FIC: The Homework Conundrum (PG)
Title: The Homework Conundrum
Type: Fic
Age-Range Category: Three
Characters: Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Albus Dumbledore
Author: goddess47
Rating: PG
Note(s): I have no idea where this came from!
Summary: Sometimes, being a professor can be frustrating when one particular student does not understand the difference between rules and guidelines.
Normally, Severus would have approached Minerva in her office. However, the Slytherin Prefect, Geoff Burke, had just approached him as he was on his way to the weekly staff meeting.
"Minerva, there is a small problem brewing among the first year students," Severus said as he settled into his chair in the faculty room.
"Brewing?" Minerva gave a small laugh. "I didn't think you had it in you!"
Severus ran the statement back in his head and then resisted the groan at the unintended pun.
"Something that needs to be addressed before it becomes a problem for more than you and I," Severus went on.
"Oh. Well, that sounds serious," Minerva frowned.
"Geoff Burke stopped me on my way to the meeting, so the timing is fortuitous," Severus said.
"Geoff is a wonderful student," Minerva said. "You picked well, making him the Slytherin Prefect."
"He had been quite competent in his duties," Severus agreed.
"What does Geoff need?" Minerva asked.
"He brings up a concern that the first year students have brought to him," Severus said.
"First year students?" Minerva frowned.
"The Slytherin first year students have complained to Mr. Burke that one of the Gryffindor first year students is hording the materials normally available in the Library for their current Potions assignment," Severus said. "I have not had time to check the Library to see what may or may not be available but Mr. Burke is a reliable student and not prone to histrionics."
"My dear boy," Albus jumped into the conversation. "I would think a concern like that would be something the students themselves should sort out."
This is why Severus should have talked to Minerva privately. Having Albus involved would likely make the entire situation worse.
"Again, I only have what Mr. Burke has reported but he would not bring this to my attention if the students had not exhausted all other options to resolve the problem," Severus went on patiently. "While I will check on the situation, I am hoping you would speak to the student."
Minerva's eyes narrowed. "First year? Oh, dear."
Severus nodded. "Yes. Mr. Percy Weasley has taken all the copies of the books out of the Library. Mr. Burke cannot prove it, but the assumption is the Mr. Weasley has the books in his room in Gryffindor Tower."
"If the boy is using the books, he should be allowed to have them," Albus put in.
Severus bit back a sigh. "The number and the variety of topics of the books Mr. Weasley has taken is well beyond the scope of the assignment. In previous years, most students need only one or two books to complete the assignment. Mr. Weasley has withdrawn thirty-seven books from the Library."
"Oh!" Minerva exclaimed. But Severus saw her bite back a sigh.
"Minerva, this is exactly the same problem I had with Percy with a Charms assignment," Filius added. "He had taken any Library book he could find that was even faintly related to the assignment."
"I did not hear about that," Severus admitted. "Either my Slytherins managed with what was left or they did not need books from the Library."
"And while the assignment was an essay of ten to twelve inches of parchment, Percy submitted twenty-seven inches, very closely written," Filius said.
"It sounds like Mr. Weasley needs some… guidance in preparing proper homework assignments," Severus said.
"I have spoken to Percy about what a proper homework assignment should be. At least in regards to Transfiguration assignments,," Minerva admitted. "He is… determined to be thorough."
"Perhaps you could persuade his brothers to speak to him?" Severus suggested. "William Weasley is an excellent student."
"Perhaps you should approach Charlie instead?" Flitwick suggested. "While the brothers seem to get along, I suspect Charlie may be a better influence."
"Keeping it in the family!" Albus said cheerfully. "An excellent solution."
Severus had his doubts that the brothers would be a long term solution but knowing that Flitwick had a similar problem with Weasley set Severus to thinking.
"If that is all, we have other topics to discuss," Albus said firmly, bringing the meeting to order.
After the meeting ended, he quietly asked Minerva and Filius to meet up with him after dinner. "If we come at this together, perhaps it will be clearer?" he asked.
Minerva nodded. "Come to my rooms," she said. "I'll have Amber set up tea."
Which Severus had learned would include a generous dollop of whiskey. He nodded.
Since Severus had class with the Slytherins and Gryffindors the next day, and the homework assignment in question was due, they decided he was the person to meet the challenge head on.
"Mr. Weasley, if you would stay after class for a moment," Severus said blandly.
