Aurora Sinistra (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alt_sinistra) wrote2011-11-03 06:58 pm
alt_sinistra) wrote2011-11-03 06:58 pm
Private message to Raz
I 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
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
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
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