Pomona --

Productive indeed, and thank you again. (And yes, about a month or thereabouts, though of course I've taught before, and have consequently had a curriculum half-sketched-out for years. Much more one-on-one, however.)

And of course hindsight is the best perspective, but perhaps it shows a way to improve the process for future new staff. The American Department of Magical Affairs has a custom I found quite helpful: new ambassadorial appointees and chargés d'affaires are lent a junior member of their staff as attaché for six months to provide precisely those bits of information that "everybody knows" and therefore nobody thinks to tell one. Obviously this is impractical for the school in exact form, since requirements of staff are entirely different and duties are rather more fixed, but perhaps there might be opportunity to arrange a placement for a particularly clever seventh-year student? One who is not taking the new professor's subject, perhaps, to avoid appearance of impropriety.

(I know I would be more than willing to pay most generous clerk's wages for an hour per day or so of someone sitting down, conquering my filing, and being present to answer those passing questions that do not seem worth bothering someone with, but would be useful to know! Perhaps I will bring it up at tonight's meeting.)

Thank you, as well, for your recommendation of Mina -- we've not spoken more than in passing but I have found her presence quite soothing, and it's good to know she is another resource who can help in a pinch. Though I will hope most fervently the assistance is not needed.

At your service,
Antonin