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Pinky 
Lexi raised her hand and said, "I think that if a witch or wizard is in a situation where he or she COULD help protect a Muggle then by all means, we should do so. I don't think the statute states that we can't help... just that we can't expose ourselves for what we are? Is that correct sir?"
"Basically correct. There is latitude for preserving your own life or the life of a Muggle. The trouble comes when we start to move from life or death situation to mere safeguarding. Or when we try to view it as an easy 'either/or' answer."
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Ashwinder Kellen was sort of glad Sabel wasn't present for the question, because he already knew what the answer would be, and that it would lead to the boy most probably forming a crusade around the idea. Raising his hand, he answered, "I don't think so. Even if you put aside all the resentment of both sides from the past, Muggles wouldn't have made the leaps in innovation they have if there was magic there to help them along. All their technological advances stemmed from not having magic to work with."
Tate nodded. "So a sort of... adversity creates opportunity philosophy? I think you might have a point. Muggles have a remarkable ability to adapt and create. Their technology has far out-stripped ours over the centuries, and for good reason. They create where there is a need. Perhaps they would think us... very lazy to be satisfied with so little."
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Anna Banana She sank down in her seat just a little before shooting her hand into the air. Okay, so the headmaster wanted to hear opinions on the matter?! "Headmaster, there's something I've been having a bit of trouble with for the past few weeks. You see, I'm a pure-blooded witch, and I've been raised--for the most part--completely around magical people and their way of living," she said.
She paused and glanced around the class before continuing. "I'm having a lot of trouble completely understanding the muggle way of life in order to know if and how I can actually do anything to benefit them," she admitted. "Also, I don't really see an issue with helping the muggles, but I'm wondering how that can be doing without...well, freaking them out."
"I know you're asking a question, but it would be better off in Muggle Studies. You make an interesting, if inadvertent, point though. If we don't know those we seek to help... how can we help them? You wouldn't rescue a fish by drawing it from the water, and you wouldn't guard a rabbit with a pack of wolves. Do we know enough of Muggles as a group to really be helpful, or would we just hurt them more in the long run?"
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Zoerawrr Raising his hand, Jake wavered slightly. "They should be allowed. If, you know, they want to. But it's not really allowed as SUCH. Like... individually. If a magic is performed in the presence of a muggle it's illegal. But the Ministry as a whole has the statute in place partly to protect muggles... so we aren't completely discouraged."
Feh. Jake cared not. He disliked muggled... the ones he'd used to know hated anything different... and Jake's strangeness was, clearly, different.
"Mr. Upstead's view is that the Statute actually protects the Muggles. That is a very philosophical standpoint. I like it," Tate gave the boy a smile. He wasn't snuggling that Bott girl anymore, so all was forgiven.
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grangerfan8 Arya frowned. This again? She just....didn't like this subject, or at least how muggles were portrayed in the subject. As if they were weak and needed wizards protection. It wasn't right at all. "I don't think muggles need our protection at all, I think they are more than capable of protecting themselves. But I'm all for helping them if the situation calls for it." Not just cause it was easy, but cause they actually NEEDED help. She belatedly raised her hand before lowering it to tug on her scarf.
"And Miss Lovegoods believes the Muggles don't need us at all," Tate also smiled in her direction. The girl was likely better acquainted with Muggles based on that perspective. She clearly didn't view them as creatures that required watching and guarding.
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fanficfanatict It was not exacly the best list and to say the least, confusing. When he looked at the class Selina had no idea how to answer. She hesitantly rose her hand and said, "Sir? I think there is no right answer. Some Muggles may respond very positively to this revelation. Others may not. But that is the way with everything. What I mean is, every person is different. Witch, Wizard, Squib, Muggle. Some people are excepting in any race others aren't. So we cannot black and white this issue. It doesn't work that way. Personally, I don't know how I feel about it. The risk of one person acting negatively could be detrimental. But then again that one person could mean very little. Or they could be a Hilter situation. There are too many variables."
The little redhead looked up at the teacher. That answer was a little longer than she expected.
And here was a very surprising young student. Tate gave her one raised eyebrow. Just the one. "So there is no one single answer, hmm? Does that mean you should ignore someone in need out of fear they might not react as you'd like?"
