A few minutes after James had read his letter, a tawny owl swooped down upon them. The tawny owl was carrying a stack of books. There were ten of these books and they all appeared to be identical.

"OH!" remembered Lily suddenly, "Remember those books on magical careers we were supposed to get with our Hogwarts letters this year?"

"Yes," said Hugo as his eyes widened, "Wizarding Work: An Exploration of Magical Careers and Occupations."

The owl made a pathway around them and dropped one copy of Wizarding Work: An Exploration of Magical Careers and Occupations into the hands of everyone who should receive one.

This included, by policy, all students who would be second years at Hogwarts. This meant Hugo, Devon, Ainsley, Samantha, Stephanie, and Lily all were automatically placed on the list to receive one.

Students who would be in later years had been given the opportunity to request a copy of the book if they wanted to.

Albus, Rose, and Pamela had all requested a copy of the book. As students who would be fourth years, they were all in agreement that it would be beneficial to them to learn more about career opportunities for witches and wizards a year ahead of their career advice.

James, of course, had no need for or interest in the book as his career path had already developed. Fred also knew what he wanted to do and so did not get a copy of the book for himself.

Roxanne was unsure what careers might interest her, so she went ahead and requested a copy of the book.

The book had a green cover with a picture of a ten inch wand and a milky white potion bottle, and the letters of the title and subtitle were a bright silver.

This did not sit well with Albus.

"Green with silver lettering!" said Albus scornfully, "They should have made it a scarlet cover with gold lettering!"

"Actually, it's only fair and only fitting that these books should be Slytherin colors," said James and there a definite note of pride in his voice, "I'm sure Lily knows why that is."

Lily smiled at James.

"Yes," said Lily warmly, "Remember that the idea for us receiving these books was Megan's idea."

"Exactly!" agreed Fred, "With that being as it is, isn't it only fair that her house colors are used on the book?"

"Yes!" chorused James, Hugo, Devon, Fred, and Lily.

Albus scowled but had no retort. It was impossible to argue that Megan didn't deserve to have her house colors on a book whose creation was her idea.

"Miles, Gary, Todd, could you three please be quiet as I talk to the Hogwarts lot about their earliest career ideas?" asked Harry.

Miles, Todd, and Gary all nodded. They understood that as muggles who were guests in a magical household, there would be times when Harry would want or need to address the others about wizard issues.

Harry, meanwhile, addressed the Hogwarts students.

"Hogwarts attendees, do any of you have any ideas yet of what career or type of career you'd like to pursue. I already know that James is going to be studying this year to be a Wandmaking teacher. Does anyone else have any thoughts on his or her future?"

"As a muggleborn who is just getting my feet wet in the Wizarding World, I'm not very familiar with magical careers," said Devon honestly.

"You're exactly the type of person this book is meant to help," Lily told Devon with a smile, "Remember that McGonagall said that Megan was specifically thinking of muggleborn and muggle raised students when she had the idea for this book."

"I'm confident this book will be very helpful," said Devon kindly, "Many people in my type of position may ending up being very grateful to Megan."

"Even some of us who have grown up in Wizarding households will benefit," said Roxanne quietly, "I don't really have any ideas what path I'd like to go down and I think this book may help steer me somewhere. What about you, Fred?"

"I'm going to carry on George's legacy and work at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." said Fred simply.

"My preferred occupation would be in fashion," said Pamela eagerly, "I'd love to become a clothing maker for Madam Malkin."

"It would be nice if magical apparel had more variety," said Devon matter of factly.

"That's definitely something I'd bring to the table in fashion," said Pamela cheerfully.

"I'd like to somehow be involved in education," said Rose matter of factly, "I don't know specifically what I'd prefer to do. It could be writing textbooks, it could be teaching, it could be helping in setting course curriculum, it could be grading O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. But I do know that education is the field I want to be in. I don't know what occupation I'd like to have but I know education is the field for me."

"Considering how great of a student Rose is and how highly she values academics, this isn't one iota surprising," said Hugo simply.

"Rose has always been not only top of year, but an overachiever," said Pamela proudly, "Straight Os on every subject and with extra credit over 400% in Charms and Potions."

"Again, something's always great about someone else and not me," said Albus ruefully.

Devon frowned. He was seriously concerned that Albus's petty jealousy tendency was going to lead him down a very bad road. Pamela had the same concern and also frowned.

"I want to do something where I can be noticed," said Albus fiercely, "It sucks that things always happen for James and Lily but never for me. I ought to have something extraordinary happen to me. And even in ordinary settings, Rose is a teacher's pet. No one ever notices me. Nothing ever happens for me. I've GOT to find an opportunity that can change that. Someone's gotta notice ME sometime. Something big oughta happen for ME. Maybe the right career path could provide such an opportunity."

More frowns from Devon and Pamelia followed this declaration. By now James, Harry, Ginny, and Lily were getting nervous as well.

"I know exactly what I want to do," said Hugo confidently, "I want to be a Potion Maker!"

"I know Potions is your favorite subject and that you are excellent at Potions but is there any particular reason you want to be a professional Potion Maker?" asked Lily.

