From Pottermore: Stuff on Hogwarts Acceptance, Squibs, and Neville

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In a recent comment about Pottermore, penguinsuzie wrote:

Reading the one about the Hogwarts Acceptance was actually making me annoyed.

The book refusing baby Neville. How great it is that Squibs are successfully kept out of Hogwarts. The fact that they are still using the same system a thousand years later because the wizarding world's lack of innovation is staggering. Though if she'd tried to tell us otherwise it wouldn't be believable because the magical community is so backwards already.

I had yet to read this note, so I checked it out. Here's what it says:

( The Quill of Acceptance and The Book of Admittance )

The Hogwarts acceptance process works similarly to how I imagined. However, in addition to what penguinsuzie has already said, there are a few things I find rather disturbing about this entry.

1. The Book may be "perfect" at keeping squibs out, but is it truly perfect at admitting everyone who may be eligible? What if it continues to mistake low levels of magical output for  "residual aura," as it almost did with Neville?

2. The Book didn't admit Neville until he survived a fall, but Neville didn't simply "fall;" he was "accidently" dropped out the window by his Great Uncle Algie. So, does the Book's "sternness" therefore justify the abuse of potential squibs?

3. Hagrid says that Harry's "name's been down ever since he was born." Dumbledore must have known that Neville's name wasn't initially inscribed in the Book, which leads me to question whether he ever seriously considered Neville as a candidate for the prophecy. And did Tom ever find out that Neville's name wasn't in the Book?


P.S. The Pottermore website has been completely redesigned, and you no longer need an account to view the content.

P.P.S. But good luck finding anything in particular because the site is completely disorganized right now. There's a search tool in the upper-left corner that's somewhat helpful.

P.P.P.S. I want to add that some of the issues being raised here are also addressed in terri_testing's essay, Parenting in Pureblood Culture, especially in Part IV.