If in the beginning of Hogwarts... (Harry Potter question)?

Question

If in the beginning of Hogwarts, each of the founders had their own students and those students belonged to their house, wouldn't all the students of the different houses each have their own technique in magic? Ex. Ravenclaw taught those of the sharp-minded, which meant that she took in the smart people to be in her house and she chose to teach them. The other founders had their own picks and each taught their own students. So would that mean every house would have their own techniques, spells and skills?

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry's purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot
And treat them just the same."

"For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest..."

Answer 1

I think the idea behind Hogwarts was to get away from the "inbreeding" of the teaching of magic, so that all Wizarding children would get similar knowledge.

I took it to mean that each of the founders selected students in whom they took particular notice. It is also perhaps the only way at the beginning that parent would have allowed their sons and daughters to go off to Hogwarts--if they knew they wold be under the supervision of one or the other of these great witches and wizards.

If don't think this means that the founders only taught their own students, only that they took administrative interest in those students.

wl

Answer 2

You know, that's a really good question! I think, though, that just like any craft or skill, the students would need a basic grounding in technique.

It's possible that initially the founders did teach just their own students, but then found that they were duplicating a lot of basic courses. It might not be so much what the spell does, as how you approach it, or the wizard's attitude towards casting the spell, or what they use it for.

When James Potter hangs Snape upside down, it's rude and aggressive. On the other hand, it would be a great thing to do if you were being mugged or attacked by a wild animal.

Just some random musing on this interesting question. Thanks!

Answer 3

Hmm...I think at the very beginning they had fewer students so it is possible. But I think they'd all need a basic foundation so each teacher taught a different subject, but there would've been less classes. (No Muggle Studies, Divination, etc.) Just DADA, Potions, Transfiguration, and History of Magic or Herbology (whichever they would've thought more important). Then each teacher could just take subject. That's how I think it would've worked out. I think they're just talking about in the Sorting Hat song who they thought should be in the school and eventually decided that each group could select the types of students they wanted to represent them....

Yet at the same time, it does seem like from that that they actually were taught by the seperate house leaders, and w/ there being fewer subjects, it isn't impossible.

Hmmm....

I'm torn.

Someone should ask JKR. lol OR Mugglecast, because they know everything. lol :)

For now though, I'm going with my first idea, about them all teaching the students. (The first one)

Answer 4

By all being in the one school, they could also learn from each other. Slytherin and Gryffindor would have wanted Ravenclaw to give hints to their students. Hufflepuff was willing to teach all of them (the other 3 founders may not have been as good with herbology as her for example).
With Muggles persicuting wizards, ravenclaw would have seen the logic of helping the others.
Also, they were friends in the beginning

Answer 5

What do you mean. If you notice the magic of the members of the houses, they seem to be preformed with diffrent flourish. When Harry, for instance, casts a spell, he is determined and focused, while when Malfoy does one, it is usually more lazy and over confident. They all have diffrent attitudes as well. Compare the Four houses to the marauders. James would be Gryffindor: Brave, strong. Wormtail would be Hufflepuff: almost childlike, not overly talented. Lupin is Ravenclaw: Smarts and responsibility. and Sirius is Slytherin: Pureblood, and overly cocky, said in respect.

Answer 6

Naturally, you are correct (in a general sense). They might not have different *techniques*, but they almost certainly each had their own *specific* spells and/or potions, etc. Think of high school and "electives". Some take shop, some take "home ec". Of course, over time, the school may have adjusted to include a more comprehensive curriculum, or to include the entire body of knowledge (of all houses) in the curriculum. It also may be possible that the founders (eventually) agreed to offer their education equally to all students, though the text you quote seems to discredit this idea.

I suspect that it is like separate colleges forming a university. Each college has its own prerequisites for certain classes. Although today all classes are accessible (at least, in my experience), at one time many colleges had limits to the degree of education provided to students of other colleges in the same university.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Answer 7

i think each house has their own techniques.

slytherin uses dirty and cheap spells, like the dark arts, ex: the snake summoning spell

gryffindor uses all spells pretty much, they are bold enough to take risks.

ravenclaw from my guess has reason on what spells they use and what could happen

hufflepuff doesnt really use dark spells or really insane spells, they just kind of defend themselves, from the fights in the books the spells are usually a disarm or a block

Answer 8

not really,they have 2 study same magic syllabus.like schools in UK.
so,it's just the Hat sorts out the brave and intelligent fr the cunning fr the loyal fr the smart and timid..

Answer 9

They probably had their own techniques, spells and skills to develop but probably Hogwarts' students now learn all of them together.

Answer 10

no it was based on personality and skill and there are only a few types of magic