Private message to Lana Sandoval-Pennifold
Aug. 2nd, 2014 11:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_antoninMy dear sister -- I've a proposal to make to you, and it is becoming clear that if I continue to wait for a time when one or both of us is not entirely swamped, it will be left entirely too late.
As you know, I've assumed the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts, and the first task before me is to address a shortage of staff. I've filled most of the positions by now, but the Dark Arts position has proven difficult, for multiple reasons. I will be continuing to teach the NEWT classes for as long as I can, but I am in need of someone to teach the third through fifth years, and I have not found anyone both qualified and at liberty.
A possibility presented itself to me, however -- one that would benefit us both considerably -- and I would beg your indulgence to hear me out.
I believe my official biography makes passing reference to my various academic achievements, but the first, and hardest won, is my first Mastery, awarded by the Cairo Conclave for the Noble Arts in '66. I do not know how much you know of the Conclave: likely not much, as before the Restoration of the Caliphate in '78, the various wizarding governments of the region viewed the Noble Arts much as the former Ministry here viewed them before Our Lord came to power, and the Conclave, though having existed in line unbroken since the days of the Middle Kingdom, had been in hiding since the Byzantine era or so. It is one of the world's foremost bodies for study of the Arts, and I count much of my success a direct result of everything I learned from my masters there. It has been the grounding of all my work that has come since.
As a Master of the Conclave I am empowered -- expected, in fact -- to teach others, and by virtue of that mastery I may confer the title on an apprentice after he or she has satisfied me of his or her achievement. As part of my long-term vision for Hogwarts, I hope to re-establish it as the centre of academic achievement it once was; part of that will include, I hope, encouraging our Masters in residence to take apprentices for advanced study in their subjects. I propose to be the test case there, and I cannot think of a better candidate at the moment for my first apprentice than you.
You've mentioned to me more than once that you would like to expand your knowledge of the Arts: I would like to extend you a formal offer of apprenticeship. I will warn you, the programme of instruction for Mastery is both academically and magically rigourous, but I've every confidence you would thrive. As my apprentice, you would take over the instruction of the younger students -- with my assistance, of course; I would not simply throw you in the shark-pit -- and work towards your own Mastery at the same time.
I am not, I hasten to add, expecting that you would remain at Hogwarts past the granting of that Mastery, nor am I asking you to give up your calling as an Auror -- Barty's reminded me that the Auror department does allow sabbaticals for such intensive study when it is in the best interests of the department, which this certainly would be. You may ask him how valuable he has found what I have taught him -- he was one step shy of his own Mastery when our battle to establish the Protectorate grew urgent enough to interrupt -- or ask Savitha: her own Mastery is through a different tradition, but I know she found it a great help in her work.
The programme of study as handed down through my tradition takes anywhere from two and a half to five years, depending on the motivation of the student. (I do not doubt your motivation; I am confident your own progression would be on the faster side.) The first portion of the programme consists of intensive academic and practical work, both self-guided and performed in concert with one's Master; at the conclusion of the study, the candidate chooses a single topic to immerse herself in and produces both a Working and a written analysis to present to her Master for consideration. Once the Working and the monograph are accepted, she is invested with the title of Master and entered into the Conclave.
I'm certain you will have a double dozen questions, and I would not expect you to decide whether this is something you're interested in before you can have those questions answered. I am at home to visitors this weekend; do come by for tea, today or tomorrow, and I'll go into much more detail. (And lend you a copy of my own Master-work, so you can see what I mean there.)
As you know, I've assumed the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts, and the first task before me is to address a shortage of staff. I've filled most of the positions by now, but the Dark Arts position has proven difficult, for multiple reasons. I will be continuing to teach the NEWT classes for as long as I can, but I am in need of someone to teach the third through fifth years, and I have not found anyone both qualified and at liberty.
A possibility presented itself to me, however -- one that would benefit us both considerably -- and I would beg your indulgence to hear me out.
I believe my official biography makes passing reference to my various academic achievements, but the first, and hardest won, is my first Mastery, awarded by the Cairo Conclave for the Noble Arts in '66. I do not know how much you know of the Conclave: likely not much, as before the Restoration of the Caliphate in '78, the various wizarding governments of the region viewed the Noble Arts much as the former Ministry here viewed them before Our Lord came to power, and the Conclave, though having existed in line unbroken since the days of the Middle Kingdom, had been in hiding since the Byzantine era or so. It is one of the world's foremost bodies for study of the Arts, and I count much of my success a direct result of everything I learned from my masters there. It has been the grounding of all my work that has come since.
As a Master of the Conclave I am empowered -- expected, in fact -- to teach others, and by virtue of that mastery I may confer the title on an apprentice after he or she has satisfied me of his or her achievement. As part of my long-term vision for Hogwarts, I hope to re-establish it as the centre of academic achievement it once was; part of that will include, I hope, encouraging our Masters in residence to take apprentices for advanced study in their subjects. I propose to be the test case there, and I cannot think of a better candidate at the moment for my first apprentice than you.
You've mentioned to me more than once that you would like to expand your knowledge of the Arts: I would like to extend you a formal offer of apprenticeship. I will warn you, the programme of instruction for Mastery is both academically and magically rigourous, but I've every confidence you would thrive. As my apprentice, you would take over the instruction of the younger students -- with my assistance, of course; I would not simply throw you in the shark-pit -- and work towards your own Mastery at the same time.
I am not, I hasten to add, expecting that you would remain at Hogwarts past the granting of that Mastery, nor am I asking you to give up your calling as an Auror -- Barty's reminded me that the Auror department does allow sabbaticals for such intensive study when it is in the best interests of the department, which this certainly would be. You may ask him how valuable he has found what I have taught him -- he was one step shy of his own Mastery when our battle to establish the Protectorate grew urgent enough to interrupt -- or ask Savitha: her own Mastery is through a different tradition, but I know she found it a great help in her work.
The programme of study as handed down through my tradition takes anywhere from two and a half to five years, depending on the motivation of the student. (I do not doubt your motivation; I am confident your own progression would be on the faster side.) The first portion of the programme consists of intensive academic and practical work, both self-guided and performed in concert with one's Master; at the conclusion of the study, the candidate chooses a single topic to immerse herself in and produces both a Working and a written analysis to present to her Master for consideration. Once the Working and the monograph are accepted, she is invested with the title of Master and entered into the Conclave.
I'm certain you will have a double dozen questions, and I would not expect you to decide whether this is something you're interested in before you can have those questions answered. I am at home to visitors this weekend; do come by for tea, today or tomorrow, and I'll go into much more detail. (And lend you a copy of my own Master-work, so you can see what I mean there.)
no subject
Date: 2014-08-02 07:56 pm (UTC)I would very much like to speak with you about it. Perhaps tomorrow afternoon? That will give me time tonight to open the topic with Ned. I will have to give thought to what it might mean for my personal ambitions, but I do not doubt that a mastery would be valuable.
Thank you sincerely.