Private Message to Antonin Nikolaevich and Rabastan Lestrange

[alt_horace]

I must thank you, gentlemen, for the liveliest staff meeting in...well, at least a year.

If what we heard via our Head Boy is true, there are at least a few Prefects involved in this ring, Quidditchers, counsellors for the Young Protectors' League--my dear fellows, you underestimated your influence and somewhat overestimated your ability to intimidate.

That said, I do hope we can hit upon a balanced mode of retribution, without decimating all four Houses of their leadership. After all, it's far from the first time students have engaged in similar behaviour--nor, I very much fear, shall it be the last.

Antosha, have you formed a plan yet to root out all the perpetrators? Naturally I am at your disposal if I may help in any way. Not, of course, that I have any claim to interrogatory fame such as you, dear fellow, but certainly 60 years of teaching does provide a modicum of talent for winkling out the truth from our charges.

Comments

[alt_antonin]

I have just been by the Ravenclaw common room to follow up with Mr Moon, and he has handed over a rather complete accounting. (Twenty-seven pages. Colour coded. Cross referenced. And, the point upon which I cannot resist despairing, in plaintext.)

I will be spending the remainder of the evening carefully reading through his notes (there are diagrams) to identify any further participants not already on our lists. It will, at least, save us some additional effort.

I am of course utterly chagrined to have prompted such trouble, and I'm certain I speak for Raz as well. We will certainly communicate that displeasure to those involved. Once I've spoken to the students involved, I will provide more information to you all.

I know that opinions were mixed as to whether the students should lose their prefect's or counsellor's positions, but as to that, I have no opinion. I am only concerned with making sure that they do not have a chance to endanger each other further with their breathtaking bad judgement -- and as to that, I believe the best option to be to enforce the restrictions magically, until such time as they show they have learnt better decision-making.

[alt_horace]

Yes, it's truly shocking that even one with as exalted and feared a reputation as you cannot inspire obedience in that mysterious race known as the modern teenager.

Rest assured, Tosha, no one holds you responsible. If Minerva sacked every professor whose students executed an imperfect emulation of their idols, we should be reduced to a staff of perhaps two (I shall not conjecture as to which two!).

It is in their nature, I fear, to push the boundaries of the restrictions we place on them. We've never lacked for creative punishment in the past, nor for ways to continue to teach our students even while expecting them to do penance. (As I believe you remember just as sharply as Raz, for his part, and both your experiments, over the years, with rule-breaking.) Time is the best tempering, more's the pity.

But if I am not surprised your young charges thought themselves above such petty cautions and dire pronouncements as you and Raz gave, then I am shocked to have learned young Moon was mixed up in the business--but as far from shocked as it is possible to be to learn that he has a compendium of information regarding the activities in which they engaged. He has the mind of a true statistician. Alas, a bit too earnest for his own good, but...truly, if given the right push he could go quite far.

[alt_antonin]

I am surprised at Mr Moon's involvement as well, but several of the things he has said made me think he was convinced of the romance of it all. We only spoke briefly, but I do not think he was one of the instigators. I do plan on speaking with him in more depth later -- once I am able to do so more calmly, or without laughing at his notions and damaging his pride.

(And at least I and mine had the sense to carry on outside Hogwarts' gates -- and to undo our own messes -- for the most part!)

I think the best option is to impress upon them the necessity of discipline, even if it is externally imposed rather than stemming from self-discipline. Truly, I am not as upset at their actions as their execrable bad sense in the execution. And in getting caught.

[alt_horace]

Yes, there is the distinct sense of ignominy at being caught. But then, one never expects to be caught!

Mr Moon's addiction to romanticism marks him out perhaps even more than his affinity for numbers, figures and diagrams. Not that our own have a distaste for romance, in its proper place. (And again, time. Ah, patience is a virtue, so long as one can achieve it now!)

Well, I'm sure you'll approach the problem with fresh clarity after a restful night's sleep, my boy. And should sleep elude--well, ordinarily I would recommend a healthy prescription of medicinal analgesic, but given the other conversation had earlier this afternoon and our unfortunate Headmistress, perhaps that's not the most politic solution.

[alt_rabastan]

Caught? Bloody well made an announcement of it. Sleeveless robes, wayward hexes...

Could ask them if they feel suitably fit enough to duel the two of us, now that they've been training so hard in the off hours.

[alt_antonin]

Ha! That would no doubt make the point.

But no -- I had in mind to use a variant on the magic-binding curse. If they're to act as children with no sense of discipline and no judgement, we should treat them as such, and bind their magic so it might not be used against someone else without an adult's permission. I have been at the books, and I believe I can adapt the curse so that it would not be a complete binding.

[alt_rabastan]

Seems appropriate enough, but...

Can we at least tell them that they've got to duel us? And Barty, too, while we're at it!

[alt_antonin]

Oh, Salazar, can you imagine their faces?

I'm sure Barty would be happy to play along!

[alt_rabastan]

Ha! Too bad Bellatrix is hardly any fun- she'd be an excellent addition as well.

But having Barty play along would send just the message.

[alt_antonin]

It would definitely make the actual punishment seem like a mercy!

[alt_rabastan]

Hmm... is that what we want?

[alt_antonin]

At this point, dearest, all I really want is for the idiot children to wise up. Which might be beyond us entirely.

I think the best option is to take the least stringent action possible that will still get our point across -- so as not to foster resentment -- and hold the more drastic things in reserve against future escalations on their part. And then watch them. Extremely carefully.

[alt_horace]

Tosha, I've continued to think about the problem off and on all day. It's far from the first time we've seen coalition among the student body but in this day and age, and the administration being what it is, the right course can be tricky to navigate.

I have every confidence you can inspire just the right amount of fear and respect in the children, to say nothing of making them bitterly regret their deeds--but remember that this ring went wider than the main instigators. For every Moon, there was likely a Patil or Greengrass who knew or suspected something amiss but left it to the direct participants to cease or reconsider their actions. The code of silence among our students is just as unbreakable a bond as that you swore to Our Lord. It's well to make an example of the worst offenders but you might be served in addition by a sweeping gesture that affects all to some extent and reminds them of their obligations to protect their fellows even from themselves.

If you wish, I'd be happy to talk with Pomona, Gwendolyn, Septima and the others. I've an idea that the students' show of unity (or indifference) might be met with a professorial front, a series of interlinked assignments that prove (not just to the students, if you take my meaning) that we teachers can also act in a cumulative fashion. And naturally, to your point about watching them, we would all work together to monitor their performance, whereabouts, and associations throughout the year.

We did something similar about, oh, thirteen years ago or so? Can't quite remember--it was after your time, Antosha, but before you came, Rabastan. In that case it was a ring of students who had been writing essays to specifications for one another. Even found a way to pass answers in the mid-term exams, the little devils. In response, we created a curriculum for the better part of a year that required them to compose all their assignments under the eye of a proctor, using anti-cheating quills that we handed out and collected each period.

In this case, I'd suggest a series of assignments that emphasise the dangerous, long-term consequences of improper magical use. Perhaps acquaint them with the unfortunates on the Closed Ward or the inhabitants of Azkaban and the magic that got them where they are?

Prior to that, however, I could always use extra hands to prepare the lower forms' Potions ingredients and I'm certain both Mr Milland and Madam Pomfrey would be quite happy to have assistance in their demesnes, as well. In fact, I believe Mr Milland is looking for someone to help refurbish the fleet of boats prior to next term--a project that would take at least two of them a series of months to complete, unless I'm much mistaken.