A Downcast Day for Magical Creatures - Professor Elizabeth. S. Anne Retires from Hogwarts

Hogwarts has had the opportunity to benefit from the talents of a very skilled Professor who was proficient in caring for and handling beasts, as well as teaching about them. She was very closely connected to the beasts and well-attuned to their behavioral patterns, weirdest quirks, and innermost desires. To our utmost disappointment, the 8th day in the month of February at Hogwarts bore the heavy weight of witnessing Professor Anne's sorrowful departure. Besides being the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Professor Elizabeth. S. Anne was also the host of the famous "Creature Design" contests that the students were very fond of. For those who remember, she was also the Professor for the memorable "Creature Feature" lessons. The Hogwarts Library also houses her blessing upon the students in the form of "The Care Of Magical Creatures Companion Guide", which she wrote with former Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Aurelia Cattercorn. She was indeed a true gem who shone like a sapphire as the Ravenclaw Head of House for Hogwarts for nearly a decade. Our faces looked pallid as we comprehended the gravity of this unexpected turn of events. All of Hogwarts had a heavy heart as we watched Professor Anne pack up and leave, and we tried our best to continue focusing on our tasks while reminiscing of the golden days with Professor Anne that we may never see again. The sky was overshadowed with clouds of dejection and despair. The spirited and skilled Professor is leaving behind an imprint on our minds, and the echo of her footsteps will continue to motivate us in the castle forever. She is one that all her students will remember for a lifetime for her tireless contributions towards fueling our understanding of magical creatures, and the lessons that we learned from her will always remain close to our hearts.

Between all the chaos that followed the Professor's official announcement of her retirement from Hogwarts and subsequent journey back to the Ministry of Magic to continue her previous career in tracking down and researching illegal dragon breeders across England in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, besides being a magical creature activist and amateur Fwooper enthusiast, I found the excellent opportunity to interview her in her office for a few minutes, and in the following transcript of the same, I have tried my best to bring her final message to aspiring future magizoologists and her beloved students.

Hiya - Hello, Professor Anne. I am a journalist for the Hogwarts Monthly Magazine and, with your permission, would like to interview you for the Hogwarts Monthly Magazine February 2024 Valentine's Special Issue. May I start with the thousand Galleons question everybody wants to see answered? What did you love about Care of Magical Creatures, and why did you pick this subject to teach? What fueled your interest in the subject?

Professor Anne - I grew up on my parents’ Crup farm and heard stories about their time with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I don’t think it was ever a question in my mind that I would go into a creature-related field, though I don’t think I ever thought I would end up back at Hogwarts as a member of staff. However, when the opportunity presented itself, I decided it was the universe trying to tell me something, and I decided to take the leap.

Hiya - That sounds interesting, Professor. Why did you decide to teach at Hogwarts and not at any other school?

Professor Anne - Hogwarts is my alma mater, so it only felt natural to give back to the school where I received my education.

Hiya - That's amazing, Professor. We are delighted and grateful that we had the opportunity to receive your expert guidance and be part of your refreshing classes. While you were at Hogwarts, what were your expectations from your students? Was there any standard of homework you wanted your students to try to achieve?

Professor Anne - I always hoped for students to do well and achieve the grades they hoped for. I also aimed to give them a holistic magizoology education, one that didn’t simply focus on the creatures in the textbook. There is so much more to the field than just reciting facts about creatures you memorize from a text.

Hiya - I certainly felt that vibe in your lessons, Professor, and I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed them. The assignments that we had to complete after the lessons were also interesting and fun in their own ways. Are there any pointers you would like to give the future magizoologists and other Hogwarts students regarding performing well in your subject and/or seeking a career through it?

Professor Anne - The most significant piece of advice I can give to anyone seeking a career in magizoology is to take any opportunity that comes your way. Even if you know you want to work with Beings, there are so many more opportunities to get your foot in the door with Beasts, and you never know where those connections will lead.

Hiya - I find this piece of advice very impactful. I will definitely try to follow your advice and will also pass it on to our student readers. How has teaching at Hogwarts been so far? What was your favorite aspect of being a CoMC teacher and Head of House at Hogwarts? Were there any challenges associated with being a Hogwarts Professor as well as the Ravenclaw Head of House?

Professor Anne - I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have made some dear friends in Professors Rosenquist, Penrose, and Mitchell and former Deputy Headmistress Wessex, ones I may not have ever had if I hadn’t returned to Hogwarts. I think my favorite aspect was simply sharing my knowledge with the students and seeing their excitement with different creatures over the years. I think the biggest challenge of being both a Professor and Head of House is being an advocate for the students and trying to determine the best ways to help them in this digital learning environment.

Hiya - That sounds amazing, Professor. Many students, including others on my team and myself, loved your Creature Contests. We would like to thank you for hosting them. Could you tell us more about the inspiration behind them and your experience with hosting Creature Contests at Hogwarts?

Professor Anne - That’s a great question. Honestly, I don’t remember why I did the first one. I believe it was tied to the once-popular Field Trip ideas that were present in the first ~2 years of the site. Then one was used to celebrate the arrival of my former Co-Professor, Aurelia Cattercorn. Students enjoyed them, and we enjoyed hosting them, so we just kept doing them. The downfall of Adobe Flash made them a bit difficult at times, but I hope students enjoyed them.

