Disclaimer: JK's, not mine.
Thank you to my lovely betae, Cyropi and Keladryie. Check out their stuff too - after reading this, of course ;)
Minerva McGonagall leant back in her chair with an exhausted sigh, massaging her temples. The fifth years were a constant source of annoyance for all staff, but particularly for the order-loving Deputy Headmistress. And it was currently the time of year she dreaded; the time when she and the other Heads of Houses dished out career advice for the over-ambitious teens, along with a large dose of reality. Already she'd had to comment on Fiona Sketty's essay that 'model for Wicked Witches' was not an appropriate career choice.
The girls weren't usually as bad as the boys; she still remembered the essays of James Potter and Sirius Black. 'We want to play Quidditch internationally so we can pull loads of girls', they had announced confidently upon starting their essays, and it had got worse from there on. The testosterone-fuelled parchments and the explicit detail they had provided had given her such a migraine that she'd had to go and lie down.
At least this year wasn't so bad. Minerva stared at the remaining essay with anticipation bordering on dread. She'd been saving the worst for last – Nymphadora Tonks, current terror of her fifth years. Merlin only knew what Nymphadora would want to be when she grew up, but it was certain to cause a headache for the staff.
Minerva dipped her quill in red ink, prepared to comment as scathingly as she dared on Nymphadora's essay. She pulled it forward and began to read the spiky scrawl with a sigh.
What I Want To Be
by Tonks
There seemed to be a long squiggle before the surname, which Minerva presumed was intended to be Nymphadora. She wrote a comment at the side. 'Write your full name clearly, Nymphadora!' and carried on reading.
When I leave Hogwarts, I want to be an Auror.
This was the first shock for Minerva. She'd expected almost anything from Nymphadora, except for Auror – and possibly librarian. Intrigued now at what depths the girl was hiding, Minerva read on a little more eagerly.
I want to be an Auror because I think it's cool. If you are an Auror then you can do things like hunting down criminals and saving the world and getting free ice cream at Florean Fortescue's. I think that these things are important because Fortescue asks way too much for a caramel sundae and they are my favourite. Caramel is very important because it gives me energy and you need energy to save the world.
Saving the world? Minerva couldn't help herself – her lips twitched, as if she was tempted to smile. It seemed as though Nymphadora may need a larger dose of reality than most. Hidden depths? She just wanted free ice-cream, and to be a hero. Minerva shook her head with an uncharacteristic chuckle, and added a comment to the side. ''Because it's cool' is not an appropriate reason for choosing a career, Nymphadora.' The first sentence of the next paragraph, however, made her start.
I would like to save the world because I think it needs saving. For example too many people think they can get away with being nasty to Muggle-borns and they deserve to be punished for it. I think we should give them all the Kiss to teach them a lesson but Mum says that Aunties Bella and Cissy and half her family wouldn't be too happy with it, and that's why I shouldn't go into politics. But if I'm an Auror, then I can sort out the arrogant Purebloods without needing to worry about things like politics. Mum says I shouldn't think like this, but if I'm an Auror then all I have to do is follow orders and then I can think what I like.
Politics? Not even Merlin knew what havoc Nymphadora Tonks would unintentionally wreak if she was allowed near political subjects. Giving all elitists the Kiss was a little extreme, and she commented on this in her marking, despite the small, amused smile on her face. Andromeda Tonks was an intelligent woman. If Nymphadora was inclined to listen to her, then Minerva knew she may have to have a word with Mrs Tonks, to influence the young Metamorphmagus towards a more appropriate career.
I would also like to be an Auror because I think it sounds fun and you get more than free ice-cream. Also Bill Weasley says I'd make a better Auror than I would anything else and he's sexy, so he must be right.
At this, Minerva had to put down her quill and laugh. This was so completely typical of the teenage girls of Hogwarts. It hadn't been that long since she'd been marking essays saying 'Sirius Black thinks I should go into modelling', the reason being one that had prompted her to go and give a rather stern talk to the womanising teen. Now, it seemed, it was Bill Weasley's turn to receive the adoration of the girls of Hogwarts. She picked her quill back up, returning to the marking eagerly; her exhaustion forgotten. 'Sexiness does not necessarily equal intellect, Nymphadora, nor should you allow others to give you false confidence.' She continued reading, quill poised.
The only problem with being an Auror is that I'd need Potions and Snape – Minerva sighed and inserted a 'Professor!' before this - says I'm abysmal at Potions. I don't care what he says, but I am really clumsy so I might not get good enough grades and then I won't be able to become an Auror. If I can't become an Auror I might have to do something more influential and that could be a problem if I trip up in public. I reckon I could do it if Snape would lighten up but he's such an idiot. I shouldn't be insulting him in this essay but I'm not a Slytherin so it doesn't matter.
Minerva stared at this paragraph in disbelief. It had given her two shocks – first, insight from Nymphadora about what impact her clumsiness may have on her future career, and secondly, her audacity at being so insulting to Severus to her Head of House. Minerva's lips twitched as this sunk in, and she added a snide little comment at the side. 'He may be an idiot, Nymphadora, but this is irrelevant to the essay.' Minerva stared at this for a moment, tempted to leave it in place, and then she crossed it out with a sigh as her common sense kicked in. Instead, she wrote 'Respect for your Professors is important, Nymphadora. Attempt to remember this in future.' It wasn't hard to refrain from commenting on the girl's clumsiness – the whole school knew how… inelegant Nymphadora was.
Anyway, I think I would be an asset to the Ministry's Auror squad. It would be better than being stuck doing something boring like selling things or teaching.
Like teaching. Minerva laughed and placed an exclamation mark next to this. Teaching wasn't as boring as Nymphadora seemed to make out, especially not when essays such as this were handed in.
I'm good at DADA because I don't get scared easily and I'm a Metamorphmagus so I can make myself look scarier than almost anything. I'm alright at Transfiguration when I try and Charms and Herbology are easy, so I think I would do brilliantly at it.
It was true, she reflected, that the girl did have the untapped potential to become an Auror. Perhaps it was a case of choosing the right job for the wrong reasons. As long as she found the right job in the end, it was worthwhile. Minerva re-read the paragraph, finding herself nodding at Nymphadora's comments that she could make herself look more frightening. Once, Minerva had wandered into the Gryffindor common room whilst Nymphadora had been impersonating her – staring into a younger equivalent of her face had given her more than a few grey hairs, in addition to those provided by the girl throughout the years. Nymphadora had suffered a week of detention, and Minerva had suffered a stitch from laughing over it. It was true, the girl had tuned her Metamorphmagus abilities to a fine art.
'You should not abuse your natural abilities,' Minerva wrote in scolding, despite the large smile on her face. She had never known marking an essay to be so theraputic.
In short, I want to be an Auror because it looks exciting and I think it's the job I'm best-suited for, and I'm too clumsy or lazy to do anything else.
This was the truest part of the essay. Minerva nodded at it, scribbling a much longer comment onto the end. It was best if she set up a meeting with an ex-student, now a member of the Auror squad, so that Nymphadora could see what she would be getting into. Minerva sat back with a smile, laying her quill down. After reading this, she felt more determined than she had been in a long while. Nymphadora Tonks would become an Auror, she decided. And she would achieve a fantastic grade in Potions.
At least, she would if Minerva had anything to do with it. The austere professor stood up and headed for her fire, tossing in a pinch of green powder as she reached it. She stared down at it with her sternest expression in place and then, using the same tone of voice that had struck fear into students for the past fifty years, she called, "Severus! I want to see you in my office."
It was time to give Nymphadora a helping hand.