(no subject)

[alt_antonin]

Students: I am pleased to announce that Our Lord has chosen to honour me with the role of Headmaster of Hogwarts.

As I hope you have all come to believe in the past two years we have been working together, education is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I am very pleased to be afforded an opportunity to expand my focus from educating students in the Noble Arts to overseeing student education in all the rich and storied traditions of wizarding skill, history, and culture. I am eagerly anticipating the prospect of spending the next few years returning Hogwarts to its glory as a haven for research, scholarship, and wizarding might.

Those of you taking your NEWTs in Noble Arts: I have reserved the prerogative of teaching the NEWT-level classes to myself; I would not wish to give that up. There will, of course, be other staff changes announced over the summer. I look forward to September, and to serving you all and, of course, Our Lord and His vision for the Protectorate's growth.

Comments

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_antonin]

Thank you, my dear. I am exceptionally honoured by Our Lord's trust in me, and both incredibly excited and a bit apprehensive about the enormity of the task before me.

Your internship continues well, I trust?

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_sally_anne]

Yes, sir. Extremely well, I think.

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_antonin]

I am very pleased to hear it! I cannot think of many situations you could not handle, but should one of them arise -- or should you simply wish to complain when Ekaterina Petrovna is being more exacting than usual -- do let me know.

I will not disrupt your learning for the selfish pleasure of your company, but if you've an afternoon free at any point, and wish to spend it in a way other than relaxing in the presence of your friends, I would be pleased to have you over for tea and a chance to browse the library; you were most successful at hiding your avarice over Easter hols, but I am well-practised at spotting someone who wants nothing more than to lose herself in the stacks and not resurface for several days.

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_sally_anne]

I would very much appreciate a chance at a closer look at your library, sir! Healer Korotkova has an excellent but very specialised sort of library, as you can probably imagine. (She has some very unusual items, like her collection of foreign research journals -- the ones from America, Canada, and Australia are in English. There was one that was all in German she had me trying to read with the aid of a translation spell, but I couldn't make any sense out of it.)

Anyway the opportunity to borrow some books that aren't about eye diseases would be welcome.

She lets me have my weekends off plus one afternoon a week she has me set aside for 'self-education' -- mostly she means reading but I think she'd let me go for tea with you.

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_antonin]

If she has dedicated your time to self-education, I cannot imagine she would object to your spending time in the library. Do let me know when your next free afternoon comes around, and I will invite you both to tea; she and I can amuse ourselves, while you explore.

I can think of several people who speak, or read, at least a bit of German, if you would prefer some assistance from a person rather than a translation spell. Professor Sinistra is the one who leaps most quickly to mind; I cannot speak for her, of course, but I do not think she would find a visit from you unwelcome.

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh, that's good to know. I didn't know Professor Sinistra knew German.

How is she doing? I don't want to be a bother.

Re: Private message to Headmaster Dolohov

[alt_antonin]

She would likely be adrift at the more specialised vocabulary, but her Guild-Master is German, and she has picked up quite a bit. Her mentor insisted, I believe. (And rightly so; that you lot have not been exposed to additional languages in your schooling by this point places you at quite the disadvantage. Your NEWT year is a poor time to start the study, but if I am at all successful in finding an instructor, I will be adding optional tutelage in Latin and Greek at minimum to the curriculum; without wishing to overburden you, and recognising you are the best judge of your own capacity, if you can see any way to join in for at least one of the two sets of lessons I strongly recommend it.)

She is -- well, it is day-by-day, and of course some days are better than others. But she is enduring. I know how much she cares for her students, however, and I believe a visit from some of you would lift her spirits somewhat.