Title: Into the Ministry
Author: Cyher
Summary: Harry & Co. have joined the Ministry of Magic, but it's not quite as glamourous as they thought it would be.
Disclaimer: Me? Own Harry Potter? You must be mad! Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, her publishers, and Warner Brothers. They make all the money, too.
Chapter 1
"It's just not fair!" Ron shouted as he kicked a garden gnome over the fence. Harry and Hermione watched him silently while he fumed. Two days after graduation from Hogwarts they all applied for jobs within the Ministry of Magic, and now, a week later they had their answers. Harry predictably applied and was accepted into the Auror division. In five days he would move onto the Auror Academy campus and begin his training. Perhaps even more predictable than Harry, was Hermione's acceptance into the Ministry Research Department. "Even Neville got into the department he wanted! Neville!" Ron continued, unable to believe that the boy who held the record for "most cauldrons melted" was treated better by the Ministry than he was.
"Now Ron, that's not fair," Hermione interjected. "Neville may not be very good at other things, but Professor Sprout said he was one of the best herbology student she'd ever seen. He deserved to get into his department." The minute the words left Hermione's mouth, she knew they were the wrong ones.
"Are you implying that I didn't deserve to be an Auror?" Ron asked seethingly.
"Ron, that's not what she meant," Harry started.
"No, I think it is," Ron continued, "She's Hermione Granger-one of the smartest Hogwarts has seen. You're Harry Potter-The Boy Who Lived and Quidditch extraordinaire, and apparently Neville Longbottom is some sort of Herbology prodigy. You three deserve to be where you are. I'm a just another Weasley." Ron stomped up to the room he and Harry were sharing and slammed the door, leaving his friends in the garden.
Harry and Hermione silently finished disposing of the garden gnomes and went back inside. Harry was staying once again with the Weasley's. It turned out that the Dursley's refused to take him back now that he had graduated, not that it bothered Harry, mind you. If he ever saw Dudley's porky face, Aunt Petunia's beady eyes, or Uncle Vernon's stupid moustache again, it would be too soon.
Hermione was staying with the Weasley's as well. Her job at the ministry required her to be a little closer to the magical community than her parents' house. Percy married Penelope Clearwater at the beginning of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's seventh year at Hogwarts, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were kind enough to let her stay in his old room until she had saved enough to rent a small apartment.
******
Slowly Arthur Weasley made his way up the stairs to his son's bedroom door. "Ron," he said, giving the door a slight knock. He could hear Ron moving around in the room, but his son gave no indication that he was going to answer Arthur's knock. "Ron," he said through the door, "please let me in. Your mother told me what happened. Listen son, I'm really sorry that you didn't get into the Academy, but there's always next semester…I've got some good news for you." Arthur took the silence from his son's room to mean Ron *wasn't* leaping up to see what sort of news Arthur had to bring. A new tactic perhaps. "Your friends tell me you haven't eaten since lunch. I've got a plate here for you. Chicken. You're favorite…"
A slight rustling let Arthur know that had done the trick, and it wasn't long before he was looking into the eyes of his youngest son. The term "young" hardly seemed appropriate anymore. Ron was 18, almost 19. Over the years he had grown to an impressive 6'1". He was lean, but not lanky, and his freckles became less noticeable with each year. He really was a remarkable young man. There was that word again: young. Arthur had to remind himself that even though his son looked like a man, he wasn't quite there yet, and little setbacks like the one today could be devastating. "Here you go," he said, gesturing to the plate of food.
"Thanks," Ron said, taking a big bite out of a chicken leg. "You had something to tell me…"
"Yeah," Arthur started. "Orion Starr-one of the guys in my department-just had a baby. Or rather, his wife did. He's taking a fairly long leave of absence to be with his new family..and…well, it wouldn't exactly be auror training, but we need someone to replace him-"
"You want me to come work for YOU?" Ron said incredulously.
"I'd like it if you would," Arthur replied, and quickly started again. "If you don't like it, you don't have to stay, but at least it's Ministry business. And, it'll give you a leg up when you apply for the academy next year. Please, just think about."
"I'll do it." Ron said. Arthur noticed that he wasn't exactly leaping for joy, in fact he wasn't really showing any emotion other than a slight resignation. He was surprised when Ron reached out a free hand which he clasped firmly. Even more surprising was the grin Ron gave him while saying a mere "Thanks, Pop" before withdrawing back into his room, plate of chicken in hand.
Arthur smiled as we walked back downstairs. Yes, it's true. His son wasn't yet a man, but he was well on his way.
