Snips and Scars In Which How-To Videos are Made, a harry potter fanfic

Chapter 81, everybody! Anyone else been watching the Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking show? Real talk I'd be a terrible judge because I'd go "You made that cake balance on a wand? Heck I'm impressed get on that train."

I've always been pretty chill about exams because Mom taught me that if you stay awake in class you get a C and if it's something like the SATs you are allowed to retake it so you might as well swing for the fences. Also I love how Hermione consistently forgets that Quidditch player is a legit career in the wizarding world. Granted all three of them forgot about Krum in canon so...

My one regret with sacking Umbridge early is we miss one of the moments where McGonagall tells her off. XD And to be fair to Ron, the word 'dinosaur' wasn't coined until the 1800s—what did they call them before that? You guessed it: dragons. In other news, very much channeling the vibes from the movie Wild America with movie night at Hogwarts. XD

Also something that inspired that last little exchange—my family has often asked me if I wouldn't consider going into politics; my argument has always been that an author would have more impact than a single cog in a machine.

Wheresmydoseofinsanity, thanks for the review! Glad it brightens your day! :D

Lucy Elizabeth Dawson, thanks for the review! Happy you loved it! :D

Missy96, thanks for the review! Yes, me too. :)

As the year went on, there were two looming issues: OWLs and the Quidditch final. Harry was more concerned about the latter.

"You should be worried about the former," Hermione told him.

"I've studied for the former," Harry countered. "If I feel poorly about how I'm doing, I can study some more. I can't improve Ron's nerves, no matter how hard I study."

"I just don't see how Quidditch is worth getting worked up about," Hermione said.

"By that logic you shouldn't get mad at us for not getting worked up over homework," Harry countered.

"Homework is important! It could affect our careers!"

"Hermione, Quidditch is a career—you know a professional Quidditch player, Hermione. You went out with him once."

"You're really focusing on that?"

"You can't deny that it was a highlight," Dean offered.

But that did give him the idea to owl Viktor Krum and ask him to share with Ron how to get past the nervousness of playing in front of people, he's our new Keeper and he's actually pretty good at it but he keeps getting nervous about playing in front of a crowd. Krum wrote to Ron, and while Harry wasn't certain what Krum told him it did result in Ron starting to shape up and play better.

Although Harry did have another trick to pull out come the cup final.

"Ron—Ron—no throwing up firstly," he said, catching the green-looking Keeper. "Anyway—muffilato."

Ron stared at him, confused. "What was that for?"

"Can you hear me?" Harry asked him—mimed the question when Ron stared at him, indicated the crowd outside.

"Oh wait—brilliant!" Ron said, suddenly realizing he couldn't hear the crowd singing 'Weasley is our king.'

"If this works I'm going to kiss you," Angelina told him as they filed out.

"If this works I'm going to kick myself for not thinking of it sooner," Harry told her.

"Either way."

"What if he can't hear Hooch's whistle?" Alicia asked.

"Hopefully he'll keep up with context clues. In the meantime."

In the meantime with no external noise Ron was better able to focus on the game—yes he missed several shots, but for every one he missed he saved two more, stubbornly sticking with the goals and allowing Harry to dedicate less time to fretting about his friend and more time to catching the Snitch.

And he was certain to reverse the muffilato so Ron could hear the Gryffindors triumphantly singing 'Weasley is our king' when they were hoisting the Quidditch cup into the air.

The next event worth noting was meeting with their heads of houses to discuss career choices, which Harry had honestly not given a single thought to until there was a pile of pamphlets on every available surface in the common room.

"I'll be honest, most of my concerns have been surviving the year and getting good grades," Harry said upon registering Hermione's expression. "I hadn't even given thought to Muggle jobs, let alone wizarding ones."

"That was one of our Muggle Studies assignments, actually," Ron said. "It was kind of weird going through the different jobs and examining how they do them without magic. Although some of them it makes sense you wouldn't—you know digging up dragon bones is an actual job?"

Harry blinked at him before he registered what Ron meant. "Dinosaur bones, you mean."

"I'm still not convinced they're not just dragon bones that Muggles are finding."

"Wouldn't the ministry have stopped it by now?" Hermione asked. "Because of the Statute of Secrecy?"

"Maybe this is how they stopped it," Ron argued. "They convinced the Muggles that they're actually dinosaurs and went extinct a long time ago."

Harry waited until Hermione had gone up to bed to suggest that Ron tell Luna his theory; he anticipated some very interesting articles revisiting dinosaurs once the whole hullabaloo at the ministry died down.

In the meantime, now that one of their bigger issues had left and Quidditch was done for the year, Ron was finally able to revisit the question of if they could film magic, specifically inside Hogwarts. They had finally gotten the right rune sequence to work (after burning through many a cheap camera that Sirius supplied), had done a few short bits in the great hall before attempting filming while flying, getting some very impressive panoramic shots of the castle, the lake, and the forest.

Now, however, Ron had a new reel and was hoping to do a breakdown of spellcasting.

"If this works, my Muggle Studies OWL and you two's Rune OWL are in the bag," Ron said, giving them a thumbs' up. "Okay, we're rolling!"

