human again / hp.

Chapter 102

The Easter holidays at Hogwarts always felt strange to me. A brief, awkward pause in the chaos of the school year—too short to feel like a true break, too long to ignore everything looming over us. This year, the looming part was especially heavy.

The Great Hall was quiet when I entered. The ceiling was a soft blue-grey, mirroring the cloudy sky outside. Most students were either still sleeping in or scattered throughout the castle revising. But the tables were littered with thick stacks of pamphlets, leaflets, and notices, all announcing the same thing: we had to start thinking about our futures. As if we weren't already drowning under the pressure of our O.W.L.s.

I slid onto the bench beside Daphne, who was already leafing through a pamphlet titled "So You Want to Work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" She glanced up at me, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Morning," she said softly, giving me a faint smile. "Did you sleep good?"

I shook my head, grabbing the nearest pamphlet without reading the title. "No, not really."

"Same," she murmured. "These don't exactly help." She tapped her wand against the pile in front of us. "It's like they're all screaming decide now or you'll ruin everything."

I gave a small laugh, but it didn't reach my eyes. I stared down at the notice tacked onto the board a few feet away.

CAREER ADVICE
All fifth years will be required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the Summer term, in which they will be given the opportunity to discuss their future careers.
Times of individual appointments are listed below.

My name was third on the Gryffindor list. Professor McGonagall. Monday. First period.

She would be fair, but I could already imagine the flicker in her expression when she asked about my future career. What would I tell her? That my father wanted me to follow in his footsteps? That I was now on Umbridge's list of favorite students despite wanting the opposite?

Daphne nudged my arm with her elbow. "So... have you thought about it?"

"About what?"

"What you want to do. After school."

I stared down at the pamphlet in my hands. It was for curse-breaking with Gringotts—dangerous, complex, requiring top marks in nearly everything. I thought about the pressure Lucius would put on me if I ever mentioned a job he considered beneath a Malfoy. He'd want me in something prestigious. Something political. Something useful.

"I don't know," I finally said. "I guess I always assumed... it would just be decided for me."

Daphne's smile faded a little, and she reached over, squeezing my wrist gently. "You don't have to do what they want."

My throat tightened. "Don't I?"

"No." Her voice was steady. "You're not your father, Celeste."

I looked down at the table. My hands were cold despite the warm hall.

"He's not going to disown you for having your own thoughts, Cel," she said softly.

"No," I said, "he'll just try to rewire them."

We fell silent again. Daphne was one of the only people who knew just how bad things could get when Lucius Malfoy decided something needed correcting.

I folded the pamphlet and set it aside, then picked up another. Magical Research. The front had a smiling witch holding a glowing vial. I set that one down, too.