Categories > Books > Harry Potter
Career Counseling
by Loralee
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Warning: Spoilers for DH
The boy knocked on the Professor's half open door and then stuck in his head. "You wanted to see me Professor?" he asked.
"Ah, yes Mr. Potter, please have a seat. I have been going over your marks and have spoken with your other teachers. I dare say you shouldn't have any trouble with your O.W.L.s this year. Have you thought about what you might want to do when you leave Hogwarts? You have the marks to be an Auror like your father and the work you've done with your cross-house study group and the tutoring of some younger students shows you would make an excellent teacher. Perhaps further education? A mastery in Charms or Potions?" the Professor finally looked up into the boys extraordinary green eyes.
"Oh, well I did have some thoughts about what I'd like to do," said the boy an engaging grin playing about his lips and causing the Professor to smile back.
"Do tell me, Mr. Potter," he said.
"Well it does tie into the friends I've been making in all the houses. I'll need minions, you see," said the boy enthusiastically.
"Minions?" questioned the Professor the smile beginning to dissipate.
"Oh, yes, you see Professor, I think I'll like to be the next Dark Lord."
"I beg your pardon?" whispered the Professor in shock.
"The next Dark Lord," repeated the boy, "You know a sociopathic, meglomaniacal Dark Lord bent on World domination."
"Sociopathic?" repeated the Professor.
"Oh, yes I can't very well be a pychopath because I do know right from wrong, I just don't care much, you know?" said the boy producing a twisted little grin and causing the Professor to shudder.
"But your father--"
"Yeah, I know Dad's an auror and he'll have to try to stop me but it would be kind of nice to have his undivided attention once in awhile," said the boy with a scowl.
"But your family is so normal," sputtered the Professor.
"Oh, you'd think so but let me tell you now how not normal we are. Us kids are all named for dead people. James Fredric, bullying git, destined for the Ministry or the joke shop maybe both, felt he had to live down to his name- Scion of the Marauders and Twins, life of the party, consummate Gryffindor. And Lily, Dad always said it didn't matter what house we were in but Mum certainly freaked when Lily was sorted into Slytherin. And of course there's me, Albus Severus, named for two great Headmasters of Hogwarts, war heroes, gaahh the pressure. All I hear is how great a man Albus Dumbledore was, how much he did, people go quiet when asked about Severus Snape though, they whisper about how surprised they were when everyone knew he was an evil git." Albus waved a hand. "Then of course there were the fights. Mum and Dad put on a good front but Mum's never been happy that Dad didn't use his 'fame'. She wanted to be a society wife and Dad refused to go," the boy shook his head and sighed. "It's enough to give anyone a complex."
"But- but you're a nice boy," said the Professor.
Albus Severus grinned again, "Well, yeah, I have to attract followers you know. I'm not ready to launch my career yet. I still have to come up with a platform and an anagram."
"Why tell me, now then?" the professor almost whined.
"Oh, well you have a choice of course, you can join me and get in on the ground floor or you can organize the defense. After all that's a Hogwarts tradition, leading the fight against Dark Lords. Would you like to be my mentor turned enemy, Professor?" he inquired fingering the wand in his pocket idly.
"Oh, er, may I get back to you?" said the hesitant Professor.
"Sure, sir, like I said I'm not ready to go public yet. Is that all?"
"Um, is there a back up career that you might like? In case your first choice doesn't work out?" asked the Professor falling back on routine.
"Oh, yeah, broomstick design. Dad owns some shares in Nimbus and I have an internship there this summer," the boy gushed enthusiastically.
The Professor blinked and said, "Ah, very good, Mr. Potter, er you may go."
The boy stood and smiled widely, "Thanks Professor, it was great to discuss this with you."
The Professor wiped his brow as the boy strode confidently out of his office leaving the door ajar. He heard another boy's voice asking, "Hey, Potter, what did the Professor want?"
"Career counseling, Malfoy, I told him I wanted to be the next Dark Lord."
The laugher in the corridor reassured the Professor. By dinner that evening the Professor had convinced himself that the boy had been playing a prank on him. Albus Severus Potter was a natural leader, bright, outgoing and magically strong but still much like his father and everyone knew Harry Potter would never go dark. He smiled down at the boy sitting with his head bent over a paper and acknowledged it had been a very good joke.
"Hey, Potter, what are you doing?" asked on of his dorm mates quietly.
