Why expulsion is so rare at Hogwarts...at least my take on it

[poohmeg20]

No: HPFGUIDX 164334

Eric Oppen wrote:
>
> With all of 
> Hogwarts' faults, it does have the board of governors and the MoM to 
answer 
> to.
>

Megan responds:

I have gotten the impression throughout the books that the reluctance 
to expel students has come from Dumbledore alone, certainly for the 
reasons you cite, and also perhaps because of his friendship with and 
sympathy for Hagrid and having seen the effects that explusion had on 
him. 

Pre-Dumbledore, expulsion must have been more common, since students 
are frequently expressing their fear of being expelled and teachers 
(especially Snape) seem to invoke the threat on a somewhat regular 
basis, which is probably a holdover from the earlier time. It still 
seems that the MoM does not share DD's concerns about expulsion, since 
they planned to expel Harry for casting the patronus at the beginning 
of OOP despite the obvious danger it could put him in, and DD had to 
intervene. If Hogwarts reopens in DH, and if McGonagall is the new 
headmistress, it will be interesting to see if she continues DD's 
policy, partucularly in light of what will likely be going on outside 
of Hogwarts.