Alternity

Greetings, British Wizarding World!

It’s hard to believe that the first class to enter Hogwarts after the journal project began is now beginning the second half of its education. I hope that education will still prepare them for the work to be done, particularly if we’re to reverse the damage wrought by the Protectorate, but perhaps that is too much to ask on top of rudimentary skills in potions, charms, astronomy and transfiguration.

Still, I’m glad that so far, this year seems to be progressing with fewer calamities than in the past and indeed, cause for celebrations (public Cruciation aside, of course). I gather that the Tri-Wizard Tournament (and particularly the Yule Ball) has been successful so far in bringing the students together in new and exciting ways. One thing I agree with is the goal of making new friends and gaining new perspectives, which is a hallmark of the collaboration that the Tournament affords.

But the Tournament is also meant to be a competition, an opportunity to put each school’s best students against one another in a fair and unbiased test of their skills. We’ve already seen some unanticipated results, what with two Champions being chosen from Hogwarts. That’s either a sign that the Goblet is not to be fooled by the Lord Pretender’s whims or it’s a sign that once again, someone cleverer than the combined intelligence of Beauxbatons, Hogwarts and Durmstrang found a way to put my godson, Harry Potter, at risk despite all the protections he’s given. One can only hope that he’ll continue to show resourcefulness beyond his years.

Speaking of protections, however, there’s another matter that we really ought to discuss. That’s the recent incident at Hogwarts in which one of the French delegation nearly lost his life due to bullying.

Yes, I know that it turns out he was bullied by two of his own schoolmates and it had almost nothing to do with Hogwarts’ students. Yet in this case, there are parallels to Hogwarts’ students that cannot and ought not be ignored.

In the first place, the young man had endured a history of abuse, which could have been halted earlier had his teachers taken closer note of his situation. While his own fortitude is to be applauded, he should never have had to bear up for that long without anyone taking an interest. I wish I could say that nothing like it ever happens at Hogwarts but we all know that prefects and professors alike often expect students to resolve their own problems. Even without this most recent example, Hogwarts is no stranger to crops of young tormentors, which seem to come and go in waves but are never quite addressed consistently.

In the second place, his torment is symptomatic of insensitivity toward wizards who do not come from pure wizard blood. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the idea persists that pure blood and magical ability are inextricably linked and worse, that the old, pure families themselves are more worthy than newer bloodlines. Englishmen have always been preoccupied with matters of class; it is one of the (many) ways wizards are no different from muggles. But as the regime solidifies its power, that idea has taken root with new fervour. I’m disappointed to see it pervading French thinking as well, though I wonder if that has more to do with personal ties forged between families and less to do with any policy changes on behalf of Beauxbatons or the French government. Either way, it seems clear that had the student had wizarding parents, and not squibs, it is likely that he would not have presented such a tempting target - and more likely that his professors would have acted much more quickly to protect him.

But beyond the injustice of this incident, let’s take a moment to discuss the effect of a bullying culture on its citizens. These systems rely on elevating the importance of class distinctions so that those in the middle perpetuate both ends of the spectrum. Those in the middle admire and envy those above them, and they buy in to the promise that if they make those below them feel worse about themselves, they will in turn feel better, and may even be admitted to the elite as a reward. They buy in to the idea that they can ‘join in’ to make themselves stronger, less helpless in a society that belittles them for an accident of birth, standing or finance. Of course, some wizards, finding themselves tempted or pressured to spurn those weaker than themselves, recognise that the social obligation to harass, bully or even torture is wrong, but they feel they must go along and pretend. Doing otherwise would mark them as targets of bullying themselves or worse, expose them to accusations of being rebels, possibly putting their loved ones in danger.

The biggest danger of all, though, is in the coercive power of bullying as an acceptable cultural structure. It manipulates people into justifying their wrong actions by appealing to their fears for themselves and for their loved ones. It subverts their concern for those they are being coerced to harm, forcing them to either dismiss their doubts as unfounded, or to dismiss the people themselves as contemptible or inferior (and therefore not deserving of mercy). The culture of bullying also tempts moral people to invent twisted justifications for their deeds, even to the point of absurdity. Under extreme circumstances, one might come to conceive of these violent deeds as a way to protect the oppressed. Then it’s the voice that says, ‘If I don’t take this action, someone else will, who will enjoy it more, who will be more cruel, more vicious, who will feel less remorse.’

While it may be necessary, from time to time, to perpetrate such an act, it is never all right, never justified. In such a situation it is important to remember what is really right and proper and fair - and to ask who is victimised. The ones who create that pressure are the real bullies and their actions, the creation of that culture, passes through those in the middle and makes them instruments of their brutality. Sometimes it can be impossible to see a way out. But it is vital to think carefully and closely about what can be done to break the cycle.

And that brings me back to friendships - the best friends are those who challenge each other to become better people, without judging but without necessarily accepting one’s failures. So as the term starts up again, students, ask yourselves who your real friends are - are they the ones who accept you but also push you to improve yourself? Are they the ones with whom you feel comfortable speaking the Grim Truth? And if not...why not? There are risks in speaking out but if your friends are worth having, they will help provide the key to a longterm plan for escape. True friends, friends with whom no topic is taboo, no problem is unsolvable, no question too unthinkable, they are the way out.