I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

So Professor Siz invited me up for lunch today. She said she had something she wanted to talk to me about.

I applied to be a YPL counsellor, of course, and I guess she got in touch with Professor Slughorn to see what he thought about the Slytherin girls. He said that he thought I'd make a fine YPL counsellor but he'd considered recommending me for Prefect, and that I couldn't possibly be both so she should think over what would serve me better.

Except of course he didn't say he was PLANNING to recommend me as Prefect: he said he 'might even go so far as to' recommend me for a prefect (she looked in her journal and checked the wording, when I asked.)

And of course she has to pick YPL counsellors now, and Prefects won't be chosen until summer, I guess.

She wanted to know what I thought. She is such a Huff She said she thought I'd be brilliant at either and she'd LOVE to have both me and Pansy as counsellors together but that she honestly didn't know if it would be better for me to be a prefect and she also didn't know if Slughorn really intended to make me one. (And I can't go ask him, of course; he'd be horrified that she actually told me what he said.)

Anyway. I've been thinking it over and I think that he's worried about Daphne; she's been acting really oddly for the last few months. I think it might have something to do with Bole. If she manages to pull herself together he'd prefer her as Prefect. If she doesn't, he'd have to decide between me and Pansy (Milli would never be prefect, she's not clever enough) and he would like to keep his options open. But if I'm already YPL counsellor it definitely wouldn't be me.

But I don't think it would be me, anyway.

Here's the other thing about being a Prefect -- I'd have to enforce rules. I'm not sure whether I really COULD, in Slytherin. I mean I don't know if I could get people to listen, or if I'd be sort of like Penny, one of those people that people roll their eyes at and keep doing whatever they want (like Avery does).

But, here's the thing about being a YPL counsellor: Professor Siz says that she's under pressure to have an assistant or even let someone else altogether run it and she doesn't have any idea who might end up being in charge next year and it might be someone dreadful. I think she's worried it'll be someone dreadful.

Anyway, if anyone has any advice for me I'm all ears.

Comments

[alt_hermione]

Well it seems like YPL means getting closer to people, doesn't it? In the Protectorate, I mean, which means becoming more and more like them sort of, or rather, I think what I mean is, you'd be protecting yourself and making sure you had a place, but then you might be asked to do worse and worse things.

But I don't know what happens to halfbloods who don't succeed at all. I mean I know you might have to take a really horrible job if you didn't succeed. Even if you did well in school.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well so far YPL has been a lot more about doing interesting things and learning useful skills than making us into model loyal subjects even though that's what they say it's supposed to be about. Although Professor Siz hinted that maybe they're going to make it MORE about making us loyal subjects, in the future (that's not quite how she put it but I think that's what she meant.) If someone else took over, which could happen.

Halfbloods who don't succeed, I mean who fail their OWLS, it really depends on who they are. If it was Susan I don't think anything would happen, she'd have a hard time finding a job but they wouldn't take away her wand. If you're a halfblood in fostering, in theory they reclassify you as a muggleborn and snap your wand, if you 'fail to complete your magical education.' I don't know if they'd actually do this to someone who failed all his OWLs or if that's only if you get expelled.

[alt_justin]

Hullo, Sally-Anne,

Goodness, that's rather a serious discussion, what?

I'm afraid I don't know Daphne well at all. What's been odd about her behaviour? Is this business with Bole something that's likely to carry over into fifth-year?

I suppose if it were me, I'd lean toward the YPL. Especially as Professor Siz will recommend you wholeheartedly, what, and for all the other reasons you've mentioned. Even if she doesn't remain with the programme for some reason (and how likely is that to happen in the next two years?) you'd at least have the position already. I say, that's not to say they couldn't invent a reason to take it from you but--well, I mean to say, I expect they'd have to bally well work hard at an excuse. Besides, and please don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds as if the YPL would give you some of the same advantages without putting you in quite so visible a position as a prefect, if you follow me.

Do you suppose Professor Siz might be able to recommend you as an assistant? Or is that meant to be another fully-qualified wizard?

-Justin

[alt_sally_anne]

Bole is her boyfriend. He's a seventh year so who even knows? She doesn't go nearly as many places as she used to and she's jumpy and just odd, you know? She used to be the most graceful girl in our year and now she's sort of clumsy and her marks have slipped.

If someone else took it over -- oh, I suppose they COULD remove me, although mostly I was thinking that it would be very pleasant to work for Professor Siz and much less pleasant to work for, oh, Professor Acton.

[alt_justin]

Oh, but I thought--I mean to say, are she and Zabini not together, then?

Suddenly clumsy? Perhaps she's the one who's possessed, what?

Sorry, that was dashed uncalled for. But I say, in all seriousness, do you think Bole might be doing something Dark to her, the way Carrow does to Terry?

Yes, I can see how it might be worse to stay in the YPL while working for someone who's bally well awful but then, there's no saying you'll have to keep it up, what? And even if you must do, it's not as if it's a job you'll have forever. I'm well confident you could make the most of it, no matter who's in charge.

