Rats at Hogwarts (was Cedric and Pettigrew)

[Chelle]

No: HPFGUIDX 91842

Pip!Squeak wrote: 
> <snip>
> Oh, and rats aren't on the approved pets list. How *did* Percy get 
> permission to bring a rat to school? That one, particular rat.
 
Elihu's answer:
> Maybe because the Weasleys were on close terms with Dumbledore, 
> they got special permission to allow their son to bring a rat of 
> theirs to school. Dumbledore didn't know that this rat is a problem 
> until shortly before Percy graduated.


That's on the First years list. In the first book Lee Jordan, a third
year is bringing his pet tarantula to Hogwarts. Maybe the school wants
them to get settled and the idea of what type of environment they're
supposed to be living in before they decide to bring in a complicated
pet. I would guess, having a tarantula of my own they would have had
to rearrange the boys dorm for that year to accomidate Lee's pet.
It would have had to be something Lee felt comfortable with his year
mates about. 
Could you imagine arriving your first year terrified of spiders and
your roomate springs a giant tarantula on you? Cats, toads, and owls
are pretty safe.

~ Chelle
http://www.fanfiction.net/~teshara