By the time of the formal meeting of professors, I was more or less familiar with the workings of the school. I'd been provided all of the information I needed for the meeting from past student marks to the school's annual budget and was ready to present my plan to the staff.
"Good morning, Lore," an increasingly familiar voice greeted me. I continued sorting through my papers but glanced around me to smile at the approaching woman.
"Good morning, Minerva." The older woman- and many other of the professors- had insisted upon me referring to her by her given name. "I'm surprised to see you here so early."
"I'm always early to these," she smiled. "I doubt I could stand it if Severus beat me here."
"Well, he does have an advantage in that he lives closer to this room," I commented. Minerva nodded in agreement.
"That he does... So, what have you been working on so diligently? Irma informed me that you've spent much of the past few days in the library poring over numbers and maps."
"You'll see," I said with a conspiratorial smile. And she would. In the past week I'd exchanged a dozen or so owls with various Ministry department heads though I needed the Department of Magical Education's records most often. Finishing the sorting of my papers, I held a folder out to Minerva who accepted it graciously.
Over the next ten minutes, the rest of the staff drifted into the room. Each accepted a folder from me with varying states of interest and awareness. It occurred to me that it was rather early in the morning for a meeting like this.
Five minutes before the meeting was set to begin, Albus Dumbledore arrived last in a flurry of bright robes. After offering each of us a candy- today it was butterbeer toffees- he took his seat, beaming at me as I passed him a folder.
"It is that time again," Dumbledore began, his eyes dancing as if this was the highlight of his year. He and Pomona in particular excelled at making every moment seem significant in that way. "Lore, would you like to begin?"
"Certainly, headmaster," I accepted with a nod. "As you all know by now, I am being stationed at this school for a number of reasons. The protection of the students, chief among them Harry Potter, is only one of my responsibilities. Now, during my education, I was exposed to both Muggle and magical institutions and, as such, part of my duties during my time here is the rejuvenation and possible improvement of Hogwarts. That said, any suggestions I put forth that don't pertain directly to the protection of the school or its grounds are not set in stone by any means. These are my own personal ideas to be implemented or disregarded at the discretion of the whole of the staff.
"Now, I've given you all a folder when you came in. Please open it now... As you can see, the first several pages are my initial assessments of the school in regards to total security, the state of the grounds, the status of all staff, and general information that's mostly derived from the data I've managed to collect.
"I'll talk first on security, as that's my primary reason for even being here. From an outside standpoint, it's easy to tell why Hogwarts is viewed as a fortress. From the formidable force its staff can present to the extensive wards, this castle was designed as a safehaven for magical persons. However, it was created primarily to safeguard students from non-magical attacks or persecution. The curse on the position of the DADA professor is an example of the chink in the armor. In response, I'm suggesting a revisement of the wards on the grounds. I have spoken with Bathsheda and also some of my American contacts and I can arrange for runic wards to be installed at key points around the grounds and the castle itself. Runic wards take time to construct and cure, though, so I also would suggest layering fresh arcane wards overtop the pre-existing wards."
"I'm not a master in warding, but immature arcana wards, no matter how delicately woven, run the risk of destroying the old wards, don't they? Wouldn't it be safer just to leave the old wards as they are until the runic wards have matured?" Charity Burbage asked worriedly.
"If I arranged for anyone but myself to lay fresh wards, I would agree. I was born with a ley link, which has been closely monitored since my first Yule celebration when I was eleven. I've studied natural magic carefully; I'm confident that I can mesh the new wards with the old, and strengthen them both. The old wards may not survive the transformation for long, but it will hold more than long enough for the runic wards to mature. There may be a day or two in which the castle won't be unplottable, but I'll be keeping a close eye on the wards to renew them once they expire. The castle will be safe even in that small lapse, though, thanks to the runic wards."
"What of the price of the runic wards? Those wouldn't be without cost," Minerva pointed out. I nodded, unperturbed.
"The cost will be covered by the mission fee. Logistically speaking, Hogwarts and the Ministry are paying an absurd amount for one witch's services so my office has agreed to reserve a percentage of the pay to absorb any costs suffered during my stay here. It wouldn't be that way if a team had been sent, but this is the way things worked out."
"These are complicated runic wards. I don't know the last time I've seen work so detailed. Who crafted these?" Dumbledore asked, studying the drafted runic wards in the packet.
"I can't claim it. It was a collaboration between one of my colleague's and our office head." Smith had always been clever, even if the man was reckless from time to time. My hair still wasn't back to its natural chestnut color. Pausing for just a moment to reflect on my changed hair color, I returned to the task on hand. "There are other security measures I wish to put in place. They are detailed in the packet as well."