-Justin

[alt_sally_anne]

She wanted to take some other boys for a spin, I think. She went to the Yule Ball with Bole.

I don't think Bole's doing anything REALLY Dark to her but I've wondered a few times if maybe when she says she tripped and hurt herself, he actually pushed her, or hexed her to make her trip. You know? Except, why on EARTH would she keep dating him if that were the case? She's a Pureblood, she's well-liked, she's got friends -- I don't know what she gets from Bole that she'd tolerate it if he was really hurting her?

Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_justin]

And I say, I hope it's not indelicate but, doesn't the YPL offer some sort of stipend over the summer months?

That would give you some pocket-money and keep you well away from the Strettons' while you're occupied, what?

-Justin

Re: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, it does. And that is an EXCELLENT point about the summers.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, I think you ought to go for YPL. I wouldn't skip that, hoping that Slughorn's going to choose you for Prefect because, well-

The thing with Professor Slughorn is that he's only really interested in people whose families are important or who, well, seem like the sort to become important themselves someday? I mean, I know he's been nice to you sometimes, but-

Well, here's an example. I've heard he started being extra nice to Cormac McLaggen the year his brother got accepted for Auror training, and was always asking if he'd heard from his brother and saying his brother used to be one of his very best pupils and all, but then when he got himself kicked out--Rufus, I mean, got kicked out of the Auror programme--then all of a sudden Professor Slughorn stopped being all jolly to Cormac and just ignores him now.

So I guess I wouldn't trust a maybe that Professor Slughorn said to Professor Siz. I'd go on and apply for YPL. Especially if she's thinking you and Pansy might both get chosen for that.

And, yeah, I hadn't thought about it that way, but I can totally see why being Prefect could go badly for you.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, that's exactly it about Slughorn.

He goes hot and cold with me, actually. He called me in after the play, congratulated me on my fine performance, said he was confident in my ability to reach my goals despite my 'unusual circumstances,' and so on. But mostly he just sort of ignores me.

I think he's hoping that if I'm a roaring success when I grow up, that I'll think back and consider him someone who was helpful to me. But he doesn't actually want to extend himself to support me because he doesn't want his current set of influential friends to wonder why he's doing favours for a halfblood. Although I might be being unfair. BUT, if someday he'll do my one favour I'm not sure I'd want to burn it on him making me a Prefect. He's got really useful contacts that could get me a real job, you know? Or a really good summer internship, the sort that could lead to a job. And I'd take that over being a Prefect.

Private Message to Ron Weasley

[alt_pansy]

Is Ginny all right, then?

I'm sorry to hear she's been feeling ill.

Re: Private Message to Ron Weasley

[alt_ron]

Hiya. Sorry I didn't see this before.

Yeah, I think Madam P's letting her out today. She gave her sleep potions that kept her asleep two whole days, though. And was looking into whether she's deficient in stuff in her blood. I don't know; it sounded a load of gobbledygook to me.

[alt_neville]

I think I agree, too. Go for the YPL, for all the reasons that Ron and Justin said. But it would be smart to think about what you can do it Professor Sinistra doesn't end up in charge of it next year.

[alt_neville]

I mean, to position yourself. For the career that you want. Like can you do an apprenticeship with Madam Pomfrey, for example?

[alt_sally_anne]

If I had any idea who they'd put in charge in her place, it would be a lot easier to figure out.

[alt_neville]

Yeah, that does it make it difficult, doesn't it?

[alt_pansy]

Well. I know we've talked about it just us, but I think everyone's brought up some good other things. Like if Professor Siz isn't always in charge of the YPL.

I think you're more likely to come off loyal with the YPL than with a Prefecture. I'm not sure which one would help you get a job more, but it seems like the YPL gives a bit more of a chance to get to know all sorts of people outside of Hogwarts, and that could help.

If things were fair, you'd be Prefect. But they aren't, and this is a sure thing, and we could be in it together. I'm not sure about Daphne, I really am not, but Sluggie likes her, and she tends to fit a bit more into what he thinks a Slytherin girl ought to be, I think. Even if she has been off lately.

[alt_sally_anne]

That's a really good point about making contacts.

The thing about a Prefecture is that it's prestigious. A lot more prestigious than the YPL. And everyone understands exactly what it means if you were a Hogwarts Prefect. You have to explain the YPL to people.

But -- contacts might do me more good than a prestigious accomplishment, you know? Dora Tonks Ponds got a crazy number of NEWTs and then she couldn't find a job anywhere, even so, because of her blood-status (well plus she was from a particularly scandalous family and her foster-family hated her). I think people are more likely to overlook my blood status if they know me, than if they know something about me, even if the thing they know is that I was a prefect.

[alt_sally_anne]

And honestly even if there were no discrimination at all against half-bloods Daphs might still be prefect! I mean has she EVER had detention even once? We've both been in trouble a few times.