Private Message to Antonin Dolohov
Mar. 12th, 2013 10:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_poppyAntonin,
Thank you for what you said. I appreciate your kind words about my situation and your offers of assistance.
I'm afraid I must decline your offer to put me on retainer as your private healer. I will not step foot in that castle again until Madam Umbridge has gone and my place been restored, so while I would certainly agree to see you should you find yourself in urgent need of my care, I cannot provide the steady, on-going care you require to see that you continue on your upward course. I do regret that.
In any case, I mean to do a bit of travelling, I think, to clear my mind and take advantage of the unexpected holiday. I will do, that is, if I am able to settle the matter of my status at St Mungo's and the matter of my pension. I have spent the past two days at it with little progress. Mine has been a dual appointment, so Madam Umbridge was not able unilaterally to terminate my employment. I am now an institutional healing practitioner sans institution. Sans salary, as well, save for the rudimentary stipend St M's provides. They could assign me elsewhere, including within St M's, but I think it highly unlikely.
I have requested leave, in any case, if only so Luxovius Kerr cannot expect that I will accept fire calls at all hours to answer questions and provide care summaries about this patient and that whose fat files full of treatment notes he will not wish to bother reading. (You asked about his reputation: it is that he is interested in his own rather narrow research specialty and nothing else. He is not accustomed to seeing patients; rather, he studies research subjects, some of them at first hand. He is not said to be a particularly collegial presence in his department.)
In any case, I've been advised that whatever St Mungo's decide to do with me, I must apply within a fortnight of my severance from the school for my pension or forfeit that entirely (whether I'm to be formally retired or not), so off I've gone to the Ministry where I've sat for a day and a half with three dozen other petitioners waiting for my number to be called. On Monday afternoon, two persons were summoned into the inner sanctum whilst the rest of us waited; today, only one person was summoned all day. In fact it was two, but the second had just succumbed to an urgent need to step out for several moments and was called in absentia. When he returned and learned he'd been summoned, he went to the clerk only to be told he'd missed his window of opportunity and had lost his position in the queue. Mind you, they didn't call anyone else in his place. I overheard two of my fellows speculating that it is a ploy to keep people from claiming their pensions. I've yet to discover whether any of my companions have spent a full fortnight waiting in that reception, but I have begun to suspect that one's summons may be carefully scheduled for the day following the expiration of eligibility.
I'm sure this is more than you wish to know, Antonin, but I suppose I want to give you fair warning that I might, after all, need the help you offered in the event I have difficulty securing my pension.
In any case, thank you for your kindness in my time of distress. It meant a great deal to read your words of support and your expressions of shared purpose.
Thank you for what you said. I appreciate your kind words about my situation and your offers of assistance.
I'm afraid I must decline your offer to put me on retainer as your private healer. I will not step foot in that castle again until Madam Umbridge has gone and my place been restored, so while I would certainly agree to see you should you find yourself in urgent need of my care, I cannot provide the steady, on-going care you require to see that you continue on your upward course. I do regret that.
In any case, I mean to do a bit of travelling, I think, to clear my mind and take advantage of the unexpected holiday. I will do, that is, if I am able to settle the matter of my status at St Mungo's and the matter of my pension. I have spent the past two days at it with little progress. Mine has been a dual appointment, so Madam Umbridge was not able unilaterally to terminate my employment. I am now an institutional healing practitioner sans institution. Sans salary, as well, save for the rudimentary stipend St M's provides. They could assign me elsewhere, including within St M's, but I think it highly unlikely.
I have requested leave, in any case, if only so Luxovius Kerr cannot expect that I will accept fire calls at all hours to answer questions and provide care summaries about this patient and that whose fat files full of treatment notes he will not wish to bother reading. (You asked about his reputation: it is that he is interested in his own rather narrow research specialty and nothing else. He is not accustomed to seeing patients; rather, he studies research subjects, some of them at first hand. He is not said to be a particularly collegial presence in his department.)
In any case, I've been advised that whatever St Mungo's decide to do with me, I must apply within a fortnight of my severance from the school for my pension or forfeit that entirely (whether I'm to be formally retired or not), so off I've gone to the Ministry where I've sat for a day and a half with three dozen other petitioners waiting for my number to be called. On Monday afternoon, two persons were summoned into the inner sanctum whilst the rest of us waited; today, only one person was summoned all day. In fact it was two, but the second had just succumbed to an urgent need to step out for several moments and was called in absentia. When he returned and learned he'd been summoned, he went to the clerk only to be told he'd missed his window of opportunity and had lost his position in the queue. Mind you, they didn't call anyone else in his place. I overheard two of my fellows speculating that it is a ploy to keep people from claiming their pensions. I've yet to discover whether any of my companions have spent a full fortnight waiting in that reception, but I have begun to suspect that one's summons may be carefully scheduled for the day following the expiration of eligibility.
I'm sure this is more than you wish to know, Antonin, but I suppose I want to give you fair warning that I might, after all, need the help you offered in the event I have difficulty securing my pension.
In any case, thank you for your kindness in my time of distress. It meant a great deal to read your words of support and your expressions of shared purpose.
no subject
Date: 2013-03-13 11:37 am (UTC)I can hardly blame you for not wanting to return to Hogwarts while Madam Unbearable remains present, for all that it is our very great loss. Your impression of Healer Kerr is not encouraging; I'd heard a few of the children muttering in the past day or two about his actions at the YPL activity he attended, but I had hoped it was simply an adolescent lack of perspective. I should have known better.
At very least I suppose his abject unsuitability for the position will become clear quickly, and must hope that her unilateral appointment of someone so grossly inappropriate will come back to bite her in the overstuffed pink arse. If you will excuse my vulgarity.
I would be pleased to exercise my influence on your behalf with the Ministry bureaucracy, and that sort of detail is precisely what I would like to know; owl me the information for the department when you've had enough of dealing with their intransigence and I shall make it clear that they are not to delay you further with their nonsense.
I hope you are able to put this shameful mistreatment aside and enjoy a relaxing holiday until you are able to return to your rightful place -- something I will not cease attempting to arrange.
In service,
Antosha
no subject
Date: 2013-03-13 03:43 pm (UTC)As you may have gathered, I am not one to allow an opening to pass nor one to waste time unnecessarily. I have, as you put it, had enough of dealing with intransigence and would be most appreciative if you were to apply whatever leverage you might see fit to end my vigil in this dismal waiting room. (Today we are four dozen downtrodden souls and increasing--two more have come along to join us whilst I read your note.)
It is my understanding that the authority here resides in Marion Lewes-Dampling, Head, Directorate of Personnel and Pensioner Services. Mind you, we pauvres aspire only to be processed by Matilda Thompson, Functionary Second Class, Registrar, Redundancies and Retirements, or at most to lodge appeal with Angus Rumpold, Functionary Superiour, Arbiter, Classification and Consignment.
no subject
Date: 2013-03-13 04:55 pm (UTC)In the meanwhile, if you have any expenses before your pension comes through, do let me know that as well; I will stand your surety.
In service,
Antosha
no subject
Date: 2013-03-15 03:19 am (UTC)Antonin, thank you. At quarter to five this afternoon, I was summoned to Mr Lewes-Dampling's office where I was informed that my parchmentwork is all in order (I had not, in fact, yet been given any to complete!) and that my first payment will be made directly to my Gringotts account on the first of April. Assuming that is not an April Fool's jest, I believe that whatever you wrote did the trick, as they say.
I do appreciate your help, and am most grateful to be free of that business.
Most sincerely,
Poppy