New wizard of the month on JKR website

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 171154

> <Glad your computer is fixed, Carol. Good to have you back>

> Carol responds:
> <snipping Flitwick and Heir of Gryffindor comments which I heartily 
> agree with> 
> 
> She's [McGonagall] not going to appoint a (former) Ravenclaw as 
> Head of Gryffindor anymore than she'd appoint a (former) Hufflepuff 
> or Slytherin for that post. The HoH has to be temperamentally 
> suited to the House he or she heads (and have at least an affection 
> for that House, as Sprout does for Hufflepuff).

Mike:
Not to mention, which iirc JKR did, all the HoH's were former members 
of that house. Meaning Flitwick was a Ravenclaw and would not qualify 
in the Potterverse for Gryffindor HoH.


> Carol: 
> Most likely, IMO, the new Transfiguration teacher will be both a
> (former) Gryffindor and the new HoH of Gryffindor. I think that
> Dumbledore held both positions as McGonagall certainly did. It would
> be nice, however, if Flitwick were promoted to assistant headmaster,
> with McG as Headmistress. His mild and objective temperament would
> balance her strict efficiency (and partiality) beautifully, IMO.

Mike:
I like the idea of Sprout being the new asst Headmistress. I like her 
temperament, no-nonsense, fair, but not harsh. I like the idea that 
these kind of things go in cycles. Dumbledore seemed to run things 
kind of loosy-goosy, giving his teachers and HoH's a lot of free 
reign. So McGonnagall comes in and tightens up those reigns. And 
Sprout, though less strict than McG, would appreciate and follow that 
approach. I agree Flitwick would better "balance" McG, but I'm more 
fond of things leaning more towards the strict side all around.


> Carol:
> It seems to me, that with the exception of Snape as DADA teacher 
> and HoH of Slytherin in HBP the Heads of Houses are matched up 
> with the core curriculum, the required classes other than the 
> cursed DADA position, as follows: 
> Gryffindor: Transfiguration; Slytherin: Potions;
> Ravenclaw: Charms; Hufflepuff: Herbology. It could well be that the
> four Founders taught those particular classes, though Gryffindor, 
> as a dueling champion, could well have taught DADA, too, while the 
> other teachers perhaps divided the other classes among them. <snip>

Mike:
I like your speculation matching the founders with core courses. And 
for reasons that will become obvious below, I like matching 
Gryffindor with DADA. Yet, I wonder if in their day DADA was instead 
some form of dueling or just magical fighting in general. IOW, I 
can't see the Dark Arts being either that well defined or looked down 
upon. We are talking about emergence from the Dark Ages, so I'd 
imagine that much of what present day WW calls *dark* was the order 
of the day back then. I'd also speculate that many of the present day 
*dark spells* were developed subsequent to Hogwarts opening. And that 
magic in those days wasn't advanced well enough to easily delineate 
between *light* and *dark* magic.



> Carol:
> At any rate, I think that Hogwarts under McGonagall will go back to
> the normal course/HoH arrangement, with Slughorn already positioned 
> to take over Snape's role as HoH of Slytherin as well as the Potions
> position he's already assumed, Flitwick and Sprout where they are
> (with Flitwick possibly taking on the assistant headmastership as
> well), and a new (former) Gryffindor as Transfiguration teacher and
> HoH of Gryffindor. If I'm right that Gryffindor and Transfiguration 
> go together, Bill Weasley would be a good choice. 

Mike:
Ah, here's that part below. ;) I like Bill Weasley taking over an 
unjinxed DADA post (as well as becoming Gryffindor HoH). Following in 
the Godric's speculated footsteps. His curse breaking skills should 
translate well to DADA. Obviously, I'd like to think the jinx would 
be lifted with Voldemort's demise, allowing some continuity in DADA 
instruction.

So now I need a Transfiguration professor. I know Tonks would seem 
like a natural for that position, being a metamorphmagus. But I'd 
like to see Hogwarts broaden her horizons and hire Fleur as 
Transfiguration teacher. I can't say what her skills are in this 
discipline, but neither do I know any of the others. If she has any 
of her grandmother's Veela abilities, possibly she too could 
metamorph.

I also like having a married couple teaching at Hogwarts (at least we 
don't know of any at this time). And, I'd imagine Fleur could at 
least keep the boys attention <wink>.

The one problem with Bill getting hired on at this time is that he 
would have his sister as both a student and a member of his house. I 
wonder if that might be a situation that McGonnagall might avoid on 
principle.


> Carol, just speculating and not committing herself to these 
suggestions

Mike, enjoying your speculation and some of his own.