"If he wants to fall behind in his classes by not attending," Catrina observes, "he's only hurting himself. I'm not sure what he thinks he's getting out if it. I know for my classes there are some things that are easy enough to learn from the texts. But others definitely require some instruction before they become clear - even to someone as full of himself as Ambrose. He's taking an awful risk assuming that he's missing the former rather than the latter." She shrugs.
"As for revoking the Aegis, I also have no trouble with that. As I'm sure we all remember from our own apprenticeship days, there are always long hours of memorization to be done. I can easily arrange things so that Ambrose need work no magic for the next week or so. And really, we're in their first year. There's not much in the way of actual magic they need to do. Most of what I'm teaching them, at least, is theory that will form the basis of practical magic in the years to come."
Fabricus remembers the insults the boy gave earlier and frowns. "I wonder what his goal is? The things he said...were I not wise to his means, honestly I might have lashed out and permanently wounded the boy. If a mundane said that to me, I would surely kill him and if a Magus then we would settle it promptly as wizards. But I don't think he's merely careless, he has a plan I feel. I wonder if we should peek inside his mind and see his motive?"
"As a student here," Catrina replies, "he's essentially an apprentice. That means he has none of the protections against scrying that a full magus would. If you think some mental probing would be useful, I can't see any reason not to pursue that line of investigation."
So if I understand the reasoning behind that, every time a magus reads the mind of a non-magus, they run the risk that the non-magus is acting in accordance with a magi's plans. And if that non-magus is acting in accordance with a magi's plans, then the first magus has just violated the Code.
Hmm, that seems to make the use of any Intellego Mentem magic extraordinarily risky.
((Fabrica does not have the Code so no roll for him, but...if she sent a Gifted boy, with magic, to our Covenant, is he not then scrying on us first on her behalf, the same as if she cast a spell on a grog? I'd say it'd likely be a wash, but Fabricus has no knowledge of the Code, and we're already in murky waters with the school.))
There is nothing to suggest Anemone has cast a spell upon him to enable him to peer into affairs of the school or its magi. The Code allows mundane spies.
Fabricus can know enough that rifling through an apprentices head with Mentem magics might run afoul of plans that Anemone has made. Also, many of the most useful Mentem magics are high level effects and could possibly inflict warping upon the recipient. Those two factors alone make the question of using the Mentem magics the domain of the headmistresses. All teachers can discipline their students in an effort to teach then appropriate behavior. Scanning the minds goes a bit further afield than discipline.
Remember, also, the gist of the school's charter is that the apprentices here are considered to be apprentices of a Bonisagus. There is really only one Bonisagus here...
Fabricus is frowning and shaking his head. "As much as I think it might help the boy, we shall invite more trouble I feel. If I choose to look deeper, it will be without scrying. Again, please accept my apologies for keeping him from your classes, that was not my intent and I appreciate your support. It is against my nature to ask for advice and assistance, but for this boy I feel I am helping myself in getting your assistance, I could act too rashly if I am antagonized. The item I feel will be a good option." Fabricus bows to those present and then brings out his Elementa lesson plans to see if there was any coordination that all could benefit from.
((Just the week, and I make sure he understands that his only chores now are to work at the stables after class, before supper, and he is not to miss any other classes nor be late. I'll post the next lesson soon.))
About 3 days into the punishment, the stablemaster complains that he did a better job with magic than without. But he makes it clear that Ambrose is not being lazy, he's just a 10 year old kid, with all the physical capabilities of a 10 year old kid. Ambrose works long and hard, it's just not enough to do it by himself.