In drama, there was a form of performance in which only one person stood on stage, reciting lines that expressed their inner views or thoughts. This form of expression, known as a "soliloquy," often appeared in Shakespeare's works.
Such a soliloquy had neither an author nor an imagined audience, as though one were locked inside a solitary cell.
On the surface, such a "single room" seemed far more comfortable than sharing a cramped cage with others, but it was actually a form of abandonment of the individual, unless the prisoner broke certain "old habits." This was a common method of discipline in prisons.
Reformatories were designed for this system, targeting juveniles who had committed crimes or displayed bad behavior.
The reasons someone became a female "leader" were complicated. Good family background and beauty were the foundation. Émilie's habit was for the "whole world" to keep pace with her. If a boy from a poor family like Bill confessed to her, she would mock his family's financial situation. Thus, the "friends" in her circle all had to be like her.
Pomona occasionally saw troubled, fearful expressions on the faces of certain non-core members, but the vast majority revolved around Émilie, or, as they thought of it, "played together" with her. To achieve that, being ordered around by Émilie a few times seemed like no great matter.
Passively and silently accepting it was one way for people under severe threat to survive. If they did not do as Émilie said, she would secretly expose the disobedient person's secrets and turn them into a "joke." Émilie loved possessing other people's secrets; Esmeralda's diary was merely one of them.
Things were slightly better among the boys. Severus possessed an almost innate air that kept students silent. Even among Gryffindor, few boys dared resist him.