“But why haven’t you got Occlumency lessons any more?” said Hermione
“I’ve told you” Harry insisted “Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now I’ve got the basics"
Hermione frowned. When Harry had gone down to his Occlumency lesson the previous night, he hadn't seemed particularly optimistic. And yet now, apparently, he was fine
“So you’ve stopped having funny dreams?” she asked
“Pretty much” he dropped eye contact
“Well, I don’t think Snape should stop until you’re absolutely sure you can control them!” said Hermione “Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask-”
“No” Harry snapped “Just drop it, Hermione, okay?”
It was the first day of the Easter holidays and Hermione, deciding that Ron and Harry needed her help, drew study schedules for themselves in the run up to the exams. Ron seemed more surprised than he really should be that exams were six weeks away
“How can that come as a shock?” she asked, colour coding Harry's schedule
“I dunno” said Ron “there’s been a lot going on"
“Well, there you are” she gave him his timetable “if you follow that you should do fine”
Ron glanced at it and smiled
“You’ve given me an evening off every week!”
“That’s for Quidditch practice” said Hermione
He scowled
“What’s the point?” he said “We’ve got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad’s got of becoming Minister for Magic”
Harry didn’t seem to be listening. He was staring at the fire, looking but not seeing
“What’s wrong, Harry?” she asked
“What?” he said “Nothing”
He picked his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and went to a page that was almost as far away from where Hermione knew he was as he could be
“I saw Cho earlier” she said quietly “She looked really miserable, too… have you two had a row again?”
“Wha - oh, yeah, we have” said Harry, but he seemed to have just come up with that
“What about?” she asked
“That sneak friend of hers, Marietta” said Harry
“Yeah, well, I don’t blame you!” piped up Ron “If it hadn’t been for her…
He went off on a rant about Marietta Edgecombe, clearly ignoring the fact that Harry was in distress
Near the end of the Easter holidays, the teachers send careers advice booklets to the common rooms, as well as a bunch of leaflets that various establishments had made to advertise their profession to the students
“Well, I don’t fancy Healing” said Ron from behind a leaflet decorated with St Mungos crossed wand and bone emblem “It says here you need at least E at NEWT level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Defense 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, picking up a bright leaflet titled SO YOU THINK YOU’D LIKE TO WORK IN MUGGLE RELATIONS? “You don’t seem to need many qualifications to liaise with Muggles; all they want is an OWL in Muggle Studies: ‘Much more important is your enthusiasm, patience and a good sense of fun!’”
“You’d need more than a good sense of fun to liaise with my uncle” said Harry, looking at a wizarding banking pamphlet “Good sense of when to duck, more like. Listen to this: Are you seeking a challenging career involving travel, adventure and substantial, danger-related treasure bonuses? Then consider a position with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, who are currently recruiting Curse-Breakers for thrilling opportunities abroad… They want Arithmancy, though; you could do it, Hermione!”
“I don’t much fancy banking” said Hermione
Honestly, she wasn't really sure what she wanted to do. She had thought about working in the Ministry, in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She could think of several reforms she could carry out from inside the Ministry - changing that awful department name for starters. But she knew she wouldn't be able to anything meaningful with people like Umbridge and Fudge in charge. Just last week they had passed even more anti-werewolf legislation, as if they hadn't made it hard enough already for lycanthropes to get a job. At her careers advice meeting last week, Professor McGonagall had suggested that she go further with her studies - that she go abroad, do research. But that didn't really appeal to her either. She wanted to do something tangible, something real
YOU ARE READING
Hermione Granger and the Order of the Phoenix
Fanfic(book 5) As Hermione Granger flew away from her home back towards the magical world, she realised that this wouldn't be an ordinary year. No, this time the terrifying creatures that wanted her dead would be OUTSIDE the school grounds, as well as ins...
