There's no dearth of Mathematics at Hogwarts. Everything in this beautiful castle pretty much seems to add up. Only sometimes there's a fog that hinders visibility, but let's tune our Inner Eye, peer through the mist, and try to see.

Professor Calum Buchanan, Arithmancy Professor at Hogwarts, has put together a lovely arrangement of magical meanings for the entire set of whole numbers from 0 to 10. All those who have already been to Arithmancy class and attended his first lesson clearly know what I am talking about.

Let's start with nothing. I mean, let's begin with the number 0 (zero). According to Professor Buchanan, "zero represents nothingness, or the vacuum before creation". He also says that "zero is a number with a lot of potential, as it represents the beginning of a new adventure and all the possible changes that we may experience". This reminds me of a very special year in my life—the year when I was 10. That's because it was my last year as a Muggle. The last year in my life that I spent wondering whether I would be a Muggle-born witch or remain a Muggle throughout my life. Of course, that year was a vacuum in my life with a lot of potential, and my life could go either way. Thankfully, my adventure began with me getting my Hogwarts letter next year, just like I wanted. The word "Arithmancy" has 10 letters in it. The last digit of 10 (also known as the LSD of 10) is 0.

The next number is 1 (one). According to the Professor, 1 represents unity and creation, the starting point from which a journey must begin. No wonder there is just one Hogwarts Castle, with many magical journeys beginning inside it. There's one universe, one Sun in the Solar System, and only one planet in it that is known to support life as of yet. And that planet, our Earth, only has one Moon. That being said, there is also only one day in the week to go to Astronomy class and earn a few house points for your house. Well, this month was also the first month of the year, and I hope you made the most of it to start on your journey back into academics after having zero classes during your Christmas vacations.

Then we come to 2 (two). 2 is a very special number. 1+1 makes 2. Two beginnings coalesce into a single journey; two identities merge. For me, my Muggle and magical identities merged very well. I hope it did for you, too. Two soulmates fit together perfectly, like a lock and key. The Professor says that 2 "represents duality and opposition, as many concepts come in opposite pairs: think about light and dark, day and night, hot and cold as a few examples". The concept of yin and yang is also certainly very intriguing. "The idea of joining two distinctive partners", as per Professor Buchanan, could be interpreted as a union between two people, whether friends, lovers, or spouses. That certainly reminds me of the upcoming second month in the year—February, the Valentine's month—and I really hope that all those who have been working very hard on themselves in January, the first month of the year, get to join hands with someone very, very special in February to take the journey forward from 1 to 2.

Then comes 3 (three). 3 is a very magical number. According to Professor Buchanan, "three represents stability and the junction of physical, emotional and psychological aspects of humanity". He also talks about the three natural realms (land, sea, and sky) and about three being a spiritual number. Then we have the three Deathly Hallows, the gifts of Death that represented the good against the dark in the Second Battle of Hogwarts. And everyone is familiar with the Golden Trio and the Silver Trio. How many times have you wondered why you would need to turn around three times in front of the Room of Requirement to find it? The Triwizard Tournament chooses 3 champions, unless there's a, uh, plot behind it. The number 3 truly is very magical.

4 (four) comes after three. Four cardinal directions, four seasons, four classical Aristotelian elements (fire, air, water, and earth), as per the first Arithmancy lesson, and also four founders of Hogwarts and four Hogwarts houses. Anything that is whole or complete seems to have four in it, like a building standing on four pillars, one in each corner. The Professor also adds that four may be associated with a feeling of homeliness and comfort. The motto of Hogwarts Castle has 4 words in it. Also, who else remembers that Harry Potter coincidentally lived with the Dursleys at 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?

Following 4, we have 5 (five). Professor Buchanan associates five with "freedom", "creativity and spontaneity". The word "magic" has 5 letters in it. The motto of Hogwarts Castle, when translated into English, has five words in it. You have your OWL exams after your fifth year at Hogwarts, and you must remember that you need to develop the capability to create and be original when you are at the OWL level.

From 5, we come to 6 (six). Ahh, six is my favorite number. It's the sum of my birth date and my lucky number. Snapping out of my musings, when I was in the Arithmancy class, I heard Professor Buchanan say, "six represents accountability, care, and the process of healing, through a patient and understanding approach". The number 6 can be very interesting when it comes to Hogwarts. There are six legendary Hogwarts ghosts, including the four house ghosts, Myrtle Warren, and Professor Binns. There are six main towers in the Hogwarts Castle - the Gryffindor Tower, the Ravenclaw Tower, the Astronomy Tower (the tallest tower in Hogwarts Castle), the West Tower (the Owlery), the North Tower (the Divination Tower), and the Headmaster's Office.

Next, we arrive at a very intriguing number, 7 (seven). Professor Buchanan calls it "the quintessential magical number", that "represents intuition, luck and light (as represented by the seven colors of the rainbow)". Speaking of Hogwarts, it has seven letters in its name, seven floors, seven core subjects to study (excluding Flying), and seven years until you graduate. There are seven books in the "Standard Book of Spells" series. The Hogwarts Castle has 142 staircases, the digits of which add up to 7. Fans of Harry Potter know that his story is written across seven books, corresponding to each of his seven academic years at Hogwarts. Voldemort intended to make 7 Horcruxes too, but it looks like Harry Potter, the Chosen One, broke his luck by becoming one of his accidental Horcruxes.

Let's now look at the number 8 (eight). Professor Buchanan describes it as representing "drive and passion, and the pursuit for self-improvement and achievement". He also notes that 8, when rotated 90 degrees, represents infinity and ascribes a lot of depth to it. If you look at your first-year syllabus and include Flying, you have no less than 8 subjects at Hogwarts.

Finally, comes the number 9 (nine). "Nine represents the process of completion as well as the end of things", as said by Professor Buchanan. He also tells the class that Hogwarts lessons are always nine in number. For those who didn't notice, Hogwarts also has 9 electives. The platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station is between platforms 9 and 10, that is, between the end and the beginning, which is a great way to signify a cycle, from the completion of one's previous academic year at Hogwarts to the beginning of the journey to Hogwarts for a brand new academic year. Then, there remains the coincidence that the term begins in September, the ninth month in the calendar year.

With that, I conclude this highly numerical discussion. 

- Hiya Debnath, Journalist, Editor-in-Chief, Compiler, Publisher, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.