The Tarot

J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and his world. I am just visiting.

Major & Minor Arcana Classroom Assignment #8: write a story, considering the theme of beginnings. Choice of theme: Leaving Hogwarts, and starting a new career. 300 word min.

Chapter 1. The Fool

Commencement, what an interesting word and yet it is so descriptive. At the end of your education in many cultures call it a graduation. To many of the students at Hogwarts the completion of their school days was not called a graduation per se. It was however a culmination of years of study and a time for celebration. To Draco Malfoy it was a commencement. The worst part of his life was over and the best part surely was beginning. Students from the lower grades gathered in the Great Hall and prepared for the ceremony. The tables had all been moved to the sides and the benches had been lined up theatre style for the students and parents. The first two rows were set aside for the seventh and eighth years and the staff. The staff table had been pushed to the back of the dais and chairs had been set up for the Headmistress, Deputy Headmaster, the Board of Governors, the Head Girl and the Head Boy. In years when the students who were first and second in the class were not Head Girl or Head Boy, there would be chairs for them also.

The choir filed in single file and assembled across the front of the Hall. Professor Flitwick followed his charges as the caboose of the train and took his place in front of the choir. He raised his baton, nodded, and the choir sang as the seventh and eighth years filed in and filled the first two rows of seats. They were followed by the teachers. The honored guests mounted the stairs at the front of the room to take seats on the dais. The last two to stand in front of their seats were Head Girl and first in her class, Hermione Granger, and Head Boy and second in his class, Draco Malfoy. As the choir finished the piece, Professor Flitwick nodded to the assembly which was seated. The choir filed to their seats in the Hall and Headmistress McGonagall stepped to the eagle podium.

After a few words of welcome, she introduced the Honored Guests and then called Draco Malfoy up to speak. His hands were clammy and his throat was dry. He felt a hand on his arm as he stood to move to the podium. Turning he saw Hermione smile at him and smirk, "Kill 'em, Tiger." This was the shot of confidence he needed.

Draco placed his parchment of notes on the podium and began his speech. "Little did we know when the classes of 1998/1999 boarded the Hogwarts Express on September 1, 1991 that we were embarking on the most unusual adventure a school child would ever take." The words flowed freely and he rarely glanced at his notes. "This class is unique in the history of Hogwarts for normally you would have seventh years finishing this portion of their lives and beginning the new. This class is a combination of seventh and eighth years. Here we have students who are the bravest embodiment of Godric Gryffindor the wizarding world has ever seen. Here we have students are the most loyal and would make Helga Hufflepuff proud. Rowena Ravenclaw would be hard pressed to find smarter, wiser students. Lastly, you have students pressed with the need for cunning allowed them to help defeat one of the darkest wizards in history. This dark lord was not a Slytherin to be emulated, but the students that won the battle were. Now you may think that these traits were unique to each house, but I am here to assure you that each and every student that is in this class and has completed their schooling is a mixture of all of these traits. The smartest witch of her generation was not a Ravenclaw, but a Gryffindor. The members of DA, Dumbledore's Army, were from every house except from Slytherin, but we could have used some of the bravery, knowledge and loyalty that this group shared. When the structured classes were not providing the education we needed to survive we adapted and adopted new methods of learning. We relied on our friends and even our enemies to learn from. The interruption of our education by the non-year last year was but another hill we had to climb and another test of our character. Some failed badly, some learned from their mistakes, others thrived and lived so that we all could survive. But when the final year came around we all came together to form the strongest class ever to complete their studies at Hogwarts. I am humbled to be allowed to call all my classmates my friends, something I would not have thought possible when I began this journey." He finished by thanking the Ministry for deeming him and some of his classmates acquitted of their crimes due to age during the war, the Board of Governors for allowing them to return to school to finish their education, and the Staff of Hogwarts for giving them a second chance.

As he took his seat, the assembly burst into applause then one by one the students followed by the parents and teachers gave him a standing ovation. Hermione stopped clapping long enough to grab his hand to pull him in to her whisper, "I am so proud of you." He felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

Hermione was called up to speak next as Head Girl. "That is a tough act to follow," she began and all laughed. Five minutes later she wrapped up, "In the words of the American muggle poet, Robert Frost, in his poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", I leave this class and those to follow us with this thought '… I've promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep ….' We are just beginning our journeys through the next portion of our lives."

