[HPforGrownups] Bullying (was: SPOILERS.Re: JKR site update)

[annegirl11 at juno.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 115127

SS Susan said:
> But, see, that's my point.  Hogwarts *isn't* "normal circumstances." 
> I *think* when you said that (please correct if wrong), you were 
> referring to what we're used to in the here & now. 

No, I meant normal circumstances for Hogwarts. Students who aren't heros
or part of prophecies, aren't on any teacher's shitlist b/c of an
extensive backstory, students who don't have alliances to paramilitary
groups (good or evil), and when the school isn't under the thumb of an
evil dictator from a corrupt government. In other words, the kids who
aren't the Trio and the hundreds of years of Hogwarts history when the
Trio weren't attending. THEN, I think, heads of houses are den mothers,
and they're good at it.

>but we've never  seen that through 5 books.

No, we've never seen our three main characters make use of their head of
house. But there's hundreds of kids at Hogwarts, and we have no idea what
they're doing when Harry isn't around. While I don't see Snape as a
useful resource, and McG is fair but prickly, Prof. Sprout strikes me as
very maternal, and Prof. Flitwick seems very kind and approachable.

> Snape or Draco

Speaking of, while Snape isn't Draco's bestest buddy and mentor, Draco is
his favorite pupil, and Snape seems to have a vested interest in the kid.
Just sayin, if Draco wasn't Slytherine, he wouldn't be a blip on Snape's
radar. Someone did point out that Snape isn't as nasty to his Slytherine
students, which is *sort of* like being a good house head. In a twisted,
Slytherine way.

> I think it *is* indicative that no guidance counselor is seen.  In 
> fact, I think it is indicative of there being no guidance counselor! 

Yes. There is no post like that at Hogwarts. So what? Since when are
guidance counselors that helpful, anyway? Mine were consistently
overworked, inaccessable, and useless. House heads, older students, and
the fact that the kids live at the school (and therefore are are expected
to develop emotional support at school simply because they're always
there) is the system Hogwarts has developed. I'm not saying it's a
perfect system, but neither is anything the muggle world has thought up.

> The absense of a counselor and the total  
> lack of any mention of psychologists, counseling, mental health 
> services

Those are all muggle ways of dealing with the mind and emotions. Wizards
probably have their own ways. IIRC, isn't there a mention of dreamless
sleep potions? And the penseive is certainly better than talk therapy. So
we have evidence that the WW has magical means to calm the mind, sooth
the spirit, and sort out one's concerns. Maybe they're better. Maybe
they're not. But they're there.

Aura

~*~
"I have a high self-esteem problem."
- Carson, QE
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