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FIC: Careers Advice (Lily, McGonagall, Gen)
Title: Careers Advice
Author: shiiki
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Lily Evans, Minerva McGonagall, Gen
Word Count: 1,149
Fandom: Harry Potter
Summary: Lily has her Careers Advice talk in fifth year.
Notes: February Frenzy day 5 offering, dedicated to angela_147. Post-DH, I ended up discovering different things about Lily. This is one of the new ideas I've been wanting to explore. Timeline-wise, this won't fit into the new fic I'm writing, but it certainly works for me as a bit of background.
By the time Lily's Careers Advice appointment with Professor McGonagall arrived, she had made hardly any headway in deciding which of the many career pamphlets they'd been given actually appealed to her. She had managed to whittle down the massive stack by eliminating several options which she had no intention of considering, but that still left a large number to choose from.
She brought the brochures along with her to McGonagall's office, for all the good that would do. If days of musing over them had yielded no clear path, she couldn't see that having them handy would help. But perhaps McGonagall would have some idea ... that was the point of Careers Advice after all, wasn't it?
'I see you've been doing your reading,' said McGonagall approvingly, eyeing the stack of pamphlets under Lily's arm. 'You were always thorough, Miss Evans. Which is more than I can say for some of your classmates.' The last bit was said in an undertone that Lily wasn't sure she was supposed to hear. But she had a sudden idea exactly which classmate might have had his Careers Advice chat before hers.
'Well, have a seat, and tell me what you've considered so far.'
This was the part she had dreaded. Lily set the pamphlets down on the table and sat as directed, her fingers reaching automatically to play with the elastic band she kept around her wrist. How did she begin to tell Professor McGonagall that she had absolutely no clue what she wanted to do with her lift in the future?
'I'm sorry, Professor, I ... I don't know ...'
'I gather that nothing has called out to you.'
Lily looked up in surprise. 'Professor?'
'You are not the first student to come to me unsure of her direction in life,' said Professor McGonagall gently. 'A career decision is not an easy one to make at the age of sixteen. It's perfectly normal. If every student had decided on their career path before entering this room, there would be little point of a careers consultation.'
'I -- I suppose not ...' Lily flushed, feeling a little silly. Hadn't she just been thinking that before knocking to come in?
'Let's start from the beginning, then. What is important to you, Lily?'
'Important?' She turned the question over in her head. 'I -- I don't know, Professor. Many things ...'
Professor McGonagall was silent, waiting.
'My ... well, my family. Friends.' Well, there was a dead end -- 'Good Friend' wasn't exactly an illustrious career. Think actions. What was important to her to do? 'Helping people ...' she said slowly.
Professor McGonagall looked thoughtful. She removed her spectacles, wiped them with a tartan cloth, and replaced them on the bridge of her nose. 'I wonder ...' She reached for Lily's stack of pamphlets and began to sift through them, searching. Her lips twisted upwards as she picked one out of the pile. Lily craned her head to see just which it was that she'd chosen.
'Miss Evans, you might want to think about becoming a Healer.'
A Healer. The wizarding equivalent of a doctor ... like her mother was. Mum would approve. Still, Lily wasn't quite sure what to think. She had of course looked through that particular pamphlet. She knew the requirements for the Healer trainee programme stated within were one of the most rigorous of the lot.
'I did read the information,' Lily said finally, because Professor McGonagall was expecting an answer. 'It didn't ... stand out ...' And she still didn't feel any particular spark of recognition, even with Professor McGonagall's suggestion. No bolt from the blue struck to say, Yes, this is it!
But what would she know? Nothing had stood out, after all, so a recommendation -- and Professor McGonagall should know what she was talking about -- was more than any of the other choices had going for them.
'I could try it,' she concluded uncertainly.
'Don't look so worried,' said Professor McGonagall. 'This discussion isn't meant to be a final decision on your future. I've had students who come in knowing decisively what they want to do, but change their mind in due course and end up pursuing a completely opposite field by the time they leave Hogwarts. Life is unpredictable, Miss Evans.
