Cheers, Potter.

It's a plan.

Harry's POV

I'd come to dread getting post in the mornings. It always meant letters from companies and organisations wanting my attention after our ensuing graduation from Hogwarts. Businesses wanting to slap my face on their products, social and political groups wanting my endorsements, all assuming I'd be scrambling for work after finishing my schooling. Of course, they were right, as was the way in this day and age, but that didn't make wading through the various offers any less draining.

Ron had convinced me at one point to actually open the letters before inevitably throwing them into the fire (just in case any were offering free food or gifts) but even with that as incentive, it was near impossible to get through them all. By now I'd settled for simply reading the return address and tossing the least tantalising ones directly into the fireplace for kindling.

"That one looks interesting," Neville pointed out, dutifully helping me like the wonderful person they were, "isn't that the Minister's seal?"

I lifted my head off my chin to glance at the letter he was pointing at. It was the offical seal of the Minister for Magic, and it was on official, stamped parchment, "But I haven't applied for anything at the Ministry," I wondered aloud and then remembered, since it was addressed to me, that I was allowed to open it.

Dear Mr Potter,

I am writing to cordially invite you to be Head Auror upon your graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardry.

This will of course be subject to your performance in our training programme, though I'm sure a Wizard of your calibre should have no trouble completing these assessments at all. Your desk will be waiting.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

The Minister for Magic

"The Minister himself?" I said, louder than intended. I had expected a letter like this for a while but to be signed off by the Minister for Magic personally was a shock. And Head Auror? It was a position that I'd be wildly underqualified to occupy, even with my name being what it is and my life having been what it has been. It felt wrong, and empty, and insincere.

"What's wrong Harry?" Neville asked, worry and confusion mixing in his brows.

I handed him the letter without a word and allowed myself a minute to collect my feelings. I knew that I'd be offered a position as an Auror, I knew that I had made it public knowledge that that was my chosen career path in the past. I didn't expect, nor want, such a high position to be handed to me so early in my working life, so soon after Hogwarts and Voldemort and everything.

"This is good isn't it?" Neville asked, though gauging my reaction corrected to, "it's not... but why?"

He was right to be confused, it's a fantastic offer, an incredible opportunity, but... "I haven't done anything to earn it Neville," I said honestly, "That is about my name and my face, not about whether I deserve it or not." I was stood up now, pacing the length of the rug in front of the fireplace, Neville's eyes followed me from one end of the common room to the other.

"I'd say you've done more than earn it, Harry," Neville implored, "you fought and won to save us from Voldemort and his followers, you've done a hell of a lot for the Wizarding World; believe me, you earned it."

"But so have so many others! You killed Nagini and helped keep students safe while the Carrows were in charge here! Ron and Hermione were helping me to find and destroy all the Horcruxes! Malfoy fought against his family!" I was shouting. I didn't know why, none of this was Neville's fault but he just sat there listening and nodding, allowing me to vent my frustration.