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A Matter of Honor
Book 1: The Honors Project Chapter 2: Teachers' Meeting "Lavender Brown has had the loveliest idea for an honors project next year," Professor Trelawny was saying to Professor Sprout as Professor McGonagall entered the staff room and took a seat near the fire. "I just can't wait to get started on it. I know that her proposal will be a delight, and…" "I hardly think 'delightful' is one of the criteria for approving proposals," replied Professor Sprout. McGonagall smiled to herself. "But isn't it wonderful when a bright student comes up with a remarkable topic that is a pleasure to read?" added Professor Flitwick. "I know the standards are high, and rightfully so, but every so often a student comes along who exceeds all expectations. Why, just yesterday I was speaking to Hermione Granger about a possible study, and her ideas were wonderfully advanced and so well thought out--it would be a delight, as you say, Professor, to work with her." McGonagall raised an eyebrow slightly. She had recommended that Hermione examine her options carefully, but she had hoped, secretly, that the girl would decide on Transfiguration. "So has she decided on Charms, then?" asked Professor Sprout, who was clearly interested in working with Hermione herself. "After class this morning she arranged a time to meet with me about some possible topics as well, and said something about considering several subjects." "I've met with her only this morning," Remus Lupin replied, entering the room and choosing a seat opposite McGonagall. "She hasn't decided yet, but she's also met with Professor McGonagall." McGonagall smiled and nodded at Professor Flitwick, who seemed surprised by the news and turned to her to confirm it. Professor Trelawny remarked, "Of course, she hasn't met with me. She hasn't taken a class with me in a few years now. Divination just wasn't her strong suit--not everyone has the gift, you know," she said, confidingly, to Professor Sprout. Remus tried not to smile. McGonagall replied, "I encouraged her to speak with several professors before settling on a proposal topic. I know Professor Vector was looking forward to working with her again, but she agrees with me that diversity is best." "Where is Professor Vector?" asked Lupin. "In London, at a meeting with the Ministry concerning some work she is doing for them," answered McGonagall, in a tone that made it clear she would not explain further. Professor Snape entered the room as she turned back to face the others. Taking a seat near the door, he nodded a terse greeting to her, then crossed his arms over his chest and prepared to face the ordeal of the weekly faculty meeting. "Now that we're all here," McGonagall began, seeing that Madam Hooch had arrived just behind Professor Snape, "let's begin. I have only a few notes from Headmaster Dumbledore concerning the end of the term, and I believe that Professor Sprout has a report from the Defense Committee on the preparations for next year--you're reporting for Hagrid as well, Professor?" Sprout nodded. "Then let me begin by reminding you of the guidelines for honors project proposals." Several of the professors smiled at the mention of their recent conversational topic; Snape sighed deeply, his lips narrowing into an expression of annoyance. He hadn't directed an honors project in ten years, or an independent study in four. Any student brave enough to approach him about the possibility had been scared off by his demands for the proposal, and the only one who had then decided on an independent study had barely made it through to the end of the term. "Idiots," he thought to himself. He couldn't think of a single student in next year's graduating class that was advanced enough to complete an honors project in Potions. And that included, most definitely, the Slytherins, although he was fairly sure Draco Malfoy would ask him about submitting a proposal. McGonagall continued, "Now, any sixth-year student is welcome to submit a proposal for an honors project, to be completed during their seventh year, but few do, and fewer still are up to the task. Honors projects are difficult, university-level work, requiring a serious commitment from student and advising professor alike. Most interested students will ask about independent studies, and those arrangements should be made when classes start again in August. Students who are sincerely interested in proposing an honors project should meet with you before the deadline a week from Friday to finalize a topic, and to confirm both their intention to complete a proposal and your agreement to work with them next year, if you approve the project. Although you may indicate in your letter of intent that they are considering more than one topic at that time, each student should have narrowed their focus by then to no more than two choices. The students may submit only one proposal, but may meet with more than one of you before they make their decision as to a subject. I ask you not to place any undue pressure on a student to follow through; sometimes it is for the best that we allow our favorite student to work with a colleague, both for the good of their education and in the interest of their doing the best project possible." Professor Lupin interrupted, "Why Professor McGonagall, none of us has favorites, you know that." He smiled at Professor Trelawny. Everyone (but Snape) smiled with him, and Trelawny donned an innocent expression. Remus wondered if she got the joke. "Of course, Professor," McGonagall smiled, "I'm only relaying the information as Headmaster Dumbledore outlined it." She continued, "Once the student has been approved to write the proposal, they have most of the summer break to complete their work. You may or may not choose to correspond with them during that time. Likewise, you may or may not choose to meet with them in these last days of the term to discuss their project further. Proposals are due two weeks before the start of the school year, and you should have your ruling to Headmaster Dumbledore two days before the students arrive for the fall term. I encourage all of you to review the guidelines for approval before you make any ruling, for both Professor Dumbledore and I will be reading the proposals as well. We will, of course, defer to your decisions wherever possible; our review is simply a safeguard against favoritism--not that there's any of that going around, Professor Lupin--and undue harshness." She most pointedly did not look at Snape. "The decision is yours, because you will be the one working with the student over the next year. If a student's proposal does not meet with your approval, you may elect to work with them on some version of their proposed topic--or another--as an independent study, which would last only one term. Again, you should review the descriptions of both types of study if you have any doubt as to the merit of a topic or proposal, or have questions as to what would be required of you in either case. Are there any questions for me now?" There were none. "Then let us turn to the committee report before I give the rest of the Headmaster's notes." The meeting continued for another fifteen minutes, and then it was time to head down to dinner. Remus caught up with Snape as they descended the stairs. "Professor Snape, you didn't arrive at the meeting early enough to give your input on the subject; I wondered what you thought about honors projects. Someone said that it had been a while since you'd overseen one." "Yes," Snape replied with a sneer, "a while. It seems that students in recent years haven't been…up to the challenge of an honors project in Potions. The few who have tried have backed out before the proposal deadline--though I did have one Slytherin student who managed a rather weak attempt at an independent study after deciding that the rigors of proposal writing were not to his liking." "And the last honors project you led? A Slytherin as well, I assume?" Remus asked. "No, Professor Lupin," Snape snarled, "I am not so completely biased as you might like to imagine. A Ravenclaw girl--highly intelligent. Her project was…satisfactory." Snape eyed Lupin as they rounded a corner, suspicious. "Why do you ask?" "No reason," replied Remus. "The others were talking about the students who might write proposals this year, and I wondered if any of them had spoken to you." "No," Snape muttered, again fixing his eyes anywhere away from Lupin's face. "Not even Hermione Granger?" Lupin raised an eyebrow, watching Snape's reaction. There wasn't one that he could see. "She's been talking to several professors about possible topics, and I thought she'd mentioned that she might come to see you." At this point they arrived at the dining hall, and Snape didn't answer the question as they took their seats--annoyingly to Snape, they were generally seated next to each other, a few places down on Dumbledore's right, with McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hooch in between them and the Headmaster. But as Remus turned to his right to greet Professor Sprout across the corner of the table, Snape's eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch, and his eyes glanced at the Gryffindor table before making their habitual survey of Slytherin House.
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