Journal of Minerva McGonagall
Week # 2
Here I sit, once again, spending my precious time putting my quill to parchment for the amusement of one Albus Dumbledore. But I do not intend to complain about this every single time I write. I have expressed my reservations to the Headmaster and after a lengthy discussion he has assured me that whatever is written on these pages will remain a closely guarded secret. I am still a bit hesitant to share everything but will make an effort to use this journal as it has been intended.
Having said that I will begin with Severus Snape. He has to be the most gifted potions master Hogwarts has seen in years but he bares such a dislike for the other houses that it is unbelievable. Well I am making it my mission this year to see that each house is treated fairly. The Heads of Houses had a meeting with the Headmaster, during which I made my intentions very clear. Severus is not to bully my students nor is he to take excessive house points away for the sheer fun of it. I will not bore you with the details but let us just say that he heard me loud and clear. I know that he will not change entirely but all I am hoping for is a more civilized attitude towards the students. After all, he is supposed to be setting an example!
I spent the afternoon in Hogsmeade yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It will be the last bit of peace I see until the Christmas holidays. Once the students arrive, it will be my main duty to oversee their safety and transfiguration education. I purchased a few necessary supplies for the upcoming year and as I was about to leave, I bumped into Xiomara Hooch. After much persuading on her part, I joined her for a light lunch. We spent two hours chatting about everything except Hogwarts. I had almost forgotten how much fun an afternoon with Xia can be but duty called and I had to head back to the school. I had a meeting scheduled with Albus but that's another story.
You see, he was supposed to meet with me regarding the outcome of a meeting he had with Professor Kettleburn. They were to discuss whether or not the professor would retire soon so we would know how to better prepare for the upcoming school term. I hurried to his office only to find a note saying that Cornelius Fudge had summoned him to the Ministry. Needless to say, I was not amused in the least and seeing as how our esteemed Minister of Magic cannot sneeze without Albus' approval, I decided to beat him at his own game. With a little persuasion on my part and a few sherbert lemons from Albus' private stash, Fawkes was more than happy to assist me.
I suppose you would like to know what I did. Well, since these thoughts cannot be shared with anyone I will test you on this subject. If word of this is leaked, I will immediately inform the headmaster and this little exhibition will cease entirely!
Now, Fudge is always abusing his privilege of seeking council from Albus and I decided to fight fire with fire. I quickly wrote a note saying that we had a crisis at the school, which could only be solved by the Headmaster and that he should return at once for I feared that the situation was beyond my control. Knowing how dedicated Albus is to the school and his duties, he wasted absolutely no time in flooing back to this office only to find me waiting for our meeting. I happily explained that there was no crisis, only a meeting, which he had put on the back burner. That led to a discussion on my recent thoughts and feelings, which I really did not want to have. During that banter, I opened up a bit to him and told him some of what I had been feeling regarding my responsibilities. He listened intently and we reached a suitable solution then he proceeded to take issue with my little scheme.
After a brief scolding for Fawkes and myself, I merely informed him that we were looking out for his best interests and those of the school. I suppose my timing was a little off seeing as how we had a discussion about my capabilities and increased duties only the day before. It would appear that by sending Fawkes with a note signed by me, Albus assumed the worst and rushed in to learn that there was no problem at all. After a few tense moments, he saw the humor in the situation and all was forgiven.
But work is not all fun and games. We have to have guidelines and rules or else chaos will reign. Therefore, I have devised a new set of rules for my Gryffindors. They are not as strict as you might think and they are designed with their best interests at heart. I have also made a few minor changes to my lesson plans to allow for more practical application of the principles of transfiguration. I believe that if the students are given the opportunity to test their skills in a classroom setting, they will be more at ease when the time comes to take their O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s. Of course, having a predisposition for the subject never hurts either.
My goodness, it is nearly midnight and I really must conclude this entry. I had hoped to finish the quidditch practice schedules this evening but it appears that they will have to wait until tomorrow. In the past we have relied on the team captains to choose their practice times but since the incident with Severus Snape last year, I feel it is my duty to correct that problem before it resurfaces this year. This might very well be our year to win the House Cup and I want to give my little cubs every possible opportunity to make it a reality. After all, it is no more than the other Heads of Houses are doing for their own and I do so love my little lions and lionesses!