Sadism or not ? McGonagall and her punishments

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 186751

Sheryll:
> 
> I don't necessarily see this as evidence that there are no regulations as to hair or hair accessories.

Ceridwen:
Neither do I.  I think there are a lot more drudge rules that we don't know about at Hogwarts that regulate things Harry isn't interested in.  We didn't find out about extra-curricular clubs until Harry went to form one in his fifth year.  There were rules already in place which were augmented by Umbridge's more draconian measures.  Harry won't need to bother about hair ornamentation because he won't be wearing any, so we don't know about it one way or the other.

Sheryll: 
> I think what Shaun is doing is making reasonable assumptions based on both his own knowledge and experience, as well as a reasonable, IMO, assumption of what the author would consider the norm in that type of school setting. 

Ceridwen:
This discussion also reminds me of the dress code rules we had in school.  The school I mean wasn't an exclusive academy, it was taxpayer funded (public for U.S., council school, I guess, for U.K.) and had reams of rules concerning dress, including hair ornamentation, condition, length for boys, styles for both boys and girls, types of stockings girls could wear, even a stipulation against wearing stockings with runs (or ladders) in them.

Our rules were in a handbook passed out at the beginning of the term.  We didn't exactly read all of them, just the ones that we thought might pertain to us.  Some of us didn't read them at all.  We heard about others from other kids.  One of the funniest ways I saw to showcase these rules was when the faculty put on a "fashion show" to demonstrate how not to dress.  It was hilarious to see the girls' vice principal, a mature woman, wearing a micro-mini with window-pane stockings and stiletto heels.  My history teacher was saddled with the nick-name of "Hippie" after he wore a tee-shirt and jeans with holes in them and a waist-length wig.

Some people have said that the WW reminds them of a more old-fashioned world.  If so, I expect that the school rules would follow a more old-fashioned code.  But rules about hair ornamentation aren't just old-fashioned.  The schools around here don't allow hats, they don't allow bandanas worn on the hair, due to gang associations.

I think McGonagall's comment about the clip being ridiculous was supposed to show that everyone was tense.  If she wasn't tense she might have told Parvati to remove the clip without calling it ridiculous.  She might even have drawn her aside and told her confidentially.  I think Hogwarts probably had a lot of rules we never heard about because they didn't directly impact Harry - a rule about the appropriate style of hair clip certainly wouldn't.  I don't think the presence or absence of certain rules would have any bearing on this scene since I think it is there to illustrate the gravity of the situation, the first time this contest has been done in an age of donkey's years.

Ceridwen.