Harry Potter and his future career

It was early in the summer holidays after his fifth year, and Harry Potter was sitting in the cupboard under the stairs at Number 4 Privet Drive, having been banished there by his aunt and uncle following him having nightmares following the third task of the Triwizard Tournament the previous year, and he had spent his time in the cupboard ever since.

He was wondering what he would do with the remainder of his holidays when a Hogwarts owl swept through the window. Harry released the letter from the owl and it was soon gone. He noticed that there were a number of pieces of parchment attached and decided to read them in the order they were in.

Dear Mr Potter,

I include the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Levels below:

Astronomy –Acceptable

Care of Magical Creatures –Outstanding

Charms –Outstanding

Defence Against the Dark Arts –Outstanding

Divination –Troll

Herbology –Exceeds Expectations

History of Magic –Troll

Potions –Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration –Exceeds Expectations

Minerva McGonagoll

Deputy Headmistress

Harry was surprised at some of these results but not so surprised about others of them. He then decided to open the second piece of parchment.

Dear Mr Potter,

It has been decided to introduce a new program which is open to all sixth and seventh year students. Under this program you have the option to specialize in an area of study that you so choose, or to follow the normal study program of past sixth and seventh year students. However, should you choose to take this program you will be required to attend for a further 3 years past the normal 6th and 7th years, and you will not have the normal holidays of the rest of the students, however you will be able to enter directly into your chosen field of study once you graduate. Due to the results of your OWLs, you are eligible to be a part of any of the following programs:

Teaching Training

Auror Training

Mediwitch/Wizard or Healer Training

Magical Creatures Carer Training

Or a general course which will allow you to follow any chosen path once you complete your schooling.

If you choose to partake in Teaching Training you will study: in further depth the areas in which you wish to teach in the future; the basics of the muggle curriculum so that if you wish to you could also teach in muggle schools. You will also get a chance to follow the professor of the classes which you wish to teach in the future and teach some of those classes.

If you choose to partake in the Auror Training you will study in great depth the areas which you require in order to be an auror and you will also attend some special training with a Ministry of Magic representative.

If you choose to partake in Mediwitch/Wizard or Healer training you will study in great depth the illnesses/diseases most prominent in the wizarding world and how to best deal with these. You will also learn spells and how to make potions in order to help cure these diseases. You will also learn a bit about muggle illnesses/diseases so that if you so choose you may work in the muggle environment. You will then spend some time with a Mediwitch/wizard or a healer following them around and observing their duties and assisting where able.

If you choose to undertake Magical Creatures Carer Training you will study in great depth various Magical Creatures and how to best care for them. You will also follow a Magical Creatures carer around to see what their work is like and to help out where possible.

If you choose to take part in this program or are unsure whether you wish to take part in this program, it is asked that you arrive by the 1st of August, this will allow you to spend time exploring each of the different options available in this new program before making a final decision as to a) whether you undertake this program and b) what part of the program you wish to undertake.

If you choose to partake in this program you will be given a mentor who will be there to assist you in your chosen area, and to ensure that you stay on track with your program.

You will notice that there is no booklist attached to this letter, this is because once you have decided which course of action you wish to undertake you will be given the list of requirements, and then in the last part of the program you will all be given the chance to go to Diagon Alley and purchase the necessary requirements. We ask however that you bring along all of the materials that you have used in your past years and anything else that you think might be useful.

Please respond by owl by the 20th of July with whether you would like to attend the special extra session before school starts. If you do, the school bus will come by your place on the 1st of August to collect you and to take you to school.

Minerva McGonagoll

Deputy Headmistress

Harry then turned to the third piece of paper which consisted of a few questions.

Due to the new program being implemented it has been suggested that we remodel the way that the students of the school are housed. The following are the options:

keep the School Houses and have all students being kept in their houses, but allowing more room for the extra requirements for the 6th and 7th years undertaking the new program OR

Providing new houses each of which would contain one aspect of the new program. The remaining students not involved in the new program would then be divided amongst the houses, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th years would then be divided into the houses depending upon what area they think they would like to follow once they finished their OWL exams.

As the first students to have the opportunity to partake in this program, we ask that all of this years 6th year students send an owl informing us of what they would prefer, and then whichever is deemed to be the most popular decision will be the one that we go for. This will be announced at the Sorting Feast.

Minerva McGonagoll

Deputy Headmistress

The final pieces of parchment consisted of the form stating whether he wished to attend the training session, the piece of paper for him to put his preference of how the houses would operate and also a contract stating that he agreed to the terms and conditions of the new program.

Harry immediately decided to owl Ron and Hermione to ask them what they thought they would do. Ron and Hermione immediately responded that they were going to attend the training session and from there decide what they would like to do. Then Harry decided that he also wanted to partake in the training session and went and asked Aunt Petunia (who had unexpectedly been nice to him during the summer, Uncle Vernon and Dudley had been the ones who had kept him locked up) to sign the pieces of parchment for him. He then owled Professor McGonagoll saying that he wished to undertake the training session and that he would see her on the 1st of August.