"A student wand registry?" Filius squeaked.
"There are area enchantments that can be put in place to alert staff if an unregistered wand is used. It's unobtrusive. I have it on my own wand, linking my wand to a register within the Hit Wizard Office in case of intruders, and I've never run afoul even with delicate magics," I explained.
"What's this about house-elves?"
"In the event of an intruder within the castle, the protocol is for all students to congregate in the Great Hall with the prefects as guards. Prefects are just students, however, and no matter how responsible they cannot be expected to be able to fend off a capable attacker. House elves possess magic unlike humans, though. They are able to become invisible, apparate in and out of warded areas, and incapacitate fully grown witches or wizards in dire circumstances. I suggest keeping the prefects within the Great Hall as well with house elves patrolling the corridors around the Great Hall in small groups. That way, if a group encounters the attacker, one house elf can go and fetch the staff."
"What is a homo-sphere?" Dumbledore asked curiously. I grimaced at that one.
"It would work in tandem with the wand registry. Normally, it would provide a sort of three-dimensional model of a building or structure with indicators of each life form. I'm not certain how it would behave with Hogwarts, however, due to the ever-changing nature of the castle. I would need to have a very deep knowledge of the castle in order to make it any sort of accurate. Even then, it's an incredibly complex bit of charmwork. I've only successfully managed it four times and, well, I created it."
"The precision of construction in such a charm..." Filius seemed so excited he might fall off of his chair. "You must discuss it with me, sometime. I'd be fascinated- honored- to even become familiar with the theory behind such a piece of work."
"It'd be my pleasure. Charms and natural magics were my specializations as a Hit Wizard. I'd love to swap stories sometime," I said earnestly to the small wizard.
"You would need very thorough knowledge indeed... Perhaps, Minerva, you could introduce her to the Weasley twins once term starts. I imagine they know this castle better than most of us in this room," Dumbledore chuckled.
"Fred and George Weasley are the ones you'll have to look out for," Aurora said to me with a laugh. "They're the biggest troublemakers in the school."
"And in my House," Minerva lamented quietly. "The points I've lost because of those two... And they'll only be in their third year this year. I'll have them for another four years."
"That sounds like another four years they'll hand me the Cup." Severus, perhaps being more animated than I'd ever seen him, actually grinned. It was a snide grin, yes, but he grinned.
Minerva grew red in the face and I knew that it was likely going to turn to a duel if no one intervened. I spoke up just as Minerva shifted her weight as if to stand.
"They sound like an interesting pair... But on the homo-sphere, I would only be attempting to make one, to be housed in the headmaster's office. To have more than one floating about would be a security liability."
There were a few more security points but I didn't want to argue the usefulness of age lines guarding the Forbidden Forest or debate the reasons why Slytherins should not be grouped with their main rival house in a potentially dangerous class such as potions at this point. Dumbledore knew where my rooms were located; he or the other professors were more than welcome to find me later.
"My biggest concern after security is the school's budget. Excluding what is being diverted to pay for my presence here, the school has a total budget of 282,545 galleons coming in. While that may seem like a lot, I've done the numbers and, due to normal expenses such as staff salaries, general upkeep, replenishing potion stores, and other fun things, only about 8,500 galleons remain to improve upon what the school already has or totally renovate. I don't know the last time Hogwarts has renovated a bathroom or bought new furniture for a common room, but I doubt it was too recent. Much of your budget, I've noticed, hasn't gone to the castle. It's gone to food."
"What are you suggesting? The students need to eat," Severus said a little more scathingly than needed. I regarded him coolly.
"Page six, please."
"Farms?" I ignored how much disdain was dripping from the Slytherin Head of House. I'd only known Severus Snape for a short amount of time but it was more than enough for me to realize that he was not at all a pleasant man.
"Farms," I repeated. "If you'll bear with me, I can explain the whole idea. I found a school located in Oregon, Feyan Institute, that is very similar to Hogwarts in terms of student population and location. There, in fifth grade, when the students are about ten years of age, they are given an introductory course in gardening and basic farming so that, if they like, they can apply to jobs within the school at the school's greenhouses. There are four greenhouses on Feyan's grounds dedicated solely to food which are staffed by students and overseen by Squibs and recent graduates of other nearby schools. These four greenhouses provide all the fruit and vegetable produce consumed at Feyan with the odd exception of much more exotic foods."
"The students work the greenhouses?" Pomona asked curiously. I nodded.
