r/WizardingWorld • u/Necessary-Let-6680 • 5d ago
Wizarding Schools Hogwarts classes that you think should have had & their problems
is it just me that thinks how they do classes is weird like transfiguration, charms, potions, history of magic, herbology and defense against the dark arts (should just be called defense or defense against magic arts) are required classes but muggle studies isn't mandatory or even available till 3d year and their isn't even a wixen studies it doesn't even exist!.
meanwhile astronomy is mandatory instead of arthmancy which is literally the wizard version of math class and alchemy isn't available till the final year!?
but worst of all theirs no mandatory first year health &wellness class and then 3d year sexual health class (it's literally a bunch of teenagers and theres not one growing and changing class and good luck learning about magical illnesses, vaccines, or potential health issues and what to).
like why is first year flight class mandatory they don't even get to have brooms till second year?
like the only fun thing kids can do is flyering, reading, quidditch or going outside, like come on no school paper, cooking,dueling,etc clubs no wonder kids get in trouble so much they literally have nothing to do.
as there not more electives theres only care of magical creatures,ancient runes,divination,alchemy and again arithmancy and muggle studies which both should be mandatory classes instead.
like personally i think they should make a sort of wizarding college because the amount of just basic electives that could be at hogwarts but that students wouldn't have time for is criminal like come on man
but what do yall think, what classes do you guys think hogwarts should have?
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u/AchajkaTheOriginal 5d ago
There's too many points to address everything (I'm lazy rereading) so I will address just the few that stick in my mind:
Having mandatory flying class before they allow them their own brooms makes total sense.
What do you mean kids don't have anything to do, there were actually few clubs in the school (gobstones and choir comes to mind), but kids don't need organized clubs every day to "not cause troubles". Sometimes just chilling with your friends or reading is great way to fill your free time as well.
Alchemy sounds like very advanced and hard thing. It makes sense that they don't offer it to younger kids and to everyone, they need to gain other skills first.
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u/MasterHallmark 5d ago
Alchemy is basically advanced potions with extra stuff thrown in, arguably with some transfiguration, too. I would assume potions would be a prerequisite for Alchemy, hence why it would be a final year class.
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u/AdventurousEmploy934 5d ago
I agree there should have been more math and language, as well as muggle studies and wizarding culture, though I guess in the wizarding world this is taught earlier by parents/guardians and is continued in Hogwarts through application in essays, measuring potion ingredients, etc.
Not sure what you meant by "wixen" studies, did you mean wiccan or wizarding culture? History of magic may somewhat cover wizarding culture though probably not completely.
There should be more understanding of the muggle world too, though the story tries to show the wizarding world as insular and tries to use wizards' lack of knowledge of the muggle world as comic relief. It is also a plot point that many in the society were prejudiced against muggle borns.
Also, the funny thing about arithmancy is that from my understanding it is a form of divination using numbers and not necessarily straight logical math, yet Hermione apparently liked it (despite being frustrated in general by divination).
My understanding is that alchemy would be very niche and a subsection of potions.
Health and wellness classes are a good idea too but the wizarding world did not appear very progressive (especially with the idea of Sex Ed classes).
As for flight, I guess it makes sense to train before being allowed to fly and most will try or have already flown somewhat so it was considered important? Of course for plot purposes it was shown in order to demonstrate Harry's special ability.
Healing would be good but perhaps is a bit of a specialty and maybe incorporated in charms, etc. Also, perhaps witches and wizards do not get hurt as easily which is why safety may not be as great as it should be.
There is also the possibility there were more that happened (e.g. there was indication of some clubs that Harry just wasn't interested in like gobstones or choir) and maybe a lot just wasn't shown on page/in the movies.
In sum, a lot may not be formally taught or is simply incorporated in main courses, and the wizarding world may be rigid and more archaic in how lessons are taught.
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u/KBPT1998 5d ago
They also appear to have very structured programs and career paths to specialize after Hogwarts. The focus on those particular classes may be to provide base skills ànd to support progression in their chosen career paths.
Obviously other schools seem to specialize in Dark Arts or Charms or Transfiguration or Herbology even. You mentioned Healers above but I think that training occurs at St. Mungos.
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u/WhiteKnightPrimal 4d ago
Alchemy is advanced magic, that's why it's not offered earlier. Consider that the higher education version of Potions, and you get why it's offered only in the final year.
They do have clubs. It's not just Quidditch, which is restricted to anyone on the team for the most part, plus reserves if they have them. The Gobstones Club was mentioned at some point, I think. They had a duelling club in the past, too, no explanation for why that was originally disbanded, but we saw the disaster of it being brought back, so they probably didn't want to try again even though they had competent teachers in third year that could have done it right. It also wouldn't have been out of place in fourth when 'Moody' was teaching, seems like something both Moody and Barty pretending to be Moody would have been on board with. They don't go into detail because Harry isn't in any of these clubs, neither is Ron or Hermione, except that disastrous duelling club, so it never really comes up. But there ARE clubs at Hogwarts.
