While Ginny was focusing on making Grimmauld Place liveable, Harry had been busy arranging meetings with both Kingsley and McGonagall. Originally he was just going to meet with Kingsley and wait and see how the meeting went before contacting McGonagall, but Ginny had urged him to talk to them both before reaching any decisions. She thought it was best to have all of his options ready and waiting, before they decided which job would be the right one for Harry to take.
Since no-one knew Harry and Ginny was back, the meetings with Kingsley and McGonagall had been arranged with a cloak of secrecy hanging over them. For his meeting with McGonagall, he'd booked a private room at The Three Broomsticks, and they were going to meet over a lunchtime. As for Kingsley he had arranged for Harry to use the private access to his suite of offices, which was usually reserved for visiting dignitaries.
Harry had arranged the meetings for the same day, and with Ginny wishing him luck, he headed towards his meeting with Kingsley. No sooner had he stepped from the flames in a secluded office than a young witch was introducing herself as Kingsley's personal assistant.
"Minister Shacklebolt is waiting for you in his office," the witch informed Harry.
The witch led Harry from the room he'd arrived in, across a fancy marble reception and into a more secluded reception area. Knocking once on the closed door at the far side of the room, she swung the door open and gestured for Harry to go inside.
"Harry," Kingsley's voice boomed warmly as Harry entered the room. "It's good to see you."
"You too, Kingsley," Harry said, shaking hands with the Minister.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Kingsley asked.
"No, I'm good," Harry replied.
"In that case, sit down and we can talk," Kingsley said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. "So, Harry, what can I do for you?"
"I want to discuss returning to my Auror training," Harry explained, noticing the shocked expression that briefly flickered over Kingsley's face before he hid it.
"I assume this means you're here to stay," Kingsley remarked.
"We are," Harry confirmed.
"And you're wanting to restart your training?" Kingsley checked.
"Yes, being an Auror is what I want to do, I just wasn't quite ready last time," Harry answered.
"We never turn down anyone wanting to train with us," Kingsley said. "As you know, our Auror training programmes begin in September. I can give you the relevant forms for you to sign up for your first year."
"First year?" Harry queried. "But I was almost finished my first year when I left. All I need to do is take my Potions test and final exam."
"It doesn't work like that, Harry," Kingsley said with a shake of his head. "You failed to complete your year, so anything you did achieve in that time, is null and void. If you want to train to be an Auror, you will have to start from the beginning. And of course, the same rules as last time will apply. You will need to pass refresher tests in all the necessary subjects over the course of your first year's training."
"So I will have to do everything again?" Harry muttered, even though he wasn't really asking a question as Kingsley was making himself very clear.
"If you'd held out for just a few more weeks, things would have been different," Kingsley pointed out. "If you'd passed your first years training, we could have put you through a refresher course and you could have joined the second year trainees in September, but it is what it is, Harry. We both know you will make a very good Auror, but you will have to start from scratch. Is that something you can do, Harry?"
"To be honest, I don't know," Harry admitted. "I sort of assumed I could pick up where I left off. I thought I would just have to take my required tests and complete my last few weeks of training."
"I'm sorry Harry, but rules are rules," Kingsley said firmly. "I would love to break them for you, but I am unwilling to set such a precedent. I would love to have you on the team, but you will have to take the same path as everyone else. Would you still like the relevant forms? You can take the time to decide if this is truly what you want to do this time."
Rather stunned by what had happened, Harry could only nod numbly as Kingsley arranged for his assistant to sort out the forms Harry would need if he was to restart his Auror training. Once he had the forms in his possession, Harry thanked Kingsley for his help and in a daze he retraced his steps back to the private room he'd arrived in. From there he flooed to The Three Broomsticks and settled himself in the private room he'd booked.
Alerting the staff to his presence, he ordered a drink and sat back and ran over everything that had happened at the Ministry. In one short meeting his entire hopes of becoming an Auror had been virtually dashed. It was of course still technically possible for him to become an Auror, but it would mean repeating his first year's training and Harry really didn't think he could manage that. He honestly didn't think he could stand a whole year going over things he already knew. He just knew he would get bored and quit again, and he really didn't want to abandon Auror training for a second time.
To be honest he was now pleased that Ginny had urged him to arrange a meeting with McGonagall at the same time. At least now he would be getting a second, hopefully more viable, option for his future. And that option appeared less than a minute later when McGonagall entered the room. After greeting each other, and sorting drinks, Harry got down to business and informed McGonagall why he'd wanted to see her.
