I said he was no fun for taking my question too literally, but for the length and accuracy (I'm taking his word for it), Nick gets it for his response to my Burning Question about the Harry Potter series:
"That is addressed in the books, primarily the final three. There are students being constantly pulled out of school for various reasons. Some students weren't going to return in the final book due to the events at the end of Half-Blood Prince, but... well, let's just say they have to.
The biggest answer is, basically, everybody feels their children are ultimately safe because Dumbledore is there. When Dumbeldore starts losing control, starting around Order of the Phoenix when Umbridge shows up and the Ministry starts taking control, the parents did not like having their kids at the school.
By the end of one of the books (I think HBP), I believe over half the population of students had been withdrawn.
In Sorcerer's Stone, the troll wasn't really a big deal, and the Quirrell thing was never a sure bet. It was given up to rumors.
In Chamber of Secrets, they were going to close down the school before Harry and friends saved the day. But they took precautions with curfews and self defense courses before it reached that point.
In Prisoner of Azkaban, they had the Dementors, the guards of the supposedly inescapable Azkaban prison guarding the students. And the Hippogriff wasn't a big deal, since Malfoy taunted him and they decided to put him to death.
In Goblet of Fire, the Quidditch World Cup has nothing to do with Hogwarts. That's its own thing. Barty Crouch Sr.'s death is handled much differently in the book than in the movie... it's a bit more complicated to get into, but let's just say it's better explained in the book. Now, Cedric's death was chalked up to a terrible accident as part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which has been known for deaths in the past (hence the age limit and serious warnings prior to entry). But nobody believed Harry or Dumbledore that Voldemort really killed Cedric...
...which leads into Order of the Phoenix, where the Ministry is sent to keep Hogwarts under a close eye via Delores Umbridge. But as this is a government official, not a school official, it's pretty different. With the government controlling things, the parents really can't complain or do much about it school-wise, especially after Dumbledore is removed as Headmaster. And at the end, it is revealed that Voldemort has, indeed, returned.
And that brings us to Half-Blood Prince, where (as I said) parents actually do start pulling their students out of school, noting the real danger.
Did any of this help answer your question?"
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I'm quite a fun guy, indeed!
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