I genuinely and firmly believe that (including HL canon and its version of Hogwarts) the floo flames and circular moving stairs and all of the beautiful decor/designs were removed/remodeled by Dumbledore when he started as headmaster.
I can imagine the students going to Hogwarts during the Switch coming back after the summer and wondering wtf happened to their “fast travel” options within the castle and why the moving stairs were now essentially un-navigateable esp compared to before.
The amount of students getting to class so damn late for at least the first month because they were used to the old castle pre renovation and the quick traveling through the floo flames everywhere in the castle.
Like, I guess I can see Dippet being the one to restrict the students roaming around the countryside around the school and trips to Hogsmeade after the shitshow that is student safety outside the castle in HL
But with the amount of shit Dumbledore has pulled (in the background or otherwise, like everything in the series) I seriously believe he removed the great/fun characteristics for whatever reason, just like Christian holidays replaced the wizarding ones.
i know theres no indication in canon of this probably bc JKR didnt think of it, but do you think Tom wouldve applied for a Time-Turner in his time at Hogwarts? i imagine if hes such a teachers pet Slughorn and Dippet would be a-ok with approving it
Anon, you're hilarious, because there's a key difference between Hermione and Tom here.
First, while McGonagall was her head of house and approved, she was not only head of her house but deputy headmistress. Tom here, while Slughorn adores him (depending of course when this takes place), and Dippet seems to like him (we actually never see much indication that Dippet thought about Tom much if at all), the problem is Tom has to get through Dumbledore as deputy headmaster and that ain't never happening.
Remember that canonically we have Dumbledore do things like:
Prevent Tom from staying over the summer even though his home is being bombed and all children have been evacuated with a "so sorry, Tom, no exceptions"
Actively petition Dippet against hiring Tom for the DADA position when Tom graduates
Even if Dumbledore wasn't involved in this decision process, he would absolutely petition Dippet and say "no no no".
Who did this to you? - Chapter 4 - katiekrum - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]
Unfortunately, out of the corner of his eye he noticed something that surprised him. He noticed the delight in Riddle's eyes who, despite being the object of many witches' interests, had never shown any interest in any of them.
What are you headcanons about Albus being a teacher? When did he become one? Why do you think he told Elphias he was always drawn to teach if he seemed to have political ambitions when he was younger? I would love to see his relationship with Headmaster Dippet or have more backstory on his love and desire to teach younger people. I wish we could get these in a novel form so we can have more backstory.
I don't have a specific headcanon about when Albus became a professor. My instinct says that it would have been one or two years after Ariana's death. If he had applied immediately, I'm pretty sure that Dippet would have hired him. Albus was considered the brightest student to grace Hogwarts since his very first year. Moreover, we know that he considered Riddle's desire to become a teacher sincere, and he rejected him with the excuse that he was too young primarily because Albus advized it. Albus' age wouldn't have been a problem.
I think there were several reasons that Albus would have refrained from applying in a rush to bury himself in work. I believe he was too shaken at the time. He would have felt a responsibility towards Dippet and towards his students, so he would have taken a little time to be certain that this was something he would commit himself to. Considering that he'd have to be responsible for children, he'd also have to take some time to be able to manage his insecurity over feeling that he was not capable as a carer, which would probably affect his interactions with his students. Also, I'm convinced that Aberforth DID finish Hogwarts after Ariana's death and I don't think Albus would have wanted to be in a position of power in Hogwarts when Aberforth was still a student with their fractured relationship that was barely holding up. So he would have taken space and given Aberforth his own for some time. That’s probably when he and Flamel worked together on Alchemy for the first time.
Frankly, I don't believe that Albus had genuine political ambition; not in the sense of desiring power or wanting to hold a higher position than anyone else. Even when it comes to the Hallows, he was primarily interested in the stone. I believe that his political plans were primarily the result of his early trauma. The way muggles and the Statute of Secracy affected his life was deeply traumatic. His family was ruined. By the time he started making those plans his sister had been traumatized and suppressed herself to the point of becoming an obscurial, his father was in prison and then his mother was killed. He was confident of his abilities and in his knowledge, so there was some arrogance involved. He wanted radical change and someone had to do it. His line of thought would have been: 'If not I, then who?' He had the abilities and he had the motivation and the stakes, especially during that time, when Ariana was still alive and it could have made a difference for her, his and Aberforth's lives. My point is that he probably saw politics as a means to an end rather than considering a 'profession'.
I think that in his core Albus was always a scholar. He had a profoundly inquisitive and perceptive mind that could process and further anything; from a more scientific approach to magic, to sociopolitcal theory and application. Obviously he was interested in the applicability of his theories and his beliefs and on the ways this furthers his society. But that wasn't the case just with politics. For example he discovered and established the twelve uses of dragon blood. He was not confined in one field. His interest in helping his community with his knowledge means that passing it down by teaching would be a beautiful legacy. We know he enjoyed studying, that he was good at helping others learn since he was very young, that he had high regard of educated people and considered education essential for every individual. It just seems that teaching encompasses all of his interests and beliefs. More than all of these, his own education was impactful on Albus' psychology. It was an escape from a despairing situation at home. Consequwntly, as he started teaching professionally, it would have made him feel that he was making up in small ways for being a bad carer for his siblings. He couldn't give them what they needed at the time, but he's giving to numerous children the thing that helped HIM. It's convincing to me that Albus would find profound joy in teaching.
I am definitely interested in his bond and his interactions with Dippet and in them growing out of the teacher-student dynamics to being colleagues and having a more equal relationship. Based on the teases we have in the books and in the Tales of Beedle the Bard, it's quite clear that Dippet was deeply appreciative of Albus and was one of the few people he opened up to. He appreciated his opinion more than anyone else's. But rather than being committed to Albus or to anyone else his loyalty ultimately laid with the school, as we see when he chastises Phineas Nigellus when he is being uncooperative. We also get hints of Dippet being more old-school. During his time there was still corporal punishment at Hogwarts and he was much stricter with the teachers. That said, he was not ill-intended. For example, he was open to let Tom stay at school, instead of forcing him to go back to the orphanage for the summer, if he didn't think the school was unsafe at the time. He did not even object to Hagrid remaining on Hogwarts grounds after his expulsion and being given a chance to make a life for himself instead of being thrown out in the world, where he would be unprotected and stigmatized..I like how we see the difference between the different generations: from Phineas Nigellus who loathed his job and was a dreadful person, to the more tolerant Armando and then to Albus. The fact that Albus had Armando's ear shows that, while Dippet was a product of his generation he was willing to learn, to adjust himself and to show more tolerance. I would have easily read a character-driven series about Albus' entire life, exploring deeply all the fascinating dynamics and characters surrounding him.
