Who Stays at Hogwarts during the Winter Holidays?

[Neville's Girl]

I know some students stay during the holidays, but what about teachers? Would Madam Pomfrey stay? I need to know specifically about the nurse. Would she be able to leave or would she have to stay behind to take care of those who stay?

Smiles,
Luna

[Inverarity]

Well, presumably most of the teachers must go home some time -- except maybe for those like Hagrid who live at Hogwarts and don't seem to have any family or friends outside the school.

They would need someone available in case a student gets hurt over the holidays, though, so if Pomfrey ever takes a vacation, I would imagine they probably bring in a Healer to sub for her.

[OliveOil_Med]

Possibly the teachers even have scheadual for when some of them have to stay over break to keep an eye on the remaining students who stay for their vacations. Each teacher commits to a few days and then goes home for the rest of the holiday.

[Equinox Chick]

If you look at POA this is when we get the clearest indication of who stays at Hogwarts.

The teachers staying when the Trio come down for Christmas Dinner are :-
Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick. They are also joined by Filch and two first years and a Slytherin fifth year.

When Sybill Trelawney joins them, that makes 13 (she makes an issue of it)

Interestingly Hagrid isn't there although he lives in the grounds and is a Professor by this time.

Pomfrey isn't mentioned at all and neither are any of the other teachers that aren't Head of House. (Lupin is absent, for instance).

I think you could get away with having Madam Pomfrey at home although if someone is sick she could come back, I suppose.

From what I can recall, the HoH's are always at the Christmas feast.

Carole
xxx

[Nundu]

Hermione goes to the hospital wing over the holidays during CoS. We don't hear of a substitute Healer, so the presumption is Pomfrey was there.

Of course she could have gone home and was readily available by Floo, which could get her back in a trice.

[Inverarity]

Of course she could have gone home and was readily available by Floo, which could get her back in a trice.

I don't think you can Floo in and out of Hogwarts. If you can, the entire plot of HBP falls apart. (Why did Draco need to figure out how to make the apparition closet work if he could have just let the Death Eaters in through the fireplace in the Slytherin common room?)

[hannah_the_seeker]

Okay. THEORY TIME!

Madame Pomfrey would HAVE to stay because, I mean, they're right in the middle of the flu season! And I suspect that Hagrid would stay too, just for the whole the-xmas-trees-are-gigantic-thing-and-Flitwick-cant-even-carry-them-by-himself-thing.

Please capitalise properly in posts and remain polite when answering.

[Azhure]

I don't think you can Floo in and out of Hogwarts. If you can, the entire plot of HBP falls apart. (Why did Draco need to figure out how to make the apparition closet work if he could have just let the Death Eaters in through the fireplace in the Slytherin common room?)

Actually, I recall Harry and the other Flooing into McGonagall's office when he was coming back form the Christmas holidays in, I think, OotP... maybe HBP. There was also the way Harry used Umbridge's Floo, also in OotP. I think the reason Draco used the apparation closet was because communications via Floo are detectable - also shown in OotP.

[Inverarity]

Actually, I recall Harry and the other Flooing into McGonagall's office when he was coming back form the Christmas holidays in, I think, OotP... maybe HBP. There was also the way Harry used Umbridge's Floo, also in OotP. I think the reason Draco used the apparation closet was because communications via Floo are detectable - also shown in OotP.

Are you sure? I just checked my copy of OotP. They returned to Hogwarts after Christmas holidays on the Knight Bus, not by Floo.

I know they used the Floo to communicate, but I believe no one ever used the Floo to get in and out of Hogwarts.

[Azhure]

Maybe it wasn't OotP... but I do remember them Flooing into McGonagall's office, and McGonagall was sitting at her desk and she briefly acknowledged them...

Wait, I've got it. It's from HBP, chapter seventeen. Ah, it says it's a one-off connection to return students safely to the castle. So it seem that you're right. Good, I was getting worried that there was something else JKR had misjudged...