That said, I apologize to students waiting for the results of the most recent contest. I had hoped to have those for you but couldn't because of a few technical difficulties.

Hiya - I absolutely loved them, Professor, and their popularity is proof of how much all the students at Hogwarts enjoyed them. Would you like to tell us why you think the Sorting Hat may have chosen to put you in Ravenclaw? I seem to have an inkling that our student readers would be curious to know that.

Professor Anne - I like to think it’s because I never take no for an answer. I am constantly questioning the world around me and seeking out information, and that started at a young age. I imagine the Sorting Hat recognized that in me and sorted me accordingly.

Hiya - You were the perfect representative of Ravenclaw qualities during your tenure as the Ravenclaw Head of House. I would assume that the Ravenclaws are very sad to see you go. We wouldn't like to pry into your personal background, but many Hogwarts students would agree that you have a very interesting backstory. Is there any specific incident from your life that fueled you into choosing the Ministry of Magic and then Hogwarts Professorship as a profession?

Professor Anne - Certainly, my parents’ career paths influenced me. And both options remain the best options to create positive change in the next generation and in the field. I just hope to create positive change in the world.

Hiya - That sounds really inspiring, Professor. Many people rely on the DISC personality profile test when talking about their professional career. Did you ever take the DISC personality profile test? What would you say your DISC personality profile would be? What were your motivations, fears, and emotions, when it came to being a Hogwarts Professor and Head of House, and what would be the same going forward in your career in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures?

Professor Anne - I hadn’t taken the test until now, so I went ahead and did a quick assessment. It classified me as a C/S. My sole motivation for being a Professor was to help the next generation. I was lucky enough to have amazing Professors when I was a student, and I hoped to be that for the next group of students. I think I always have a fear of not doing enough, especially when it comes to my work. I tend to do things I don’t always need to if it means there will be a variety of options to work for anyone, but that can come at a cost. That fear specifically will continue to fuel me as I move back to working full-time with the Ministry.

Hiya - Thank you so much for taking the time to answer us so thoroughly, Professor. Your unforeseen departure has immensely saddened us. We would like to shed some light on what might be the cause behind your retirement. Kindly make a comment on it. I only hope this will provide at least some relief to the Hogwarts students.

Professor Anne - They say you know when a chapter of your life has come to a close. And that’s really what happened here. I had been struggling with the idea of heading back to the Ministry full-time for some time now. I had hoped to announce my retirement sooner, but unfortunately, I could not do so because of technical issues.

Hiya - We are really sad to hear that, Professor, but we totally understand that our journey under your expert tutorship as your students has come to an end, however abrupt and unwanted. Is there any specific reason you chose the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures to return to and no other job? We would love to hear whether you loved your job at Hogwarts more or at the Ministry of Magic more? In either case, we will absolutely miss you here.

Professor Anne - I don’t think I could pick which job I love more. Both were incredibly impactful on me. I found myself in the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures through a connection I made as a student, and I found I liked the work. The research aspect of trying to track everything down really spoke to my desire to consume and find information. I’ve missed that work over the last several years, which led me to do more freelance work during the summer breaks. I also find myself ready to move on to help with legislation and to further promote change, and I think it’s time for someone else to offer their expertise to students.

Hiya - I hope you have a fascinating time there and wish you incredible luck on your journey ahead, Professor. Thank you so much again for taking the time to answer an interview for us. Please deliver a general message for all your students, who are indeed heartbroken to see you leave.

Professor Anne - I cannot wait to see what you all do on your journeys as students and beyond.

Hiya - Thank you so much, Professor. It was an honor to have the opportunity to interview you even at such a crucial hour and place, and it is a delight and a blessing to get to speak to you. I am very grateful for the messages you left behind for all of us. 

Renovations to Hogwarts Castle - a New Head of House for Ravenclaws and a New Deputy Headmistress in Office

Life inside Hogwarts Castle is like writing beautiful new stories every day on the pages of a novel. Despite the dejected days and the dismal clouds that accompanied Professor Anne's departure, Hogwarts had to progress on its journey and keep the wheels of academic life within its walls going. The students were blessed with two new additions to the Hogwarts administration. Professor Robert Plumb, the brilliant and humorous Ravenclaw who not only keeps things shiny at the top of the Astronomy Tower, but also brings light to our walls through bedazzling medals for academic excellence from the Monthly House Point Competition, graced us as the new Ravenclaw Head of House, as announced by our beloved Headmistress, Orion Oshiro. Professor Plumb will thus now be available to motivate us and help us through multiple levels, be it related to Astronomy, earning house points, or being the perfect embodiment of a true Ravenclaw student. Headmistress Orion Oshiro also announced that the shoes of the former Deputy Headmistress have now been filled by the intelligent and dedicated Professor Mitchell. These renovations that graced the castle have kept students on track and ensured that they remain feeling blessed.

- Hiya Debnath, Journalist, Editor-in-Chief, Compiler, Publisher, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.