If you were on the Hogwarts PTA

[melclaros]

No: HPFGUIDX 47495

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Susan Miller" <smiller_92407 at y...> wrote:
> I'm not a parent, but I kind of have a problem with the way that WW 
> parents handle animal hazards and their children.
> 
> Let's start with Hagrid - age 13. He is known to raise dangerous 
> spiders, is suspected of keeping werewolf cubs, and is accused of 
> releasing a lethal monster on the school. For this, he is expelled, 
> but is kept on grounds at Hogwarts. From a parent's point of view, 
> how does this solve the problem? The troublesome child is now 
> forbidden to continue his education and possibly get some insights 
> into the proper means of handling dangerous creatures. But he is 
not 
> forbidden to KEEP them on the school grounds, and is in fact, 
> encouraged to do so, by apprenticing to the gamekeeper. 


Upon reflection, I think perhaps the ban on apparating *into* 
Hogwarts might be to prevent irate parents from storming the place. 
This is a difficult question to answer only because we really have no 
inkling of what alternatives there are available. ARE there wizarding 
reform schools? (Some would argue Slytherin house serves this purpose)
Is there a juvenile detention center? Perhaps there is--there are 
certainly enough laws against underage magic to warrant something of 
the sort for chronic rule-breakers. I would think if there were, 
though, Snape would have mentioned it by now during one of his 
attempts to get Harry expelled. I'm sure he'd feel more likely to be 
heard if he could offer an alternative!
I'm afraid as an outsider to the WW at the time of 
Hagrid's "incident" there is really no way of answering this.


> 
> Next - how about firing a known werewolf from the staff. OK, Lupin 
> wasn't fired, but he believed he would be, so let's assume he's 
> right. Actually, I'm thinking that most parents might want a 
werewolf 
> caged and sedated, but that doesn't seem to have been a 
> consideration. They just want him out of there. Again, if I'm a 
> parent, I would rather have him visible where he can be controlled 
> during his danerous periods, rather than running free who-knows-
where 
> without the benefit of a talented potions-maker nearby. I think the 
> students liked him and he was a good teacher of a critical subject 
> that they seem to have trouble finding competent instructors for. 
So, 
> what is the problem?


There's more to this...how about having a known werewolf as a 
student? One so dangerous that he needs to be removed regularly from 
the regular population? Did the parents know? "Severus dear, next 
term would you just check around for Mummy and see if what Mrs. 
Gossip here is saying is true at all?"

HIRING a werewolf as a teacher--again how much do the parents know? 
And as far as the "talented potions maker"...well he has a bit of a 
dark past of his own and some might not want *him* around their 
impressionable little ones. 

I really have no clue what I'd think if my kids were there. 
Possibly this: At the moment (in the books) it is very likely that 
despite all this the single safest place IN the WW is Hogwarts 
School. At least that was true until the appearance of the trouble 
attracting Harry Potter. Perhaps it is a matter of the devil you know 
v. the devil you don't?

Now a more important question--would I send my kids there if the 
invite showed up today? Absolutely.

Melpomene  who'll run the bake sale!