The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

Counseling

Counseling

Professor McGonagall barely looked up from the papers she was grading when James and Sirius entered. She nodded for them to have a seat at the table in the corner and turned back to the scrolls she was perusing. James dropped his textbooks on the table with a thump and fished about in his bookbag for a quill and ink pot, flipping open his Defense textbook and looking down at it as the clock on the mantel ticked loudly and Sirius leaned back in his chair, his finger laced over his chest, staring up at the ceiling.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

James looked up.

"Due to all of the... excitement this past week... we haven't had an opportunity to go over your career counseling. Did the pair of you happen to bring your parchments on why you've chosen your selected career interests?"

James opened his bag and fished about. "I brought it," he said.

Sirius shook his head. He hadn't even completed it yet. He'd written across the top What I Want to Be and then proceeded to day dream up stupid rubbish. Free, Sirius Lupin, Not a Black, as fucking fabulous as I am right now.

McGonagall nodded to James. "Bring it here, Mr. Potter." She looked at Sirius. "Mr. Black, if you would kindly fetch yours, we will begin while you're gone."

"Yes Madam." Sirius hoped he could find answers that he could write about quickly.

James went up to Professor McGonagall as she beckoned for him to approach her desk. He dropped the parchment down before her and sat as she lifted it up and tilted her glasses to have a look at it. She pursed her lips.

Career Counseling, by J. Potter
Auror
I would like to enlist in the Auror training following my time at Hogwarts. It seems both exciting and helpful at once. I'd like to one day join the resistance and protect people who are in need of help. I hate it when nobody helps someone who needs it, or when people are mean at others. I want to help defeat Voldemort.

"I know we were supposed to pick three things from the pamphlets to discuss, but there wasn't three I was interested in discussing," James said. "I sort of made up my mind."

Professor McGonagall looked up, and a funny sort of expression was on her face. Something between worry and pride. She nodded. "Being an auror is a very dangerous occupation," she said in a warning tone. "Especially in this time. Especially in the Resistance. I do not need to tell you what happened to Derek Bell."

"I know," James said. "I know it's dangerous. I don't care."

McGonagall nodded, "Very dangerous. But it's also a very noble choice. You'd be quite good at it."

James looked up at her. "I just want to be something in all this, I want to do something."

"I understand."

"I just get so angry about it. About what You Know Who does and the people he hurts... kills... What his followers do. Like what happened to Mary Macdonald. That makes me angry. I just sit and I think like what if that was... was one of my friends that happened to? What if it'd been Evans?" His face turned red just thinking of it. "And all the rubbish that Rosier did to Remus all through third and fourth year, what with that horrible stamp on his back and cutting off Sirius's hair?" Jame balled his fist. "And Voldemort killing - killing and destroying... turning out idiot parents like the Blacks and stealing freedoms from young lads like Regulus Black."

McGonagall nodded throughout all of this. "I understand, Mr. Potter."

James cleared his throat. "Anyway, that's what I want to be. Impossible with my grades, yeah?" He sighed.