For 20+ years, I have tried to envision how Hogwarts made their admissions decisions (this is the type of odd thing admissions people think about). While I am sure others have written about this, I have not seen it, so here is my take on a small slice of the Admissions Committee at Hogwarts.
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Partially Recovered Archives from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry Admissions Committee Meeting, April 13
looks like Granger is a fairly easy decision, 8 votes for admit, 1 vote for deny due to parental/muggle background. While she does seem to want to show that she is always right, in reality, she almost always is right. She will need to work on being a part of a team, but I think she can adjust easily. She is just the type of student we need at Hogwarts. The only thing Potter has beyond her is that he survived an attack from He who must not be named, and he has overcome a challenging living situation with that Dursley family. Whichever house that gets either of these young wizards is going to do quite well. Potter is going to be quite surprised when he receives his letter of acceptance! Has he even seen an owl before?
Alright, on to the next case, Neville Longbottom. Lost his parents when he was a baby, both were Aurors, really amazing the work they did in tracking down dark magic wizards. Thoughts?
Professor D: While at first glance he might seem somewhat rough around the edges and somewhat meek, I think there is much more to Longbottom that what we see on the surface. Losing his parents at 16 months, shunted off to live with an overbearing grandmother who has lost every maternal instinct she once might have had. We’ve had Hagrid look into his life a bit more, and he reports back that Longbottom has a fair bit of steel in his spine. Doggedly determined to do well in class, stands up for what is right, even when faced with pressure from others. Hagrid mentioned a particular time on the recess playground, stood up to three bullies even when he didn’t stand a chance of winning.
Professor Q: That’s all well and good, but really, Longbottom at Hogwarts? Can he even ride a broom? I doubt he will even survive his first year here. I’m not even sure Durmstrang Institute would admit him, and they let in just about anyone.
Professor M: Should we really care how another school makes their decisions? Let’s focus on Hogwarts, and the students we wish to have here. You’ve all seen the information on Longbottom, his strong grades, challenging family situation and what he is like, it is now time to vote. All in favor of admission? I see four hands raised, and with my additional vote for yes, we will welcome him into Hogwarts next year.
Board Governor M: I once again ask that we implement a formal admissions application process for all students. The number of wonderful letters I receive praising full-wizarding family children is just amazing. Maybe create a test to measure a student’s magical knowledge and abilities?
Professor D: We have covered this issue multiple times in the past Lucius, and there is no need for an application process, certainly not one which would hinder the options of muggle born students. We have the advantage of our unique magical skills to get all the information we need in making decisions. This subject is closed.
Professor T: Are there any more potential students with strong divination skills in the pool? These are very hard to come by, and we really could use more students with potential prophesy talents. Divination seems to be along lost art these days.
Professor M: This is all the potential students we have right here, and it’s a strong lot. Much will be expected of these individuals over the next few years. Now, on to a review of the previous First Year’s and how they performed in their
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