Do Eagles Really Mate for Life?

Chapter 12: Year Seven, Spring (updated: 09/10/22)

"It's here! It's here!" Penny said as she came running up to the Ravenclaw table during lunch.

"What is Penny?" you replied.

"It's my letter from J. Pippin's Potions! I applied to be a potioneer after graduation. I'm so nervous.. I don't think I can open it!"

"I'll open it!" you said and you snatched the envelope from her hand. "It's quite thick, Penny, I doubt the letter would be this thick if you didn't get the job, besides, you're the best potions student at Hogwarts, they'd be stupid not to hire you!" You slowly opened the letter and started to read it aloud, "Dear Miss Haywood, We are pleased to inform you..."

Penny ripped the letter from your hands, "are you serious???"

"Well, you didn't let me finish," you said with a laugh.

"Oh my.... Yes.... Yes.... Merlin!!"

"What is it, Penny?" 

"They offered me a position as head potioneer at their apothecary down in Cornwall!"

"Congratulations, Penny! That's so exciting!" you replied. Penny finally sat down across from you and finished reading her letter. "They want me to start as soon as school gets out... I'm gonna have to move straight from Hogwarts down to Cornwall. I wonder if there is a direct train from Hogsmeade to the station in Tinworth?"

***

"Tinworth, eh? My parents' have a cottage down there" Charlie said as he joined you, Penny, Andre, and Talbott in the courtyard. "Not that I'll be down there any time soon."

"We know, mate, we know. You got your offer to go to Romania and work with dragons" Andre said as he rolled his eyes playfully at Charlie.

For the last week, the seventh years had been receiving their job offer letters. So far Penny was going to Tinworth, Cornwall to become a potioneer, Charlie was going to Romania to study dragons, Andre was going to be an alternate for Pride of Portree, his favorite quidditch team, and Barnaby and Liz were both going to work for a magical creature sanctuary on the Isle of Wight. Tonks and Talbott were still waiting to hear back about becoming aurors and you had sent some writing samples to a few newspapers, but had yet to hear back from any. 

"Why does the ministry take so long to send letters out to the auror candidates?" asked Tonks with an exasperated tone as she joined the rest of you.

"They get a lot of applicants" said Talbott. To everyone else, he may have appeared to have his normal stoic expression, but you could tell deep down he was panicking.

"Don't worry you two, I'm sure you'll get accepted!" you tried to sound chipper.

"What about you, Kendra? Have you heard back from any of the papers yet?" asked Penny.

"Not yet... I'm thinking about looking for a part time job after graduation, you know, something to do until I can get a job as a writer" you replied.

***

The following week, you were sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast when the owls started flying in to deliver the post. The seventh years who were still awaiting their letters watched with bated breath as letter after letter was dropped into students' hands. "It's here, it's finally here!" you could hear Tonks scream from across the hall. You looked across the table at Talbott. No letter.

After breakfast, Tonks rushed over to you and Talbott, "I got in! I got in! Talbott, did you get your letter too?"

"No, no letter yet" he replied.

"I'm sure it's coming soon" she said with a smile, then raced off to tell Charlie.

"I can't take it anymore. The waiting is killing me" Talbott said.