A/N: Okay, ten reviews, and I give you a chapter next Wednesday . Oh, and remember, James takes his NEWTs this year.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Dedication: You guys.
The whole week was dedicated to OWLs. We prepared in every possible way for them in lessons, going over simple things that we had learned in first year to things we had only learned a month or so before. I no longer had classes with Tyler, and I really missed his presence. I had gotten accustomed to having him near.
Sunday night, all the fifth and seventh years went to be early so that they were awake the next day, for the next day was the start of exams. I was thoroughly nervous, and I didn't fall asleep for a while. David assured me that things were going to be okay, but I wasn't as smart as him. He had gotten good exam grades.
When I woke up that morning, I had to remember what was so scary that was happening. Then it hit me with a jolt: exams. I didn't want to get up, but if I wanted to be a teacher then I had to at least take the exams. So, I dragged myself out of bed and down to the dining hall for breakfast.
After breakfast, the fifth years left for a brief period, and when we returned, the dining hall had been transformed to be a giant classroom, with several hundred desks. All of the fifth years were seated in alphabetical order, and we were given exam papers for the first exam: Transfiguration.
Looking back on two weeks later when exams were finished, I figured I hadn't done to badly. I think I passed everything, but I could be wrong; History of Magic was tough to say. I can't really remember much from the past two weeks, but I don't think that any fifth year can. They were a flurry of studying, eating, taking an exam, studying again, and then taking another exam. Then the whole process started over the next day.
We were free over the weekend to do as we liked, and we were free for the rest of the school year. The rest of the school wouldn't take exams until the following week, so the fifth and seventh years almost had free range of the castle, since everyone else was studying.
David had laughed at me for being so serious about studying, and he kept interrupting me, and now I had my chance to do the same to him.
"Lils! Enough! You were right, studying is serious. I'm sorry for bothering you. Now can you leave me alone?" David snapped as I tickled him. I stuck my tongue out at him, knowing that he would get really mad if I kept going,
I wandered around for a while, having nothing in particular to do. I wandered past the defense against the dark arts classroom, and Professor Boot came out. He is pretty old, and I was hoping that he would retire around the time I was ready to be a teacher for that position.
"Ms. Evens!" He called after me, and I turned around.
"Excuse me?" I said, surprised he had called me that.
"Oh, excuse me, I meant Ms. Potter. You look extraordinarily like your late grandmother… Do come into my office, I would like to talk with you." He said, and I followed. That wasn't the first time I had been called Ms. Evens; McGonnagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid sometimes made the same mistake. I guess I do look more like Lily then my mother.
Once we were in his office, he made a cup of tea, one for him and one for me, then he observed me.
"So, Ms. Potter, Professor McGonnagall informs me that you would like to become a defense against the Dark Arts Teacher. Now, a teaching job takes a lot of patience, and I know you have that, at least when you want it. I have a few things that would help you to become better at teaching over the summer." He told me.
I nodded, intrigued. He held out a pamphlet, which I took. Skimming through it, I figured out what it was. It was for Hogwarts students either starting as a first year or second year, and it was a program that taught about defense against the dark arts, the basic stuff. I didn't get what he wanted me to do, and I told him.
He smiled. "Lily, I run this program. I have older students that I teach during the summer also, so I can't always be with this group. I would like you to come and teach them. You would become a master of the basics, and become a better teacher. Of course, I will pay you…" He said, and a grin unfurled on my face.
Seeing my grin and interpreting in corrects, Professor Boot went on, "The hours are Monday through Thursday, Ten to Four, and on Fridays it's ten to Two and we have a little show to see who has improved much. You salary would be about a galleon an hour. So, would you be interested?" He asked, gazing at me.
"Yes!" I said, knowing that this would be a great experience.
"Excellent! Come and see me before you go home and I will give a bit more information. I suggest you save your money, because you will want it later. Good-Day Lily." He said, and I got up and bounded up to the common room. I couldn't wait to tell someone about my new job.
Tess and Kelsey were there, talking about something. I took a moment to think about how much things had changed over the past year. Kelsey had changed form a snotty slut to the cousin I knew when I was younger. Anyways, they looked up when I came over to them.
"Guess who has a job this summer!" I blurted out, and they both looked at me.
"Let me guess: You." Tess said, grinning at me.
I nodded and filled them in on all of the details. They looked happy for me. I was happy for me to
When the start of the summer started, everybody was happy that I had a job except David.
