"Dear Mr. Rowan Mercer,
Your application has been approved. You have been appointed Assistant to the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Improper Use of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Please report to Level Two of the Ministry of Magic in two weeks' time."
Rowan read the letter once more, then allowed himself a small smile.
Assistant to the Improper Use of Magic Office. This was the position he had fought hard to secure, pulling every favor and sparing no expense. On paper, it sounded modest. In reality, it was one of the most fiercely contested entry posts in the entire Ministry.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was the Ministry's largest and most powerful branch. Traditionally, its head went on to become the next Minister for Magic. Its previous director, Barty Crouch, had once been the clear successor until his son's crimes derailed his career, clearing the path for Cornelius Fudge.
Within the department were three core divisions: the Wizengamot Administration, the Auror Office, and the Improper Use of Magic Office.
The Wizengamot oversaw magical law itself, composed of around fifty senior figures. Dumbledore had served for years as its Chief Warlock. Aurors, of course, were the Ministry's elite enforcement force. And standing alongside them in authority was the Improper Use of Magic Office, responsible for regulating spell use around Muggles, enforcing underage magic laws, and repairing magical incidents through memory modification and containment.
Arthur Weasley's office, dealing with Muggle artifacts, was merely a subordinate branch beneath it.
Promotion paths were clear to anyone who understood the system. Assistant led to Director. Director led to Department Head. Department Head led to the Minister's chair.
There was another reason Rowan had targeted this office.
Its current director was Dolores Umbridge.
Pink. Smiling. Dangerous.
And, Rowan noted with cold practicality, not someone he would feel the slightest remorse replacing.
In the library, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna watched him expectantly.
"Well?" Ron asked.
Rowan handed over the letter. "Accepted. Improper Use of Magic Office. I start in two weeks."
Ron and Ginny leaned in at the same time. "That's where Dad works!"
Harry pushed his glasses up his nose, still stunned. "You joined Hogwarts a year after us… and now you're graduating and heading straight into the Ministry."
Hermione clenched her fist, eyes bright. "I'll work harder. When I graduate, I'm joining the Ministry too."
Rowan gave her an encouraging nod.
Four years was a long time. Whether he would still be there by then was another question entirely.
"You should focus on your exams," Rowan said, folding the letter away. "They start tomorrow."
Harry and Ron immediately collapsed onto the table in despair.
"I hate finals," Ron groaned. "I'm suddenly very jealous. No exams. Earning your own money."
"He's always earned his own money," Ginny shot back. "You just forget."
Ron scratched his head. "Right… Knockturn Alley. Shop owner. Orphan. Yeah."
Luna, who had been quiet until now, spoke softly. "Work has its own burdens. School does too. Being grown up is harder than it looks."
Rowan paused near the library doors, her words echoing faintly in his thoughts.
He visited Dumbledore and Snape next, then spent time with the Slytherins. Among them, admiration outweighed rivalry. Even Draco Malfoy treated him with visible respect now. Senior students, especially those who understood the Ministry's structure, regarded him with something close to awe.
Twelve Outstanding grades. Early graduation. A direct appointment into the Improper Use of Magic Office.
And he was only twelve years old.
In the days that followed, while younger students endured their end-of-year exams, Rowan devoted himself to studying the Room of Requirement. After the final feast, he said his goodbyes to Snape and boarded the train back to London with the others.
Ahead of him lay the Ministry.
And beyond that, a future that was only just beginning.