'All the same, it is essential that you have an idea of the possibilities available, and set yourself at least a direction. A guide, if you will. Healing is a noble career -- and one that could set you up with opportunities elsewhere. I'm sure you've heard of Dilys Derwent. Celebrated Healer, and later a Headmistress here at Hogwarts. Your first career needn't be your last.'
Lily nodded. 'The pamphlet said I'd need six N.E.W.T.s of E grade or higher to enter the trainee programme ...'
Professor McGonagall smiled. 'Thorough, as I said, Miss Evans. A trait that would serve you well if you were to become a Healer. Yes, six E's, with Charms, Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts being prerequisites. But I wouldn't worry. Your marks at the moment in all five subjects are well above average -- and in fact, Professors Flitwick and Slughorn can't quite agree on whether you will do wonders in the field of Charms or Potions. That's quite exceptional, Miss Evans.'
Lily wasn't quite sure what to say. Praise from Professor McGonagall was rare indeed, and she could feel herself reddening again, but with pleasure this time.
'However, I am certain you will have plenty of opportunity to exercise your talent in both areas if you go into Healing. At the moment I see no obstructions to you in this path -- of course, you would have to keep your grades up, as most of the teachers -- myself included -- only accept students who achieve E and above into their N.E.W.T. classes.'
'What about the sixth N.E.W.T., Professor?'
'There are no restrictions on what the sixth N.E.W.T. should be, so you are welcome to choose whichever subject you fancy. I would suggest that you perhaps speak to Madam Pomfrey about it -- she might have some worthwhile advice for you. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to approach her next year to learn what Healing is about. That would give you a chance to make a more informed decision.'
Lily found herself nodding again, feeling a bit as though caught in a whirlwind. She'd come in completely uncertain, and now she could see a whole future branching out before her. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea, even if it was hard work.
'Have you any more questions, then?'
'Er ... no, not really.'
'That concludes our session, then. I hope it has been useful.'
'Yes.' Lily gathered her pamphlets, with the one from St Mungo's placed at the top. 'Thank you, Professor.'
'My pleasure, Miss Evans. I wish you luck.'
Author: shiiki
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Lily Evans, Minerva McGonagall, Gen
Word Count: 1,149
Fandom: Harry Potter
Summary: Lily has her Careers Advice talk in fifth year.
Notes: February Frenzy day 5 offering, dedicated to angela_147. Post-DH, I ended up discovering different things about Lily. This is one of the new ideas I've been wanting to explore. Timeline-wise, this won't fit into the new fic I'm writing, but it certainly works for me as a bit of background.
By the time Lily's Careers Advice appointment with Professor McGonagall arrived, she had made hardly any headway in deciding which of the many career pamphlets they'd been given actually appealed to her. She had managed to whittle down the massive stack by eliminating several options which she had no intention of considering, but that still left a large number to choose from.
She brought the brochures along with her to McGonagall's office, for all the good that would do. If days of musing over them had yielded no clear path, she couldn't see that having them handy would help. But perhaps McGonagall would have some idea ... that was the point of Careers Advice after all, wasn't it?
'I see you've been doing your reading,' said McGonagall approvingly, eyeing the stack of pamphlets under Lily's arm. 'You were always thorough, Miss Evans. Which is more than I can say for some of your classmates.' The last bit was said in an undertone that Lily wasn't sure she was supposed to hear. But she had a sudden idea exactly which classmate might have had his Careers Advice chat before hers.
'Well, have a seat, and tell me what you've considered so far.'
This was the part she had dreaded. Lily set the pamphlets down on the table and sat as directed, her fingers reaching automatically to play with the elastic band she kept around her wrist. How did she begin to tell Professor McGonagall that she had absolutely no clue what she wanted to do with her lift in the future?
'I'm sorry, Professor, I ... I don't know ...'
'I gather that nothing has called out to you.'
Lily looked up in surprise. 'Professor?'
'You are not the first student to come to me unsure of her direction in life,' said Professor McGonagall gently. 'A career decision is not an easy one to make at the age of sixteen. It's perfectly normal. If every student had decided on their career path before entering this room, there would be little point of a careers consultation.'