"As the students are all exposed to the basics before hand, they can take a two week refresher course at any point in the year prior to working at the greenhouses. They are given a work schedule that is flexible enough to safely avoid clashing with any classes, sports, or other clubs and receive an hourly wage calculated based on their experience and quality of work."
"And I assume that their wages are taken from the original expenses for food?"
"Generally. There are a few classes that require a certain amount of hours spent in the greenhouse as a worker for part of the grade, though."
"Where would the funds for building the greenhouses come from? The initial start-up cost can't be negligible. Four additional greenhouses would require space to be cleared and the parts for the structures themselves are exactly cheap," Pomona frowned.
"Once again, it will be absorbed by the mission fee. It also must be said that a business could gain a lot of positive press by at least lessening the building cost for Hogwarts, seeing as it's one of the oldest, best known, and most popular magical schools in the country. I've been looking around and I've found a company that is willing to nurture the project through construction. In addition, my colleague is providing warding stones to repel pests. With the headmaster's permission, work can begin as soon as the first of August, with construction ending weeks before the students arrive."
"That doesn't settle where they'll be placed; unfortunately, the space near our pre-existing greenhouses simply doesn't have the room for any more. They weren't built with the intent to have more some day."
"That would be on the next page." Another shuffling of papers. Minerva looked up at me with an appreciative look in her eyes.
"I can see why you were sent." She briefly flipped through the next few pages. "Very thorough."
"Thank you," I beamed. "Anyway, as Irma can attest to, I spent a lot of time looking over maps of the grounds and checking out the area and I've narrowed it down that there is definitely ample space for all four greenhouses. It'll be a bit of a walk for the students, but definitely manageable." Finished, I looked to the headmaster questioningly. He, in turn, looked to his staff.
"Is there anyone against this course of action?" Everyone was silent, though Severus had a bit of a sour look that only served to convince me that that was his resting face. "Wonderful! Next?"
"Well, for the first two or three years, I would personally recommend bringing in an expert on farming. If I can't find one here, one of my good friends went down a more agricultural path during secondary. I'm sure I could convince him to come here and teach about crop charming and animal enchanting if the school were to look to expand into that side of farming."
"Crop charming?" Filius asked, smiling. I shrugged.
"I didn't name the course. From what Keith told me, the class was about how to control an interior environment to match a plants need, adapting the soil to different plants, creating artificial sunlight, and making runic arrays to improve plant growth and fertility. I'm afraid I stopped at Botany."
"I'd never thought of using runes in such a way," Bathsheba hummed. "I wonder..."
"Next on budget, there is the uncomfortable matter of teacher salaries. I won't call for a vote or anything on this, but my idea for staff salaries are within the packet. If anyone has objections, they can approach me after. My main goal is freeing up funds for other uses but, with the greenhouses, being put into place, I have fewer issues with the salary system as it stands. However, I have to ask about Cuthbert Binns. The man has, not to be indelicate, been dead for decades. Data from the Wizarding Examining Authority reports that History of Magic grades have deteriorated greatly since his death. I'm also concerned that he is disconnected with the current political climate, especially since so much as happened within the past fifty years, with Great Britain being involved in two large-scale wars. Students must be educated on the past if they are to learn from it."
"I've been saying that for years," Minerva said, looking almost sharply at the headmaster.
"Perhaps, if he still has such an interest in teaching, you could recommend starting an extra-curricular study group for interested students?" I suggested. Dumbledore nodded slowly, considering it. "Either way, it's likely too late to find someone for at least the first term. I would suggest beginning to look, though. Perhaps having someone new start after the winter holidays would suffice."
"My son-in-law studied history," Minerva commented. "Perhaps he knows someone who will be interested. Who knows, he might want to look into the possibility."
"Euan?" Dumbledore questioned. When Minerva nodded, the headmaster hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose it is time... If you would have him contact me, I'd be happy to consider it."
"I'll tell him as soon as I can." Minerva smiled warmly, clearly liking the possibility of having family so close. That finished, Dumbledore looked back to me. Taking the hint, I carried on.
"Now, from the schedules I had Minerva show me and from my understanding of your system, the second years have one fewer class relative to the other years seeing as first years take flying lessons and third years and up have elective options. What if the schedules were organized so that the students shift between the elective classes taking a different course for the first five months of school and then pick one for the remainder of the year? That way, when it comes time for them to chose their third year elective, they already have a grasp on the class's structure and how taking each course would affect their careers."
"It's worth considering... Would you like me to see if the electives can be arranged to accommodate the second years' classes?" Minerva asked, looking towards Dumbledore.
