bittersweet history

Chapter Fourteen - Al

 As November crept onwards, Regulus continued to ignore all of them, on a scale of Evan to Pandora. Evan may have not even existed, according to Regulus, and Pandora was tolerated, and occasionally talked to. Al was most certainly closer to Pandora on the scale, because Regulus would occasionally acknowledge his presence, and Barty was closer to Evan, because Barty and Evan were a pair.

As the month dragged on, colored pamphlets began to appear in the common room, detailing a wide selection of jobs in the wizarding world, mostly professional positions that required several O.W.L.s or N.E.W.Ts, or some other form of advanced training. Al shuffled through a few of them, but he only really looked at the one for healers.

He'd decided to become a healer... when had he decided to become a healer? It'd been a subconscious decision, one he didn't remember making. The pamphlet was white and crisp, and it said that he'd need five N.E.W.Ts, Potions and Herbology, which he loved, as well as DADA, Charms, and Transfiguration. Not classes he particularly struggled with. DADA had always been a good class for him, with his father as a teacher. Charms and Transfiguration required a bit of effort, but McGonagall and Flitwick were known for getting their students through their exams just fine. Al wasn't worried at all about qualifying to become a healer. He did worry that he wasn't cut out for it though, sometimes.

Barty had flicked through the pamphlets impatiently, not seeming to find anything interesting. He tossed the stack aside and stalked over to the windows to look out into the Black Lake. Pandora combed through them a little more carefully, setting aside the ones for experimental magic and dragonology. She sat and flipped through them, considering carefully.

Regulus and Evan didn't bother to look, as far as Al knew.

The poster had gone up on the common room pin board over the weekend: All fifth years had to meet with Professor Slughorn before the fifth of December. Al had signed up for the slot between Pandora's time and Regulus's.

"Alex my boy!" Slughorn says, as Pandora slips out the door looking pleased. "Come in, come in." He was quite possibly the only person who called Al by his full fake name, either by obliviousness or some sense of false formality.

Slughorn's office was rumored to be the biggest of all of the Professors, and it was certainly the most luxurious. Al sat on the very edge of an overstuffed green chair as Slughorn settled back behind his desk.

"So tell me Alex, what are you thinking of doing?" he asked.

"I'd like to be a healer," Al said, handing over the pamphlet. Slughorn looked it over.

"Hmmm. Let's see. Potions, yes, you do quite well, quite well indeed. And Professor Sprout tells me you excel in Herbology! Well done m'boy! Charms, hmmm might need some work there- and Transfiguration...But excellent marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Yes I do think the path of healer is a good one for you. Do you have any other options picked out?"

"No," Al said. "I did consider some other options, but I feel like being a healer will be the best for me."

"Good good," Slughorn said. "When you graduate I have many students down at Mungo's, I'll put out some strings." He gave Al a wink. "It always pays to have connections, m'boy."

"Thanks," Al said.

"Did you hear about my Christmas party?" Slughorn asked. "Maybe not, since you're new. Every year around Christmas I hold a little get together in the dungeons... a gathering of exceptionally bright students and some friends of course... be on the lookout for your invitation. You're friends with Mr. Black and Mr. Rosier are you not? Excellent! They will be there as well of course, and don't forget your plus one."