Private message to Tosha
Dec. 9th, 2012 02:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_sinistraTosha, dear -
I have just had a surprisingly insightful conversation with our Mr Moon. Quite sure I startled him in more than one place, and I think very usefully. We started with the challenge of my door wards, though I think he didn’t entirely get the hint about thinking through larger implications.
That done, I was working on leading him toward the ripple effects of actions upon the rest of the school. We got there, but before we did, he arrived at “We nearly became the Carrows!” all on his own. Rather tidily, even, barring a bit of unseemly language I chose to ignore.
Inglebee’s lack of mouth kept coming up - it obviously made a very deep impression. And speaking of influence, he obliquely referenced your conversation more than once. You have certain unmistakeable turns of phrase, you know. Incidentally, did you know that one of the current rumours is that Lucius (in his role as one of the Board) apparently Cruciated you and Raz as punishment for letting students go astray? You have not, I think, covered your exhaustion as well as we might like.
After that, we got onto my actual work for him. One part mapping which projection stones I can make when (easy enough, and useful). And then the other, that I’d hinted at with you, that Georg wants me to look at research of three members of the Guild and see if they’re manipulating data to suit their arguements. It should keep him busily occupied. Me as well. (I suspect I will regret agreeing to do this for Georg. I will almost certainly want to pick your brain about it.)
From there, I laid out the time expectations we’d discussed, got his promise to tell me if it turns out to affect his other commitments too much, and he realises he should not look happy about his prospects with me either. I’m off to pull journals for him to start with on Wednesday, but if you want me to come down and talk through the rest in person, let me know? I should be done up here around half-four.
While I think of it: do you need another round of Reparo, or are you managing that yourself again? Oh, and can I ask your advice sometime soon about a couple of Christmas presents? (Not Raz, but Lucius and Rod, in specific. And part of Draco’s. Ideally before Tuesday noon.)
I have just had a surprisingly insightful conversation with our Mr Moon. Quite sure I startled him in more than one place, and I think very usefully. We started with the challenge of my door wards, though I think he didn’t entirely get the hint about thinking through larger implications.
That done, I was working on leading him toward the ripple effects of actions upon the rest of the school. We got there, but before we did, he arrived at “We nearly became the Carrows!” all on his own. Rather tidily, even, barring a bit of unseemly language I chose to ignore.
Inglebee’s lack of mouth kept coming up - it obviously made a very deep impression. And speaking of influence, he obliquely referenced your conversation more than once. You have certain unmistakeable turns of phrase, you know. Incidentally, did you know that one of the current rumours is that Lucius (in his role as one of the Board) apparently Cruciated you and Raz as punishment for letting students go astray? You have not, I think, covered your exhaustion as well as we might like.
After that, we got onto my actual work for him. One part mapping which projection stones I can make when (easy enough, and useful). And then the other, that I’d hinted at with you, that Georg wants me to look at research of three members of the Guild and see if they’re manipulating data to suit their arguements. It should keep him busily occupied. Me as well. (I suspect I will regret agreeing to do this for Georg. I will almost certainly want to pick your brain about it.)
From there, I laid out the time expectations we’d discussed, got his promise to tell me if it turns out to affect his other commitments too much, and he realises he should not look happy about his prospects with me either. I’m off to pull journals for him to start with on Wednesday, but if you want me to come down and talk through the rest in person, let me know? I should be done up here around half-four.
While I think of it: do you need another round of Reparo, or are you managing that yourself again? Oh, and can I ask your advice sometime soon about a couple of Christmas presents? (Not Raz, but Lucius and Rod, in specific. And part of Draco’s. Ideally before Tuesday noon.)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-09 07:52 pm (UTC)Must confess, I will eagerly await your rendition of your meeting with Mr Moon. Am very pleased that you led him down the primrose path of critical thinking. I made a start, but I was more interested in ascertaining what his motives were in getting involved, and less with his ex post facto analysis. I am most amused that you could spot the bits of direct quote. (At a guess, I would venture: the frequent references to them as "you little idiots", telling him to tell his fellows that I am "a wholly unreasonable bastard", and possibly my little lecture on the ivory-tower tendency of certain Ravenclaws?)
And oh, the rumour regarding Lyoushka has provided me the best laugh I've had all week. I must remember to share that one with him.
Even without having heard the recount of your conversation I am not surprised to hear that he missed the hint about larger implications. In our discussion Friday, he proved capable enough of reasoning when pointed in the correct direction, but I did need to take him by the hand and lead him quite far down several pathways before he caught sight of the destination, as it were. And yet, there is something there. Wholly untutored (and, alas, in need of a whole deal of tutoring), but not utterly hopeless.