"If it can be easily done, we'll consider it but we can't ignore the increased workload that will make for the elective professors."
"I'm sure we'll be fine," Bathsheba shrugged. "What's one more grade?"
"Which brings me to my next point: I want every student to be tested for Sight. It's not a difficult process and it's one that's mandatory in the States," I informed the assembled professors, looking directly at Sybil. "Sight is a gift, but not one many people have."
"It's good that someone appreciates that," the Divination professor sniffed, looking none-too-subtly towards Minerva. I nodded in acknowledgement before continuing.
"My point is that, when I was seven years old, I was tested for Sight. I was told that I have a forty-two percent chance of tapping into my Inner Eye. Due to my low score, Divination was an option for me to take but not one heavily encouraged. If one doesn't possess Sight, Divination is not a class they should take. I think that students should be tested and, if they have a seventy percent chance or higher, then they should encouraged to take the course. If between forty and sixty-nine, the course should be allowed. Any lower than that, though, and the class shouldn't be an option."
"It is true that those without Sight have deemed it appropriate to participate in my lessons," Sybil noted absently. "It is sad, sad indeed, to watch the Sightless stumble along, blind to their surroundings..."
"How is the testing done?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"The MACUSA has a select group of Seers that charm paper for it. The paper itself is a trade secret but it's made largely of different herbs and flowers meant to bring out the Inner Eye. The student in question would write their name and something about them that they knew to be true and, when they were finished, the papers would be burned in front of the class. The smoke would turn from dark grey to violet and shape itself into a number representing the likelihood of Sight."
"Something they knew to be true? What does that mean?"
"It depends. From what I understand, it is what activates the charm on the paper and acts as an anchor to the student after it's out of their hands."
"That sounds easy enough... But how would we be able to get the paper?"
"I've got contacts. So long as the handlers of the paper signed a secrecy scroll that they would not attempt to divulge the makeup of the paper, I'm sure I can get it rather easily. Those who have already started their electives will have to stick with their initial choices, but I believe we should start testing the second years once term begins."
"Anyone disagree?" Again, there was silence.
"Wonderful."
"Headmaster, can I speak to you for moment?" I asked once the meeting was finally over. It seemed that everyone had issues to bring up, snags to smooth out, or some small disaster. The meeting, which had started early in the morning, had carried well after lunch.
"Certainly," he said with a smile that was only slightly dimmed by the proceedings of the day.
"It'll only take ten minutes. I have some other points of interest I thought would be best shared with you directly. Chiefly, I wanted to discuss would be my own position here. I'm being paid to be here, and quite a ridiculous sum, so I'd like to volunteer my services in whatever capacity you deem fit. If you like, I can have a summary of my skills compiled and provided for you."
"I don't think that will be totally necessary. What would you like to do?" The question actually surprised me. I wasn't expecting freedom of choice, let alone being able to suggest those choices.
"I am qualified to offer lessons in a number of elective courses- botany, healing, natural magic, runic arithmancy. Alternatively, I can act as assistant to anyone who wants another pair of hands and eyes. I've mentioned that charms and natural magic were my specialties, but I would be able to grade effectively for most of the classes offered here."
"Yes, you are more than qualified. But what do you want to do? I've found that people apply themselves best where they feel most comfortable or most needed."
The continued desire to know my thoughts surprised me for only a moment longer.
"I'd like to start a number of... clubs, if you will. There are classes offered in the United States that, for whatever reason, you can't provide here at Hogwarts but that are important to learn to cohabitate with the Muggle world. I don't doubt that that's largely because of the large pureblooded interest within the Ministry but I'm not here to fight politics. I'm here to make the lives of the students safer and easier."
"So what are these clubs that you'd suggest?"
"Botany, first. Potions is a tricky subject if you don't know how the ingredients interact with each other. Botany also appeals to students interest in Herbology, since the subjects are closely related... Domestic spells was a class that was a required one-year course to prepare students to moving out of their parents' homes and living alone. It was mostly garnered towards muggleborns who didn't have parents to teach them basic household spells but it was a useful way to strengthen the more domestic skills of all the students... Perhaps a dueling club for the older students."
"We've tried hosting dueling clubs in the past but, due to the latent inability to hold a Defense professor for more than one year, none have lasted very long," the headmaster admitted.
"That inability has led to a crippled defense curriculum, though. Students need to be able to defend themselves, especially because Europe has a startling tendency to create Dark Lords. Two major ones in the past fifty years doesn't bode very well, especially because, if the trend is to be continued, Great Britain is almost due for another war soon."
