Chapter 677: Careers in the Magical World
Chapter 677: Careers in the Magical World
Due to the overwhelming amount of homework assigned, an interesting phenomenon occurred during this year's Easter holiday... Not a single student at Hogwarts decided to go home. The Hogwarts Express waited at the platform all morning, but not a soul boarded it. Everyone unanimously chose to remain at school.
This had never happened before in previous years.
The library became the most sought-after place, filling up with students before 8 am each day. If you arrived any later, you'd have to borrow reference books and find another place to study.
This made things rather inconvenient.
After all, the professors had assigned an excessive amount of homework covering various topics, and one or two reference books simply wouldn't suffice. Sometimes, midway through their work, students had to return to the library to borrow more books.
As a result, some students started waking up earlier and earlier, especially those in their fifth and seventh years. A few eager ones even waited at the library door as early as 6 am.
What was supposed to be a relaxing holiday turned out to be more exhausting than regular school days.
"This is madness... All of Hogwarts has gone crazy," Mick and Ryan grumbled as they put on their robes in their dormitory one morning.
"We now have to get up an hour earlier just to secure a spot in the library. I've never woken up this early before..." Mick complained irritably, glancing at Kyle, who was still getting dressed. "Why aren't you ready yet? Forget it, we're leaving without you. Do you want us to save you a seat... if there's still space in the library, that is."
"No need, go ahead without me," Kyle waved his hand. "I've just applied for a practical activity with the Ministry of Magic, so I don't have to do the homework."
Mick, who was about to walk out the door, suddenly froze and stiffly turned his head.
"What did you say?" His voice pitched high and sharp, sounding like a goose whose neck was being squeezed. "You don't have to do the homework... and the professors agreed to that?"
"Yeah, most of the professors approved it," Kyle stretched lazily. "It's an official matter, and even the Minister agreed, so the professors have no reason to refuse."
In an instant, Mick and Ryan felt as if their stomachs were stuffed with lemons, the sourness twisting their expressions.
"Working for the Ministry of Magic is really something, huh..." a sour voice commented.
"Although I don't particularly enjoy the work, I must admit that the status does come in handy at times," Kyle said with a smile. "Cheer up, maybe one day you'll get there too."
"Hmph!" Mick snorted derisively, and the two of them left without a backward glance at Kyle.
Kyle might be exempt from the homework, but they weren't, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time if they wanted a spot in the library.
After they left, the dormitory fell silent.
When Kyle finally strolled into the common room, he found it occupied by students hard at work on their assignments.
Every armchair was taken, and the tables, usually laden with snacks and treats, now held stacks of books and parchment.
Kyle wisely refrained from boasting about his homework exemption and quietly slipped out of the common room.
The Great Hall was also bustling with students, making it the third most popular place after the library and the common room.
Here, students could work on their assignments right after finishing their meals, saving them an extra trip, and they could also borrow reference books from one another due to the large number of people present.
This made the Great Hall lively and bustling.
After a quick breakfast of egg and ham sandwiches, Kyle left the Great Hall and headed outside.
Since Connor and Cedric were both busy, and Kyle didn't want to appear too idle, he decided to pay Hagrid a visit.
After a while without seeing each other, Hagrid's facial wounds had mostly healed, leaving only faint traces.
"How come you have time to visit me?" Hagrid looked pleased, setting down the piece of wood he'd been working on. "I don't think I've congratulated you on joining the Ministry of Magic yet."
"Never mind that," Kyle rubbed his forehead. "What are you making?"
"I'm making a bowl," Hagrid replied.
"A bowl?" Kyle thought he'd misheard and glanced at the piece of wood Hagrid had set aside. Indeed, the wood had been hollowed out, but how should he put it... If this thing were any bigger, it could be used to bathe first-year students.
Was this a bowl?
"Oh, I misspoke..." Hagrid quickly corrected himself. "I mean, I'm making a bucket... um... to feed Buckbeak. The previous one got chewed up."