"Yes," said Hugo clearly, "Potions are very important in medicine and healing. I'd like to have a job where I can do something I enjoy and help people at the same time. I've always enjoyed making Potions. Because Potions is wandless magic, young wizards and witches can practice Potions before they get their wands. Hermione first started teaching me Potions when I was five. And think of how much Potions do to help people. Some obvious examples are Blood Replenishing Potions and Scar Removal Potions. Then you also have things like Calming Potions and Dreamless Sleep Potions that help people in their own way."

"So, it's the best of both worlds," said Lily pleasantly, "You'd be doing something you enjoy, and you'd be doing something important that helps people at the same time."

"Exactly,"' smiled Hugo.

"Hugo?' asked Rose, "Are there any particular Potions you would refuse to make?"

'Well," said Hugo, "I wouldn't refuse to make a potion because it was dangerous. I mean, Veritasiurium is the most dangerous potion that exists but it is also invaluable and sometimes necessary in legal proceedings. However, there is one particular potion that I would indeed refuse to make because of my moral objection to it."

"What might that potion be?" asked Lily curiously.

"The Pregnancy Potion," said Hugo clearly, "I strongly object to Pregnancy Potions."

"HEY!" shouted an obviously offended Pamela Patil, "That's a slap in the face to me! I was made through a Pregnancy Potion!"

"I am aware of this," said Hugo calmly, "I remember you explaining to some of us two summers ago that you are the product of a Pregnancy Potion."

"It is my understanding," said Harry, "That Parvati Patil always preferred singlehood over marriage but that she also really wanted to be a mother and raise a child."

"Correct," confirmed Pamela, "The Pregnancy Potion was the solution to this problem and here I am. Parvati is a great mother and the fact that she used a Pregnancy Potion to create me does not make her any less of a great mother. She loves me, she cares for me, she provides for me. She's always there for me when I need her."

"It's not for anyone but you to judge that, Pamela, " said Albus firmly, "Though I have to admit that ever since I learned about you being the baby of a Pregnancy Potion I have sympathized with you having grown up without a father."

"I totally agree with you there Albus," said Lily clearly, "All children deserve to grow up with two loving parents. It's not my place to judge Parvati's parenting but I do think she made a bad decision in conceiving a baby without a father."

"This is EXACTLY I why I morally object to Pregnancy Potions," said Hugo fiercely, "However great a parent Parvati may be, she put Pamela in the position of growing up without a complete family environment by using a Pregnancy Potion."

"Don't pity me," said Pamela more calmly, "I'm lucky that Parvati is such a loving mother. I'd rather have one loving parent than two tough or abusive parents. It all came down to the Pregnancy Potion being the solution to a dilemma."

The others fell silent but everyone in the Potter-Weasley clan felt bad about Pamela not having a father. Of course, none of them judged Pamela. It wasn't her choice how she was conceived. But all Potters and Weasleys despised Pregnancy Potions.

"As for me," said Ainsley with conviction, "My mom is a Healer and I want to be a Healer too. The idea of following in mom's footsteps has great appeal to me and I've seen first-hand how important the occupation of Healer is. Healers have the very important task of curing the ill, healing the injured, and comforting the patients in their care. Mom is superb at all three."

"Yes, she is," said Hugo warmly, "Healer Cochlain was very helpful to me when I got Sapavetius. She was the one to diagnose me correctly and her friendly attitude made that process easier. And she was totally honest with me about what I was going to have to endure before Devon performed the healing procedure with his yew wand."

"It's knowing the role Healers have in helping the sick and injured that motivates me to wish to follow in mom's footsteps." said Ainsley proudly.

"It's good to see Hugo and Ainsley interested in jobs where they can help people," said Harry firmly, "It shows what kind of people they are."

"I want to play Beater for the Ballycastle Bats. " said Stephanie with excitement in her eyes, "I love Quidditch and there would be nothing that could make me happier than to be play Beater as a Bat."

"I love Quidditch," said Lily happily, "And it would be cool if one of my friends became a pro Quidditch player. But why the Ballycastle Bats?"

"Because they are a winning franchise and I want to play for a storied franchise that does a lot of winning," answered Stephanie.

"At present time, I'd like to play Professional Quidditch as well, " said Samantha smugly, "After all, I'm an all-time great Keeper. But you know what? It is possible that what I really want to do hasn't occurred to me yet or that I will develop an interest in later years that will make me interested in an occupation that I wouldn't think of now."

"Being open minded is a good thing," said Devon approvingly, "Honestly, I'm not entire sure 12-14 olds should be having this discussion.'"

"You're too young to make career choices but not too young to think about them," said Harry crisply, "This is just an early discussion and nothing more. No one is bound by what they say here. I just think it a good idea for you all to be thinking about these things."

"That's not a bad thing as long as we keep in perspective that it's an early discussion," agreed Samantha.

"I don't know yet what I would like to do specifically," said Lily matter of factly, "But I do know that I want to be in an occupation where I can help people and have a positive impact on the world and on people."

That was the Lily they all knew. Lily was the kindest and most caring person any of them knew.

It surprised no one present that Lily's goal was to go down a path where she could help people and have a positive impact on people's lives. The Lily they all knew would want to take exactly that road and they were all certain that she would one day have a job that focused on helping people.

Lily was confident that such a road was out there for her. It would be a matter of finding where that road was. Nothing would give Lily more satisfaction than to lead a life of helping people and she knew she would one day be able to find a career where she would be able to do just that.