House Meetings Who: Everyone What: House meetings When: Tuesday evening, 8:00 onward Where: Common rooms
Prefect Briefing + Basics of What Everyone is Told:
Before the housewide meeting, the Heads of House (and a few other professors) met with the prefects to discuss the following:
Due to a serious incident of alleged hazing, the school will be taking stronger measures to prevent secret society activity at Hogwarts. The prefects are reassured that hazing is NOT a widespread problem at Hogwarts, but the school finds it necessary to take action to prevent any future incidents by setting a strong example now. Secret societies are against the rules, the prefects are reminded, and so long as evidence of their existence remains, the Hogwarts administration will be required to do what it can to eliminate them.
In particular, Professor Bloxam will be conducting an investigation into secret societies at Hogwarts and will require the prefects' assistance. For the moment, she's asking prefects to keep a closer eye on situations that look like bullying or hazing, and to report suspicious behavior to her. They're also asked to report to Professor Bloxam any unauthorized locations they find students suspiciously congregating.
The prefects also receive a copy of a booklet called "Stop Hazing," which includes how to identify, intervene in, and prevent hazing. Copies of the booklet will be available in all the common rooms and in the library as well.
(This information is also the summary of the information covered in each house's meeting, in addition to what is mentioned below.)
Gryffindor: Head of House, Professor Thomas + Professor Imago
The Gryffindor meeting got off to a late start, with a group of firsties delayed outside the the common room by a particularly loquacious portrait. Professors Thomas and Imago both seemed relaxed but intent, leaning against a table at the front of the room, their demeanor helping to ease the worries of some of the more anxious students. They kept the meeting short and frank, emphasizing that the school doesn't tolerate bullying in any form, and how it's worrying that students might be being hazed, teased, bullied, or assaulted for the sake of being part of a secret group.
"If you find yourself in a situation where you're being bullied, hazed, stalked, being forced to join a secret group, you can say 'no,'" Professor Imago said, near the end of the meeting. "Just because someone else claims it's fun and games, it doesn't mean you have to go along with it." He gave an overview of Professor Bloxam's impending investigation, and wisely noting the stricken looks on some students' faces when Professor Bloxam's name was mentioned, he added, "You can come to me or Professor Thomas, to any of the other professors, to any of our fine prefects or the Head Boy or Head Girl. To whomever you feel most comfortable speaking to. While Professor Bloxam might be the one running the official investigation, all of us here at Hogwarts want to keep the school safe for everyone."
"I know I don't have to worry about most of you, but it's an important enough message that it was worth taking time out of our busy schedules tonight to discuss this with you," Professor Thomas said. He hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue, but he added, "On a personal note, I was disheartened to learn that it was a secret society prank that destroyed the Art Club's carnations." A couple students gasped. "Very disheartened. And flowers obviously aren't as important as students being hurt in the name of, quote unquote, fun. So let's all keep an eye out for each other, all right?"
Hufflepuff: Head of House, Professor Blenkinsop + Professor Birch
The Hufflepuff meeting ran the longest, due to plenty of questions being asked and some of the students wanting to make sure there were enough copies of the "Stop Hazing" booklet. Professor Blenkinsop looked fairly worn out from the marathon of faculty meetings during the day, not to mention having to battle with Professor Whitehorn to reschedule Hufflepuff's Quidditch practice, but he and Professor Birch kept the meeting mostly on track. They emphasized that hazing isn't widespread at Hogwarts, but it's important to prevent it from happening ever. They mentioned Professor Bloxam's investigation only briefly and spent most of the meeting discussing identifying bullying and hazing, and how one might go about reporting it to prefects.
Discussion of secret societies was kept brief. "Secret societies are against the rules," Professor Blenkinsop said. "I know that, you know that. There's a reason why all authorized student activities require a faculty sponsor, and there are probably many professors who would be happy to take up another club if approached. Or hey, why don't you join Gobstones, we'd love to have you. But the important thing is that we want you all to be safe and happy, and secret societies, no matter how much fun they claim to be, can be very dangerous."
Professor Blenkinsop excused himself to his office shortly after the meeting, but Professor Birch stuck around to help run through a "just say no" practice with a few of the younger students.
