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Snark Claims Suspensions were Fair
by Cecilia Lark
In an attempt to get both sides of the story, I wrote Headmistress Snark and requested that she explain her recent actions as Headmistress, regarding the suspension of Madeline Pratt and Sasha Schlagenweit. She responded promptly with her reply, which is quoted verbatim here:
Miss Lark,
There is an appalling a lack of understanding regarding my decisions as headmistress and I am glad to get a chance to clear the air on at least one of them, in this case, regarding the suspensions of Madeline Pratt and Sasha Schlagenweit. The accusations that I punished them unfairly are both ridiculous and unfounded.
In Miss Pratts case, she was suspended when strong evidence was brought forth supporting the suspicion that she was the one who sabotaged the Halloween dance. The crime in question was the malicious intent to use polyjuice on unsuspecting students in an attempt to protest in favor of SAWS. While it was surely not her intention, the transformation of the innocent victims into wolf hybrids caused widespread panic that directly resulted in a fire being started in the Great Hall. While there were no casualties, we could not allow it to go unpunished. If she serves her punishment, she will be allowed to return and take her midterms.
As for Mr. Schlagenweit, his situation was less about the harm posed to other students and more about the harm students pose on themselves. Earlier in the year, he and two other students, who shall be unnamed, were witness to the brutal attack on the previous headmaster, Knox Greyfriar, after the trio broke several school rules by sneaking out of Hogwarts on a school night and staying out past curfew. Had they followed the rules, their lives would not have been put in danger and they would not have been traumatized by the attack. Which is why I suspended Mr. Schlagenweit: to be an example of what will happen to those who break the rules.
Why Mr. Schlagenweit as opposed to the other two? I have been accused of attacking him personally out of some animosity I am supposed to have against him, but in reality, that animosity is simply my response to a student that repeatedly flaunts the rules and backtalks authority. I would react the same to any student who treated both myself and the school with such disrespect. As for why I only suspended him as opposed to all three, the simple fact is that Mr. Schlagenweit has broken this rule, and others, more then once, the most recent being for an entire week. He claims that he had permission, but I must grant permission for a student to leave the school for any amount of time, outside of Hogsmeade visits and holidays, and I was not informed of his intention of leaving. Nor were several of his professors. This is inexcusable and could not go unpunished. This is a school. A place for inexperienced wizards and witches to learn in a safe environment. It is not a resort they can come and go as they please.
The bottom line is that I am doing my best to keep the students safe and give their parents the peace of mind that has been sorely lacking for the last several years. It was a very disheartening blow to discover how many people saw my good intentions as some sort of discriminatory hate crime against werewolves. It was not, however, surprising to me in the slightest that many of my most vehement dissidents are without children themselves. I surmise that many of them would think differently if it was their children, and not someone elses, that were being put in danger.
I hope that this clears up the misunderstanding and appreciate the Prophet giving me a chance to defend myself and my actions.
Sincerly,
Analiza Snark
Headmistress of Hogwarts
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[Nov 25] Snark Claims Suspensions Were Fair