Seeing Hagrid's guilty expression, Kyle instantly understood and stated confidently, "This isn't for Buckbeak, it's for the giant you're hiding in the Forbidden Forest, isn't it?"
"Alright," Hagrid conceded when he saw Kyle's reaction. "Lately, I've been trying to teach Gloop to eat normally, but it hasn't been going well. He seems to prefer holding his food in his hands... Oh, Gloop is his name.
"Take him out?" Kyle blinked. "Where to? Hogwarts? Or do you plan to have him help you with the gamekeeper duties?"
"I know it's difficult, but I have to try..." Hagrid picked up the bucket and continued shaving off wood shavings, "He's too small to live in a giant tribe. He can only survive in the Forbidden Forest..."
Hagrid's eyes welled up with tears. "He's my brother. I can't just abandon him."
"Your brother?" Kyle said, surprised that Hagrid would suddenly reveal this information.
"Actually, he's my half-brother on my mother's side. He's a pure-blood giant..." Hagrid wiped his face with his sleeve haphazardly. "Speaking of which, I have you to thank."
"What for?" Kyle thought for a moment, wondering if he had helped Hagrid recently.
"Yes, the last time at the Three Broomsticks, I heard Professor McGonagall say that you found a way to get rid of Umbridge." Hagrid sounded relieved.
"To be honest, when that horrible woman was still at the school, I felt like I could be fired at any moment. She had hinted at it many times.
"I can't even imagine what would have happened if I had left the school. Who would have taken care of Gloop? He's just a sixteen-foot child, weak and helpless. What would he do in the Forbidden Forest?"
Kyle furrowed his brow, trying to reconcile the concepts of 'sixteen feet' and 'weak and helpless' in his mind.
But Hagrid didn't seem to notice Kyle's strangeness and continued, "I've thought about asking you to take care of him..."
"I'm fine with that," Kyle blurted out. "I've got nothing much going on lately, and I'd be happy to help."
"Oh, there's no need now." Hagrid waved his hand. "That's why I said I wanted to thank you. Now that Umbridge is gone, I won't be fired, and I can continue taking care of Gloop.
"And I don't want to trouble you too much... I know you have your exams coming up."
"Believe me, Hagrid, I don't mind at all." Kyle said sincerely. "You don't have to be so polite with me."
He had never seen a giant before, not even in Newt's case, so this was a rare opportunity.
"I understand your good intentions, but... no." Hagrid thought for a moment and shook his head. "He doesn't know his own strength and could easily hurt you. I can't let you take that risk."
As he spoke, Hagrid also tilted his head slightly to glance at a rope lying next to the hut.
Kyle followed his gaze. The rope was as thick as a wrist, similar to the ones used to transport dragons in the Dragon Sanctuary, but it was broken in the middle, and the break was uneven, as if it had been torn apart.
"Just as you see it," Hagrid explained. "To prevent Gloop from running wild in the Forbidden Forest and wandering into dangerous areas, I had to tie him up, but this rope obviously wasn't strong enough, so I switched to a thicker one.
"Now you understand how terrifying the strength of a pure-blood giant can be. He might just gently touch you, and you'd end up with a few broken bones."
Kyle didn't really mind Hagrid's concerns, as a wizard who often encountered various dangerous magical creatures, giants were not that easy to come by.
But Hagrid didn't seem to think so, and he was still reluctant to let Kyle meet Gloop.
Kyle had no choice but to respect that. The Forbidden Forest was vast, and without Hagrid's guidance, no one would be able to find Gloop, no matter how conspicuous he was as a giant.
Although it felt a bit mean, Kyle couldn't help but think that if he had only given Fudge his idea a few days later, Hagrid might have caved in and told him the location by now.
However, it was useless to think about that now. Hagrid could be very stubborn about certain things... By noon, Kyle returned to the castle, a little disappointed.
...
As the holiday days passed, the weather became clearer and clearer. The warm breeze made people feel sleepy, but most couldn't afford to sleep. They had to force themselves to stay indoors, doing homework and reviewing lessons, making frequent trips to the library.
