Continuing Education

The Leaving Feast was over and Minerva McGonagall called one last faculty meeting before summer recess.

"Here is the Ministry's list of approved continuing education classes. You must have three points of professional development by June next year. I highly recommend you get this out of the way over summer recess." Minerva looked around the room after hearing a few groans of dissent.

Pomona Sprout piped in, "I'm not doing any such thing, I'm retiring next year." Neville Longbottom, her replacement in training, shrugged.

Septima Vector said, "I don't care, these are quick classes and I've heard we have a former student teaching one of them in July. I do wish she had stayed with the Arithmancy, Muggle studies is such a waste of her talents."

"And who might that be, Septima?" asked Severus Snape.

"Hermione Granger, of course."

"Still Granger? I thought she'd marry some random Weasley."

"Well, let's catch you up, Severus," said Professor Vector. "She is a Muggle Studies instructor at Durmstrang for five years now. She dated Viktor Krum but…"

Severus cut her off. "I am not the least bit interested in gossip about her personal life."

The Headmistress cleared her throat. "Let's get back on topic. Hermione's class, for those of you interested, is in Muggle London in July. It's about American style inclusion instruction for muggle students. It's a two day class and fulfills the requirement for the three points." Minerva passed around a parchment. "You may register for the class now or duplicate this parchment and owl to her at Durmstrang by 1 July. The other classes for the requirement are on this list from the Ministry. Don't put this off, I plan to get this dispatched as soon as possible, as I have to use school time for the students, not myself."

Sybill Trelawney looked over the alternate list. "Using Group Methods? Critical Thinking? What is this exactly?"

Minerva responded with an exasperated tone. "I haven't any idea, but the Ministry wants us to stay up to date, which is rather funny considering my age. Meeting adjourned." She shuffled some parchment and the professors filed out of the room. Severus remained.

"Miss Granger is at Durmstrang? They would permit a muggle instructor?"

"Severus, she was highly recruited, she is a very talented witch who is a native muggle. Of course they would permit an actual muggle to teach Muggle Studies. Who would you have teach it? Arthur Weasley?"

"And Krum?"

"Since you have no interest in her personal life, I'll not bother to tell you that they once dated but have since moved on. By the way, do you know what inclusion is?"

"In America it is the practice of placing disabled students in standard classrooms. Surely the Ministry is not considering being muggle a disability. I'm sure she will correct for this in her instruction."

Minerva looked shocked. "You actually know what that is? We never address anything like that here."

"Well, I may not pay attention to gossip, but I do pay attention to Ministry memoranda as part of my deputy headmaster duties. It was part of the class description, before the dates and instructors were announced. Leave it to Miss Granger to have such an obscure topic. I'm sure she's read every book in print on the subject."

"Don't forget to duplicate the parchments for the classes you plan to take."

Severus pointed his wand to the muggle inclusion parchment, made a copy and rolled it up under his arm as he left Minerva's office.