Harry Potter – Job Interviews

Note: I'm currently in my last semester of graduate school and that means I've got to job hunt! Since fanfiction is a way I distract myself, I got to wondering: "What do job interviews look like in the Harry Potter world?" After all, the only job interviews actually included in the series are when Albus Dumbledore visits Horace Slughorn to convince him to return to the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts (which isn't really an interview) and when Tom Riddle interviews with Dumbledore for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. The segments of this will be posted in the order that I came up with them – which is in no particular order at all. Enjoy!

Percy Weasley

With trembling hands, Percy Weasley pushed open the solid oak door to the office of the Minister of Magic.

Having worked at the Ministry for four years, Percy Weasley had seen the Minister's Office plenty of times. It was a spacious room lit up by brass wall lamps and a polished brass chandelier, as well as natural light from large open windows framed by luxurious velvet curtains. Shelves of books lined half the walls, while portraits of past Ministers of Magic took up all the remaining space.

The portraits drew Percy's attention more than the books, as their occupants flitted back and forth to gossip with one another. Their sidelong stares seemed to penetrate right through Percy's own head.

"You wanted to see me, Minister?" he asked.

"I did, indeed," replied Interim Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. The large black man got up from behind his imposing oak desk and swept forward in his deep purple robes. Even without a crown on his head, he gave off an impression of being royalty. When he reached out to shake Percy's hand, Percy almost had the urge to kneel instead.

His handshake was firm, but warm and gentle around Percy's trembling hand.

"So. How are you, Percy Weasley?"

Dumbfounded, amazed, stunned, and utterly awestruck that the Wizarding War is actually over. Grateful to be reunited with family. Distraught over the loss of Fred. Full of self-loathing about having turned away from my own family for the past three years. Also, struggling to determine the normal, expected thing to say in this situation and becoming ever more tongue-tied by the second. "Fine?" he ventured.

"I'm sorry, what a stupid question," Kingsley checked himself. "My condolences for the loss of your brother Fred."

Percy could feel tears begin to pool behind his horn-rimmed glasses. "Thank you, Minister."

Kingsley gently handed Percy a handkerchief and showed to the visitor chair before resuming his seat behind the desk. He waited for Percy to dry his eyes before speaking again. "I'm sure that you are wondering why I asked you to come."

Percy nodded.

"Well, as Interim Minister of Magic, there is much that I need to do, so I am interviewing candidates to serve on my personal cabinet. As you have a lot of experience with the upper echelons of the Ministry Bureaucracy, I thought you might possibly be a good fit."

"I would be honored to work for you, Minister Shacklebolt!" Percy exclaimed, elated.

"I thought you might be interested, but I'd first like to ask you a few questions."

Percy schooled his expression. "Of course. Naturally. What do you need to know?"

"Well, how was it under Cornelius Fudge, Rufus Scrimgeour, and Pius Thicknesse?"

Percy blinked a few times in surprise, but then he got busy answering the question with unexpectedly detailed questions about Fudge's strengths and weaknesses at problem solving, as well as Scrimgeour's, and Thicknesse's – though, Percy added, Thicknesse was under the Imperius Curse and therefore ought not to be judged too harshly."

"I appreciate you assessment of them," said Kingsley, "It was very objective and very useful."

"Well," said Percy, "I may have been a Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron, but I still knew what was up."

"Funny, the next question I was going to ask you was about how you evaluated your own performance," mused Kingsley.

"Well… I was strong on organization, punctuality, paperwork, and overall knowledge of the bureaucracy that is the Ministry of Magic, but you could definitely say that I didn't have my priorities sorted. Of course, now that I've reunited with my family, I most definitely have my priorities sorted."

"And what have you learned from all this?"

"That I'll do anything to save my family, and what I want most of all at this moment is to build a better world, a world where they can be happy and achieve their dreams, free of conflict and prejudice."

"I appreciate that," said Kingsley with a smile. "So do you have any references who could recommend you to work for me?"

Percy paused awkwardly. "About that… I may have left the employ of former Minister for Magic Pius Thicknesse under, erm, less than ideal circumstances."

"Could you tell me specifically what happened?" Kingsley asked politely.

"Well, as I just mentioned, I realized at the last minute that I'd been being a Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron for the last three years, so I walked out on the job to join my family in the Battle of Hogwarts. Where I dueled with Pius Thicknesse and attacked him with a sea urchin jinx."

Kingsley stroked his chin pensively. "Mmm, excellent choice."

Percy started. "What?"

"Well, I do quite like jinks that make people grow spikes and of course, my favorite color is purple," said Kingsley, gesturing to his purple robes. "Tell me, are there, perhaps, other people from your past ministry career who could attest to your qualifications?"

"Yes!" Percy squeaked.

"Very good. Just send them to me and we'll get you started as my senior undersecretary."

"Hmm. Mhmm-hmm." Percy cleared his throat again. "So… you're saying that the fact that I attacked my former boss isn't a problem?"

Kingsley shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled nonchalantly. "Not a problem for me. But it definitely was a problem for Minister Thicknesse."

It was all Percy could do to nod at Kingsley Shacklebolt while he absorbed this latest statement.

Kingsley, realizing how awkward the moment had become, reached to shake Percy's hand. "Welcome to my administration, Mr. Weasley. We'll be glad to have you."

Percy grinned. He knew he'd be glad to work for Kingsley Shacklebolt, too.