Headmistress McGonagall resumed her position at the podium. "We have a few announcements of apprenticeships and jobs that members of this class have accepted. We are proud to announce that Neville Longbottom will be apprenticing in Herbology under the instruction of Professor Sprout; Draco Malfoy will be apprenticing in Potions; and Hermione Granger will be apprenticing in Transfiguration. Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter, Cormac McLaggen, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Luna Lovegood, Padma Patil, and Pansy Parkinson have been accepted as Auror trainees." She continued with the list and ended with a final announcement, "Ginny Weasley has been accepted as the newest Chaser for the Hollyhead Harpies." Let us give these talented students a big round of applause and congratulations on obtaining such important positions immediately out of school." The students were called up alphabetically from Hannah Abbott to Blaise Zabini and individually presented with their certificates of completion.

All filed outside while the Great Hall was reorganized for a dinner and dance to honor the graduates. Some parents wept tears of joy and others let out sighs of relief. This most interesting group of students who were once so divided that one would have thought that they would kill each, were hugging and kissing and patting each other on the back.

July first found Hermione, Neville and Draco sitting together on the Hogwarts Express reminiscing about the first trip they took this way.

"… and then I tried to be really cool and meet Harry Potter because Father said he would be a good connection. Little did I know that I had already insulted him in Diagon Alley."

"Remember how you lost Trevor on the train and I went looking for him. I was so insecure and naïve and wanting to prove myself. I marched into the cabin where Harry and Ron were sitting, insulted Ron and stuck my wand in Harry's face and fixed his glasses."

"You were insecure, my whole life my family thought I might be a squib. When I was sorted into Gryffindor, I thought the hat had gone mental."

"I really do owe you a new Rememberall, Neville. Of course, if I hadn't thrown it, Harry wouldn't have become the youngest seeker of the century."

The comfortable talk continued the entire trip and onto the Thestral-drawn carriages. The rest of the staff were moving into their carriages in their own cliques. Hermione relaxed into the seat and between her two friends with a large grin on her face.

As the trio entered the castle, one of the elves said that the teachers were gathered in the Staff Lounge for supper. Winky told them the password was "detention" and asked if they knew where to go. Neville and Draco looked at each other and said, "No!" in unison as Hermione replied, "Sure!"

"When, where, how?" asked Draco.

"You forgot who," stated Neville.

"Oh, when Ron, Harry and I were exploring."

"Even Slytherins never found it and we thought we knew all of the hidden rooms, secret passages and short cuts."

"Did you look for the obvious?" Hermione inquired. "Where is the Head Table in the Great Hall? Do you know what is behind the paneling?"

"No, way! I have never seen a door," Draco exclaimed.

Hermione led the way to the center panel behind the Headmistress' Chair and whispered, "Detention." The panel slid aside and the cavernous Staff Room was accessible. It was like the Common Rooms for the Houses, but larger and more comfortably furnished. There were several tables and desks, overstuffed chairs and sofas and comfortable footstools. Bookshelves lined the walls and a large fireplace that obviously could be used as a floo was the centerpiece on one wall. The staff members were seated at the desks and the tables and the food was just appearing. The trio of apprentices was just in time for the meal. Conversation was congenial and lighthearted with a little gossip thrown in for spice. As the trays of cheese, crackers and fruit were brought out and wine was served, parchments and quills appeared for note-taking and the newcomers assumed correctly that the meeting would commence over dessert. Schedules were handed out to the teachers and apprentices. These were followed by syllabi. Last were the lists of students sorted by year rather than house as they had been in the past. The last order of business was to take the new apprentices to their quarters close to those of the master they would be training under.

Neville followed Professor Sprout to her quarters near the Hufflepuff House since she was the Hufflepuff Head of House.

Hermione was taken to the Gryffindor Head of House quarters and was told by the Headmistress that since she had taken over as Headmistress, these quarters had been empty. She asked Hermione to be Deputy Head of House until she finished her apprenticeship. After she had completed she would be given the opportunity to take over the position as Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor.

Draco was worried. Nobody had told him yet who the Potions Master was, just that it was one of the elite and "he had only agreed to teach three" years while training Draco. This had been a relief for he had no respect for Professor Slughorn's abilities as his mind had begun to go.

"Ahem," sounded pulling Draco back to reality. "Professor Snape, you aren't dead," said Draco, stating the obvious.

"No, I am not," replied his godfather, "and to quote Mark Twain, 'The report of my death was an exaggeration.' Now shall we adjourn to the dungeons?"