Ravenclaw: Head of House, Professor Vector + Professor Cresswell
The Ravenclaw meeting was full of details (accurate or not!) about secret societies. While Professor Vector was very brisk in her approach to discussing the problem of hazing (it's against school rules, and not a single incident will be tolerated), Professor Cresswell chimed in to provide plenty of evidence of the horrors of hazing, which resulted in some stories being spilled. Did you know, for example, that before secret societies were banned in 1976, the Circle of the Heliopath required that its initiates confess publicly their...well, Professor Cresswell politely termed it "relationship" history? And did you know that they used to do public floggings of misbehaving members up through the 1960s (and possibly later!)? And what about how about five years ago, one of the societies was allegedly forcing its initiates to go without sleep for days? Oh, and that they required new members to wear pink underwear (and checked!)? He also let slip that there's only been one published book about the Hogwarts secret societies in the school library, but it's been missing for years--though Professor Cresswell's enthusiastic details might lead some students to wonder if he happens to know where to find it.
Professor Vector pulled the conversation back on track with a smile and with an emphasis on the fact that hazing is serious, and the school will be taking serious action against the organizations, though secret they may believe they are, participating in such practices. Professor Vector also disclosed that Professor Bloxam did have an entire file on the secret societies and that she had evidence of where they meet at Hogwarts, and indicated that it's very likely she'll uncover who's responsible not only for the hazing but for the continued existence of the societies at Hogwarts.
Slytherin: Head of House, Professor Bloxam + Professor Bobbin
Professor Bloxam's speech for the night was clearly well-rehearsed. At 8:30, she raised her hand for silence and launched directly into her presentation with a very definite announcement: "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."
Professor Bobbin sat in the back of the common room, keeping some of the younger students in line, while Professor Bloxam crossed the common room as she spoke. "Secret societies. They have been against school rules for decades, and for good reason. They're why we're meeting tonight. There is evidence that a secret society at Hogwarts is recruiting as we speak. And not only that, they have been hazing."
She paused there for emphasis. "Hazing is any activity that humiliates, degrades, or otherwise causes harm to a person in the name of 'social bonding' or as a 'rite of passage' to be initiated into a group. It is physically and psychologically hazardous. It violates basic principles of mutual respect. Basic principles that I expect all of my students to adhere to." Some of the students looked a bit lost by that description, but Professor Bloxam stuck to her script. "We are meeting here tonight because of hazing. You, Slytherins, already know how to behave. You know the proper behavior that the school expects of you, that I expect of you. And the idea that any of you might be participating in secret societies, especially ones that condone hazing, is a cause for concern. Grave concern."
Professor Bobbin had been assigned a line at this point, so she paused again for him. He improvised, however, and said instead, "Part of our job as your professors is to keep you safe. Hazing is not condoned, in any shape or form, by any organization."
"Yes, part of our job is to keep you safe, and secret societies are preventing us from doing so," Professor Bloxam said. "It's clear that having a rule against them is not enough to deter classless behavior. I will not disclose the details of the recent hazing incident, but I will tell you that it isn't behavior I'd tolerate from any of my students, but particularly my Slytherins."
She then posed herself at the front of the common room, where she said, "Starting tomorrow, I will open my office to anyone who wants to report any incidents and run-ins with secret societies. If you have anything to confess, I will keep your identity confidential and, to what extent is possible, your honest action of confession will be taken into consideration when considering if disciplinary action is necessary." She gestured widely, as if indicating her generosity. "Which means it is in your best interest to confess, before I find out about your involvement otherwise. And I will find out." She held up a fat roll of scrolls. "These organizations are not as secret as they purport to be. Over the years, the school administration has compiled much information about these organizations. We, particularly myself as Deputy Headmistress, know much about these societies' membership, activities, and locations. They will not remain secret for much longer."
Another dramatic pause. "As long as I'm standing here, I refuse to let this fine school be run and ruined by some circle of hellions."
Two second-years off to the side hushedly consulted each other. "Did she say 'hell'?" "What does 'hellion' even mean?"
Professor Bloxam surveyed her students once more, then smiled. "Slytherins, I appreciate your concern and cooperation in this matter."