Ravenclaws sharing lessons

[Mossee]

In the books the Gryffindors don’t share any lessons with the Ravenclaws before NEWT level. I have two theories on this.
1. They just don’t
2. This is the Hogwarts method of streaming. Since the Ravenclaws are more intelligent they are taught at a faster pace that less able students in other houses wouldn’t be able to keep up with.
I would like to know which of these seems more plausible or if there is something else that I have missed. Also if option 2 is correct do you think that the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs share any lessons, I am leaning towards History of Magic given that there doesn’t seem to be much help given to individual students.

[Mina]

I worked it out once that there was a way to do six of the seven core classes where each house had four classes alone and three double classes; the teacher of the seventh class would have to do four classes per year instead of three (I picked Binns, since he probably never has any NEWT classes). I decided to stick Ravenclaws in with Gryffindors in Astronomy, since it's the least-mentioned class in the books. So I think that's feasible too - and it's a bit more orderly. Plus you get to think about all kinds of fun dynamics between different houses in various settings.

The second option is an interesting one, though it seems a little...mean. Sorting appears to be based more on personality than skill, so it wouldn't be fair that the Hermiones of Hogwarts wouldn't get to take accelerated classes (and therefore learn more) just because they more strongly fit the characteristics of another house. Plus it wouldn't do much to promote inter-house unity if the Ravenclaws were set above the other houses, worthy of their own special private classes with different curriculums. Perhaps historically Ravenclaws were separated, but at some points students petitioned to change that. I don't think Dumbledore would've allowed it while he was Headmaster, though.

[Sapphire at Dawn]

I've always thought it was down to the fact that it just happened to fall that way on the timetable; in the lessons that Gryffindor share with Slytherin, Hufflepuff share with Ravenclaw etc. I think that might be the way JKR saw it.

It could be that they did have one or two classes together, but in OOTP, Harry and Ron don't really know the Ravenclaw boys in their year, whereas they know the Hufflepuffs because they share Herbology with them. In some stories, I've seen their elective classes (like Divination and Arithmancy) shared with all houses because it wouldn't be worth teaching four classes of only a couple of students. We know that Ernie Macmillain was in Hermione's Muggle Studies lessons in third year, which could back this up.

Sarah x

[OliveOil_Med]

They might have Astromy day lessons together, but I would think the Houses would have their practical lessons at night all together. There are only five days in a week, and fourteen different classes would be need to accomidate all the classes if there were only two Houses per class per year.

[Equinox Chick]

The practical classes for Harry in first year are held at midnight for an hour on Wednesday. Perhaps there are other classes held from 11-12, 1-2, 3-4 etc. That would get all the first years from Harry's year seen in one night. Then the other years can be be accomodated on the other days, perhaps.

I don't know what the NEWT level students would do, though. (And where on earth does Sirius Black meet all his girlfriends if the Tower is in constant use? ) In the OWL exam, The Gryffs appear to be sharing the room with the Puffs but no others. Perhaps they have the class with them as well?

~Carole~

[OliveOil_Med]

[QUOTE+]The practical classes for Harry in first year are held at midnight for an hour on Wednesday. Perhaps there are other classes held from 11-12, 1-2, 3-4 etc.[/QUOTE]
But you gotta feel bed for Professor Sinistra and the sleep schedual she would have to have to keep this kind of teaching schedual.

[Equinox Chick]

But you gotta feel bed for Professor Sinistra and the sleep schedual she would have to have to keep this kind of teaching schedual.

Oh I don't know. Four hours teaching a night, and the days off. That's not too bad a schedule.

Getting back to the Claws sharing lessons, I've always thought that they had Herbology with the Slyths, and Potions with the Hufflepuffs. If they are the only shared lessons, then there's no need for Harry and Co to have lessons with them. Hermione probably does when she has Arithmancy or Ancient Runes - which always seem like very Claw subjects to me.

I don't think there'd be any form of streaming. As has been said previously, it would be unfair on pupils like Hermione if they were kept back because they were Gryffs.

Another thought. Ginny knows Luna pretty well. Perhaps the class sharing isn't absolute for every year. I mean that perhaps in Ginny's year, the Gryffs have Potions with the Claws.

~Carole~

[LuNaLoVeGoOdLoVer]

Another thought. Ginny knows Luna pretty well. Perhaps the class sharing isn't absolute for every year. I mean that perhaps in Ginny's year, the Gryffs have Potions with the Claws.

Yes. Remember, in HBP (I think) Luna tells Harry that Ginny stopped two boys in their Transfiguration class call her Loony. Therefore I conclude that Gryffindors and Ravenclaws do share classes. Maybe Harry's year just didn't, and it was just coincidence, or JKR just never mentioned it.

Andi

[msk8]

I think it's most likely that they shared some of the more obscure classes that aren't really talked about, or ones that Harry didn't really take, like arithmancy. I think that they probably did share some classes, though. But since Harry doesn't really seam to know the ravenclaws very well, (Lisa Turpin never got mentioned again after the sorting, and Terry Boot was just a really, really minor character) I think that it was probably classes where the teacher was strict enough not to allow students to talk, (like transfiguration) or just classes Harry didn't take.

[Tim the Enchanter]

I don't think the fact that the Gryffs never took classes with any 'Claws was not due to any school policy, but just author error. Rowling is notoriously bad at maths, and there are some internal inconsistencies in the books, so Gryffindor-Ravenclaw classes probably do exist, they just don't appear in the books because the author forgot to include them.

Just my theory.

Tim the Enchanter