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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think there's a serious lack of risk assessment at Hogwarts?

89 replies

Fantajuice · 13/09/2020 23:27

Just rewatching the films today, and honestly the school should've been closed down. The teachers are deeply irresponsible.

The one that really gets me is when they say Harry has to compete In the Triwizard Tournament because his name came out the goblet. I mean, if the teachers has said no, what would've happened? And sending 11 year olds into a forest at night when they know something in there is killing unicorns as a form of detention?

AIBU to think the magical Ofsted would've had them closed down a long time before the 90s?

OP posts:
MinesAPintOfTea · 13/09/2020 23:33

Ah, but they have madam pomfrey to fix almost anything with one night in a medical bed. The times that isn't working, shutting the school is seriously an option.

TheDragQueen · 13/09/2020 23:37

I always found it worrying that a lot of the teachers seemed to have very few qualifications (eg Gilderoy Lockhart was really just a semi famous author) The staff turn over was unusually high, especially for the “defence of the dark arts”.

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 13/09/2020 23:39

I don’t know - the stairs to the girls dorms won’t let the boys go up so that’s something Grin

JaJaDingDong · 13/09/2020 23:42

None of them wear helmets when they're on their broomsticks.

Totickleamockingbird · 13/09/2020 23:45

I wondered this too. Remember the war at the end? But then I figured that it’s a magical world and the teachers can fix most things. Also, how do you control magic indefinitely? So it was probably a calculated risk.

Totickleamockingbird · 13/09/2020 23:49

It’s a nightmare to keep my muggle children under control. Imagine trying to control a mass of children who have just found out they are witches/wizards.
So I used to wonder more about the fact that Hogwarts children didn’t face the level of accidents and mishaps that you would expect them to. Blush

underneaththeash · 13/09/2020 23:51

I know what you mean, we watched Prisoner of Azkaban the other day at the cinema (I'd not realised my teens were too young to see the originals on the big screen) - and I'd just done the COVID/safety risk assessment for Brownies.

The Monster book of monsters maybe would get past if the teacher gave them out first and explained who to open them.

Quidditch - no especially with dementors. Flying 20 miles above Hogwarts with no teacher accompaniment on a broomstick = dangerous.

Employing teacher who is a werewolf = acceptable; wolfsbane potion given and ticked each night during full moon.

Hippogriff - no bloody way; behind screen only and no flying.

TorgosPizza · 13/09/2020 23:58

The moving stairs alone would end in at least a few deaths each year, surely.

And yes, there are far too many monsters getting into the castle and onto the grounds.

TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 14/09/2020 00:00

Placing your name (or in Harrys case someone else placing your name) in the GOF creates a 'magical binding contract' so he had to see it through. No idea what happens if you break that contract though.

As for the rest, uhhh... I guess you worry less about risk assessments when you can magically fix injuries Grin.

@Totickleamockingbird most of them hadn't just found out they were witches and wizards. They were raised by magical parents, and therefore presumably had some basic knowledge of safety etc. Toddlers had toy brooms which flew inches above the ground. And Luna's Mum died when a spell went wrong :(

Original poster
Fantajuice · 14/09/2020 00:04

The staff turn over was unusually high, especially for the “defence of the dark arts”. To be fair, that was a cursed position.

And yes, having the dementors at the school. How did that get through the governors?!

OP posts:
Original poster
Fantajuice · 14/09/2020 00:13

Placing your name (or in Harrys case someone else placing your name) in the GOF creates a 'magical binding contract' so he had to see it through. No idea what happens if you break that contract though.

Well exactly. If he'd just turned up and conceded every challenge there's not a lot could be done.

OP posts:
DdraigGoch · 14/09/2020 00:13

@Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons

I don’t know - the stairs to the girls dorms won’t let the boys go up so that’s something Grin
If health and safety doesn't close the school down, the equalities lot will for failing to be inclusive of trans kids.

Of course when you get to book five, the government does send a "High Inquisitor" who starts sacking teachers for bringing in dangerous animals.

user1473878824 · 14/09/2020 00:15

@MinesAPintOfTea

Ah, but they have madam pomfrey to fix almost anything with one night in a medical bed. The times that isn't working, shutting the school is seriously an option.
Oh my god I’m reading this in a completely different tone and laughing so much
TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 14/09/2020 00:26

To be fair he could have just not tried at the tasks and not broken the contract. Unless that was against the rules. JKR never really said what they were.