"Oh, just seeing what I can spell with all the letters in my name," replied the boy with a grin.
by Loralee
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Warning: Spoilers for DH
The boy knocked on the Professor's half open door and then stuck in his head. "You wanted to see me Professor?" he asked.
"Ah, yes Mr. Potter, please have a seat. I have been going over your marks and have spoken with your other teachers. I dare say you shouldn't have any trouble with your O.W.L.s this year. Have you thought about what you might want to do when you leave Hogwarts? You have the marks to be an Auror like your father and the work you've done with your cross-house study group and the tutoring of some younger students shows you would make an excellent teacher. Perhaps further education? A mastery in Charms or Potions?" the Professor finally looked up into the boys extraordinary green eyes.
"Oh, well I did have some thoughts about what I'd like to do," said the boy an engaging grin playing about his lips and causing the Professor to smile back.
"Do tell me, Mr. Potter," he said.
"Well it does tie into the friends I've been making in all the houses. I'll need minions, you see," said the boy enthusiastically.
"Minions?" questioned the Professor the smile beginning to dissipate.
"Oh, yes, you see Professor, I think I'll like to be the next Dark Lord."
"I beg your pardon?" whispered the Professor in shock.
"The next Dark Lord," repeated the boy, "You know a sociopathic, meglomaniacal Dark Lord bent on World domination."
"Sociopathic?" repeated the Professor.
"Oh, yes I can't very well be a pychopath because I do know right from wrong, I just don't care much, you know?" said the boy producing a twisted little grin and causing the Professor to shudder.
"But your father--"
"Yeah, I know Dad's an auror and he'll have to try to stop me but it would be kind of nice to have his undivided attention once in awhile," said the boy with a scowl.
"But your family is so normal," sputtered the Professor.
"Oh, you'd think so but let me tell you now how not normal we are. Us kids are all named for dead people. James Fredric, bullying git, destined for the Ministry or the joke shop maybe both, felt he had to live down to his name- Scion of the Marauders and Twins, life of the party, consummate Gryffindor. And Lily, Dad always said it didn't matter what house we were in but Mum certainly freaked when Lily was sorted into Slytherin. And of course there's me, Albus Severus, named for two great Headmasters of Hogwarts, war heroes, gaahh the pressure. All I hear is how great a man Albus Dumbledore was, how much he did, people go quiet when asked about Severus Snape though, they whisper about how surprised they were when everyone knew he was an evil git." Albus waved a hand. "Then of course there were the fights. Mum and Dad put on a good front but Mum's never been happy that Dad didn't use his 'fame'. She wanted to be a society wife and Dad refused to go," the boy shook his head and sighed. "It's enough to give anyone a complex."
"But- but you're a nice boy," said the Professor.
Albus Severus grinned again, "Well, yeah, I have to attract followers you know. I'm not ready to launch my career yet. I still have to come up with a platform and an anagram."
"Why tell me, now then?" the professor almost whined.
"Oh, well you have a choice of course, you can join me and get in on the ground floor or you can organize the defense. After all that's a Hogwarts tradition, leading the fight against Dark Lords. Would you like to be my mentor turned enemy, Professor?" he inquired fingering the wand in his pocket idly.
"Oh, er, may I get back to you?" said the hesitant Professor.
"Sure, sir, like I said I'm not ready to go public yet. Is that all?"
"Um, is there a back up career that you might like? In case your first choice doesn't work out?" asked the Professor falling back on routine.
"Oh, yeah, broomstick design. Dad owns some shares in Nimbus and I have an internship there this summer," the boy gushed enthusiastically.
The Professor blinked and said, "Ah, very good, Mr. Potter, er you may go."
The boy stood and smiled widely, "Thanks Professor, it was great to discuss this with you."
The Professor wiped his brow as the boy strode confidently out of his office leaving the door ajar. He heard another boy's voice asking, "Hey, Potter, what did the Professor want?"
"Career counseling, Malfoy, I told him I wanted to be the next Dark Lord."
The laugher in the corridor reassured the Professor. By dinner that evening the Professor had convinced himself that the boy had been playing a prank on him. Albus Severus Potter was a natural leader, bright, outgoing and magically strong but still much like his father and everyone knew Harry Potter would never go dark. He smiled down at the boy sitting with his head bent over a paper and acknowledged it had been a very good joke.
"Hey, Potter, what are you doing?" asked on of his dorm mates quietly.
"Oh, just seeing what I can spell with all the letters in my name," replied the boy with a grin.
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