Private message to Raz
Nov. 3rd, 2011 06:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_sinistraI know you've been horribly busy this week, dear, so no need to reply if you're still buried. I thought the following amusing moments from my mail might give you a chuckle, though. (Has the fuss over the champions died down on your end any? Gossip has still been running high in the staff room when I poke my head in.)
Anyway:
1 letter accusing me of fixing the Cup, because of course I'd favor my own house. (Well, I do, but not to the extent of fiddling with the charms on ancient magical artifacts. I have rather more sense.) That rumor seems to be more prevalent at school than in the general populace, anyway, and thankfully people seem to have moved on to other candidates.
2 letters from parents of children under the age of 11, worrying that the challenges of the YPL are not going to adequately prepare their children for life in the Protectorate as adults, and what do I propose to do about that?
Favorite sentences: "Our children should not fall backwards when they leave the excellent new village school programme recently established. There, they sing songs, flourish flags, propose projects contributing to their community, all to praise the Protectorate! Surely the YPL programme could do more, with weekly meetings, and far more extensive expectations, rewards, and incentives."
They then go on to propose a yearly play, a student newspaper to highlight essays, events, and profiles of the YPL's shining stars, and the creation of challenges between different groups of students to "ensure that students excell in all areas of the mind, magic, and devoted heart."
I have written back to say that I appreciate their ideas, and am certain the programme will continue to develop, but that at present, we are unable to add any additional formal activities to the schedule.
4 letters from parents of children currently in the YPL programme, two of whom are concerned that the activities are too easy and simplistic, and two of whom argue that they are far too challenging for developing minds and bodies. One of these seems to have gone through the journals to highlight every dangerous event that has happened to students involved in the YPL programme since its inception. (Thankfully, she only knows about the half of it, though on the whole our record is quite good.)
Favorite sentences: "These are our children, the future leaders of the Protectorate. How can we risk their lives and hearts in dangerous pursuits before they are trained?" (I resisted the temptation to ask if she had examined the Hogwarts curriculum in any detail.)
Also in my mail:
- A message from Healer Stint, about some details about the Medwizardry lectures on December 3rd (did I mention to you that he's planning to be here or just to Poppy?)
- A followup from one of my recent errands: I suspect you will be quite pleased by the results.
- 2 letters requesting advice on ways recent halfblood graduates might find it easier to find work, and whether any of the YPL connections might be willing to offer assistance of any kind, no matter how small. (I've started getting a couple of these every month, and they always break my heart: I think I want to add it to the agenda in December if I possibly can. Even a list of employers willing to give halfbloods of good character a chance would be a start.)
- 3 letters accusing me of being a corrupting influence on you. (None of them worrisome, just deluded. One of them may be that woman you were telling me about who persists in pink parchment, purple ink, and charmed glitter all over everything, with Capitals in Every other Word.)
- And the usual range of billing and accounting issues, which are entirely boring.
Anyway:
1 letter accusing me of fixing the Cup, because of course I'd favor my own house. (Well, I do, but not to the extent of fiddling with the charms on ancient magical artifacts. I have rather more sense.) That rumor seems to be more prevalent at school than in the general populace, anyway, and thankfully people seem to have moved on to other candidates.
2 letters from parents of children under the age of 11, worrying that the challenges of the YPL are not going to adequately prepare their children for life in the Protectorate as adults, and what do I propose to do about that?
Favorite sentences: "Our children should not fall backwards when they leave the excellent new village school programme recently established. There, they sing songs, flourish flags, propose projects contributing to their community, all to praise the Protectorate! Surely the YPL programme could do more, with weekly meetings, and far more extensive expectations, rewards, and incentives."
They then go on to propose a yearly play, a student newspaper to highlight essays, events, and profiles of the YPL's shining stars, and the creation of challenges between different groups of students to "ensure that students excell in all areas of the mind, magic, and devoted heart."
I have written back to say that I appreciate their ideas, and am certain the programme will continue to develop, but that at present, we are unable to add any additional formal activities to the schedule.
4 letters from parents of children currently in the YPL programme, two of whom are concerned that the activities are too easy and simplistic, and two of whom argue that they are far too challenging for developing minds and bodies. One of these seems to have gone through the journals to highlight every dangerous event that has happened to students involved in the YPL programme since its inception. (Thankfully, she only knows about the half of it, though on the whole our record is quite good.)
Favorite sentences: "These are our children, the future leaders of the Protectorate. How can we risk their lives and hearts in dangerous pursuits before they are trained?" (I resisted the temptation to ask if she had examined the Hogwarts curriculum in any detail.)
Also in my mail:
- A message from Healer Stint, about some details about the Medwizardry lectures on December 3rd (did I mention to you that he's planning to be here or just to Poppy?)
- A followup from one of my recent errands: I suspect you will be quite pleased by the results.
