𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 •°𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴

[40]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As though to underline the importance of their upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets and notices concerning various wizarding careers appeared on the tables in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read: CAREERS ADVICE

All fifth-years are required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the summer term to discuss
their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below.

'Well, I don't fancy Healing,' said Ron on the last evening of the holidays. He was immersed in a leaflet that carried the crossed bone-and-wand emblem of St Mungo's on its front. 'It says here you need at least "E" at NEWT level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts. I mean . . . blimey . . . don't want much, do they?'

'Well, it's a very responsible job, isn't it?' said Hermione absently.

'Sounds nice to me,' Nico shrugged, pulling the leaflet from his brother's hands and reading it for himself.

'Since when do you want to be a healer?' Sara asked while studying the Auror leaflet.

'I don't know, I just want to do something important, help people.'

'So am I but auror sounds better for me,' she chuckled and passed him the leaflet.

'Hey,' said a voice and Sara looked round; Fred and George had come to join them.

'Ginny's had a word with us about you,' said Fred to Harry, stretching out his legs on the table in front of them and causing several booklets on careers with the Ministry of Magic to slide off on to the floor. 'She says you need to talk to Sirius?'

'What?' said Sara sharply, freezing with her hand halfway towards picking up 'MAKE A BANG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS AND CATASTROPHES'.

'Yeah . . .' said Harry, trying to sound casual, 'yeah, I thought I'd like - '

'Don't be so ridiculous,' said Hermione, straightening up and looking at him as though she could not believe her eyes. 'With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?'

'Well, we think we can find a way around that,' said George, stretching and smiling. 'It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?'

'What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?' continued Fred. 'No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's revision, too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do.'

He gave Hermione a sanctimonious little nod. She looked rather taken aback by this thoughtfulness.

'But it's business as usual from tomorrow,' Fred continued briskly. 'And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?'

'Yes, but still,' said Sara, with an air of explaining something very simple to somebody very obtuse, 'even if you do cause a diversion, how is Harry supposed to talk to him?'