think they are put on the list as soon as it is obvious that they are magical. With Harry, Dumbledore was in the Order and knew James & Lily and all, so perhaps he personally saw Harry after he was born and could tell he was magical enough to put his name down. Or perhaps since Lily & James were such excellent wizards themselves, it was assumed that he would be as well (they could always take him off if they had to I suppose).

Although, perhaps all children born to witches & wizards are put down, and if it becomes known that they are Squibs, they could always be taken off later? If so, Muggle-borns would obviously have to be detected somehow; perhaps they sort of scout for little Muggle babies ... haha...

[Alz]

@ Kinger - Hagrid did say Harry was added to the list as soon as he was born - when he first met Harry I believe ..

OK - so lets run through some of the reasoning so far ...
Neville was born from a great set of Magical parents - kind of the same as the Potters really - but then later in childhood relatives wondered if Neville actually had magic in him - and well his first years at Hogwarts he wasnt the greatest wizard ...

a la Tonky's last point - what or who detects the magic in Muggle kids?
I mean sure the magical world is fully exposed to all kinds of magical forces - but in the muggle world the magical folk are suppose to keep a low key stance ...

I suppose this is really about what or who makes the selection, when it happens and how would they know?

[Nagini]

It could also simply be that as with every set of proud new parents, they want their child to experience the pleasant things in life that they did. In this case, the Potters both went to Hogwarts, its where they met and began dating and its also according to Hermione one of the best wizarding schools and may even be the only on in Britain.

Its a bit like Vernon and Petunia sending Dudley to Smeltings as that is where Uncle Vernon went.

But then perhaps there is a magical register that detects magic in infants? Because the Muggleborns have to have their name down at some stage too.

Of course they would have been doing odd magical things their whole childhood and perhaps Neville did before his parents were attacked? This could be recorded in the same way it is recorded for all underage wizardry?

[Boing]

I'm glad this has its own thread as I have been wondering about it.

I don't think that all wizards and witches would have their names down at birth because Hagrid said it with such emphasis, more like well, of course HARRY would have had his name down. It wasn't just because he was a wizard.

I like the idea that it was because of the prophecy, because maybe everyone who was born at the end of July that year would get put down and they would evaluate it all later.

About Muggle babies, that's very interesting. I guess they would have to have some sort of magic detector that is used. I almost see a sort of map of the UK with pinpoints of light whenever magic is done - they figure it out from there. I don't know why, but that's just what popped into my head.

[Alz]

Do you think this is simple over-analysis or do you think JKR will ever answer questions like this?
Because it is similar to how do the MoM know so quick when someone does magic out of school ...

I am wondering if all the references elude to the same thing and one day in the last 2 books we see a magical 'source' that seems to record and track magical activities in Magical and Muggle alike?

[Tinkerbell]

I like the idea of some all knowing department within the wizarding world having all magical know how! That they can sense magic within a muggle baby and are able to track them in order to ensure that the Hogwarts letter is sent at the appropriate time.

I agree with Gini about every parent wants the best for their child and Lily and James would have wanted Harry to go to Hogwarts not only to learn the best in magic, but also to be taught by the best - Dumbledore.

[Boing]

Do you think this is simple over-analysis or do you think JKR will ever answer questions like this?
Because it is similar to how do the MoM know so quick when someone does magic out of school ...

I am wondering if all the references elude to the same thing and one day in the last 2 books we see a magical 'source' that seems to record and track magical activities in Magical and Muggle alike?


I think a lot of what we discuss on here is over-analysis!!! :)

However, it is fun and often leads to us noticing important stuff in the book. I think that JKR has put a lot of thought into how the world works, etc., but I also think that some things "are just plain magic." There is no need to describe in detail how it works - it's just magic :)

That's just me, though!

[MissWhizbee]

Yep yep! We definately over analyse stuff, but thats okay! :D I don't know if we will ever know how the MoM and Hogwarts comes to know who is doing magic and when. If it is really relevent to the outcome of the books then I think we will learn about it, but if it isn't relevent then I don't think we will.

Also, I wonder if it is really an all knowing system that can identify individuals that are performing the spells, simply because then couldn't they track voldemort or the other DEs pretty easily, and wouldn't they have been able to find Sirius if he used any magic?

[Alz]

Well it all seems to surround fledgling wizards and witches ... I wonder if this is because they don't know or unaware of how to control the magic they have within - this means it makes it easier to detect?
I see your point - and it would lead to an inconsistency - which I why I wonder the above - it is to do with the maturity of the magic in them?

[Boing]

What if the parents/guardians of magical children sign them up and then those particular children are watched to make sure they have what it takes? I say this because Draco mentions that he got into Durmstrang, but his mother said it was too far away. I can't imagine that the schools in other countries are monitoring magical children everywhere, so it seems like his name was submitted, perhaps by Lucius because of his distaste for Dumbledore . . .

At any rate, that would make sense. Then, the Ministry would only need to survey the Muggle world for signs of magic that are out of place to find the Muggleborn children.

[Alz]

I am sure JKR said somewhere that children are entered from birth - I'm sure I saw that somewhere - will have to add it to the list of things to re-cap :o

The question of when they are registered is the most fundemental here - because armed with that we can start to assume how the magic is gauged - and indeed if anything else is used in establishing it ...
Investigation is needed ...