This is for the Quidditch League Season Season 8, Round 2. I am Beater 1 for the Montrose Magpies! My prompts were write about a character who makes little impact on society or the world, extraterrestrial, and stargazing. Thanks to Andy for beta-ing!

This might be continued at a later time. Thoughts?

"I still can't believe you got an interview!" Lavender said with a sigh of longing. "I'm so jealous. And I bet Professor Trelawney would be so proud."

Parvati could only grin like a fool.

They were sprawled out on blankets at the top of the hill near Parvati and Padma's flat. It was close to midnight and Parvati knew she ought not stay out too late. After all, she did have an interview in the morning.

The stars shone brightly, while the waxing moon illuminated their faces as they searched the sky for encouraging signs. Mars twinkled in the heavens and Parvati thought of Firenze and grinned even wider. Lavender hadn't thought much of him, but Parvati enjoyed his classes far more than Trelawney's.

"I'm sure they interview everyone who applies. Chances are I won't get it," Parvati reasoned in an attempt to be modest, though she knew this wasn't true. The Department of Mysteries was very particular about which applicants they interviewed. Professor McGonagall had told her during fifth-year when they met to discuss career options.

McGonagall had pursed her lips in disapproval when Parvati showed her the pamphlet on the Department of Mysteries, which was admittedly vague as it was not permitted to speak about what it was they actually did there. But both Parvati and Lavender were intrigued by the mystery of it all, not to mention it was one of the few pamphlets that emphasized Divination as a requirement.

"You'll have to tell me everything!" Lavender said.

Parvati laughed. "I don't know if I'll be allowed."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be allowed to tell me a little bit. Or at least what else is in the different rooms. Ron told me all about being attacked by a brain."

Parvati suppressed the impulse to roll her eyes. Lavender had cried for weeks over Ron Weasley before swearing she'd always known he was a giant prat. Yet, Ron was enough of a celebrity that Lavender still dropped his name in conversation whenever it suited her.

"Oooh! Maybe you'll be able to help make more time turners! They were all ruined."

Lavender continued her ramblings while Parvati merely hummed her agreement as a knot of nervousness began to form in the pit of her stomach. She'd been avoiding thinking about the interview all week if she was really honest with herself. After all, she had no clue what would be expected of her, or what the Department of Mysteries actually did. What if she wasn't up to the task? Would there be a test? Would it be dangerous? Was she foolish to even try?

She didn't say any of this to Lavender. She let her go on and on, getting lost in the possibilities, while reminding herself that this would not be the time for her to lose her nerve.

Mars seemed to swell with pride, if only in Parvati's imagination. No, she would not lose her nerve.

The hallway that led to the Department of Mysteries seemed to go on forever. Parvati fiddled with the cuff of her robes as she drew closer, sneaking sideways glances at the Unspeakable who had met her in the Atrium. He was stoic and seemed to take his title a little too literally in Parvati's opinion, but she supposed it didn't matter much. Perhaps the less she said, the better.

Upon entering the room full of doors, she paused. Even this room was intriguing. Which room led to the brain room? Or the one with the time turners? The answers would have to wait.

The Unspeakable led her through a door to the right and she was ushered into a cozy chair before a mahogany desk by a different wizard who smiled warmly at her.

"Miss Parvati Patil, is it?" Parvati nodded. "Wonderful!"

Parvati cleared her throat nervously. "Thank you, sir."

The wizard pushed a cup of peppermint tea toward her, and waved aside her formality. "Please, just call me Timothy. While everyone upstairs might think we are pretentious, in reality we keep things informal in this Department. Secretive perhaps, but we like our fun too. Now I'm sure you have questions."

Parvati began to nod in affirmation, but suddenly all the questions she'd formulated seemed to leak out of her brain as if it were a cracked cauldron. She could feel her face flushing, and she managed to string a sentence together at least.

"Well, I don't know exactly what it is you do. I'm not supposed to, and the message I received didn't say what the position entailed."

"And yet," Timothy said, his eyes twinkling. "You applied anyway."

Parvati merely shrugged, flushing even more.

"One must be willing to take risks to work here," Timothy said. "If one fears the unknown, they cannot discover all that magic is capable of, whether it ought to be used or not. By applying without knowing the tasks that will be asked of you, you have demonstrated a unique trait that the Department of Mysteries looks for in all its employees."

He casually sat back in his seat, surveying her with a knowing smile. She waited a moment, but it was clear that it was her turn to speak.