- 2 letters requesting advice on ways recent halfblood graduates might find it easier to find work, and whether any of the YPL connections might be willing to offer assistance of any kind, no matter how small. (I've started getting a couple of these every month, and they always break my heart: I think I want to add it to the agenda in December if I possibly can. Even a list of employers willing to give halfbloods of good character a chance would be a start.)
- 3 letters accusing me of being a corrupting influence on you. (None of them worrisome, just deluded. One of them may be that woman you were telling me about who persists in pink parchment, purple ink, and charmed glitter all over everything, with Capitals in Every other Word.)
- And the usual range of billing and accounting issues, which are entirely boring.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 02:47 am (UTC)I'm not certain I find your mail as amusing as you do. Well, not all of it, leastways. I've not been so much "accused" of having fixed the goblet (in Harry's favour, not Cedric's, of course) as much as I've had very knowing looks flashed in my direction. Flattering as it may be, I definitely do not have the skills to manipulate ad object like that. Now my brother, on the other hand, that's right up his pitch. All I was told to do was make sure Harry put his name in the goblet- but I already told you that. Now, what I can't figure is why he looked so damned surprised when his name came out. I saw him put the parchment in, so...
Though come to think on it, I don't know what it said. It definitely wasn't a blank slip of parchment, though.
Cedric was definitely an unwelcome surprise from all quarters, not that anything can be done now. I feel for him, though. He's one of my best newts and he deserves to be there, really. And even with all the extra lessons I've given Harry, I'm pretty sure there's no way he can measure up.
Anyway, back to your mail.
-For the parents of the pre-Hogwartians (and the current Hogwartians, actually), why not tell them that you're just following the YPL plan as approved by Auror Lestrange? That ought to shut their gobs right up, in addition to being the truth.
-No, you didn't tell me about Stint doing a stint. Haha. Good to know! Maybe there'll be time to take him out for a round in Hogsmeade.
-Errands? I am certifiably intrigued.
-That's rough. I don't know what you can say, though. I know there are a lot of factories are employing halfbloods, but it's not exactly the most well-paying or otherwise rewarding work. And there's all those stalls in Borough Market, but then that can be rough, too. It's always getting raided on suspicion of black market trading.
-Wot's that? Because I'm pretty sure the pink-parchment woman is a student, you know. I thought we were being discrete in front of them, too. Am I doing something not-discrete that I don't know about? Because I've been known to do that. You need to give me some kind of signal if I start to stare at your chest at dinner.
A shove might work, for starters.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 03:41 am (UTC)- On the goblet, I quite agree - he did look immensely surprised. And I do feel for him. Harry's certainly had some of the best teaching available, in any number of ways, but he's at an age where a year or two of experience makes a great deal of difference, and he's smart enough to know that.
I wasn't paying as close attention as I might to some of the explanations: what was supposed to happen if someone put someone else's name in the goblet? Should it just refuse it, or change it, or what? Or do we even know?
- On Cedric: I've been hearing some quiet comments from my Hufflepuff newts that there's been a some nastiness: mostly comments about how Cedric should drop out if he knows what's good for him, that kind of thing, but it's overflowing onto the rest of the house, as well. Nothing directly too dangerous, and yet, so miserable, especially poor Hannah last spring. Cedric himself seems to be handling it as well as anyone can, but that's still not easy.
I'm not sure any adult could solve some of it, but if you do spot a way, I'd love to know (or Pomona: we had our heads together over it tonight for a bit after dinner, though without much progress.)
- On the YPL: pretty much what I was going to say, yes. Felix has worked up a nice formal explanation that he makes copies of for me, of how we decide things, and who has the final say on our plans and so on. It's pretty dreary stuff: usually people don't make it more than six inches in. I still have to read their letters though, just in case they ask something that isn't covered in there.
- Taking Stint to Hogsmeade for part of the time would actually be a great favour: I know he's trying to get a feel for the YPL, but I suspect that some of our invited speakers (and the CCF student session, for that matter) might feel a bit intimidated by him, if you see what I mean.
- That's a good thought on the Borough Market. You're right that it's not easy, but for some of them, it's better than what they've got right now. Which, really, is the whole thing. So many of the options are so awful that even a small improvement looks huge.
- On the pink parchment woman - honestly, we should compare them. I've kept it, as both you and the MLE advised with odd mail. (Did I ever tell you about the really odd one I got in the first year of the YPL? They investigated, nothing to it, but it was weird.)
I think my pink parchment lady might be an adult, because most of what she goes on about is that bit in the Prophet from the QWC, that piece about who was in the top box, and that I send you private messages periodically. (Though, honestly, I think I send Felix two or three times as many: they're just on his entries.) I think if it were a student, it'd talk about other things as well, you know.
I do think there's been a little more gossip, mind you - I overheard a bit walking the CCF honorees back from Hogsmeade, though they mostly shut up about it before I heard any detail. But I don't think there's any particular cause beyond perfectly reasonable public events.
