The New Law

Blind's (in his capacity as Master of the House) decision to lift the prohibition on the male and female students of the House interacting is generally known as "the New Law".

It is reasonable to conclude that the Capulet-Montague enmity between Moorists and Skullers has been amplified by the love story of Witch and Skull himself - if not leading directly to the graduation night massacre, then at least adding to its causes. Even though the administration has not put a formal ban on the contacts, at some point Blind, in the pursuit of his goal not to allow the repeat of the events, apparently has. As astute Smoker noted, "We didn’t have much contact with the girls. None, as a matter of fact. Even though their wing was connected to ours by a common stairway. As far as I knew, no one ever used it to go up to them...The only time we ran into them was on Saturdays, during movie nights. They sat separately and never joined in any of our conversations. In the yard they always kept to their own porch. I didn’t know where all those strict rules came from, but obviously not from the principal’s office. Or they would have been broken. Which they weren’t."1 While guessing correctly at the source of the prohibition, he was wrong that such interactions did not take place - we know that Alexander and Chimera have been meeting in the attic before the Law, as has Long Gaby been living "as she wished, to her and everyone else’s joy and benefit."2 This state of affairs persisted until several months before graduation.

Red, in a misguided attempt to discredit Blind in Ginger's eyes, arranged for Gaby to have a date with Blind in the Fourth's dorm; this prompted him to rethink the ban, and to conclude that there was not enough time anymore for formation of alternative power centers in the House and therefore for any relationships to become antagonistic. To quote Lizard, "With half a year left... Blind took a roll with Long, and hey, there’s the new Law!"3

Multiple long- (Lary-Needle, Blind-Rat, Sphinx-Mermaid, Noble-Ginger) and short-term (Owl-Bedouinne, Beauty-Doll) relationships, and likely others, not explicitly mentioned, have appeared or been brought into the open. The War between boys and girls, which occupied their attention for part of the spring directly leading to graduation, has also been a result of it.

1 (page 184-185)

2 (page 286)

3 (page 389)