"What… what trait is that?" she asked.

"Curiosity," Timothy said simply. "You'll be surprised how far that will get you here. For you see, Parvati, the Department of Mysteries conducts research on all branches of magic. I'm sure you've heard about some of it through rumors or stories from certain acquaintances…" Timothy winked, and Parvati once again resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"You have a unique opportunity to research any branch of magic you choose," he continued, and this is where Parvati finally tapped into the curiosity that was so revered here.

"I'm sorry, but any branch of magic? You mean I can study anything I want?"

Timothy smiled even wider. "Yes. Anything. For example... "

He pulled out his wand from a leather holster at his side and waved it in the air in front of him, conjuring a fine silver mist. Within the mist, different scenes began to appear.

A man and a woman locked in an embrace appeared for an instant, only to evolve into a scene where two teenage boys were fighting and throwing punches. Just as one of them hit his mark, they disappeared to be replaced by an elderly woman crumpled on the floor, her face in her hands.

"Human emotion is a tricky business," Timothy said. "Love, anger, grief. The unseen energy is a fascinating study."

With a wave of his wand, a clock with a minute hand spinning wildly appeared.

"Or you might choose to study time. Time travel, of course, but also aging, and histories of the world. Perhaps even other planets. Speaking of planets…"

The clock disappeared, and the solar system appeared in its place.

"The universe in which we reside is full of things to discover. Planets and stars and extraterrestrial life forms."

At this, the solar system spun around in the mist and creatures the like of which Parvati had never seen before took its place. They looked like grey blobs with glowing eyes and tentacles like the Giant Squid had but shorter. She sat transfixed for a moment until Timothy's voice reached her she focused her attention on him again.

"...and black holes and galaxies. The Muggles think there are only nine planets and for some reason we followed their model for so long and I don't really understand why."

"But," Parvati interrupted, "aren't there only nine?"

Timothy raised his eyebrows. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

And now Parvati felt it. The tingling curiosity spread through her veins, itching to know… well… everything.

"Would you like to know, Parvati?"

She nodded, sitting straighter in her seat in anticipation.

"Well then," Timothy said, clapping his hands together. "There's just one thing I ought to tell you before you leave."

"Leave?" Parvati asked, confused. Surely the interview wasn't over. He hadn't even asked her anything. She hadn't been sure what to expect, but interviews typically involved a few questions, and he hadn't asked anything of importance about her abilities, her grades, her aspirations.

Timothy simply nodded, but when he spoke next he dropped his casual demeanor and became much more serious. "Oh, yes. I'd like you to take the weekend to mull it over, you see. I'm sure you are aware that those of us who work in the Department of Mysteries are referred to as Unspeakables. Do you know why?"

"I was under the impression that you aren't allowed to talk about the work you do here. It's top secret right? Makes sense to me."

"This is very true," Timothy said. "But that's not the whole story. Not only are we not allowed to speak of our work here, but anyone who accepts a job in this Department agrees to take the Unbreakable Vow."

Parvati felt her jaw drop.

"Yes, we like to have good fun down here. But once we leave and go back out into the world, we must leave work at work. No one, not even the Minister of Magic, truly knows what goes on here, and we must keep it that way."

Timothy stood up, and Parvati automatically followed suit, though she could hardly hear what he was saying anymore. He led her out into the room of doors which rotated around them until the office they'd just left could be behind any of them. He walked over to a door on the right without hesitation and put a hand on the knob to let her out.

"As I said, I'd like you to take the weekend to think it over. If you need longer, by all means send me an owl. But I would like your answer on Monday."

"Yes, I mean… wait." Parvati shook herself out of her reverie. "Are you offering me the position? But you didn't ask me anything!"

Timothy chuckled.

"Trust me, my dear. I've done hundreds of these interviews over the years. Hardly anyone ever comes back. Curiosity is fleeting in the face of the Unbreakable Vow."

With that, he opened the door and shook her hand, before leaving her outside the entrance to the Department of Mysteries, utterly astonished.

Lavender is never going to believe this, she thought.

It was a long time before Parvati decided to make her way up to the Atrium. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face the rest of the world just yet.

But finally, as her feet started to move her along the corridor and up the stairs, that flighty temptress, curiosity, took hold of her imagination, and she knew even before she stepped into the fireplace to Floo home, that she was ready to come back as an Unspeakable.