"We wont get to spend any time together!" He snapped one day when I asked him why it bothered him so much. I just ignored him, because for once I was doing something important.
On the morning of June Twenty-first, was my first day. It was also the day that my OWLs came. Sirius and James got their results to. The three of us all opened them one by one. Sirius and I let James go first. He wanted to be an Auror, so his results were most important.
"I passed." James sighed in relief, but he didn't read out what he got. Sirius snatched them out of his hands, wanting to know.
"Hey, all outstandings and one exceeds expectations." Sirius shouted, and James sulked. I knew he didn't want to gloat that his scores were good. I stuck my tongue out him. Sirius opened his scores next. He wants to work in the department of Magical Catastrophes.
"A, A, E, A, E, E, E, A, D, P" he read off, only him knowing what he got. I laughed. He passed everything, except history of magic and Divination.
Now, I opened mine with my heart pulsing. Transfiguration: E, Muggle Studies: E, Astronomy: A, History of Magic: A, Arithmacy: E, Herbology: A, Care of Magical Creatures: A, Charms: O, Defense Against the Dark Arts: O, Potions: E.
I collapsed onto a chair. I had made all the scores I needed. There was also a list of books we would need and so on. Sirius and James grabbed my scores, as did my other siblings who had wandered in. I got up and left for work.
I got there at nine, since Professor Boot wanted to give me an orientation.
"Okay, Lily, start with basic spells like shields and stunners, but by the end of summer some of the better students should have moved up a bit. Stop for lunch around twelve. Here are your robes." Said Professor Boot, handing me a set of midnight blue robes and a hat. I hurried to the bathroom to put them on, and when I came out the first students were there.
I smiled at them, but I couldn't help feeling slightly nervous. What if they were all cheeky little snot rags?
I spaced out when Professor Boot explained most of the procedures. I didn't come back into focus until he pointed to me.
"This Is Lily Potter, and she will be teaching the youngest group. You guys have special permission to use magic outside of Hogwarts when you are here, so I suggest you don't abuse the privilege." He said, and the group of about a hundred people slowly moved into four groups about twenty-five each.
I took my group to my section, a large room that would work well. I didn't know where to began. Most of them hadn't started Hogwarts yet, but there were about ten soon to be second years.
"Ummm, Why don't we start with introducing ourselves? I'm Lily…" I said, and the rest of them followed.
Intrigued that they do what I tell them, I continued on.
"Okay, does anyone know how to do a shield spell?" I asked, and one of the second years snapped, "No, that's why we are here." Everyone around her laughed, and I looked at her. I knew she was going to be one of those people who test your every nerve. I looked away, and demonstrated the correct form of shield charm.
"Okay, now remember the incantation and get into partners. Practice throwing jinxes at the shield." I said, and that girl said haughtily, "We don't know any jinxes either. And are we just supposed to guess that we have to make a shield?" I couldn't look at her, because I knew that she was right.
"Alright, cast the shield spell around yourselves, and your partner come and kick it." I said, already wary. I had only been here two hours and already they were getting on my nerves. They were getting better though.
By the end of the day, almost every member of my class could cast a shield spell. I was proud. The nerve-testing girl, Ayla, got it down right away. I wondered why she was even here, since she was clearly really good. She looked older then the rest of them, maybe thirteen rather then twelve or eleven.
That night, before I went home, I went to Diagon Alley with my first days pay. It was seven galleons. Not to much, but enough to get something. I walked around until I decided that I needed some joke or something. I went to my uncle's joke shop.
They were they for once, amazingly. There business has gotten so big that they are hardly ever at one given shop for more then half an hour.
"Hey Lily, may we interest you in anything?" Fred said, grinning at me. Then he noticed my midnight robes, and he scowled.
"Why aren't you working here for us?" He said, and I shrugged, explaining to him my job.
"Sure, desert your family." He said, but I knew he was joking.
I walked around the shop for a while, looking at everything. Fred and George had managed to shrink some more animals, and now instead of Pygmy Puffs, there were about ten different kinds of pets. I looked through them all until I decided that I would have to get one.
After a lot of debating, I chose a miniature Strackle, something like a kitten. It was really cute, and it was all hyper. As I pulled out my galleons to pay for it, George shook his head.
"For you, it's free. Just come again." George said, and I grinned at him. Knowing it was time for me to be home, I gave them each a hug and headed out.
A/N: Remember, ten reviews.
