Sadism or not ? McGonagall and her punishments

[jkoney65]

No: HPFGUIDX 186665

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at ...> wrote:
>
> > Shaun:
> > 
> > Fair enough - but I do find Parvarti's behaviour objectionable. Hogwarts has 
> > a school uniform. She's violating the rules concerning uniform, and so it's 
> > entirely appropriate for a teacher to reprimand her for doing it. Now I come 
> > from a cultural background where school uniforms are normal, I wore one from 
> > the age of five to seventeen, and every school I've taught in has had a 
> > uniform. I'm generally speaking in favour of uniforms - but only if they are 
> > properly enforced. If they are not going to be enforced (and that means 
> > students facing some sort of sanction if they break the rules) they become 
> > pretty useless. If they are enforced, they are useful in many cases.
> > 
> > The fact is Professor McGonagall is responsible for ensuring the students in 
> > her class follow the uniform rules. Parvarti was not. That's not appropriate 
> > behaviour and it's entirely appropriate for a teacher to address it.
> 
> a_svirn:
> But Parvati was wearing uniform, presumably. Otherwise McGonagall would have commented on that too. Parvati hadn't violated any rule or code by securing her hair with a clasp. Just because Hermione couldn't bother with taming her hair, doesn't mean that other girls in Hogwarts didn't wear bands, hairpins or clasps. Or boys for that matter – we know that Jordan, for instance, sported dreadlocks at some point. McGonagall is not reprimanding her for infringing the rules here, she's disparaging her taste. Petty thing to do, in my humble opinion. 

jkoney:
I interpreted it to mean that Parvati wasn't wearing an approved sort of hair clasp. If there is a uniform it probably (at least the ones I was subjected to) limits what you can wear as part of the uniform. While they have to wear hats, a Harley baseball cap wouldn't meet the requirements. Since she used the term ridiculous, I assumed it meant something garish to cause people (the visiting students) to look at her. If so, this would violate the dress code.


snip
> 
> a_svirn:
> Actually he didn't lose it: it was stolen from him. Poirot McGonagall is not. But never mind that. So you wouldn't forgive him for losing the list? Even if you knew full well that his memory disability was the reason of his losing it? And that *your own arrangement* put him into an untenable position? 
> 
jkoney:
There was a list, it was Neville's, he didn't deny it or say that it was stolen, what else should McGonagall have done? 

I don't believe his memory was so bad he couldn't remember things, otherwise he wouldn't have survived this long at school. Memorizing a password shouldn't be that difficult. I don't remember a scene of Neville asking for help.

If he did write it down, than that piece of paper should never leave his body. It should always be in one of his pockets so it can't be lost or stolen. The reasons of having a mad man loose are self explanatory.

I also don't remember Neville forgetting the passwords again.