Under such circumstances, even a Dementor would probably go hungry.
"Career guidance?" Kyle asked, looking at Professor McGonagall.
"It's simple," she replied. "We provide advice to fifth-year students to help them understand what careers they may be suited for." Professor McGonagall handed a booklet to Kyle. "Then, in their sixth year, they can choose their classes accordingly, based on their interests."
"Wait..." Kyle said, holding the booklet. "Why didn't I have this when I was in my fifth year?"
"Because, including the headmaster, we unanimously agreed that you didn't need to participate in this..." Professor McGonagall said without looking up. "Of course, if you insist, it's not too late even now."
"No, that's alright," Kyle said. "So, why did you call me here, Professor?"
"Of course, to help out," Professor McGonagall said as she tidied the stack of booklets on her desk. "Every year, many students express their desire to work for the Ministry of Magic. As an assistant to the Senior Minister of Magic, it's your responsibility to offer them guidance."
"When did I ever say I wanted to help...?" Kyle trailed off, catching the twinkle in Professor McGonagall's eye. Wisely, he closed his mouth.
Indeed, a few days ago, he had concocted a reason related to the Ministry to exempt himself from doing homework.
No wonder Professor McGonagall had approved his request so readily; it was because of this.
"Alright, when do we start?" Kyle asked.
"Now," Professor McGonagall replied.
"So soon?" Kyle said. "Shouldn't we give them some time to consider their options first? The notice was just posted this morning, and many students probably haven't had a chance to go through all these booklets yet."
"Don't worry, the appointments are staggered," Professor McGonagall said. "Most of the guidance sessions will take place after the holidays, but a few students wanted to inquire about their interests sooner rather than later..."
As she finished speaking, there was a knock on the office door.
The visitor was a Gryffindor fifth-year girl whom Kyle vaguely recognized but couldn't recall her name.
She was certain she wanted to work for the Ministry of Magic but was torn between the Ministry of Magic's Accident and Catastrophe Department and the International Magical Cooperation Department.
"I suggest you choose the International Magical Cooperation Department," Professor McGonagall said. "Your grades are well-rounded, without any obvious weaknesses... Also, you do speak French, don't you? That fits the requirements of the International Magical Cooperation Department."
"Yes..." The witch nodded hesitantly. "But I feel that the Catastrophe Department is more challenging, and working there wouldn't be boring."
Well, a typical Gryffindor.
Professor McGonagall didn't answer immediately but glanced at Kyle.
"Actually, the International Magical Cooperation Department isn't boring at all," Kyle said. "Of course, if you really want to choose the Catastrophe Department, you must obtain 'Acceptable' or higher in both Charms and Transfiguration in your N.E.W.T.s. That's a hard requirement.
"So, I suggest you continue studying those two subjects in your sixth year."
The girl nodded excitedly, thanked them, and left.
A few minutes later, another person walked in.
He was torn between St. Mungo's and Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
This had nothing to do with Kyle, so while Professor McGonagall was speaking, he flipped through the booklet in his hand.
To be honest, Kyle was seeing these various wizarding careers for the first time himself.
Gringotts Curse-Breaker: Exciting opportunities to work abroad. Proficiency in Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy required.
St. Mungo's Healer... Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts...
Muggle Liason... No particular requirements, just a Muggle Studies certificate.
In addition, there were some even more interesting ones.
Fungus Farmer
Owl Keeper
Broomstick Tester
Dark Arts Artifacts Appraiser
Training Troll Guards
...
All sorts of professions were listed, and Kyle even found a promotional booklet for the Dragon Reserve.
It depicted over a dozen lifelike dragons and a wizard riding a broomstick.
"Are you seeking a challenging career? Do you want to touch and tame the most powerful creatures, soaring with them through the skies and experiencing breathtaking vistas? If you think you have what it takes, join us..."
It had to be said that this booklet was quite attractive, and Kyle suspected that Charlie had probably seen something like this before deciding to go to Romania.
(End of Chapter)
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