Fic: Homecoming for fpb

[springmod]

Title: Homecoming
Author: penknife
Recipient: fpb
Character(s): Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom
Rating: G
Wordcount: ~1400 words
Warnings: Spoilers for McGonagall's Pottermore backstory.
Summary: Minerva has a few questions before hiring Hogwarts' new Herbology professor.
Author's Notes (if any): I hope you enjoy this!
Betas: Thanks to N. for beta

Comments

[fpb]

A really charming character study, especially of Minerva. Her troubled and even somewhat balky response is extremely well thought out. My only issue is this: You won't attain riches teaching at Hogwarts, nor will you become famous. The most you can hope for is to be remembered relatively fondly by students who think of you as an institution rather than a person. I don't think that's canonic: Hogwarts professors in canon are more like Oxbridge chair holders, or even high-ranking teachers at the top dozen or so public schools in pre-war Britain. They are part of the wizarding great and good. I suspect this reflects the experience of a modern teacher in a modern mainstream school, and, while touching, it strikes a slightly false note in terms of what we know of Hogwarts. Otherwise a lovely piece of work, and thank you for it.

[penknife]

Thank you. I'm sorry the story wasn't entirely what you wanted, and hope you enjoyed it nevertheless.

[fpb]

I may disagree with some of your views of character, but that doesn't mean the story isn't what I wanted. I wanted a good touching story; yours is all that. Thank you, and be certain I enjoyed it very much.

[fpb]

If the Headmaster is famous, then so are the top teachers. It's absurd to imagine that while Dumbledore is at the top of several wizarding organizations and famous across the world, all the people who work with him should be no better than anonymous grunts. And a self-effacing nature is certainly no shelter against fame.

[chthonya]

An interesting question. For what it's worth, I think there's an area between 'famous' and 'anonymous grunt'.

If 'famous' means 'well known', then in a world in which every child in the country passes through one school, then yes: the teachers - especially the long-standing teachers - will be known by everyone. Staff changes and major happenings in their lives will be covered in the Daily Prophet because the whole readership has an interest. The best teachers will probably have a relationship with their counterparts in other wizarding schools, they might write books on their subjects that make their name known nationally, they may contribute to learned journals, and senior staff at each school will be aware of who is leading the other schools

[penknife]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and thanks for the comment.

[minervas_eule]

This is a lovely scene, and it is very like Minerva to be concerned that her former students had a proper experience of life outside of Hogwarts before starting to live in the school again.

[penknife]

Thank you!

[therealsnape]

What a wonderfully-written scene this is. Both the voices of Neville and Minerva are perfection. Loved Neville's comment that Hogwarts isn't a monastery (quite!) and Minerva's dry agreement with that.

"When I first came to teach here, I was as young as you are now, as hard as that may be for you to believe," she said. Great line.

Time turned everything into history, which at this point in her life she had come to consider a great mercy. Another excellent Minerva insight.

[penknife]

Thanks so much!

[purplefluffycat]

Lovely! There's so much in this: backstory, character, philosophising. It's thought-proving, and very true to the post-war spirit. Brava!

PurpleFluffyCat x

[penknife]

Thank you!