When a child displays it's first piece of magic, it is recorded and alerted within the ministry who then either send out the congratulatory letter or in the case of muggleborn children, someone is sent out (who is either a muggleborn themselves or are knowledgeable in all things muggle). As soon as the child turns 5, the parents are given a list of all available magical schools for their location (Europe, America etc. - a child is not limited to it's own country as long as it can speak the language; therefore, if a 5 year old english child was to start learning French, at age 11 they would be eligible for a french school). By signing a child up for a school, a magical document records the child's activity and the summer before or sometimes just after the child's 11th birthday, a letter will be generated and sent out detailing whether that child is eligible or if not, why. There is even magic in the seal of the wax, that once broken tells the document that the letter has been opened.
With Hogwarts, once a child replies confirming attendance, a list is then created of each child in attendance and detects and stores their magical dna from their reply and signature and upon boarding the train, detects if they have turned up.
In total there was around 40 students in this year – which was a high number compared to last year. The average of magical students to start each year was approximately 300 around the globe – just a small fraction of this was European children. Whilst there was many magical day schools (where the children came home after school) there were several boarding schools including Hogwarts.
Severus Snape was not a happy man – guaranteed he was rarely happy but still, today he was especially unhappy. It was 1st September and all of the new school children would shortly be arriving for their physical. Recent years had brought to light the fact that more and more children were coming to Hogwarts with various ailments and most parents didn't even know about them. This is what lead to Madam Poppy Pomfrey securing a medical room just inside Hogsmeade station.
The door opened up to the left hand side of a small white room containing a number of chairs, with a multitude of posters upon the walls detailing food charts and health diagrams. The wall to the right contained two separate doors leading to male and female bathrooms and just to the right of the entrance door was a long table housing a self re-filling jugs of water, a range of juices (such as blackcurrant, apple, pumpkin and orange), tea and hot chocolate; there was also some snacks ranging from fruit to biscuits and chocolate to a platter of sandwiches. In the middle of the wall at the back, was a simple brown wooden door that lead to the examination room. This room, again, was small but it contained a typical medical bed with a curtain available to be pulled around at the back, a simple desk was pushed against the wall to the left with an office chair in the middle and a standard chair to the side with its back to the wall. On the left wall towards the back was another door that led to a simple cupboard filled with numerous potions and medical equipment – should it be needed. This door however, was clever. If simply opened, it was only the cupboard, if tapped with Poppy's wand? A clever piece of magic linked the door to that one of an identical cupboard in the medical wing.
For the past 4 years, he had been the accompanying teacher due to his background in medi-wizardry and healing. However, this year was he year that it all went to hell – all because of a boy with the surname Potter couldn't be bothered to board the train like every other student. Because of his muggle upbringing, like usual a teacher had been assigned to escort him to Diagon Alley the previous summer and when asking around, he had found that surprisingly Hagrid had been sent. Usually, it was either Minerva McGonagall or Charity Burbage that saw to and took the girls and it was either Septima Vector or himself that usually took the boys. So to find that Hagrid of all people had took the young Potter was the first worry. Speaking to Hagrid had not relieved him of any of his concerns as he had informed him that the boy had not spoken a word to him throughout the day.
The more he spoke with Hagrid the more he had been concerned. He had then took these problems home with him and spoke to his partner about them. To then be informed by Albus a few days later that Harry had not boarded the train, caused him to almost go into panic. He was then given the task of retrieving the boy that evening in time for the feast and sorting.
A short note was written and sent off with his owl stating that the boy be ready for 7pm that night (he would be turning up around half past as children are never doing what they are supposed to when they are meant to). He then went in search of his partner and their mischievous boy to see if either of them were prepared for their move to Hogwarts.