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Muggle-born, Magic-educated

'My name was down for Eton, you know, I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family..."
-Justin Finch-Fletchley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

My parents and I have had this conversation: If I had been accepted to Eton (which would have been surprising since I'm a girl) and Hogwarts (which would have been surprising because, as far as I'm aware, it doesn't actually exist), I would have been sent to Eton. What would drive a Muggle parent to send their child to Hogwarts?

How would Justin Finch-Fletchley's parents explain to their obviously upper-crust friends that while Justin had been accepted at Eton, he had instead been sent to a school in Scotland that no one had heard of, and that they couldn't tell their friends anything about?

Why would the Grangers send their obviously gifted daughter to Hogwarts? Why would they send her to a school they know nothing about, preparing her for a life they know nothing about? Would she have the opportunities in the Magic world that she could have in the Muggle one? How would they know that? What the heck is in the Hogwarts orientation packet that manages to convince Muggle parents to send their children off into this unknown world?

Mummy suggests that maybe the parents realize that there is something strange and magical about their children and that this is the place to best nurture those gifts. Eleven seems to me an early age to be determining that your child will live in another world for the rest of its life.

Is the world populated with Muggle-borns whose parents refused to send them to Hogwarts? My parents think that they probably would have done so.

srah: So if you had the choice between Hogwarts and Huron, you would pick Huron?
Dad: Yes. Huron.
srah: Actually, Harry starts at 11, so I guess it would be Hogwarts and Scarlett.
Dad: Ah. Hogwarts, then.

srah - Friday, 11 July 2003 - 9:01 AM
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Comments (6)

gravatar katie - July 11, 2003 - 2:03 PM -

So let me get this straight... The kids all learning to be magical are actually normal people that get sent to another world? Huh? If the parents know about this, why doesn't the secret get out, leaving the other world open to invasion by normal-world people?

All the Potterism frightens and confuses me.

gravatar srah - July 11, 2003 - 2:07 PM -

Not all of them. And I think the families don't tell because no one would believe them. Or for other reasons, as I'm sure are outlined in the previously mentioned mysterious Orientation Packet that I have imagined.

gravatar srah - July 11, 2003 - 2:08 PM -

Plus, they don't have to worry about Muggles 'entering' the Magical world, because they're actually two societies co-existing and occasionally interacting in the same place.

gravatar alfie - July 11, 2003 - 3:54 PM -

I still can't make the decision between Hogwarts and Huron, but given the awful experience of Scarlett, that choice would be obvious.

gravatar Rachel - August 5, 2004 - 2:06 PM -

Muggle borns are bad pleople purbloods are nicer and they are not bitches

gravatar Elizabeth - August 5, 2004 - 2:09 PM -

I think tom felton is the hottest most sexest guy in the wourld and i love to rape him and it will feel so good