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Starbreeze Having taken his parchment and quill out, Eino quickly recorded what had been discussed thus far before joining in, which he did so when given a turn with his hand raised. "I don't believe so, Professor. Muggles have long loathed our kind, evidenced by the burning of many wizards and witches in the past. It comes from fear, and fear is a difficult emotion to overcome. While many Muggles fantasize of our existence, and magic, and would rejoice in learning that it is reality, that happiness wouldn't be truly genuine, because they should like what they expect us and magic to be but not what it truly is, and having already a pre-knowledge of it, which is probably far from reality, they make them unwilling to abandon those beliefs to learn the truth." He paused to take a deep breath. Most of this ideology he had acquired from his eleven years and extensive reading. "Of course, this doesn't apply to all of them, but it is my firm belief that it does most. Still, that is only my belief, however the burning of witches and wizards is factual and should not be overlooked so easily." Muggles needed Wizards, but Wizards didn't need Muggles, so what would they benefit from? All in all, muggles had done so much harm to wizards that they had no reason to repay them.
Another surprising, and verbose, first year. "I think we can learn from history, however, that we don't need to fear being burnt. We should be far more worried about them burning each other by mistake. Still, I see your point."
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PattyH. But turning his attention to the topic at hand, he raised his own, "Professor this is very similar to Professor Lafay's potions easy, should we reveal ourselves if it is for the benefit of others," he supplied, before going on, "And personally I would have to say that I am very pro the idea. We are gifted with the magical arts for a reason, and if we are able to save a life, or protect a soul, why shouldn't we? Despite whether we are Pureblood, Half, Muggle born, or just plain Muggle, we are all humans and it we should look out for each other."
This current trend in the class was actually something Patroclus agreed with, and thought it was about time that he and his peers started to think about it.
"Professor Lafay should stick to potions," Tate said shortly. Why was she discussing Muggles at all in her class? He really really didn't want to fight with her again this term. He didn't care to speak to her at all.
"I like where your heart is at, boy, especially in the spirit of watching out for each other. It's bold, though, to presume that Muggles are not somehow gifted in ways that we are not. They don't have magic. They must have
something to make up for it, don't you think?"
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Mad Eye Touz Neptune giggled at Jake for getting in trouble already. She was happy enough though, tucking his cloak in alllllll around to keep warm.
"I think it depends on the muggle," Neptune said raising her a little after the fact. "Seems like a lot of effort to run around saving muggles all the time though. Maybe there should be guidelines about which muggles are appropriate to step in and help."
Like... the cute muggles. Or baby muggles. Awww babies! And cute boys.
Ooooh, Bott. "So Miss Bott would only rescue those Muggles she finds worthy. I can see our higher ideals are fading fast."
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Tegz Glancing quickly at Marie, Jim smiled and looked back to the headmaster at the question, his hand going up.
"Definitely discouraged. Most people would stand by and not do anything if they saw muggles that needed help. Except, and I read a study about this and all, a lot of stories about Muggle superheroes apparently came from Witches and Wizards who had decided to go play vigilante, and the only surviving evidence after shoddy obliviation is in the inspiration for those comic book heroes and their place in muggle pop culture. But the thing is, even if someone did use magic to help a muggle, they'd likely obliviate them, and that might even be more harmful to the muggle than just leaving them to it in the first place."
And it WAS all because of the statute but.... "I like the statute. It'd be hard work to live without it, and I don't really care about what happens to random muggles either. If I knew them, it might be different." And Jim didn't like hard work if he could avoid it, or making effort to go meet random muggles.
The Auror-who-wasn't spoke up from the front. "But would you personally stand by and ignore someone in need? I don't think we can figure out a solution for everyone, but if you had the opportunity rise, would you really ignore the needs of another?" Somehow, Tate sincerely doubted it.
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HaRoHeGiNeLu Ellie wanted to talk. She really did. Her hand kind of twitched in a wanting-to-be-raised sort of way. But, she was scared. Still.
It was silly. It was stupid.
She summoned up courage, finally, to ask, "Protection in what way? Sir." Yeah, sir. Cuz...He scared her enough for her to address him as such. "As in being a sort of watch-dog for muggles, always helping them in the smallest instances? Or protecting them in a life and death circumstance?"
Muggles could SO fend for themselves most of the time. But if someone was about to be murdered, Ellie would definitely help if she could.
Tate gave the girl one eyebrow AND a smile. "I think you've reached the crux of the matter. Guardians? Protectors? Where is the line?"
Tate felt like they'd chatted about this topic enough for the moment, and he DID have an entire class planned. Moving on. "Let's try to get back to the topic at hand. We could chat all day about Muggles and the Statute, but I have a feeling you're getting enough of that in your other classes."
He gathered himself before continuing. "I want to focus our lesson today on Dark Wizards. You've probably spent time contemplating or studying Dark creatures and spells, as well as defensive and offensive spells, but this is an area that is often sorely neglected. Just to demonstrate that you already know more than you think... name for me some famous Dark wizards. At this point, speculation and rumor IS permitted."