Our first YPL gathering

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Dear children: Thank you so much for your attention and diligence during our meeting. I am just looking foward so much to what we will accomplish together this year. You all looked so smart and trim in your new sashes, and I know you’re all just yearning to fill them up with badges and honours.

Now, remember that we will be meeting again in a fortnight, and I will have something new for you to do, and an exciting anouncement! Won’t that be fun for everyone? Do remember that if you have any teensy questions about the programme at all, you know just where to find me. I’m so enjoying my conversations with our counsellors and CCF corps, and I look forward to having more time to speak to each and every one of you after that.

Remember as well that you all will be expected to say the new YPL pledge at that meeting. Again, it is:

By my wand, I swear to always strive my best,
use my magic only in service to our realm,
and keep myself ever strong, ready, and able to respond to Our Lord’s call.

Those who did not attend: Now, I do understand that some may have mistakenly felt that the available opportunities weren’t for them. I do hope to make it clear that the YPL can offer something to everyone so that together we may make our Protectorate the very best that it can possibly be.

To see your bright and shining faces as you join together and temper the connections of hard work and accomplishment is such a joy! And likewise, I know that in a few years, when you are all walking out into the world, you will want the connections, references, and opportunities that the YPL can open to you. If you did not come this week, stop by my office for your sash, and I’ll hope - even expect! - to see each and every first through fifth year next time.

Parents: I just know you will be bursting with pride as your children develop their skills, learn discipline, and show their mettle. I do encourage you, in your little notes to your children, to ask all about what they’ve learned. After all, our goal with the YPL is to be a source of improvement and growth not just for our young boys and girls, but for all the Protectorate.

Especially if you still have little ones at home, the skills, talents, and topics we discuss will be a wonderful guide for your own discussions around the supper table, and will give your youngest ones a hint of what they can aspire to. My office is glad to provide some materials for home discussion on request. Anything, to be of help.

Comments

Private message to Latimer Caldwell and Marston Strangeweale

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Gentlemen -

I’m providing a fuller report by owl to you both (and of course Whitacre), but thought you might appreciate a short note in advance. Today went quite smoothly, all things considered - such a shock for some of them, though to work under tighter discipline than has apparently been the case. I’ll give them a meeting or two to settle, and then take stronger action as needed. I have also been finding the meetings with individual students most interesting.

Miss Padma Patil turned out to be an excellent early subject - most agreeable when answering questions about her likes and dislikes, and with a number of detailed suggestions. Not all of them are possible just yet - or desireable, perhaps - but an excellent start. Curious the differences between her and her sister, mind, that one is so successful and the other far less driven.

Others, though, I found more puzzling - Miss Lestrange, for example. Her answers were, of course, entirely proper, but reviewing my notes, they were also not as informative as I might prefer. On the other hand, there are perhaps more useful avenues to begin with, and we could come back to her and those like her.

I have quite a few other notes, as I said, and of course I’ve a number of meetings yet to document. Now, I do think another meeting would be best, before the next YPL session. Perhaps the middle of next week (the 26th?) That would give me time to get through almost all the planned sessions with our CCF corps and counsellors.

Yours in service,
Dolores

Private message to Aurora Sinistra

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Aurora, dear -

I half wondered if we might see you this afternoon, but apparently not. I do hope you made good use of your time, however you spent it. As you weren’t there, though, I do have a teensy question.

As you may have heard, part of our revised plans for this year involves making sure our students stay absolutely fit. I’m sure Rabastan will appreciate it - Rolanda was telling me that a number of his classes rely on that sort of thing. Now, I’d looked at scheduling some sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7am, and then Sunday mornings at 8.

But I understand from a comment - young Mr Marvolo, so polite - that the fifth years have a midnight astronomy session with you on Wednesday nights, and so they’re rarely in bed before half past one? Goodness, I had no idea you taught so late. Surely there must be some better solution, that would allow you and your students to not need to be up at all hours, and would let them do their part to be the greatest possible help to the programme. Do have a word with Septima or Minerva, or whoever needs, and I’ll be glad to back you up.

Do let me know when we can start our little morning sessions properly, hmm?
Dolores

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

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D'you know what I really hate?

The way she talks to us as if we're three years old. What a ridiculous old bat.

I thought she'd never let us out of there ever today.

Private message to Minerva McGonagall

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Minerva -

Sorry to trouble you this late at night, but it occurs to me that you and I would do well to sit down in the next few days, and talk through a few of my plans in more depth than we've had time for so far. I do have a number of appointments with students scheduled, but if you let me know some times you're available, I'd be glad to stop by your office.

I did try to have a word with Aurora this evening, about whether there's any flexibility in her evening teaching times, but she's most insistent she can't budge. I did wonder if perhaps you might be able to help with that Gordian knot, or if it's truly as necessary as she implies.

I do look forward to our conversation.
Dolores