⚯͛ Sweet Caroline - Sirius Black ⚯͛

-40-

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. .**.☽ .*

"What is your main ambition in this field of work, Miss Rutherford?"

She took a breath and smiled confidently at them, just like Sirius had told her to do before she left: "just breath and smile, you'll be great, they'll love you."

"Well, what most intrigues me is all the medicinal research that is taking place at the moment, especially in Northern Europe and West Asia," she said, looking all of them in the eye like her brother had reminded her to do, "but personally, I would like to open up my own research facility in Africa. There are many unexplored paths of medicine there, and I feel like healers have disregarded the many cultural practices in different traditions around magic Africa that present many new opportunities. I...I think it is our duty as healers to keep growing our mindsets and our healing methods, to understand there is always room to improve our medicine and to help more people. So that's my highest ambition, really, to help the industry grow and-and to develop my own medical research in unexplored areas."

"Very interesting," the woman at the end of the panel said, her Russian accent thick, "what in Africa specifically is there to explore that other places don't have?"

"Um, well I think that Africa is a source of many rich and unique magical substances that we don't have anywhere else, for example the Tsavorite ponds found around Uagadou...I visited it once before and, well, I was shocked after I researched it and discovered all the healing capabilities it had and how unexplored it has been."

The man at the centre of the panel, Headmaster Turgenev, a tall and intimidating man, spoke up, "yes, I have visited Uagadou many times and I have to admit I thought the very same things you have , Miss Rutherford. Thank you for talking about it, your wide knowledge on the matter impresses me."

She felt her heart skip a beat at this. She didn't really know what to say, so she just smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Just one more question, Miss Rutherford, last one," the assistant Headmaster said, raising her hand slightly, "why should we pick you over all the other international candidates?"

Caroline blinked, letting that process. Well that was a big question. Why should they pick her? Was she really the best choice? She wasn't really sure. But she did what Sirius said, she breathed, she smiled, and she spoke.

"I've never had much of an aptitude for pretty basic things like emotional intelligence, social awareness, people. I've always been the last person to get the joke, never really hitting the mark. I hurt my friends without meaning to, I say the wrong things because I don't understand how other people feel most of the time. But I care, I care about people, I...I know they have minds, hearts, souls, and so much worth, and I knew I always wanted to help them but I never knew how...I didn't really think I could, I didn't know how at all."

They all looked at her intently, drawn in by ever word she uttered. She took another breath and continued.

"But my Dad's a healer, and he had always taught me that healers have the power to help people, to make their lives better. I immediately saw that as the most logical way I could help people, it was almost a relief I guess. Ever since I could read and write, which was pretty early, I devoured every bit of information about healing I could, about muggle and magical practices alike. It's been my passion ever since I could walk, and it has never died because within me I have so much desire to just help people. I have the intelligence, yes, but so does every other candidate you'll see - what sets us apart is our motivation and our goal, right? And without trying to sound arrogant, I believe my motivation and my goal are equally as admirable and...and I think that will make me right for this course and also for my future endeavours as a healer."