Private Message to Aurora Sinistra
Sep. 17th, 2012 05:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_antoninAurora my dear,
If you've a moment free -- can you drop by my office and collect Mr Stebbins? No injury, do not worry -- he simply became overwrought during class and I'm afraid I overdid the Calming Draught in his tea a bit; I wouldn't trust him to make his way back unsupervised and I think he could perhaps use a soothing adult presence.
Mr Hopkins had a bit of difficulty in class today as well, but I believe Mr Finch-Fletchley collected him while I was occupied with Mr Stebbins.
Never a dull moment,
T
If you've a moment free -- can you drop by my office and collect Mr Stebbins? No injury, do not worry -- he simply became overwrought during class and I'm afraid I overdid the Calming Draught in his tea a bit; I wouldn't trust him to make his way back unsupervised and I think he could perhaps use a soothing adult presence.
Mr Hopkins had a bit of difficulty in class today as well, but I believe Mr Finch-Fletchley collected him while I was occupied with Mr Stebbins.
Never a dull moment,
T
no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 09:39 pm (UTC)I'll be right there shortly: I was down in the sett, but there's nothing the Prefects can't handle here right now.
A.
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Date: 2012-09-17 11:35 pm (UTC)Right. One student, delivered to the sett, soothed, and a late supper for him requested from the house elves. One fiance somewhat reassured. (He’s still fuming about last night, and worrying about the implications.) I had a word with Pomona, when I made it up at the very tail of supper, but if you could give her more details, she'd appreciate it.
Now, you. Anything I can lend a hand with? I do owe you for managing to make me laugh last night.
A.
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Date: 2012-09-18 02:13 am (UTC)You are, as ever, a wonder. I must confess I hadn't expected anywhere near that strong a reaction; suspect it was cumulative effect of the many small things that can go wrong in such an exercise. (Mr Nott attempted a hex that was not on the acceptable list and needed to be spoken to quite firmly; several students including Mr Hopkins could not undo their own hexes (that being why I limited the little darlings to things the target could reliably counter) and Mr Hopkins panicked, fearing retribution; several of them hesitated considerably before being willing to hex me at all.) I will be more careful to encourage the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws when we get to them on Thursday, and to let them know I am prepared for the various disasters that might happen and they needn't fear a Cruciatus just for bodging up the counter-hex.
I am well, or as well as I can be after an afternoon of serving as target dummy (some of the little darlings are entirely too good; Mr Crabbe, Miss Bulstrode, and Mr Finch-Fletchley in particular) and an evening of heart-to-hearts, which I did not intend to go as long as they did, but of course the afternoon's disruption would have pushed things back even had I not utterly lost track of time with several of them. (Mr Finch-Fletchley has just now departed my office, for instance -- quite a pleasant conversation, though one is left with the frustrating feeling one has failed to reach something in him. Ah, well: after this afternoon's sturm und drang, I would be surprised if he had been too eager for the discussion. A pity, though; I believe he is one of the ones with the knack.)
Am glad, meanwhile, I could provide a bit of laughter in the midst of what seems to have been an utterly trying evening. (And I do hope the cordial was to your tastes.) I would offer help in restraining Razzer, except I am afraid my sympathies lie entirely with him. Pity I can't persuade her to serve as the demonstration dummy for class. You didn't mention: what book was it that you were wishing destruction upon?
Off to gird my loins for the trip from office to quarters -- though you would never catch me using that phrase in front of the little dears after THIS week --
T
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Date: 2012-09-18 02:52 am (UTC)If what it takes to be a wonder is a remarkably small amount of work, all things considered, well. We should talk about calibration. I do notice you have not precisely answered my question. (I did say Raz had given me a certain amount of experience there, yes? And I have my own, when Poppy asks me that kind of thing.) Glad to come down, and free for the next hour or so, if that would help.
Anyway - someone did fill you in on our Mr Finch-Fletchley's background, yes? I admit I'm a little surprised he took to your field so well. He does give one that sense, though - not inappropriately, really, as he's effectively on his own in an entire foreign country, in many ways. I do like what I've seen of him, mind.
As to Raz and the matter of Dolores, well. I thought as much. I suggested to him earlier this evening, when he offered to be sweetly clear to her about... you know, there's no way out of this sentence. (Because it's not like he's allowing me, or letting me, or anything like that. We don't work like that, whatever she thinks.) Let me try again.
She was very snippy about "Oh, you may not want to continue teaching, dear", and Raz, of course, is happy to let me do as I will there, barring a directive from Our Lord. And is equally glad to make that clear to her. I pointed out that I'd want to watch, and you would too. We'll see what he says. (The idea does offer quite a lot of pleasant diversion, mind.)
Anyway, the book. Last February, Quercus Edmonds came out with this book called The Transfiguration of Stress and during the bad parts of the spring - yes, we'll talk Friday - everyone but everyone kept asking if I'd read it. Campanella (Wright, the Auror on the YPL committee and now a good friend) went out over one of our meeting days, and came back with a copy, and the note "Now you can tell people you have it, and will put it to good use - even if that's fantasising about hitting them over the head with it." (I do love her.)
Turns out, it's the perfect width for shoring up one of my storage shelves, so I could say in perfect truth to Dolores last night that I did find it useful. But it's horrid, really, all about shaping your stress into something of use to the Protectorate. Last thing I needed then, or need now.
