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Grim Truth 96/24/2
Feb. 24th, 2013 01:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_siriusGreetings, British Wizarding World!
In the few weeks since Madam Dolores Umbridge has taken over Hogwarts, she has already instituted a palpable difference in the lives of the students there. She has bent her attention to exposing children’s thoughts, even those which they might regret as soon as they have been voiced. While she has targetted halfbloods with a precision that would make a duellist proud, even those with pure magical heritage have not been safe from her probing. Sophie Fleet suffered the most grievously, as all know from the sudden, swift and summative disappearance of her entire family from New London. I am sure some of you would like to point out that Maribel Fleet was a ‘traitor,’ and that thus Sophie’s punishments were justified. Whether you agree with Mrs Fleet’s politics or not, surely a fourteen-year-old girl’s trangression and a relatively mild statement are not truly cause to beat out a confession and then eradicate an entire family. (While it was believed the Fleets were downgraded in status and sent to the camps, I have heard rumours that they have yet to be included in any roster within the camp system and that, instead, they were all murdered. Perhaps you’ve heard similar whispers.)
Besides Sophie, other purebloods have encountered less than fair treatment at the hands of the new Headmistress. All those forced to read their private messages aloud or at least, to share the content of their messages with Madam Umbridge, can claim she has abused her authority. Mendingus Bainbridge, Jenessa Beaker, Killian McIntosh, Persephone Sanditon, Lavinia Levingworth, Philip MacMillan, Michelle Iskanderian, Felicity Whisp - all have felt the sting of her poisonous touch. The Weasley siblings, too, have experienced a twisted sort of ‘justice’ at her command. In her latest attempt at irony, Hogwarts’ big, pink bully held a young lady to blame for action well beyond her power or ability to control. And while that young lady is no stranger to adversity, she certainly did nothing to invite or deserve Madam Toad’s scorn.
Against this backdrop, we have also learned of these so-called ‘Order of Precedence’ meals - dining in strict observance of arbitrary distinctions, where one is compelled to sit next to neighbours not because of common interest or mutual affection, but merely on an arcane system of determining one’s place in society’s hierarchy.
All this certainly causes me to wonder what in Merlin’s name the Pink Bullfrog expects to accomplish? Has anyone asked her qualifications for such a laudable and honoured post as Hogwarts’ Headmistress? Correct me if I’m wrong but I had thought that at least some teaching experience was required to hold the position. But Dolores Umbridge does not even teach a core subject - worse, in fact: She pretends to teach, choosing instead to divide her lessons along the same ridiculous class distinctions as her suppers, and providing half her students with a glorified picture book in place of an O.W.L. preparatory text.
I admit that I am confused, as you probably are, as to why the Board of Governors has allowed this frank deterioration of a school that has withstood a thousand years of students - but then again, the Council has allowed wizarding society to recede into its Medieval mindset in less than a generation, as well, so perhaps it really does signify a coordinated effort. Perhaps the Grim Truth is that the Governors and the Council have decided that Madam Umbridge’s brand of education is just the sort of Dark Age nonsense they want. If nothing else, raising a load of dunces who can’t defend themselves against Dark magic will ensure that they can persist in their oppressive rule over halfblood, muggleborn, squib and muggle alike.
I’ve no power to make the Governors remove Madam Umbridge, no more than I had the power to keep the Lord Pretender from punishing my brother whenever I spoke out. No more than I have the power to keep Madam Umbridge from oppressing innocent students in an impotent attempt to strike at me.
But what I do have the power to do is call her on her actions. Oi, Dolores: Next time, pick on someone your own size.
In the few weeks since Madam Dolores Umbridge has taken over Hogwarts, she has already instituted a palpable difference in the lives of the students there. She has bent her attention to exposing children’s thoughts, even those which they might regret as soon as they have been voiced. While she has targetted halfbloods with a precision that would make a duellist proud, even those with pure magical heritage have not been safe from her probing. Sophie Fleet suffered the most grievously, as all know from the sudden, swift and summative disappearance of her entire family from New London. I am sure some of you would like to point out that Maribel Fleet was a ‘traitor,’ and that thus Sophie’s punishments were justified. Whether you agree with Mrs Fleet’s politics or not, surely a fourteen-year-old girl’s trangression and a relatively mild statement are not truly cause to beat out a confession and then eradicate an entire family. (While it was believed the Fleets were downgraded in status and sent to the camps, I have heard rumours that they have yet to be included in any roster within the camp system and that, instead, they were all murdered. Perhaps you’ve heard similar whispers.)
Besides Sophie, other purebloods have encountered less than fair treatment at the hands of the new Headmistress. All those forced to read their private messages aloud or at least, to share the content of their messages with Madam Umbridge, can claim she has abused her authority. Mendingus Bainbridge, Jenessa Beaker, Killian McIntosh, Persephone Sanditon, Lavinia Levingworth, Philip MacMillan, Michelle Iskanderian, Felicity Whisp - all have felt the sting of her poisonous touch. The Weasley siblings, too, have experienced a twisted sort of ‘justice’ at her command. In her latest attempt at irony, Hogwarts’ big, pink bully held a young lady to blame for action well beyond her power or ability to control. And while that young lady is no stranger to adversity, she certainly did nothing to invite or deserve Madam Toad’s scorn.
Against this backdrop, we have also learned of these so-called ‘Order of Precedence’ meals - dining in strict observance of arbitrary distinctions, where one is compelled to sit next to neighbours not because of common interest or mutual affection, but merely on an arcane system of determining one’s place in society’s hierarchy.
All this certainly causes me to wonder what in Merlin’s name the Pink Bullfrog expects to accomplish? Has anyone asked her qualifications for such a laudable and honoured post as Hogwarts’ Headmistress? Correct me if I’m wrong but I had thought that at least some teaching experience was required to hold the position. But Dolores Umbridge does not even teach a core subject - worse, in fact: She pretends to teach, choosing instead to divide her lessons along the same ridiculous class distinctions as her suppers, and providing half her students with a glorified picture book in place of an O.W.L. preparatory text.
I admit that I am confused, as you probably are, as to why the Board of Governors has allowed this frank deterioration of a school that has withstood a thousand years of students - but then again, the Council has allowed wizarding society to recede into its Medieval mindset in less than a generation, as well, so perhaps it really does signify a coordinated effort. Perhaps the Grim Truth is that the Governors and the Council have decided that Madam Umbridge’s brand of education is just the sort of Dark Age nonsense they want. If nothing else, raising a load of dunces who can’t defend themselves against Dark magic will ensure that they can persist in their oppressive rule over halfblood, muggleborn, squib and muggle alike.
I’ve no power to make the Governors remove Madam Umbridge, no more than I had the power to keep the Lord Pretender from punishing my brother whenever I spoke out. No more than I have the power to keep Madam Umbridge from oppressing innocent students in an impotent attempt to strike at me.
But what I do have the power to do is call her on her actions. Oi, Dolores: Next time, pick on someone your own size.
