The team's euphoria of the final Quidditch winning lasted a little over a week. Even the weather seemed to match the Gryffindor house's mood. The days because cloudless and sunny, causing many students to be wishing they could stroll outside. They wanted to lie on the grass and play some Gobblestones or watch the squid swim across the lake.

Unfortunately for them, they couldn't. Exams and O.W.L.S. we're coming up. So students sat inside, forcing themselves to rely on their studies for the answers.

Tori stood in Professor Lupin's class, watching him stroll around as he talked. "Today we will be learning the spell Protego, does anyone know what this spell can do, yes, Mr. Kaly?"

"It's a shield spell. This spell can block an attack."

"Excellent. Now, to be able to produce this spell you have to say it with strength. Everyone, lean back now and say Protego!"

"Protego!"

"Stronger!"

"Protego!"

"Brilliant! Now, settle down. Can I have a volunteer willing— you don't even know what your volunteering for— willing to help show the class the spell against me." Professor Lupin's eyes scanned the crowd before landed on a student who didn't have her hand raised.

"Miss Silvers, care to join me upfront?"

Tori nodded, a bit surprised. She stepped foreword away from her friends to stand across her Professor. Lupin began talking once again, "Not to fear, I will not be using anything to hurt our friend here. The spell I will be using is the tickling charm. Now, Miss Silvers May, I give a demonstration of the said charm?"

Tori agreed, not seeing a problem with it. Professor Lupin pointed his wand at her and with a quick jerk of his hand called out, "Rictusempra!" Immediately, Tori bent over laughing as the sparkling spell surrounded her. She clutching her stomach, trying to stop. She could hear some of the classmates laughing along with her.

"Excellent, Excellent! As you can see no harm is done, and we can begin the real treat. Now, Miss Silvers. I am going to cast that spell at you several times, and I want you to block it using Protego. Sounds good?"

"Yes, Professor." Tori stood with her feet apart and her wand ready. Her first few tries weren't great, her stomach hurt from laughing so much once she had been hit for the fifth time. She shook herself, taking a deep breath.

Professor Lupin shot the spell without warning this time. Tori quickly held her wand out. "Protego!" She shouted. Almost like an umbrella, the spell shot away and disappeared into nothing. There was a small round of applause before Lupin continued to use it without any such warning.

Tori kept blocking it, moving her wand in every which direction. She had a rather large grin on her face as she proudly stopped every advance. Professor Lupin stopped, applauding her. "Excellent, just excellent Miss Silvers! Now, I want all of you to pair up and practice that spell. Remember only use the tickling charm. Ah, Professor McGonagall, what can I help you with?"

"I'm here for Miss Silvers." Professor McGonagall said, gaining Tori's attention.  It was one of the days Tori had been dreading, the career day. Tori followed her teacher out of the classroom, taking her books with her. She quickly apologized for being late, but McGonagall didn't seem to mind. They walked through McGonagall's office doors and Tori couldn't help fidgeting with her hands. "Take a seat, Miss Silvers. Well, Silvers, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years," Professor McGonagall said. "We need to start immediately. Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"Uh, I'm afraid not," Tori admitted, scratching the back of her head. Professor McGonagall nodded, not looking as upset as Tori had imagined.

"Well Miss Silvers, I have your list of recommendations based on your progress in your classes—" She began listing off a ton of jobs Tori had read about in those booklets.

"Dragonologist."

"Zookeeper."

"Professional Quidditch Player."

"Astronomer."

Tori nodded through all of those. "Both your father and now your brother is working in the Administrative Registration Department in the ministry. Have you considered that?"

"I have, Professor. But I'm afraid that's not something I want to do..." She definitely knew she didn't want to be strapped down to a desk her entire life. Professor McGonagall eyed her before speaking again.

"Well, I was skeptical when Professor Lupin first gave me the idea, but he has given me some reports on your progress not only in his classroom but your others. And seeing you perform the shielding charm so well is rather impressive, especially on your first go. Both Professor Lupin and I think being an Auror would be a good fit."

Tori felt a smile spread across her face. She remembered always having a glance around at the Auror's center in the ministry. It all looked so... interesting.

"You'd need top grades for that," Professor McGonagall told her, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk and opening it. "They ask for a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. It's a difficult career path, Silvers; they only take the best. In fact, I don't think anybody has been taken on in the last few years."

Tori thought about it for a moment. "I'll work hard for it."

"I know you will. Do you know what you'll have to receive O.W.L.S. in?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, I suppose?"

"Naturally," Professor McGonagall said crisply. "I would also advise Transfiguration because Aurors frequently need to Transfigure or Untransfigure in their work. And I ought to tell you now that I do not accept students into my N.E.W.T. classes unless they have achieved 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher at Ordinary Wizarding Level. I'd say you're averaging 'Acceptable' at the moment, so you'll need to put in some good hard work before the exams to stand a chance of continuing. Then you ought to do Charms, always useful, and Potions. Yes, Silvers, Potions," She added, with the merest flicker of a smile at Tori's face. It had been one of the classes she had hoped to drop.

"Poisons and antidotes are essential studies for Aurors. And I must tell you that Professor Snape absolutely refuses to take students who get anything other than 'Outstanding' in their O.W.L.S, so you must study hard. If you are serious about this ambition, I would advise you to concentrate hard on bringing your Herbology and Potions up to scratch. I see Professor Flitwick has graded you between 'Acceptable' and 'Exceeds Expectations' for the last two years, so your Charm work seems satisfactory; as for Defence Against the Dark Arts, your marks have been generally high, Professor Lupin in particular thought you would do excellent.

"Any questions, Silvers?"

"Yes," Tori said. "What sort of character and aptitude tests do the Ministry do on you, if you get enough N.E.W.T.S?"

"Well, you'll need to demonstrate the ability to react well to pressure and so forth," Professor McGonagall replied. "Perseverance and dedication, because Auror training takes a further three years, not to mention very high skills in practical defense. It will mean a lot more study even after you've left school."

Tori nodded, taking the booklets on Aurors and several others to keep her options open. "Thank you, Professor."

"You're welcome. Please send the next person if they're out in the hall."

i was reading this scene in the order of the phoenix with umbridge... she makes me so mad. i can't wait unti tori gets to meet her.