The dementors were there to protect the students. Remember everyone thought Sirius was a bad guy who wanted to kill Harry so they had to protect him somehow.

Don't mention trans kids Grin. There was something on Twitter a while ago where trans people were complaining that there were no trans kids in the books. I was at school in the 90s, and if I were to write a book about it, there wouldn't be any trans kids. Because there weren't. So they aren't part of my 90s school experience.

Off topic sorry Grin

Magical DC would be screwed if ofsted closed Hogwarts down. Its the only UK magical school as far as I know. They'd all have to be home schooled!

newnameforthis123 · 14/09/2020 00:27

This is so true Grin

My mum recently said she used to get irrationally stressed when we were little watching Rugrats about how there were barely ever any adults properly supervising them... the older I get the more I understand!

newnameforthis123 · 14/09/2020 00:30

@Fantajuice

Placing your name (or in Harrys case someone else placing your name) in the GOF creates a 'magical binding contract' so he had to see it through. No idea what happens if you break that contract though.

Well exactly. If he'd just turned up and conceded every challenge there's not a lot could be done.

Ah but Harry is an insufferable martyr and loves the attention really. They are my favourite books ever - genuine enjoyment wise - and I've always been an avid reader (with a degree to prove it) so I always enjoy the irony I find the main character so unlikeable!
TheDuchessofMalfy · 14/09/2020 00:33

The Dolores Umbridge book (TOOTP) is set at about the same time Ofsted started out I think.

TheDragQueen · 14/09/2020 00:34

It’s amazing Harry Ever lived it down buying all the sweets from the cart in the Hogwart’s Express.

Itsmybirthday19 · 14/09/2020 01:42
DowntonCabbie · 14/09/2020 08:51

The thing is even if you had to do risk assessments couldn’t you either bewitch the paper or the official involved so it passed? Or maybe all the parents and children have to sign something to say they accept the risk of maiming or death of their child and won’t sue. Bit harder for the Muggle parents I would think.

TheDragQueen · 14/09/2020 08:54

Itsmybirthday19
😂😂😂

44PumpLane · 14/09/2020 09:22

I always wondered why the use of veritaserum was so sparsely used.

"oh they aren't a death eater they reckon they were confunded"..... Surely a drop of veritaserum would have sorted any ambiguity out there as it makes you tell the truth.

Chamber of Secrets has been opened and we suspect a student, so we give all students and teachers 1 drop of the serum and ask if they know anything about it, they'd eventually get to Ginny who would spill all.

Totally love the books though!!

44PumpLane · 14/09/2020 09:23

Also the thing that gets me is that they all have to come via the Hogwarts express, so does that mean that a wizarsing family living in Aberdeen has to travel all the way to London to put their kid on a train that will likely take them to somewhere in the region of Northumberland to Edinburgh? What a wasted journey!

KihoBebiluPute · 14/09/2020 09:32

Totally agree. The whole series is a long tangle of situations that no responsible adult who has been through safeguarding and risk-assessment training would ever allow to happen. It stresses me out that the books teach generations of children that they can't go to adults to help with difficult and dangerous situations, they have to try to solve it all by themselves. I do get that it makes good children's literature to depict children dealing with difficult situations alone and prevailing, but the rationale behind why they get no adult backup is just reckless.

Nevertheless, JKR rocks. The books will never be my favourites but I'm not the target audience - and they are a work of genius for effectively capturing the actual target audience so well, for so many years.

MinkyWinky · 14/09/2020 09:40

Don't get me started Grin

  • I don't know of boarding school that just sends the children to the common room then leaves them to get on with it never mind wandering off to bed at midnight. Where are the teachers and who's making sure they go to bed at a reasonable time?
  • Why don't they have an induction for all muggle children who are found to be magical as opposed to letting them find out as they go along?
  • The pupil:teacher ratio is interesting unless there are a lot of teachers we never meet
  • How did Hermione get into Diagon Alley to buy school stuff if her parents are Muggles?

And on a side note - how on earth did the Dursleys never get reported to social services?