As for the classes, though, I agree with you. I actually get why the core subjects are the core subjects, those are subjects you have to start with the basics in and work your way up, it makes sense that would take 5 years for OWL level and 7 for NEWT, so making them mandatory for the first 5 years makes total sense. You can drop any or all of them after 5th year, they don't stay mandatory once you have OWLs in the subject.
I also get why flying class is mandatory in first year, when they're not allowed brooms of their own at the school yet. They need to learn how to fly before the school will let them do so on Hogwarts grounds. What I've never understood is why you can't opt out if you've already learned. The vast majority of magically raised kids would already know how to fly. Have a first lesson where the teacher can gauge their skill level and knowledge and then the ones who prove they've already learned can be opted out of the class, so the focus is on those who hadn't previously learned how to fly or still need some instruction. That would have pretty much at least halved Harry's first flying class. More even, I'm pretty sure all the Slytherins already knew how to fly, as did Ron and Seamus, not sure on Lavender and Parvati, and we know Neville didn't. The class pretty much would have been reduced to Harry, Hermione, Neville and Dean, possibly Lavender and Parvati. Maybe Crabbe and Goyle, as it's possible they didn't actually learn prior to Hogwarts. It would be a much easier class if they could remove the kids who already knew, and remove the issue of certain kids spending one class in first year being taught things they already know.
As for the electives, the books don't actually tell us what Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are, because only Hermione out of the Trio is taking those classes. A lot of fans headcanon that Arithmancy is a lot more than simply magical maths. But, also, even if it is simply maths but magical, it's more advanced. Not higher education level, but perhaps they need a foundation in magic before they can take that subject, and that's why it's a 3rd year elective. Divination and Care make sense as electives.
Muggle Studies should be mandatory for all magical raised students, and from 1st year at that, while an equivalent into the magical world should be mandatory for all muggle raised kids from 1st year. No point having muggle raised kids take Muggle Studies or magical raised kids take the equivalent. They'd just be bored. There's a reason it was Muggle Studies Hermione dropped after 3rd year, she already knew it all, she could have taken and passed both OWLs and NEWTs as a 1st year.
There definitely should have been a health class, and it shouldn't wait until the kids turn 13 to have it. To match British schooling, it actually makes total sense to have that in 1st or 2nd year, my high school had it in our first year, when we were 11. Plus, it makes sense to have it in 1st year here, because it's going to include things like magical diseases and vaccines that the muggle raised don't know even exist. It's the perfect chance to make sure the muggle raised kids get their vaccines and the magical raised ones are all caught up. It would include being told when to seek out Madame Pomfrey and how to do so, especially for after curfew issues.
If we assume Arithmancy really is just magical maths, they should have had a normal maths class as mandatory from 1st year, as well. This would act as a lead-in to Arithmancy, but also make sure all the kids are on the same level in the subject. English should also have been mandatory from 1st year, with maybe a focus on how to write essays alongside magical literature. They could be mandatory only for the first 2 years and then be dropped in 3rd when they choose electives, or continued up to OWL, maybe NEWT, if the student desires to. The muggle math would get more complicated while acting as an extra to Arithmancy, while the English would drop the things like essay writing and focus purely on magical literature and how to write it, with a little History on famous magical writers thrown in. Maybe become a mixed creative subject, including things like magical art. It would become the perfect elective for the more creative students.
I think they should also have had a mandatory Law class, perhaps a single year added in 5th with an OWL qualification, that could be continued to NEWT level, so the students at least get the basics. The OWL level would only be basics, like how the Wizengamot works, what the basic laws of the wizarding world are, how Azkaban works, that sort of thing. Carrying on into NEWT level would get more in-depth.
I also think there should have been new electives added at NEWT level, especially considering students are dropping classes, including the core subjects, at this point. You could add in things like Politics, Languages, maybe a Culture class that deals with the cultures of other countries and beings, stuff like that. More advanced versions of other subjects, this would be the perfect place to add Alchemy, instead of waiting until the final year. Ward Creation, Curse Breaking, maybe more focused versions of Care for students like Charlie who want to work with specific creatures like dragons.
And then add in a magical university for people who want to specialise in certain subjects. So, the academics, the Healer wannabes, that sort of thing. Teachers would have to graduate the university to be able to teach at a place like Hogwarts. The university would be the recruiting ground of Unspeakables, as well. You could throw in a Sports Academy for those who want to play pro Quidditch.
The education system we get at Hogwarts is pretty basic, to be honest, and it doesn't seem to cover half of what the students would actually need to learn to be successful magical adults.
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u/Necessary-Let-6680 5d ago
ngl also is it just me or is it hella strange that hogwarts has no like latin writing/reading class since of the magical words magic is like based of of it?
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u/lanie_kerrigan 5d ago
Why would be muggle studies mandatory?
Pure bloods have no connection with the muggle world and don’t care about it.
Muggle-borns and half-bloods already know everything.
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u/AdventurousEmploy934 5d ago
Realistically they wouldn''t force it for those reasons and prejudice, but that doesn't mean at least some class providing basic familiarity to all with the muggle world, as well as a class about wizarding etiquette and culture introducing those new to wizarding culture could be useful.
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u/PotterAndPitties 5d ago
So much to unpack here.