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Date: 2012-09-18 10:57 am (UTC)It isn't so much the amount of work as the direction in which the work is applied. I am of course predisposed to look kindly upon anyone who makes my life easier, of course (isn't everyone?) but those who willingly spend their time to clean up my messes and then claim it to be nothing of importance earn even more appreciation. (And are likely Hufflepuffs.) I do appreciate it.
And appreciate your devious mind, of course, and that of your friend -- your knack for lying with the truth (even if not truth whole and entire) is quite a tidy skill to have, and being a student of the art myself, I must admire. I have not had the dubious pleasure of reading the text in question, but it sounds appalling. (And I am somehow not surprised in the least that darling Dolores speaks so highly of it. Was speaking with Barty last night and in passing, described her style as "drenched in those ridiculously shallow self-help platitudes best suited for the feeble masses". Seven or eight years ago, I spent six months in America whilst attending a series of increasingly-dire and tedious conferences and summits; the temporary clerk I engaged taught me a game, apparently popular in their meetings, for coping with people of that sort. It is called "Buzzword Bingo", and I will teach it to you and Raz at earliest opportunity.)
But as I said to you in my note of the other night: you are worth three dozen of her, if not more. And I say once more, I will remind you of that however often I must. And remember, if you will, that you do have powerful allies in your camp: Razzer is obvious, of course (and yes, I would very much like to be present when he decides to put darling Dolores in her place) but I do not think it vanity to say I have no small influence of my own, and would be more than happy to exert it on your behalf. Simply say the word, my little star, and I will be at your disposal. (I do not mean to usurp your or Razzer's prerogative in the least, mind you. But there are certain things you jointly might be unwilling to consider -- because of their implications regarding the dynamic of your relationship -- that might be less fraught if coming from a long-time familial friend with a well-known history of meddling in his friends' affairs.)
You are quite right, meanwhile, to call me out on my refusal to answer your question. To ease your mind: I finished my reply to you, dragged my sorry carcass back to quarters, and promptly fell face-down upon my bed within three minutes of achieving their threshold, still clad in everything but my boots. Having slept a solid seven hours, I am much restored, though I dread how exhausted I will be after Thursday's classes: the fifths are the only year I am playing hex-the-teacher with this week, but I have Gryffindor and Ravenclaw back-to-back with but an hour's break between. May be quite grateful for the couch in the office by end of day!
And yes: please add discussion of Mr Finch-Fletchley to our agenda for Friday (which, I note, appears to be accreting more and more pieces as the week goes by) as I'd be dreadfully curious about whatever observations you could make of him. I do not think he believes himself to have the knack for my subject, nor do I think that fact sits entirely easily upon the shoulders of his Hufflepuff's scruples, but I am fortunate enough to occasionally hear a small voice speaking to me when evaluating a student, telling me that this one has untapped potential to varying degree. With our Mr Finch-Fletchley, it is not so much a small voice as a loud clamor, and our one-on-one conversation only reinforced the notion. I do not know if I will be able to unlock his reserve, but it would be criminal of me not to try.
Hoping that Tuesday is not as eventful as the days that preceded it have turned out to be,
T
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Date: 2012-09-18 05:07 pm (UTC)Now, how I am supposed to answer that? Effort on behalf of students is something I rarely begrudge, and clearly you were in no position to deal with some of it, nor the right person. I have found that this kind of effort, done early, saves trouble down the road.
Buzzword Bingo sounds most intriguing. As to the rest of that - I am, in truth, a horrible liar, and learned (the more so over the past few years and the YPL work) that yet, there are times when true honesty does not serve. The cludge of partial truth is the result, though I admit I get good enough results with it now when I need to.
I do appreciate the offer of help, and you are right that there may be a time that another voice, from a different place of leverage, may be most useful. I admit that I am very slow sometimes - far too slow, Raz might argue - to take action, and I am still undecided who has the right of it. (Both Cassie Calderwood and Facinorous Stint brought the matter into sharp relief, shall we say.) Some of that is indeed the angle of action, not just its speed, so I appreciate having more options.
(Something further to talk about down the road, perhaps, but you will understand that much of my calculation in those two instances was needing to balance what he could do for me, versus what it would mean if we were to separate and I were on my own again without the echo of his reputation around my every move. The engagement's eased much of that - and losing the YPL - but it is still at the back of my mind.)
I am glad to hear you took care of yourself appropriately, and I do approve of the couch in one's office. (I have a cozy day bed in mine, but of course, I sometimes do very late night observation work and nap between segments.) As to Mr Finch-Fletchley: most curious, but yes, we will talk further. He's been of particular interest to me, for more than one reason.
Right. On to my Tuesday, which involves initial meetings with three separate wedding planners, in the hope that one of them might be tolerable. I am not looking forward to it much.
A.
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Date: 2012-09-19 12:41 am (UTC)One quick note. I am returned from New London with some possibly amusing stories. (Though, we've other better topics for Friday, really.)
But also a stack of books my sister Tempest rounded up. She got all the currently available American Witches - another 20 - and says the next one's due out in two weeks. She's glad to pick them up and send them on, as she's currently spending her break between lunch rush and supper haunting bookstores anyway. (She's a sous chef, at the moment.)
In eternal amusement,
A.