"Hi, my name's Harry, this is Hermione, and today we're going to cover the disarming spell," Harry announced to the camera. "This is a very important spell that everyone should learn, and is a very effective piece of defensive magic. Anything you want to add to that?" he asked Hermione.

"We learned it in our second year, but anyone regardless of skill level should be able to do it with a little practice," Hermione said. "The spell is expelliarmus—once more, slowly, expelliarmus."

"This is the wand movement that accompanies the spell—I'm going slowly right now, but during the casting it will be a sort of quick jab at your opponent."

"We will now move on to the demonstration part of the lesson."

Harry and Hermione took turns disarming each other, accioing their wands back ("That's next lesson," Harry told the camera), took a bow and signed off when Ron gave them a thumbs up.

He was very antsy when they were reviewing the film in their dorm, something Harry could fully understand—they had been working all year towards this, hopefully it worked—

Cheered deliriously when the spells did indeed show up on the film.

The next Defense Club was a smash hit by dint of the how-to film, which quickly attracted the attention of the teachers—Dumbledore, upon learning of it, asked them if they'd be interested in doing a series, which Ron admitted had been the goal when they started.

Dumbledore also organized a small movie night in the great hall after Ron showed him some of the other shots they had done—the house elves sent up popcorn, candies, and sodas for them to eat as they oohed and aahed over the various shots, several people voicing enjoyment when Ron shared some of the clips from Care of Magical Creatures, as well as the clip of Malfoy explaining Buckbeak.

"Hippogriff Appreciation Group represent!" Goyle hollered from the back, earning a round of applause.

Ron was very busy after that, hustling back and forth to various classes and setting up filming sessions in Herbology and Potions and Charms and Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures and Defense; Astronomy had to wait until they got a sequence working that would allow the camera to pick up the stars better, were very impressed when that performed better than expected.

Matter of fact, Harry was so busy helping Ron with these filming sessions, he had quite forgotten about his career interview until Hermione reminded him. Mostly by this exchange.

"I think Ron's career is now well and totally set, don't you?"

"You know your career interview is tomorrow, right?" Hermione asked. "Also Ron's, yours is in an hour."

Which sent Ron scurrying for Professor McGonagall's office and Harry rooting through the various pamphlets until the next day, when it was his turn in her office. And no, he still had no idea what he planned on doing with his life after schooling.

Professor McGonagall didn't seem surprised at this admission.

"That is the point of these interviews," she told him. "We determine the direction you'd like to go in your future, and that will affect which classes you focus on in the here and now. So, Mr. Potter, have you given any thought as to which careers at least sound intriguing to you?"

Harry considered. "Well…being an Auror sounds interesting, and I've always really liked Potions and Care of Magical Creatures and…no, actually, Professor—I really haven't."

Professor McGonagall made a pensive noise. "That's not too surprising, Mr. Potter, most students don't have a clear idea of what they plan to do after school. I will tell you that being an Auror does require high marks in both Defense and Potions, although since it also requires extensive use of Transfiguration for disguises, you'd have to bring your marks up there. I have remedial classes every Thursday evening."

Harry nodded, filing that information away.

"Other than that, it may benefit you to keep your options open. If you wish you could apply for a Potions apprenticeship after your NEWTs—I recommend bringing your grade in Herbology up as well, since there's quite a bit of crossover there; Mr. Longbottom can help you there."

Harry nodded again. "So…Charms too, I'm guessing—so Defense, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures…does anyone go for NEWTs in Astronomy?"

"Yes—you," Professor McGonagall informed him. "Many potion ingredients require precise picking, which a thorough understanding of star charts can provide. On that same token, I'd recommend continuing with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, to further ensure the best options."

"Okay," Harry said, noting her omission. "Not History of Magic?"

"Unfortunately, Professor Binns' method of teaching…doesn't inspire enthusiasm," Professor McGonagall sighed. "Very few students do continue to the NEWT level there." Here she looked at him over her glasses. "Incidentally, if you do find the need to learn more about our history, I recommend looking up the information yourself. Or finding a more enthusiastic professor."

Harry wobbled his head in acknowledgement of that, and the rest of the meeting covered going over what sort of careers might be available for someone who currently had O's in DADA, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures. In all, Harry was feeling much better about his options leaving the room than he had going in.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, halting his escape. "I understand it that you had been teaching your classmates Defense on the side." She looked up from whatever she had been jotting down. "Have you ever considered being a teacher?"

Harry blinked. "Um…no, actually, I haven't."

"You should. Heaven knows we need a Defense teacher with more staying power."

Harry considered. "Defense, cursed position, Madame Pomfrey would see me on a regular basis."

"And you would have more of an effect as a Defense teacher than as a single Auror," she pointed out.

That—actually did make Harry pause. "I'll…what would I need, to be a teacher, Professor?"

"High school marks in the subject in question, plus mastery in the subject—although at this point, I'm certain telling Professor Dumbledore you want the job would secure it for you."

Harry conceded that point. "Maybe I'll get my Defense mastery along with my Potions one and get back to you on that."

"Good. And Mr. Potter? Good luck."

Yes, Harry definitely had an idea of what he'd be doing after NEWTs.