Author: Cyher
Summary: Harry & Co. have joined the Ministry of Magic, but it's not quite as glamourous as they thought it would be.
Disclaimer: Me? Own Harry Potter? You must be mad! Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, her publishers, and Warner Brothers. They make all the money, too.
Chapter 1
"It's just not fair!" Ron shouted as he kicked a garden gnome over the fence. Harry and Hermione watched him silently while he fumed. Two days after graduation from Hogwarts they all applied for jobs within the Ministry of Magic, and now, a week later they had their answers. Harry predictably applied and was accepted into the Auror division. In five days he would move onto the Auror Academy campus and begin his training. Perhaps even more predictable than Harry, was Hermione's acceptance into the Ministry Research Department. "Even Neville got into the department he wanted! Neville!" Ron continued, unable to believe that the boy who held the record for "most cauldrons melted" was treated better by the Ministry than he was.
"Now Ron, that's not fair," Hermione interjected. "Neville may not be very good at other things, but Professor Sprout said he was one of the best herbology student she'd ever seen. He deserved to get into his department." The minute the words left Hermione's mouth, she knew they were the wrong ones.
"Are you implying that I didn't deserve to be an Auror?" Ron asked seethingly.
"Ron, that's not what she meant," Harry started.
"No, I think it is," Ron continued, "She's Hermione Granger-one of the smartest Hogwarts has seen. You're Harry Potter-The Boy Who Lived and Quidditch extraordinaire, and apparently Neville Longbottom is some sort of Herbology prodigy. You three deserve to be where you are. I'm a just another Weasley." Ron stomped up to the room he and Harry were sharing and slammed the door, leaving his friends in the garden.
Harry and Hermione silently finished disposing of the garden gnomes and went back inside. Harry was staying once again with the Weasley's. It turned out that the Dursley's refused to take him back now that he had graduated, not that it bothered Harry, mind you. If he ever saw Dudley's porky face, Aunt Petunia's beady eyes, or Uncle Vernon's stupid moustache again, it would be too soon.
Hermione was staying with the Weasley's as well. Her job at the ministry required her to be a little closer to the magical community than her parents' house. Percy married Penelope Clearwater at the beginning of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's seventh year at Hogwarts, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were kind enough to let her stay in his old room until she had saved enough to rent a small apartment.
******
Slowly Arthur Weasley made his way up the stairs to his son's bedroom door. "Ron," he said, giving the door a slight knock. He could hear Ron moving around in the room, but his son gave no indication that he was going to answer Arthur's knock. "Ron," he said through the door, "please let me in. Your mother told me what happened. Listen son, I'm really sorry that you didn't get into the Academy, but there's always next semester…I've got some good news for you." Arthur took the silence from his son's room to mean Ron *wasn't* leaping up to see what sort of news Arthur had to bring. A new tactic perhaps. "Your friends tell me you haven't eaten since lunch. I've got a plate here for you. Chicken. You're favorite…"
A slight rustling let Arthur know that had done the trick, and it wasn't long before he was looking into the eyes of his youngest son. The term "young" hardly seemed appropriate anymore. Ron was 18, almost 19. Over the years he had grown to an impressive 6'1". He was lean, but not lanky, and his freckles became less noticeable with each year. He really was a remarkable young man. There was that word again: young. Arthur had to remind himself that even though his son looked like a man, he wasn't quite there yet, and little setbacks like the one today could be devastating. "Here you go," he said, gesturing to the plate of food.
"Thanks," Ron said, taking a big bite out of a chicken leg. "You had something to tell me…"
"Yeah," Arthur started. "Orion Starr-one of the guys in my department-just had a baby. Or rather, his wife did. He's taking a fairly long leave of absence to be with his new family..and…well, it wouldn't exactly be auror training, but we need someone to replace him-"
"You want me to come work for YOU?" Ron said incredulously.
"I'd like it if you would," Arthur replied, and quickly started again. "If you don't like it, you don't have to stay, but at least it's Ministry business. And, it'll give you a leg up when you apply for the academy next year. Please, just think about."
"I'll do it." Ron said. Arthur noticed that he wasn't exactly leaping for joy, in fact he wasn't really showing any emotion other than a slight resignation. He was surprised when Ron reached out a free hand which he clasped firmly. Even more surprising was the grin Ron gave him while saying a mere "Thanks, Pop" before withdrawing back into his room, plate of chicken in hand.
Arthur smiled as we walked back downstairs. Yes, it's true. His son wasn't yet a man, but he was well on his way.