thoughtfulHowever, if a student were to show the same level of flagrant disregard for safety instructions in a class of Snape's, Snape would have the student out on their ear before they could say "Mandrake," because Snape is used to maintaining authority in a potentially dangerous class. Hagrid is not used to maintaining authority with students, which is what's needed when working with dangerous creatures. I would say that Hagrid's an incompetent teacher because he cannot maintain authority with little snots like Draco, and especially because he did not follow up Draco's disregard for safety instructions by booting him from the class with a scathing letter to the parents.
Imagine if Draco had pulled a similar stunt in Snape's class, or even McGonagall's.
"Due to your spawn's inability to follow elementary instructions, he has been removed from my class. Draco's incompetence and utter inability to follow orders renders him extremely likely to kill himself and/or his fellow students. This behavior is unacceptable, and must be corrected if he is to remain at Hogwarts. He has been removed from this class and placed with the first-years. He may apply to attempt this course again in one year's time, assuming he has learned to act at least half his age."
A goodly portion of teaching children is crowd control and discipline. When a student steps out of line in that drastic a fashion, even if you've done all you can do to prevent it, you have to follow up and make sure that the student, the student's parents, the administration, and all other concerned parties know that the student disobeyed clear instructions, and the student's willful disobedience of instructions is why the student was injured. You don't plead the case of the poor misunderstood animal, you acknowledge that the animal is dangerous and the student was given clear instructions to remain safe, and the student is at fault for knowingly aggravating a dangerous animal.
