Yesterday I got struck by a question that’s never occurred to me before. Who do you think abolished corporal punishment in Hogwarts, and when?
We know they used to have it. They still had it when Ron’s parents went there (Molly mentions Arthur having some lasting marks after a prank), and Filch, who isn’t that old, also remembers it. But at some point it went away.
Who abolished it – was it Dumbledore or Dippet before him? And if it was Dumbledore, did he do it as soon as he became Headmaster, or some years into the post?
I discussed this question with Mija, and she reckons that Dumbledore would have done away with CP right after getting the headship, because it wouldn’t agree with his teaching philosophy.
I’m not so sure about that: after everything we’ve learned about the man, I can see him adopting that well-known “for your own good” attitude. I suspect that he abolished CP a lot more recently, perhaps when it became less common in the Muggle world. Maybe even after Harry’s parents and young Snape went to Hogwarts. Now there’s an entertaining thought…
What do you folks think?
Hmm… I don’t know. I think Dumbledore wouldn’t be too happy about CP being used on his students. Remember when Umbridge grabbed hold of the girl who told her about the DA and started shaking her, and Dumbledore immediately reacted to that? I mean, he was really furious about that, even though that could also have something to do with his thorough dislike of Umbridge and the situation at hand… Nah. I think he would have abolished it the moment he took up the post.
I don’t know if I would fancy being whipped by Filch though, now I start to think about it! He’s just too creepy!
I agree with Kate – Dumbledore just doesn’t come across as the stern disciplinarian (in that sense) type.
I can imagine McGonagall being perfectly comfortable with the idea of CP however.
And, as for Snape…
What a lovely topic for kinky conversation, certain as it is to exasperate both Abel and Smudge!
Entertaining as it is to imagine Snape on the receiving end of Professor McGonagall’s cane, I agree with Mija that Dumbledore quietly ended CP after taking over. It was certainly gone before Harry’s parents and Snape were at Hogwarts. After all, James and Sirius would certainly have been in for their fair share, and we probably would have heard about it.
But why should Rowling’s view of the world constrain our imaginations in the slightest? Surely you can persuade Abel to go without washing his hair for a few days and doing a Snape-Hermione roleplay with you? *g*
Maybe it could be brought back? They could all (as in, every single member of the entire school) be whipped, then locked up in a dungeon and left there forever and ever and ever?
It was definitely still in practice when Umbridge was at Hogwarts. She must have suffered her fair share of it. How else would she have learned to be such an effective sadist?
Indiana – LOL No man who doesn’t understand the pure awesomeness of the books is not role-playing them with me. Even if he does like the movies.
I’ve had my fair share (perhaps more than my fair share!) of fantasies about having to go back to Snape’s dungeon classroom for detention … and then getting a magical caning!
Sadly, my Master won’t roleplay “Snape and hapless student on the receiving end of Snape’s (probably Harry-Potter-induced) wrath” with me, either!
How can he like the movies but not the books, Haron? Strange man..! Back to the topic at hand though, I think I’m in agreement with the others, that it got abolished when Dumbledore took over. He seems more of the guilt trip/I’m terribly disappointed in you/you’ve let yourself down type of disciplinarian, rather than the short, sharp shock type.
Ah, Hogwarts. Have just realised it’s a over a year since I read book seven. I must go and rectify that situation 😀
The thing that makes me wonder about Dumbledore’s attitude towards CP is that in many other respects he seems to be in favour of supposedly “character-building” (read: awful) things to do to pupils. Detentions in the dangerous forest? Sure. Really awful teachers? (Snape, Lockhart, Trelawney) Check. Mortal danger, and let’s see how you’ll cope? Yep. So a little bit of magic-aided caning wouldn’t really seem that inhumane in comparison.
Also, he’s happy to let the heads of houses run the show in all but the exceptional circumstances.
I must confess, the idea of the Marauders having got spanked in their day is more than a little appealing
Interesting point Haron. Yes, now I think back, he is often more than happy to expose his pupils to all sorts of ‘character-building’ situations. The Triwizard tournament, anyone? I mean, I know he didn’t expect for the whole death thing to happen at the end, but he was more than happy for them to be attacked by all sorts of nasties both in the maze and beforehand.
Yes, the more I think about it, the more I think you are right. Maybe it didn’t get abolished until it was in all British schools? Which, if I’m remembering my timelines correctly, would have only been 4 years before Harry etc. started?
OK, I have rambled on far too much now, and am now getting very frustrated as I really want to go sit down and start reading cover to cover again, and I just DON’T HAVE TIME. Not fair. Do you think I can get away with calling in sick to work tomorrow with the excuse of ‘I just had to reread the Harry Potter books’?
I, too, am *shocked* that Abel likes the HP movies and not the books! Indeed, I’m surprised that he admits to liking any movie better than the corresponding book. Such low-brow tastes– next thing you know, he’ll be taking the Daily Mail.
I couldn’t get past the humorless Dumbledore in the HP I and II movies, or the fact that I first saw the actor playing Lupin in Prime Suspect, in which he played a really awful child pornographer. Umbridge was delightfully awful in HP 5 though.
Eliane – I’d say go for it and skip work, but then I could get into trouble for encouraging another girl to play truant
Indiana – LOL I’m sure if he actually *read* the books, he would like them much more than the movies. But will he believe his wife and friends that they’re worth reading? Hell no. (Daily Mail though? Nonononono! That would be grounds for divorce!)
I didn’t skive, but I did sit at work on the BBC website and found out the movie release has been bumped till next summer, from November. Boo hoo, another year to wait for my next big HP fix. Going to go and cry a bit now
I was very disappointed when I arrived at Hogwarts and found that CP had been abolished. That sort of took the sparkle off being a witch.
Luckily, Ron has made it up to me.
Hugs,
Hermione