One of the worst parts of being a fifth-year last year, in my opinion, wasn't the increased workload or even the O.W.Ls that follow one around like a Grim Raptor just waiting to swoop down and carry one away to a terrible fate if one doesn't spend every waking moment preparing to do battle with them at the end of the school year.
No.
It was the dreaded "Talk." You know the one I mean. Each student is ushered, one-by-one, into their Head of House's private chambers and coerced encouraged to pick a career. For the rest of one's life. At fifteen.
Oh, it's fine for some, I suppose. My little sister, the quintessential Gryffindork that she is, has known that she wants to be an Auror since she was seven, despite the fact that both of our parents are in the healing profession. She'll breeze right through that Talk next year with no problem.
"Think of your future," my mum said every time she caught me working on some scheme or practicing Quidditch moves with my wand and a toy broomstick. "You can't play forever, you know."
Well, why not??? Sure, I"m not a brilliant Quidditch player. I get that. Without Kalina and Tyra and Tabitha on my team, not to mention Jade to play against, I've not got a prayer of making a good play. Quidditch is just a means to an end, anyway. The end being - having fun. Making others laugh. Enjoying life. You know? The things you're supposed to hold important. The future? Not so much. That's big, nebulous, and, I admit - a bit on the scary side. Besides. I'm in no hurry to grow up - unlike so many of my classmates.
Why all the stress to choose a profession so early anyway? Why can't I be a generalist? My whole point is that the future is uncertain, despite what they try to sell us in Divination. How do I know what I'll want to do with my life in five years? I don't know what I want to do with my life in five months! In five years, I could be a completely different person with completely different interests, ideas, and priorities. Why should now-me be responsible for the whole life-trajectory of future-me?
In the middle of the most academically stressful year of my entire life to date, I had to make a major life-choice about my future? Nope. No way.
Oh, I wasn't able to get off that scot-free, but that doesn't mean I was going to be locked into whatever advice and academic schedule resulted from that Talk. Nope - I decided that instead of choosing a career and charting out my entire future by having to take whatever classes that career demanded? I chose what I was interested in learning now. I tried to be realistic. Like - I love the outdoors and flying and stuff. I love creatures, too - but I looked carefully at what Care of Magical Creatures actually learns for N.E.W.T.s rather than just choosing the outdoors for fun.
So I chose Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, and - if I had to - Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, as I don't hate those classes, but they're not my favorites either. And I wanted to make sure there was room for fun as well.
No, I'm not going to tell you what "career" that gave me - that's for the future!