'I -- I suppose not ...' Lily flushed, feeling a little silly. Hadn't she just been thinking that before knocking to come in?
'Let's start from the beginning, then. What is important to you, Lily?'
'Important?' She turned the question over in her head. 'I -- I don't know, Professor. Many things ...'
Professor McGonagall was silent, waiting.
'My ... well, my family. Friends.' Well, there was a dead end -- 'Good Friend' wasn't exactly an illustrious career. Think actions. What was important to her to do? 'Helping people ...' she said slowly.
Professor McGonagall looked thoughtful. She removed her spectacles, wiped them with a tartan cloth, and replaced them on the bridge of her nose. 'I wonder ...' She reached for Lily's stack of pamphlets and began to sift through them, searching. Her lips twisted upwards as she picked one out of the pile. Lily craned her head to see just which it was that she'd chosen.
'Miss Evans, you might want to think about becoming a Healer.'
A Healer. The wizarding equivalent of a doctor ... like her mother was. Mum would approve. Still, Lily wasn't quite sure what to think. She had of course looked through that particular pamphlet. She knew the requirements for the Healer trainee programme stated within were one of the most rigorous of the lot.
'I did read the information,' Lily said finally, because Professor McGonagall was expecting an answer. 'It didn't ... stand out ...' And she still didn't feel any particular spark of recognition, even with Professor McGonagall's suggestion. No bolt from the blue struck to say, Yes, this is it!
But what would she know? Nothing had stood out, after all, so a recommendation -- and Professor McGonagall should know what she was talking about -- was more than any of the other choices had going for them.
'I could try it,' she concluded uncertainly.
'Don't look so worried,' said Professor McGonagall. 'This discussion isn't meant to be a final decision on your future. I've had students who come in knowing decisively what they want to do, but change their mind in due course and end up pursuing a completely opposite field by the time they leave Hogwarts. Life is unpredictable, Miss Evans.
'All the same, it is essential that you have an idea of the possibilities available, and set yourself at least a direction. A guide, if you will. Healing is a noble career -- and one that could set you up with opportunities elsewhere. I'm sure you've heard of Dilys Derwent. Celebrated Healer, and later a Headmistress here at Hogwarts. Your first career needn't be your last.'
Lily nodded. 'The pamphlet said I'd need six N.E.W.T.s of E grade or higher to enter the trainee programme ...'
Professor McGonagall smiled. 'Thorough, as I said, Miss Evans. A trait that would serve you well if you were to become a Healer. Yes, six E's, with Charms, Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts being prerequisites. But I wouldn't worry. Your marks at the moment in all five subjects are well above average -- and in fact, Professors Flitwick and Slughorn can't quite agree on whether you will do wonders in the field of Charms or Potions. That's quite exceptional, Miss Evans.'
Lily wasn't quite sure what to say. Praise from Professor McGonagall was rare indeed, and she could feel herself reddening again, but with pleasure this time.
'However, I am certain you will have plenty of opportunity to exercise your talent in both areas if you go into Healing. At the moment I see no obstructions to you in this path -- of course, you would have to keep your grades up, as most of the teachers -- myself included -- only accept students who achieve E and above into their N.E.W.T. classes.'
'What about the sixth N.E.W.T., Professor?'
'There are no restrictions on what the sixth N.E.W.T. should be, so you are welcome to choose whichever subject you fancy. I would suggest that you perhaps speak to Madam Pomfrey about it -- she might have some worthwhile advice for you. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to approach her next year to learn what Healing is about. That would give you a chance to make a more informed decision.'
Lily found herself nodding again, feeling a bit as though caught in a whirlwind. She'd come in completely uncertain, and now she could see a whole future branching out before her. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea, even if it was hard work.
'Have you any more questions, then?'
'Er ... no, not really.'
'That concludes our session, then. I hope it has been useful.'
'Yes.' Lily gathered her pamphlets, with the one from St Mungo's placed at the top. 'Thank you, Professor.'
'My pleasure, Miss Evans. I wish you luck.'