The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

The Pamphlets

The Pamphlets

On Friday in Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall delivered the most fearsome assignment that she had ever handed out. Sirius looked at the thick folded pamphlet that she'd given each of them with an expression of distaste on his face. "What the bleedin' hell is this rubbish?" he asked, looking up at her.

"That, Mr. Black," McGonagall drawled, "Is a pamphlet on wizarding careers and the courses that various training programs and universities require in order to enter into their tutelage." She put a second pamphlet down between James and Sirius with Remus's name written across the top in her tight, neat script.

Peter looked utterly miserablely at the pamphlet and Lily patted his back comfortingly.

"I would like for you all to read through the pamphlet and see if any of the career options that are presented in the literature are at all interesting to you. You're all nearly of age, and it's time that we begin to plan your futures. The grades you receive on your O.W.L. exams may impact what career paths you can choose to follow and you'll want to know which areas to study the hardest at in order to follow your chosen career." She looked about at them pointedly.

Sirius was using his pamphlet like an accordion and miming at serenading James, who was laughing, rubbing tear of mirth from his eyes.

McGonagall cleared her throat, "You'll each write me a small paper about why you have chosen the particular --- Yes, Mr. Black?"

"I don't see Professional Prankster Extraordinaire on this list. Can I get a new list?"

"No." McGonagall turned around. "I want a twenty centimeter parchment on the reason you chose your particular career options and these will be handed in throughout next week at meetings we shall be schedule today in my office for your career counseling."

Sirius stared glumly at the sheet.

"Mr. Black, are you troubled?"

He looked up, "It's just, these are all so... serious. None of these jobs are very Sirius. If you catch my drift?"

McGonagall stared at him.

"Alright. Not getting any smiles off Minnie today. Got it." He tucked both his own and Remus's pamphlet into his bag and sat back in his chair, glancing over at James, who was looking through the pamphlet with an expression of interest on his face as McGonagall started talking again about the O.W.L.s, covering some revision for the Transfiguration test. Sirius sat forward and leaned closer to James. "You see some things in there you fancy doing, mate?" he whispered.

James shrugged, "Dunno, maybe."

"Thought you were going to be an International Quidditch Champion?" Sirius asked, a teasing glimmer in his eyes.

"Dunno, maybe as a back-up option some of these could be interesting," James replied, and he folded the brochure closed and laughed at the expression on Sirius's face. "What? I'm still going to be a Quidditch star, of course..." He looked up and happened to catch Lily's eyes as she looked back over his shoulder. Then he added, "Not that I've got to worry about money or anything - my family's positively stacked with galleons. More galleons than I could spend in a lifetime..."

Lily turned away.

Sirius smirked. "At least you know she's not a gold-digger, mate."

James sighed.

That evening the Marauders sat about in the hospital wing. Remus in the bed, being forced to take it easy, and the other three about him - Sirius squashed in next to him, James sitting with his legs crossed before him on the foot of the bed facing Rey and Sirius, and Peter on the stool next to him. They all had the pamphlets opened and were flicking through, discussing their options.