Private Message to Tosha

[alt_mcgonagall]

 Am I correct in thinking that you are set to meet with Madam U. to discuss the CCF soon?

Might I bend your ear, afterwards?

I find I require some help recalling the details of the CCF plans,

Comments

[alt_antonin]

She wishes my help in an exercise she has planned for later in the month. I must admit I am not much inclined to go out of my way in assisting her -- the woman does get under my skin like nobody's business and I will confess I have only not yet transfigured her into a brick and dropped her in the Lake because it would needlessly upset Auri -- but I am swallowing my annoyance and will do my best to be helpful; she cannot be trusted to have the students' best interests at heart and I do not yet know what her motives are.

(I have not yet told you, I don't think: she has taken it into her head that what we need is some sort of memorial to those of Our Lord's chosen who have fallen in service. She was attempting to assign Razzer and me to write biographies of our lost -- which, barring the audacity of her assigning us homework, is one thing -- but is being rather indiscriminate in her choices of whom to honour, which is another thing entirely. Rather than telling her in no uncertain terms that no, we would not be writing memorials for Amycus or Alecto, I suggested she would surely achieve a much more suitable response by looking to some external historian, who would be able to place things in a more historical context. You may thank me later: I am certain you would have been her next port of call.)

I will certainly bring whatever I discover to you as soon as I unearth it. And in the meantime, perhaps you can refresh my memory on long-term sustaining of human-to-inanimate transfigurations in aquatic environments. Purely on a theoretical basis, you understand.

Meanwhile -- if I were you, котенок, I would have a care with Septima. She received a rather bad shock yesterday -- that halfblood protégé of hers, who was sent to the camps last year? She received word that he had died, in rather banal circumstances, and it is weighing on her heavily. I did my best, but the gleam in her eye suggested to me that she might latch on anyone who promises to avert such a thing in future, and Dolores does seem to be at least paying lip service to the notion of academic vigour. If you wish me to begin constructing a programme of revising for OWLs and NEWTs posthaste lest Dolores beat us to it, I will happily do so.

Yours, in service,
T

[alt_mcgonagall]

Well, thanks be to God that you diverted her. If she had attempted to assign me homework, I believe I would have turned her out of the castle, and damn the Board of Governors. But what sort of exercise? She is remarkably close-mouthed around me. When I attempted to ask her about it today, she merely said "Oh Minnie" (which naturally put my teeth on edge) "you needn't bother your fuzzy little head about such things" (reference, I suppose, to my Animagus form) "for I have it well in hand," and sailed away like a very fat pink ship before I could reply. I had half a mind to hex her.

I shall pay a call on Septima tonight, although I do not know what I can or should say to her. "I am terribly sorry for your loss, now that I have pulled my head out of my trusty bottle," is hardly the correct tone.

Speaking of which. Have you any advice on where to find a line on some truly fresh tobacco? Professor Slughorn asked me whether I was brewing potions, then got rather sniffy about my health, and then told me flat-out that I would be 'on his hook further yet' if he did any favors for me. As I do not wish to indulge him when he is being so blatantly and casually Slytherin, I find myself at a loss. What the house-elves find in the regular shops might as well be flakes of shoe-leather.

[alt_antonin]

Horace will, I fear, never change. I will have my house-elf scout the growers for you and deliver whatever she finds. In exchange I ask only that you turn a blind eye to whatever minor acts of revenge I might find suitable for our darling Dolores. (As to that -- discretion forbids me to disclose the details, but you may take comfort in the fact I have been quietly causing her at least some minor annoyance. All in ways completely untreaceable, of course.)

All I have heard is that she plans some coordinated activity -- Auri says Dolores is outside the extent of the plans Auri turned over, so as to what it might be, I do not know. When we spoke at the beginning of the year (before I realised my peace of mind would be found in avoiding her as much as possible) she gave the impression she was hoping for some sort of teamwork exercise with obstacles to overcome. Outdoors, in January, one might add. I believe she is hoping for my assistance in planning the obstacles; we shall see.

I will do my best, at least, to keep the matter from being too dire. One is tempted to arrange for her to fall on her face, or at least on her padded pink arse, but that would, alas, do poorly for the children. Who are the ones I most feel sorry for, in this mess.

If it is not overstepping my place, meanwhile -- allow me to say that I am very glad to see you so much restored to your former self. I have been most worried about you, котенок. I have not wanted to pry, nor to follow darling Dolores's mistake in setting your teeth on edge -- but it is good to see you looking so much better, and more able to stand against the challenges to the wellbeing of the school and the students Dolores represents.

Yours,
T