Chapter 4: The Future
After the Conways and the Potters caught up on the past, the families went their separate ways. Peter was going to the College of Charleston when he got out of school. Harry knew that he would never hear from his first friend again
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It was now time for the weddings. John and Sara were hustling about Potter Manor preparing for the ceremony. They would be the first in a group of three weddings in a row.
John and Sara were going today, then Sirius and Spica the next day, and finally Remus and Melissa.
"Three weddings in a row." Hermione sighed.
"Then two weeks without most of the Marauders and Maraudettes." Harry added. "You know what that means?"
"What?" Ron asked.
"Peace and Quiet." Ginny told him.
"Not if your Dad has anything to say." Hermione told him.
"Don't burst my bubble." Harry told her.
"HARRY! RON! HERMIONE! GINNY! IT'S TIME!" Sara called.
"Let's do this." Harry said.
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"Do you Jonathan, take Sara, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"Do you Sara, take Jonathan, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
They kissed.
"I now present Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Newton."
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The next day,
"Do you Sirius, take Spica, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"Do you Spica, take Sirius, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
They kissed.
"I now present Mr. and Mrs. Sirius Black."
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The NEXT day,
"Three in a row." The priest sighed. "Do you Remus, take Melissa, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"Do you Melissa, take Remus, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
They kissed.
"I now present Mr. and Mrs. Remus Lupin. Anyone ELSE want to get married."
Silence. Even though Ginny WAS eyeing Harry.
"We're too young." Harry whispered.
(A/N: Weddings MAY be chapters in Memories. Let me know)
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The next day,
"Harry. Wake up." James said.
"No more weddings." Harry groaned. "Three in a row was more than enough."
He pulled the covers over his head.
"No more weddings." James confirmed. "For now. Moony, Mistoffelees, and Padfoot are gone"
"You and Mum want to go on a second honeymoon?" Harry asked.
"Not yet." James said. "During Sirius' reception, Scrimgeour, the once Head of the Auror Department and now Minister of Magic, approached me and Sirius. He wanted to know if we could go work for the Ministry again."
"Did you accept?" Harry asked sitting up in bed. Ron was still snoring away.
"Not yet. we told him we'd think about it. Sirius will talk it over with Spica and I was going to talk to you and your mother."
"Me?" Harry asked.
"Your affected by this decision too." James explained.
"What does Mum think?" Harry asked.
"She says it's up to me as long as we do the same thing when you were born." James said. "I take some time off to help with the baby. She's going back to Mungos to see if she can't help with Remus' cure. By working at Mungos, she can learn different treatments."
"So, what's the difference between working at St. Mungos and not getting my opinion and working as an auror and getting my opinion?"
"Because there's a better chance of your mother coming home than me." James told him truthfully.
Silence.
"Do YOU want to?" Harry finally asked.
"It doesn't matter." James said. "Personally, I think your mother wants me to so I can keep busy from pranks."
Harry laughed at the truth in that reasoning.
"I don't have a problem." Harry said. "With Voldemort gone, you have a better chance of coming home alive."
"Okay. I'll tell Scrimgeour." James said kissing the top of Harry's head. "What are your plans for the day?"
"I think I better start on my homework and get that out of the way." Harry said. "That way I can get Hermione off my back."
"Don't tell anyone," James whispered. "But I'm beginning to miss homework."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Beats paperwork any day." James said.
James left Harry thinking.
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"Harry?" Ron said to his friend who was deep in thought in the library. "Harry?"
"Huh?" Harry asked snapping out of it.
"You spaced out on us." Ginny stated.
"Sorry." Harry said. "Just thinking."
"About what?" Hermione asked.
"The future." Harry told them. "After next year, we only have one more year."
"OMG!" Hermione screamed. "NEWT's! We have to study!"
She ran to a shelf and grabbed a book.
"Relax Tiria!" Ron said. "We have time."
"But what if we change our minds?" Harry asked. "Can we do it at this late a notice?"
"Ask McGonagall." Ginny suggested.
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McGonagall was making lesson plans for the new school year when the door to her office opened. Thinking it was one of her fellow professors, she looked up.
She was shocked to see Harry Potter walking up to her desk.
"Mr. Potter?" She asked. "What brings you here? Is something wrong with your parents?"
"No." Harry said. "They don't even know I'm here. I need to talk."
"About what?" she asked giving him her undivided attention.
"Remember in April how I said I wanted to be an auror?" he asked. "I'm having second thoughts."
"Is there a reason for this?"
"Well, with the sudden fall of Voldemort, EVERYONE is wanting a position as an auror. Or at least everyone I've talked to. And also, I've been thinking. What if someone else tries to do what Voldemort did after I'm gone? And if I'm gone, SURELY Dumbledore will be as well. I can't leave the wizarding world without a firm ground to stand on."
"Are you considering teaching?" she asked.
"I am. Will that affect my class schedule?"
"It shouldn't." she said.
"What kinds of grades do I need?" Harry asked. "I know it's too late for OWLS, but…"
"Keeping your exact grades out of mind for the moment," she told him. "You will need passing grades in the basics. Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Charms, and Care for Magical Creatures would help. Also, it would depend on the subject matter which you want to teach."
"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry said without flinching or hesitating.
"After Professor Lupin's job I see." She said with a small smile.
"Only if the jinx gets a hold of him after I graduate. I'll go to another school if necessary."
"Well, an Outstanding would be preferred in Defense. Also Exceeds Expectations would be preferred in other subjects. Acceptables will be taken, but if they were put up against another applicant, then it would hurt your chances."
"So, just to get this straight, Defense is a given, I need Care for Magical Creatures so I can learn more about the dark creatures I'm going to teach about; Potions for potions that could possibly be used against them; Herbology for teaching students how to avoid plants that could hurt them; Charms to teach them charms to protect themselves such as the patronus; and Transfiguration so I can help them recognize things such as Unregistered Animagi?"
"Those are some ways how they could be useful."
"Wish I had paid more attention during that Animagi lesson." Harry admitted. "I could have recognized Pettigrew."
"He wasn't registered." McGonagall told him. "We never knew."
"When will I get my results?" Harry asked.
"Soon." She informed him. "But I'll tell you this much, I was impressed with your score in Tranfiguration."
"So, I passed?" he asked.
"At least my class." She said.
"Probably an Acceptable." Harry said under his breath. "I have to get going before Dad goes looking for me. Thank you for your time Professor."
"Any time Mr. Potter." She said going back to her lesson plans. "And Mr. Potter."
Harry looked back when he was halfway to the door.
"Next June, try not to have any suicide attempts." She told him.
"I have no intentions." Harry told her as he left.
"Oh!" He said as he ran back to the door. "Professor? Can you not mention my change of occupation to my parents?"
"Not unless you want me to."
TBC
Coming up:
James came back out of the pensieve to see a confused Harry.
"Why were you in there so long?" Harry asked.
"I didn't realize you remembered…"