(1938-11-18) DP: Hogwarts Petition
Details for DP: Hogwarts Petition
Summary: DP article on The Petition
Date: November 18, 1938
Location: Daily Prophet
Related: The Petition. After the Riot: Community Forum
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Hogwarts Petition

On Monday, November 18, the Daily Prophet received a letter from Mr. Julian Edwards, a sixteen year old student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, whose parents have given permission for his name to be published in this evening edition. The letter included a petition, titled plainly The Petition, which Edwards himself wrote.

The Petition calls for the re-instating of former professor of Hogwarts Galatea Merrythought, who was denied the privilege of remaining a professor of Hogwarts after comments made during the community forum event over the weekend. The former professor declared Gellert Grindelwald’s actions “dark” and insinuated he was a practitioner of the Dark Arts.

The Petition explains Merrythought was sacked due to a “difference of opinion” from Headmaster Gervase Flint, who is responsible for the Magijugend, a school club that follows and celebrates the message, practices, and teachings of Grindelwald.

The Petition goes on to call for a review of the Magijugend by the Hogwarts Board of Governors, because Edwards, and many of his acquaintances, feel members of the Magijugend are likely above reproach, and perform acts which are “unnoticed or unreported,” and continues by saying, “because of their (Magijugend’s) elevated status, they are above reproach, and any attempts to have differing opinion are not only unwelcome, but could be met with more negative repercussions.”

Auror Irena Lee, who attended Hogwarts before employment with the M.L.E., found the petition at breakfast after it was delivered by owl. She was compelled to sign and share the petition with her coworkers. “I decided that I’d do whatever I could to help,” said Lee. She is not alone. The Petition has spread out of Hogwarts and has received attention outside of the school.

Hogwarts has long been a school that embraces diversity, especially among its students, yet Edwards, and others who have signed the petition, believe they may be curbing a new trend of increased discrimination. “The current atmosphere is severely anti-conducive to the learning environment and the free exchange of ideas due to one thing: Fear. Fear of reproach, and fear of Punishment due to an opinion that may be different. This cannot be allowed to continue in such a manner.” Edwards wrote in his letter to the Daily Prophet.

Parties interested in signing the petition may send an owl directly to Hogwarts, addressed to Mr. Julian Edwards. The Daily Prophet will report more news as it becomes available on this story.

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