I will, however, remind you where my eyes are if needed at dinner and other occasions, though a shove might draw just as much attention. (If you feel you have inadequate time to admire my chest, we can certainly arrange more opportunities to do so in private.)
- I enjoy leaving you in suspense about my errands, and look forward to showing you the end result. (And I find I like teasing you about this. Do you mind terribly?)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 01:55 pm (UTC)The more I think on it, the more I suspect Harry put someone else's name in. I'd ask directly, but he's been pretty quiet about things. I suppose it doesn't really matter, anyway. The goblet's made it's decision and there's no arguing about it. I'd like to get him in for tea and a chat, though, to see how he's taking it all.
And then Cedric! Well, after this week's duelling club (which is for newts only), he pulled me aside and asked very earnestly if I would be able to give him a "little preparation" for the first task, when the time comes. It was obvious he thought he might be crossing a line by asking for my help- he thinks I'll be meant to get Harry prepared. Which I am. But Cedric's my student, too, and the goblet did choose him. Bloody Erebus. I'll do what I can for the lad, but I'm not sure how much it can be.
I don't think you ever told me about your odd YPL mail, no. What was it? (I see I'm late in welcoming you to the world of odd mail, by the way)
The reason I think pink parchment is a student (there are a few letter-writers who use pink parchment, but I'm thinking of one in particular) is that she(?) seems to know about my daily goings-about around the castle. I mean, I've gotten a few random things from students here and there, especially around holidays and the like, but this one is definitely a regular writer by now.
But yeah, it sounds as if we might need to compare pink parchments.
It's so outrageous. I'm not ever that particularly handsome, I'm just very, very rich and utterly charming. (Don't you agree?)
I do believe that after this busy week, I could benefit from some extra time to admire your chest, as well as the rest of you. And I fear I like being teased about mysterious errands a bit too much, as well.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 02:22 pm (UTC)I think having Harry in for tea seems like a very sensible idea, and at least get a sense of how he's doing with all of it, and if there's anything one can do to help. The bits I've been overhearing, it seems like everyone's been telling him he'll just be fantastic. Having a friendly ear who knows him well, but who's realistic about what he can do - and how challenging the tasks might be - seems like it might actually make him feel better. (I don't know about Harry, but I know I'd much rather have someone be honest with me, and then help me figure out suggestions - as you've done so well for me - than just be told I'll be great.)
On Cedric: if there's anything I can do along that line, do let me know. Maybe filtering information through me would be easier? (Your Defense work is obviously better than mine by a long shot, but I'd be glad to pass on some of what you've shown me this past year, and I don't think it'd surprise Cedric that you've been working with me on that: it came up briefly at the end of last year in their Common Room: I was a bit frank that I was none too comfortable with either of the Carrows.)
On the odd YPL mail: I have been getting my own odd mail for a while, yes. Though not in the quantity you do. The odd ones, the first year of the YPL, were a series of letters that started off with a piece of doggerel (really abominable poetry) that seemed to have hidden messages. A couple of them might have been threats (to several students, not just Harry) though it was all sort of incoherent.
Of course, I ran them all by the MLE. Turned out to be an ancient old witch living on the south coast with about twenty cats, whose mind was starting to go, and who was browsing through the journals looking for distraction, poor thing. Given that, the bad poetry is sort of endearing.
On pink parchments: sounds like we should definitely compare. Two heads are better than one, and advance warning is good defense and all that.
You are asking the wrong person about your charms, though. I do agree that you are utterly charming (and it is undeniable that you are very rich), but you are also, in my opinion, quite the looker. Also funny, caring, and very good with your hands.
On that note, I am glad to provide all manner of amusing distraction, opportunity, and so forth this weekend, and additional teasing about errands (about which much shall be revealed in December!) My plans are fairly open, other than that I'd like a few hours on the tower either Saturday or Sunday: not sure which day the weather'll be better, so whenever works for you.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 11:42 pm (UTC)Giving tips to Cedric through you might be a well good idea. Though you know that it might just fuel those rumours that you jiggered the goblet in his favour, if anyone happens to notice. We'll just have to make sure that they don't, yeah?
Oh, I've had my share of correspondence from elderly, cat-owning ladies, too. It's some of the best I get, if you want the truth- very endearing indeed, and always a bit furry, at that.
I believe I came off as a girl fishing for a compliment there, didn't I? But you're actually correct that I'm "quite the looker." As in I quite like to look at certain people with blonde hair who totter around the Astronomy tower while carrying two-times their own weight in star charts and yet still manage to look graceful in the process.
Will I see you tonight, then? I have no intriguing errands to tempt you with, but I've still got both my hands, as it so happens.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-05 01:20 am (UTC)I look forward to you, your hands, and perhaps a bit of plotting of how to help Cedric and Harry. I shall also bring my accumulated pink parchment.
Soonest.
Yours, tottering with charts.
-R