"You want a job?" McGonagall queried after Harry had finished talking.
"I do," Harry confirmed with a nod of his head. "I know I don't have any formal qualifications, and without wanting to sound big-headed, I know a fair bit about Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"No-one is doubting your prowess in that department," McGonagall admitted. "You always excelled in school, and of course there's the practical element."
"So, you'd consider giving me the job?" Harry asked hopefully.
"There is no job to give you, Harry," McGonagall said softly.
"I don't understand," Harry muttered with a frown. "Surely you haven't done away with Defence."
"Of course not, Defence is one of our key subjects," McGonagall replied.
"Ah, you've already found someone for next year," Harry sighed, cursing his luck as normally new Professors weren't appointed until shortly before the new term started.
"I didn't need to find someone, the position has been filled for some years," McGonagall said, giving Harry a strange look.
"Years?" Harry spluttered, not noticing the look. "Does that mean the curse on the position died when he did?"
"It does seem likely," McGonagall remarked. "As I said, our Defence Professor has been in the job for a few years now."
"I don't suppose there's any more vacancies?" Harry questioned, not sounding at all hopeful as to be honest even if there was a vacancy elsewhere, he doubted he would be qualified to fill it.
"Sorry, my staff is all full," McGonagall confirmed. "Although, even if there was a position elsewhere, I doubt you would be suitable for it. I'm sorry Harry. Under other circumstances I would have loved to have you on the staff. Hogwarts would have been honoured to have you."
"But it's too late," Harry said wearily.
"I'm sorry," McGonagall repeated as she got to her feet.
"It's fine, I can't expect you to uproot your entire staff just for me," Harry said. "Thank you for seeing me."
After McGonagall had left, Harry had another drink before heading home to give Ginny the bad news. That morning they'd expected him to have a choice of two career choices, but now he had none. Bracing himself to break the bad news, he found Ginny blitzing the living room.
"How did it go?" she asked, abandoning her cleaning and ushering Harry into the kitchen, where she washed up.
"Not good," Harry sighed, dropping down at the kitchen table.
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Ginny said sympathetically.
"Oh, it was," Harry snorted. "I can restart Auror training, but I have to go right back to the start. I have to go through a whole year of training I've already done."
"But that's crazy, not to mention a complete waste of time and money," Ginny protested. "It makes more sense for you to pick up where you left off, and then jump into your second-year training."
"It might make sense, but it's not the way it works," Harry said with a shrug. "Kingsley was adamant. If I want to become an Auror, I need to start from the very beginning."
"And would you want to do that?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry answered honestly. "I know for a fact I would struggle to get through that first year."
"Okay, so we scrap the idea of you becoming an Auror. What happened with McGonagall? Does she want you to gain some more practical experience? I did think that might be an option."
"My experience doesn't matter," Harry informed his girlfriend. "The post is already filled. Hogwarts has a Defence Professor."
"Obviously they've got one now, but how about next year?" Ginny questioned. "The term has to be ending soon, and then the search will begin for next year. Did you explain that you wanted the post from September?"
"It doesn't matter Gin," Harry said. "Whoever is teaching Defence has been there for years."
"Years?" Ginny echoed. "How is that possible?"
"Clearly the curse Voldemort placed on the position ended when he died," Harry answered with a shrug. "But it means that the job is gone. I'm too late."
"How can you be too late for the perfect job?" Ginny scoffed. "What is McGonagall thinking? You have to be better than whatever loser she has in the position. How can anyone be better than Harry Potter for the post of Defence Professor? Maybe I should have a word with her."
"You won't change her mind, Ginny," Harry said with a shake of his head. "There is no job for me at Hogwarts."
"So what are you going to do, just give up?" Ginny demanded.
"I don't know what I'm going to do, Ginny," Harry admitted with a sigh as he got to his feet. "I might have to have a rethink about my future. I'm sure I can get a job somewhere. Who knows, I might have to take a leaf out of Ron's book and ask your brother for a job."
Contemplating the very real possibility of throwing himself on George's mercy, Harry headed off to take a bath, leaving Ginny to stew over what her boyfriend had told her. She'd been so confident that Harry would have his pick of the career opportunities and could have decided between being an Auror and a Professor. She just couldn't believe that Kingsley and McGonagall had failed to see his potential. What were the pair of them thinking? He was Harry Potter for Merlin's sake, and they couldn't do any better than having him working for them. Maybe they needed reminding of just who had they turned away, and maybe Ginny was the person to remind them just who they were dealing with.