Ah, well. Between the two of us, we will no doubt make a valiant attempt to drag him out of his Ravenclaw's ivory tower. And at very least, get some useful work out of him in the meantime.
I have worked my way back up to Reparo in extremis, although anything more complex than that is still beyond me (and since I know it is useless to tell you not to fret, as you and I seem to have turned fretting about each other into an art form, I will simply say that yes, I have spoken to Poppy about it, now that she has finished tending to the little idiots). If you finish your prep work, however, the pleasure of your company would be quite delightful. And I would be happy to consult on Christmas gifts: Lucius and Rod are fairly easy to find gifts for, though I'm less certain of my ability to read Draco's tastes.
(Though, if you'll be stopping by, drop me a quick message ahead of time; undoing the warding from across the room is a bit beyond me at the moment. I should probably get around to keying you into them at some point, actually, at least enough so that you can enter my sitting-room without dire consequence.)
Wearily, but in fairly good cheer,
T
no subject
Date: 2012-12-09 08:32 pm (UTC)I am all over dust from rummaging in the older archived journals. (I know the elves have been in that storeroom, but clearly not recently enough.) I need to do another round - had to clear my head first - but that'd give me time for a quick bath to wash all the grime off. I'm starting him with two trials to make sure he's catching what I need him to. Not that I'm telling him that until after.
I'd forgotten that Irma doesn't have a full set of Urania's Quill - that's the main astronomy theory journal - and that she stopped getting Astronomica Arithmantica entirely about a decade ago. (I get it because - well, I inherited Alcor's copies, and I am a completist. Even if all the good parts show up in one of the other journals, and usually sooner.)
Your guesses are quite correct, especially the 'unreasonable bastard'. Also, the young man is unobservant in some places, but he said, near enough "I don't think it's good for Professor Dolohov to get so angry. To need to get so angry," And then that it probably wasn't good for Raz either, and was he getting headaches like you were? (I did not answer that, for the obvious reasons and then some.)
And he did recognise exactly how much trouble you and Raz had both had to fix things - and Poppy, too - once I got him working through it logically. And exactly how much rearranging of classes you've had to do to accomodate. I do think he can be taught. (And he was so dismayed when he realised that your classes would be missing material as a result. A half-measure of you is better than a NEWT with Alecto, he said. As I said, you made rather am impression.)
On the presents. Toshenka, you may think it's easy. I certainly don't. And I very much need to get them right. (And on Draco's, I've an idea, but I suspect you can tell me how to narrow it down usefully.) Though, do tell me what Lucius says, to that rumour?
Right. See you in an hour and a quarter.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-09 08:58 pm (UTC)I am slightly chagrined that Mr Moon has noticed the headache, and more chagrined that he noticed the anger (truly, I am trying my utmost to be even-tempered with the little darlings, to stand in firm contrast to their previous instructor's volatility), though the compliment to my teaching does please. And I am not at all surprised that he mourned the loss of instructional time lost to that lot; he is, after all, a Ravenclaw. (Perhaps the most Ravenclawish Ravenclaw I have encountered in years.)
And no, I did not mean to make light of the difficulty you are having in navigating the rocky shoals of gifting! Just that I can think of a dozen suggestions from my ease of long familiarity. (Actually, if you're truly pressed for time, and I know you are: I have been collecting odds and ends for my best beloveds for a dozen years and planning to dole them out in pieces for Christmases and birthdays now that I am home. I've easily two dozen tomes earmarked for future gifts; you are welcome to any of them and say I mentioned the title as one that might suit.) But I will most happily advise. (And remind me to show you what I've collected for Narcissa, as well!)
Looking forward to hearing you hold forth on your plans for academic hunting,
T
no subject
Date: 2012-12-10 01:25 am (UTC)Briefly (Raz asked if I was up for some Defence work tonight, and well, that's always good for me), thank you for your ideas, and give me a day to mull them over? I do want to finish my shopping on Tuesday, one way or the other, so I won't dither too long. Your patience with my various scruples and tendencies is - as always - much appreciated.
I keep telling myself the rocky shoals of gift-giving are in many ways better than last year, and that it only improves after the wedding, for all sorts of reasons. And no, I'm still not hinting at what yours is. Except that I think you'll like it. (That being the point of presents among my people.) And I really do have most of my list under control, except the last few complicated things.
I did not manage to find that article I glancingly referred to. I know I've had my hands on it recently, and will dig it up tomorrow. Oh. One other thing from the conversation with Mr Moon. It so very clearly startled him that voices of authority might disagree. (And may do so for reasons that go beyond the goal of the work, to boot.) The work he's doing for me will help with that, but it seems a thing you might particularly have an eye to in your own lectures.
Right. Of for other sorts of demands.