History at Hogwarts (was Re: Wizard Persecution )

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 126061


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman"
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> 
<SNIP>
>  
> 
> SSSusan:
> I certainly can't disprove your view, Lupinlore, but I do doubt it.  
> DD has a history of sharing information with the Hogwarts kids that 
> the Ministry would *not* approve of his sharing (how Cedric died, 
> that Voldemort has come back) and of generally *doing* things of 
> which the Ministry would not approve (allowing Lupin & Hagrid to 
> teach, for instance).   

Actually, it isn't really my view so much as a playful little thing
that occurred to me.  Like you, I very much doubt it's "true."


> 
> So my guess would be that Binns is just JKR's giving us a 
> stereotypical boring history teacher, just as Madam Pince is a 
> stereotypical severe & shushy librarian, just as Trelawney is a 
> stereotypical daft & clueless "fortune-teller."  I've NO idea why DD 
> allows Binns and Trelawney to teach if they're really not all that 
> good, but I can't imagine that he would cave to Ministry pressure to 
> teach a watered-down history curriculum, where important but 
> upsetting facts have been removed to "protect" children's 
> sensibilities.
> 

Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't cave if pressed directly.  But if the
Ministry said "You've got a perfectly good history professor who isn't
costing a knut, we won't give you funds to hire another one," that is
another situation.

But, like I said, I agree with you that this is all probably not true
in the least.  It makes for a good story, though. :-)


Lupinlore