Disclaimer: I own nothing
Rolanda Hooch looked at the graduating class with tears in her eyes. Madam hooch did not cry often, but today marked the end of an era. The two youngest Weasley children were finishing their schooling after winning the war. She'd had a soft spot for the Weasleys since Bill's time, although he had always been the more studious type, he had been a competent keeper. Charlie had had more of a passion for the game and quickly proved himself to have a gift that had scouts around the country looking his way. As Charlie left, leaving the team in the very capable and highly enthusiastic hands of Oliver Wood, the twins entered the pitch. Fred and George were in a league of their own. They had always kept the games entertaining, although she did have to spend their matches with her whistle permanently at her mouth, just in case. The lifetime ban on three of her best players had been devastating but it seemed the Gryffindor team spawned two more Weasleys in a flash. The youngest Weasleys were very good players in their own right, Ginny more so than most of her brothers even.
Madam Hooch watched as Ginny Weasley danced across the stage and then back to her older brother, loudly proclaiming: "I graduated before you big brother!". George stood up with a proud smile. "Good on you sis, if you're going to graduate, do it in style! Forge is laughing in his grave."
Fred Weasley was dead. It was always a tragedy when the young died. Mothers left without their sons. But madam Hooch always felt it harder when it was one of her boys and girls. Cedric Diggory had been a shocking start to a second war. She had been very much looking forward to watching his career. She thought he would have ended up in Puddlemere. Many teams would have wanted him, but Diggory had always admired Wood.
Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint partnering up had been quite unexpected. They had never liked each other, and still didn't from what she could tell. To this day they insisted on saying they went to the same school at the same time instead of admitting they did anything together when asked how they had met. The two had turned out some of the best strategies and plays of the century. She'd often seen them both out in the Hogwarts graveyard, in the small fenced off section for captains that died before relinquishing their status. They would stand over Diggory's grave for hours, Flint pacing and Wood alternating between sitting cross-legged on the grave and sitting on the tombstone directly behind Diggory's, Kenneth Davies, Roger's great uncle, the second newest grave in the Captains' Den. She sometimes felt she should berate him for it, but she'd known Davies in her own school days, and knew, as long as it was about quidditch, he wouldn't mind. She'd been visiting the graves herself one day when she'd listened in on their conversation.
"You know Diggory, this whole being dead thing isn't really working. We could use you right about now. You were one of us." Wood of course, Flint wouldn't be caught dead being that sentimental.
"What do we do about Chambers? No tactical mind what so ever, no rhyme or reason." Flint had always been a tactical player, and lord knows Wood was in love with his play boards.
"He says he plays on instinct, trouble is his instinct is bleeding well shite. He's getting us killed. It's all we can do at this point to get the scores up high enough we don't lose when the other team catches the snitch." Madame Hooch grinned to herself when she realized the two young men were letting their deceased peer mediate for them, something she knew he'd spent the better part of his first and only year as captain doing. She watched as the two argued with Diggory for hours before finally reaching a promising decision. Like their plays the new turn of events appeared in Quidditch Monthly a week later, under the name Cedric Diggory. No one knew why exactly the two brilliant minds were so adamant about giving Diggory credit, but Rolanda suspected it was the fact that they simply didn't want to share it nor could either of them take it all. Hufflepuff was the middle ground.
Rolanda was startled back into the present by someone handing her a handkerchief and realized the tears had decided to leave her eyes. Pomona smiled sadly at her and it took Rolanda a while to recognize the handkerchief. It was the same handkerchief she had given Pomona three years ago, when Cedric Diggory should have graduated but didn't. On her other side Minerva was trying hard to contain her sobs as she sat down and Hermione Granger and Terry Boot walked up to the stage as head boy and girl to give their speech. Minerva would certainly be sad to see the Granger girl go, off to bigger and better things no doubt. The girl would never be able to fly like her best friend of course, she wouldn't make it onto a quidditch team, but Rolanda had always been impressed by the girl's determination. She'd been in danger of failing flying, deathly afraid of heights as she was, it wasn't surprising. She had no intention of letting a crippling fear stop her from accomplishing a perfect record though. She had been bound and determined to not only pass, but get a good grade. When it became clear to her that she couldn't study herself to better flying skills, and she found herself falling behind in the class, she sought help. It was amazing how every train of thought seemed to lead back to Diggory today. He just seemed to be involved with everyone, too nice for his own good and all that.
As Rolanda looked out over the sea of parents and friends she was pleased to not she wasn't the only one surreptitiously dabbing at her eyes, in fact there didn't seem to be a dry eye in the audience, save for perhaps the mother of that Ravenclaw girl Rolanda never remembered the name of, but that could be a side effect of the beauty charms. The Granger girl had learned to speak at some point. Rolanda wasn't sure why this came as such a surprise to her, the girl learned everything else, but she could still remember the eleven year old with enormous hair that could have bored Binns to tears. The girl at the podium today was a far cry from that bucktoothed child. At some point, while she was growing up much too fast, she had learned to speak from the heart. She wore a radiant smile as she spoke of leaving a second home with fond memories of the people that had taught them so much, about history and transfiguration, taught them how act and how to succeed, remembering the people that taught them to fly. This comment didn't at all seem out of place, quidditch was a fond memory for many of her classmates, but as she shot a grin at Rolanda, continuing her speech about the people that touched them here never leaving their hearts, Rolanda knew she would not be the only visitor in the Captains' Den tonight. She looked over the crowd again and spotter Wood and Flint, five seats apart as always, each giving a small nod of approval, Wood's with an accompanying grin that threatened to split his face. It wasn't until that moment that Rolanda made the connection between the fresh lilies found every week on Diggory's grave and the girl he had conjured lilies for so many years ago.
"For four years I just assumed Pomona had put some spell on those lilies." The Granger girl whipped around, still in her graduation robe, and smiled at the older witch.
"He liked lilies he said, he conjured them for me when I was upset once, though I'm sure he must be tiring of them by now." She spoke with a sad smile. "I went to the library the day he died, I had to learn the spell. These lilies, they don't die, he invented the spell himself, did you know? It was written in the margin, I tried to put some sticking charms on the ink but I'm afraid Madam Pince will make light work of it. They don't die but I bring him new ones every week. I send the ones from the week before to someone who looks sad. I think he would have like his spell to make people happy." She said as she picked up the beautiful bouquet and held it out. "They're beautiful aren't they?" She gave Rolanda the flowers and turned to sit down. Rolanda sat in silence as the young girl talked to Diggory. She didn't speak, as most people did, to the tombstone or the sky, she spoke directly in the direction of Diggory's head, where it would have been, had he been standing beside her. They were joined by two young men. Wood and Flint clearly had something to say.
"Sorry to interrupt your little tête à tête Diggory, but we both know it'll be hours before your girl leaves." The Granger girl had never been romantically involved with Diggory as far as Rolanda knew, but she'd become Diggory's girl to the two other captains when they'd found out about the flying lessons. Diggory had always had a soft spot for the girl.
"You'd have been proud of your girl today Diggory, best grades since McGonagall, and she had the whole room bawling." Wood wrapped an arm around the blushing girl as he sat down next to her.
"Good at that sentimental shite your girl is Diggory." The four stayed until long after the sun had gone down. Eventually Rolanda ushered them all in. She looked back at Kenneth's grave and down at the flowers in her hand. The Granger girl smiled at her and conjured up a beautiful set of white roses. She laid them on Kenneth's grave. The girl was impressive with a wand that was for certain. The lilies would always belong to Cedric, but now the roses were Kenneth's and that was enough to put a smile on Rolanda's lips.