Unequal Opportunity Employment
Part I
June 1978 - Hogwarts Library
"Healer Dirridi wants me at St Mungo's two days after we leave Hogwarts. I'm not going to have much time at home before I have to start the official apprenticeship. We'll have to get used to not seeing each other all the time."
"I know. We've just finished school, and we have to turn right around and jump into careers. I've accepted an apprenticeship with a Charms Master. Mum, Dad, and I are going to London to see about renting a flat near Diagon Alley. Professor Flitwick gave us the name of a Squib landlord, so we're going to try talking to him first."
"Yeah, I was going to do that, but Professor Slughorn helped me file the paperwork to get Spinner's End put on the Floo Network. I'll save quite a bit of money that way, especially since I won't get paid for work at the hospital until I finish the apprenticeship. What about you, Remus?"
Severus and Lily had been excitedly talking about their post-Hogwarts plans for the past week. Both of them had just finalized their apprenticeships and hadn't been able to stop discussing them. Remus, on the other hand, had been hoping they wouldn't ask about his plans.
They were sitting at a table in the back of the library, studying for their exams. Lily had given up about thirty minutes ago and was reading The Hobbit when Severus had decided he'd had enough of studying and started the post-Hogwarts discussion.
It wasn't that he didn't want to share with them, but he didn't really have anything worth sharing. When Severus turned to him, though, he pasted a weak smile on his face and closed his book.
"Sorry, what?" he said, trying to seem unbothered.
Severus rolled his eyes, "What happened with your applications? Did you get anything back from that spellbook company you were interested in?"
"Oh. That." Remus swallowed and sat up straighter. "Um, well, you know… I decided that maybe I didn't want to go that way."
Severus narrowed his eyes, and Lily moved her book aside with a frown.
"But you were really interested in the company," she said slowly. "What changed?"
Remus fought a flush as he struggled to come up with an excuse, "It just didn't end up looking like a good fit for me."
Lily opened her mouth to speak when Severus beat her to it. "Is that what you decided or what they decided?"
Remus stared at him for a moment before looking back down at his book. He turned to the back where several papers were folded and stuck in the cover. He pulled out the top one, opened it, and stared down at it. Severus and Lily watched him. After a moment, he moved to set it to the side where Severus could reach it.
Trying to hide his concern for his friend, Severus picked up the paper. It was a letter from the spellbook company.
Mr. Lupin,
Thank you for your interest in the position. We received exceedingly high praise
from your teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Likewise,
your OWL results were quite impressive, and your approximated NEWT results
showed a dedication to your studies that we appreciate very much. Based upon
these qualifications, we were prepared to offer you the position.
Amongst your accompanying documents, however, was found a copy of the
Ministry for Magic's Werewolf Registration and Identification credentials. We
regret to inform you that, due to safety concerns, we are unable to offer
apprenticeships to persons registered as Werewolves, Vampires, or other Magical
Beings. We offer you our sincerest apologies and invite you to reapply in the
event that your Werewolf status is revoked.
Sincerely,
Adalbert Verthing
Master of Apprentices
SPELLBOUND, INC.
"Is this the only letter like this you've gotten?" Severus asked as he passed it over to Lily to read. His eyebrows were drawn sharply down, and his mouth had thinned severely as he read. He heard Lily inhale sharply across the table.
Remus was still staring down at the papers in the back of the book. He shook his head at Severus's question, and pulled out the other papers. There were at least eight more, and he pushed them all towards his friends.
"They're all like that," he spoke quietly. "All of them. SPELLBOUND was the most polite about it. The application to the Ministry's Magical Beings Liaison Office was returned with a note-card that said 'This is a liaison office, dear. We manage werewolves, not the other way around.' I threw that one in the fire…"
"Oh, Remus…" Lily sighed, "What are you going to do? They can't just not hire you because you're a—you're different." She looked around to make sure no one was nearby to have caught her slip up.
Remus didn't answer, so Severus did. "They can. There're a lot of things people believe about…ah… lupus hominum. Magical Beings are ineligible for most Ministry jobs, and there's no legislation protecting their right to work. Basically, the only thing that's illegal towards them is murder." Severus grimaced as he watched Remus shrink in his seat.
"What's the use of being able to go to Hogwarts if I'm not ever going to be able to use anything I've learned?" whispered Remus. "All of this trouble just to end up busing tables in the Leaky Cauldron? Something in Knockturn Alley?"
Lily reached across the table to grasp his hand and squeezed. "We'll help you find something," she said, glancing at Severus. "It might take a bit more digging, but we'll find something. Professor McGonagall will probably help, and Vector, Flitwick, and Slughorn are fond of you. Don't worry."
Remus gave her a small smile. "Don't tell the others? James and Sirius got into the Auror program, and I don't want it to bother them."
"What about Peter?" asked Lily.
Shaking his head, Remus replied, "He can't keep a secret from James and Sirius. Plus, he's getting a job in the Ministry archives as a file clerk."
Severus watched his friend, "What if there was something to repress the change? Or something that made you safe during the full moon?"
Remus looked at him sharply, "What do you mean?"
"I mean," said Severus, carefully enunciating, "what if there was something that… I don't know, turned you into a Pomeranian instead of a... ahem, really unhappy greyhound?" Lily snorted at his euphemisms, and even Remus looked amused.
"Obviously, there's really not anything like that at the moment," continued Severus, ignoring them, "but it might not be impossible to create. You could put in to help develop something at St Mungo's. They pay for people to assist in developing cures or treatments of their illnesses. There's a werewolf study I know, and there's likely something else, too."
"I hadn't thought of that," Remus bit his lip. "I don't really want to be a pin cushion, but if I could help people like me and make a few Galleons…"
Severus added, "And if something is created, you get credit and the benefits of the potion or whatever, which would enable you to apply for more jobs. Maybe not every job, but more than you're able to now. And you can work at maybe some other places in the meantime."
"But, Sev," said Lily, "It could take years to come up with something like that."
Severus smirked, "There's something that's been in development for several years now. It's a potion. Healer Dirridi is the secondary researcher on the project. She estimates a maximum of another two years before it's marketable. I'll be getting to help with it some, too. So, you see, Remus, you should be able to try it out fairly quickly."
"What about the trials? Have they started human trials?" Remus was chewing his lip again.
"That's the best part," said Severus. "They went active on human trials last month. Now, they're just looking for volunteers to help test and do further research."
"What's it meant to do?" Now Lily was interested, too.
Remus nodded, and Severus continued, "Make you safe. Sort of. It's got trace amounts of aconite in it and powdered silver. It's not supposed to be able to harm you, but it's intended to sort of… knock you out, I guess. Like a sedative for… angry greyhounds, you know?"
Remus looked contemplative then. "It would act as a safeguard, then, so people wouldn't have to worry about living next door to a," he glanced at Severus, "greyhound."
"There you go!" Severus started stacking his books to pack them up. "It's a standard St Mungo's volunteer application, but you have to submit your Magical Being identification, sign a waiver, and do some other stuff."
Lily and Remus started packing up their books, too. Together, they left the library and headed for the Great Hall. It was nearing dinner time, and many students were noisily making their way from the common areas and outside.