Back to Hogwarts Week: Numbers in Harry Potter

Numbers like 3, 7, 13, and 40 are popular numbers to use in mythology, folklore, and fairytales and Harry Potter is no exception. Take a look have at these reoccurring numbers.

--The Weasley’s have 7 children

-There are 7 players on a Quidditch team

-It’s 7:00 when Harry goes to meet Oliver Wood to learn about Quidditch in The Sorcerer’s Stone

-There are 7 Horcruxes

-There are 700 possible Quidditch fouls

-One must pass 7 tests before reaching the sorcerer’s stone

-There are 7 bottles in Snape’s test leading to the sorcerer’s stone

-There are a total of 7 Potters (6 decoys and the real Harry) in The Deathly Hallows

-7 Books in the series

-Harry was born in the 7^th month

-Students attend Hogwarts for 7 years

-Wolfsbane potion must be drunk 7 days before the full moon

-Dumbledore shows Harry 7 memories of Voldemort

-Each Quidditch team has 3 Chasers

-Fluffy is a 3 headed dog

-The tale of the 3 brothers

-Hagrid knocked on the door of Hogwarts 3 times in The Sorcerer’s Stone

-Lily & James Potter (and the Longbottoms) defied Voldemort 3 times

-Voldemort’s wand is 13 inches

-The sorcerer’s stone is held in Vault 713

-1473 (14 is a multiple of 7, so it counts) was the year all 700 Quidditch fouls were committed in the world cup

The numbers 3 and 7 also appear as random times during the day when Harry goes to meet people or as other small random things. So, what do I think this all means? Not a darn thing. I think Rowling studied mythology and folklore and liked choosing numbers that are reoccurring in those stories. Nonetheless, as a Potter enthusiast it was fun finding all the different numbers.

                     -Christina