Choose Your Own Adventure

[Barrett Keene]

@'Marceline Bartram' @'Hannah Echelon'

His appointment with Miss Bartram was in the Gryffindor Common Room, and Barrett grinned when the fifth year sat down in the arm chair across from him. "Miss Bartram," he said, "First off - I'm assuming you intend on continuing through your N.E.W.T.s?"

O.W.L. students were much easier to council than seventh years, who really had to get their shit together. Barrett was expecting this to cause much less sympathy stress in him than any of his students who were auror-track. Hopefully Miss Bartram would not take that route. Barrett was sick of the auror track.

  

[Marceline Bartram]

Marceline knew that some of her yearmates were a little nervous about these meetings with their head of house, but she wouldn't admit to sharing that apprehension. She did know that she wasn't about to sit around waiting for Mama to find some pig for her to marry, and she didn't want to do anything so boring as work in a shop -- but beyond that she had to admit she was a little bit clueless.

Luckily, she did like Professor Keene (Ghoul Studies, too), and she didn't really have to know exactly what she wanted to do just yet. Probably.

"I do," she replied eagerly. There was no reason for her not to, as far as she knew -- her grades were actually quite good, thank you very much, and she couldn't see Papa giving her anything less than a full education. "Though... I admit I'm not entirely sure which courses I should keep taking." Or what she would do with her life after NEWTs. She was only fifteen, how was she supposed to know?

Tag: @'Barrett Keene' | Notes: lol sorry for the wait

  

[Barrett Keene]

"Well," Barrett said, "You can take up to seven but I would encourage you to stick to four or five. I took four." And he was now a gainfully employed academic, so clearly that wasn't the worst decision he'd ever made. He'd had free time, in his N.E.W.T. years! It had been fairly excellent.

"You should absolutely stick with Charms and Defense," he added, glancing down at the piece of paper in front of him briefly, "And obviously I'd prefer that you continue with Ghoul Studies."

  

[Marceline Bartram]

Marcie nodded attentively as Professor Keene spoke, glad to hear that he, at least, thought well enough of her to want to continue teaching her!

"I do think I want to stick with all of those," she said, smiling, "and Transfiguration and Potions as well." Those all sounded like practical options. Practical was good. "I guess it's a little early to think about it, but -- what sorts of occupations might I be able to find with those NEWTs? Assuming I do well, of course."

Please don't say secretary, Marcie silently willed.

  

[Barrett Keene]

"Those give you a lot of options," Barrett said, "There's the Spirit Division, which I've heard is exciting. Academia and research. It's also fairly well-suited to Magical Accidents and Catastrophes." She wasn't auror or healer track, which automatically made Miss Bartram easier to deal with than several of his other students. 

  

[Marceline Bartram]

Those all sounded rather exciting to Marcie -- which probably meant her poor mother's "nerves" would disagree. Well, it was hardly her fault her mother was ridiculous. If Mama had her way, Marcie would be paraded about like some prize cow at auction until some boring old man decided he wanted to buy her!

Papa, at least, would be pleased.

"Those all sound excellent," Marcie said decisively. "I'm afraid Mama might insist on my playing debutante for a summer after NEWTs -- but I would hope applying a little late wouldn't hurt my chances!"

  

[Barrett Keene]

"Definitely not," Barrett said with a shake of his head, "By then you'll have your N.E.W.T. grades, so it may even help." He had faith that Miss Bartram would go far - she was an excellent student and fairly entertaining, after all.