Weasley looked startled, as if he had never been asked to stay after class before. Upon a moment's thought, Severus realized that might be true.
Severus waited for the class to leave before speaking. He was amused that the Slytherins fled eagerly and none of the Gryffindors attempted to stay.
He reached into the stack of parchment and took the largest one out of the stack.
"Mr. Weasley, I am assuming this is your homework assignment, without even looking at it," Severus said.
Weasley's eyes went wide.
"You are misunderstanding the assignment, completely," Severus went on.
"I…" Weasley defended. "I wrote it down, word for word."
"I do not doubt that," Severus nodded. "In fact, if I were to read this," he waggled the parchment, "I would find you did, indeed, answer the questions in the homework assignment."
Weasley looked absurdly pleased at that. Ah! Being the third Weasley son, following William and Charles, could not be a simple task.
"However, it is not done correctly," Severus went on.
"But, I followed the rules!" Weasley said.
"Which were?" Severus asked.
"Eight to ten inches of parchment, using two or more resources from the library," Weasley recounted.
"How long is this?" Severus asked, holding the parchment.
"Thirty inches," Weasley admitted.
"Is that between eight and ten?"
"No, sir," Weasley replied reluctantly.
"And how many resources did you use?" Severus went on.
"Twenty!" Weasley beamed.
"While that is technically more than two, it is far beyond what you needed to do," Severus said. "And, something which will affect your relationship with your fellow students, you removed all the relevant books from the Library."
"Not my fault they were lazy," Weasley got mulish.
"I will remind you that you are living at Hogwarts for the next seven years and it behooves you to get along socially with all of the students in your year, not just the Gryffindors," Severus pointed out.
"The Slytherins whined about me, didn't they?" Weasley rolled his eyes.
"And the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and the Gryffindors," Severus said baldly.
Weasley looked surprised.
"And, in talking to the other professors, you have done the same thing in your other classes," Severus said.
"I need to do well!" Weasley protested.
"Since you seem to like rules, I am being explicit on the rules going forward," Severus said. They had agreed to come up with a common set of guidelines for Mr. Weasley. Which could be applied to anyone, as needed.
Weasey nodded eagerly.
"When you are given directions on the length of an assignment, you will be penalized for every quarter inch you exceed the upper limit," Severus said. "You cannot use more than twice the stated number of outside references in your research. Books cannot be removed from the Library for more than thirty-six hours. Also, your hand writing cannot be smaller than the print on page forty-seven of the Potions textbook." There was nothing but print on that page. No headings, footnotes, or diagrams. Just a simple page of printed words. Words of a readable size.
"But…" Weasley protested. "How can I give complete answers if I cannot go into detail?"
"That is a lesson you need to learn," Severus replied. "I will tell you something students normally learn before they come to Hogwarts. Your professors already know this material and do not need to learn it again. We assign homework to ensure that students complete the assigned readings and pay some attention to important concepts. Homework is not to re-write the textbook or make ground-breaking discoveries. The primary goal is simply to answer the questions in a concise manner."
Weasly huffed. "Are these rules for everyone?"
"They are, actually," Severus nodded. "You have simply ignored the unstated rules and have required that I, and your other professors, since I am speaking on their behalf, make them explicit."
"I don't know how to do this," Weasley admitted.
"Talk to your brothers," Severus advised. "They are good students and are likely willing to help you learn how to do homework properly."
"I need to be better than them," Weasley said softly.
"Then become skilled in the art of brevity," Severus said. He held out the parchment in his hand. "You can start with this. You have until dinner tomorrow to complete the assignment within the parameters you now have."
Weasley took the parchment. "Eight to ten inches? Four resources?" He winced.
"And readable handwriting," Severus added. "Homework assignments do not to be complete, they merely need to be done."
Weasley huffed and stashed the parchment in his bag.
"Anything else, sir?"
"No, that is all," Severus said with a nod.
"Thank you," Weasley said politely and then left the room.
The next day, the submission Severus received was exactly ten inches, included four resources, and was legible. Severus suspected that, if he checked, the writing would be exactly the size of the print of the Potions book. It was also written from edge to edge on the parchment, leaving no side margins. It was a small price to pay, Severus decided.
Although it did make him wonder momentarily about the next Weasley child. He shook his head. One Weasley at a time.