Heads of House

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 14307

? wrote:

> >If Hogwarts is modeled on the normal English public school, the
> >teachers who are heads of houses would sleep in the same tower 
> >as
> >their houses.  They're supposed to be available in case of trouble 
> >or
> >medical emergency.  Probably have a hidden door or something.

Rachel wrote:

> You know, that's a good point.  McGonagall seems to be there 
> awfully quick when they're up late making noise, doesn't she?  But 
> it says she comes through the portrait like everyone 
> else......hmmm...  Being raised in the traditional American school 
> system, I know nothing about boarding schools except that around 
> here you had to be either very naughty or very wealthy to go to one.
> 

>From my experience teaching and dormparenting at a US boarding school 
(where many of the students were both naughty and wealthy), yes, the 
heads of house would have to be close by.  We didn't have any 
prefects to help out, however.  Magic would also have been very 
helpful; instead of dragging myself out of bed at 4 a.m. to do a bed 
check (we did this a few times a year), I could've had some kind 
of magical alarm ring in my room when a student was sneaking out.  
Although if McGonagall and Snape have such techniques at their 
disposal, they don't seem to be using them.  Maybe they'd just rather 
not know.

We had a rotation system; I lived in an apartment in the dorm, but I 
was on duty only one night in three; on duty nights I had to be in 
the dorm from dinner til breakfast, but on the other nights I could be 
out late, even all night (<g>...guess where I met my spouse?).  
Otherwise dormparents would have had no lives of their own.  Maybe 
Prof. Sinistra spells McGonagall now and then so she can get out of 
Gryffindor Tower? 

Amy Z

------------------------------------------------
 Ern jerked the wheel so hard that a whole
 farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.
              -HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
------------------------------------------------