Charming
Maids at Hogwarts - Printable Version

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Maids at Hogwarts - Sisse Thompsett - March 25, 2022

So every time I write an MC/UC female I start wondering about this and forget.

Are there maids at Hogwarts? Do (female) house elves act as maids? Do LC dormmates help them get dressed?

For girls in the upper MC and in the UC who arrive at Hogwarts for the first time, they likely haven't dressed themselves because of family servants. So I'm just curious if they are suddenly supposed to figure this out or if there is someone there to help or do the matrons have to step in an help? If the matrons step in, do the matrons have an orientation regarding adjusting to dorm living and how to operate without a maid?

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Madeleine Backus - March 26, 2022

Legit never considered this. But since they are at school and there are no social expectations other than class - I'd say hair styles etc would be a lot less ornate.

I know that in ordinary 19th century girls schools poorer girls would have been assigned to help wealthier girls. -practice for the sort of companion/governess duties they would have in the future.

In schools like eton older boys had 'fags' - 1st or 2nd year boys who would run errands or 'serve' older ones in exchange for money.

For Hogwarts - it would make sense for these sorts of duties to perhaps be done by a house elf - one to each room to do simple hair styles and help with dressing? I'd suggest a scholarship student but in a world were house elves exist I don't know why anyone would bother.

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Marlena Scamander - March 27, 2022

That is a very good question and one I hadn't considered before :P

So I would rule out the matrons tbh, because I always assumed their role was more behavioural/educational/pastoral whereas this is a practical matter. I doubt it would be the elves either because they're "lower" so only good for skivvy work. A maid who dressed the family would more than likely be presentable and respectable.

Which leaves me with the notion of each dormitory having one assigned maid to help them dress and undress and that poor young lady being overworked and stressed and resentful and probably quite a fun character to play. I doubt that maid would be allowed to go to classes alongside the other students but maybe the matrons teach them some basic reading, writing, arithmetic to help them get on in life?

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Yuri Podsnapper - March 27, 2022

(March 27, 2022 – 11:22 AM)Marlena Scamander Wrote:  So I would rule out the matrons tbh, because I always assumed their role was more behavioural/educational/pastoral whereas this is a practical matter. I doubt it would be the elves either because they're "lower" so only good for skivvy work. A maid who dressed the family would more than likely be presentable and respectable.

Which leaves me with the notion of each dormitory having one assigned maid to help them dress and undress and that poor young lady being overworked and stressed and resentful and probably quite a fun character to play. I doubt that maid would be allowed to go to classes alongside the other students but maybe the matrons teach them some basic reading, writing, arithmetic to help them get on in life?

That's a fair point on elves - like being too low on the totem pole to dress UC girls.

Maybe there is some 'deal' with the blishwick school or something - so girls with some training as ladies maids do a year or two in the Hogwarts dorms helping the UC girls for experience before getting a proper job with a family or in the hope of bonding with a girl whose family might take her on full time after the girl debuts?

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Marlena Scamander - March 27, 2022

Well lady's maids were quite a specialised position and unmarried girls wouldn't have had an official lady's maid of their own so if the Blishwick school did sponsor some girls for training it would be for general maid-ing. Lady's maids only answered to the lady of the house in a household so the daughters of a household wouldn't have one, however if a girl is trained above her station in life then she might not be considered suitable for housemaid duties in case she gets ideas.

So I'd still go for just having maids that were hired as maids to look after the girls' dressing and mending needs but either way I'm very into having more servants IC.

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Somersby Fudge - March 27, 2022

I'm assuming the option of bringing your own maid would be totally unruly. But a dorm maid makes sense. Perhaps the way to determine who uses the maid for the door is the girl's family pays an additional fee for the dorm maid in the tuition? That way it also is accessible to well off middle class girls.

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Aldous Crouch - March 27, 2022

I had always assumed it wasn’t strictly necessary—after all, the school uniform is a Wizarding robe which is pretty foolproof to put on, and simple hairstyles can be managed with charms!

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Somersby Fudge - March 27, 2022

I think because of the movies I usually assume my ladies are wearing dresses when not in classes (ironic since I Hage the break from Canon about that in the movies).

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Aldous Crouch - March 27, 2022

They can, but where it is a conscious choice I would think the school policy would be “make do on your own” rather than coordinate human servants!

RE: Maids at Hogwarts - Naeva Marshall - March 28, 2022

This does beg the question I've wondered for years — are young ladies left to their own devices for preparation for the COB?