Graduation Day
By: hermione2.0
Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related, damn it!
A/N: just a one shot, hope you like it Read and Review please, I don't care if you like it or hate it, I just want to know what you think.
"Can you believe that it's finally graduation day?" Ron asked.
Harry answered, "No, I can't believe we've made it to this day alive and in one piece. We're lucky McGonagall is even letting us graduate."
"Yeah…"
"I mean, look at all the stuff that has happened to us ever since we stepped into the castle. In our first year we were attacked by trolls, Fluffy, and ruthless, moving chessmen. Not to mention I had my first run-in with Voldemort."
"Then take a look at our second year," Ron paused, thinking, "a maniac tree beating us to a pulp, the basilisk attacking people left and right, including Hermione, my sister was possessed by You-Know -Who," Harry rolled his eyes, "even Lockhart and Dobby were a danger to you!"
"Ha, ha, ha, but you forgot to mention the millions of gigantic spiders that tried to make us their entrée."
"Never have forgiven Hagrid for that, or the skrewts for that matter."
"They were a nightmare, but not as bad as those dementors," Harry shuddered.
"That year we all almost got killed by a werewolf, and I had my leg snapped in two by Sirius."
"Well you didn't know it at the time, you thought he was the Grimm."
"Oh shut up…"
"Fourth year was a total disaster though, there was someone or something always trying to kill me, there was the Horntail, all those Merpeople in the Black Lake, everything in that maze probably could have killed me, then there was the graveyard of course…" he trailed off.
Ron picking up the slack said, "our fifth year wasn't a bundle of laughs either, all those dreams you had, the DA, Umbridge, that night at the ministry."
"Sixth year was fun too, like when Katie was cursed by that damn medallion, or when I drank that poison, and you had to stuff a bezoar down my throat…"
"That was pretty scary, I thought for sure you were going to die."
"It can't have been as bad as going with Dumbledore," Ron said quietly.
"It was awful, the things we had to do to get to the Horcrux were bad enough, and then forcing Dumbledore to drink that potion…" Harry said no more. Ron got up and just patted him on the back.
Then, there was a knock on the door and Hermione walked in, both boys stood up, "Hermione, you look gorgeous," Ron managed to say gaping at his girlfriend.
"Thank you," she replied, her face flushed as Ron kissed her lightly on the cheek. Her hair had been obviously straightened and then tamed into elegant curls. Her outfit was also very nice, her parents had bought it especially for this day. "What's up?" We were supposed to meet in the common room ten minutes ago," she asked.
"Sorry Hermione, we started reminiscing about all the bad stuff that has happened to over the years," Harry said.
"How far have you gotten?"
"We just polished off our sixth year."
"Hmmm…you haven't even started on seventh year?"
"Hey! It took a while to get that point!" Ron said indignantly.
"Well, during this past year we've been in and out of school doing research constantly. I admit that even I have been stumped by the Horcrux's locations."
"No offense, but Dumbledore was looking for them for ages and only found a couple…" Harry said.
"Harry, don't you know that before this year, it was a rare occurance if she was stumped by something. She couldn't figure out who Nicolas Flamel was, or how to make Harry breathe underwater."
"Must you remind me?"
"Yes," Ron replied.
"Besides, the search is nowhere near over remember?" Harry added.
"Look, let's j…just try to enjoy ourselves t...today…" Hermione stuttered.
"Aww…Hermione don't cry," Ron said, but it was too late, she burst into tears, "Hermione, don't, you're ruining your make-up…"
"It's okay," she flicked her wand, "well what are you waiting for? We need to get going!"
"Right, Harry said.
As they proceeded down the staircase, and through the portrait hole, they heard crying. They turned around to see the Fat Lady sobbing onto an exasperated looking Violet's shoulder. "Oh Vi, I always get so emotional on graduation day."
"There, there, you can come with me to see all your Gryffindor's get ready for their graduation," she replied.
"Okay…"
Knowing that she was going to be okay, the three friends continued on their way. Not one of them said a word on the way though, they knew these was one of the last times they would ever walk through Hogwart's majestic halls.
When they entered the Great Hall, there was a strange atmosphere, it was a mixture of sadness, happiness, and relief. Chairs for the ceremony were set up in rows around the entire room except for the area where the teacher's table usually was. It had been replaced by a stage that had even more chairs and a podium. The flow of graduating students were heading into the room that Harry had once entered when he had first been named a Triwizard champion. Once inside, the students went to their Head of House to get their special robes. Each of the robes were similar in the fact that they were silky and shiny, but each house had a different color; the Hufflepuff's wore canary yellow, the Ravenclaw's royal blue, the Slytherin's a deep emerald green, and the Gryffindor's a dark ruby red.
"It feel weird wearing robes that aren't black," Hermione commented.
"Yeah, it really does," Ron said.
"All right, all right, settle down," Professor McGonagall said, she had only just entered the room, and she was already barking orders. "Listen please, today is the day that you will finally graduate Hogwarts. Now what I need you all to do is exactly what you did yesterday during rehersal. All who are sitting on stage, follow me in order, good luck to you all!" All three of them followed Professor McGonagall out the door and then stepped onto the stage. Once all the students had filed in, Professor McGonagall began, "Welcome all friends, family members, faculty, and students. Today we celebrate a great achievement in every young wizard or witch's life, graduation. It has been seven long years and these students have given me a lot of trouble, but they have also amazed me. I remember their first day when I placed the sorting hat on each and every one of them, and I must admit when I first saw them, I couldn't help but think, what a bunch of misfits!" the crowd chuckled. "But now as I look at them, I feel very proud of them, but enough out of me, we will now hear from the class chosen speaker, Mr. Ronald Weasley."
"Thank you Professor McGonagall, now when I was first chosen as the class speaker, I thought, what in the world were they thinking? I asked someone why they chose me, and they said it was because they thought I was funny…" Ron went on to speak only about the good and funny times, especially quidditch and house rivalries, because he didn't want everyone's happy mood to be dampened. He ended with a classic, "Congradulations," and sat down to a deafening round of applause, Mrs. Weasley's sobs could be heard well over all the applause.
he smiled, he knew he had finally done something that his brother's had never done and he'd done very well at it.
"Thank you Mr. Weasley, and now the presentation of the Valedictorian medal to Miss Hermione Granger. Hermione stood up, and received the medal graciously and said a few words, and all the while she was close to tears again. By the time she had finished and sat down, everyone on stage could hear her sniffling.
"And now, we have reached the part of the ceremony where we recognize and honor those students who have excelled in their given subjects. First, in Herbology, Neville Longbottom." As Neville walked across the stage, he waved to his grandmother, who was in the back row due to her oversized hat. Professor McGonagall let the applause die a little then announced, "in Astronomy, Padma Patil…in Divination, Lavender Brown…in Defense Against the Dark Arts Harry Potter," at his name everyone except Slytherins and their parents whooped and cheered so loudly that McGonagall waited nearly five minutes for the noise to die down, "and in Transfiguration, Charms, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy, Hermione Granger.
After awards were passed out, all the rest of the students received their diplomas. Once everyone was seated again, Professor McGonagall said, "As wonderful and trying at times these past seven years have been, I now officially pronounce them over, you have now graduated from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
At these words Harry, Ron, and Hermione gathered in the craziness and hugged like never before, holding onto this happy moment because no one no longer knew how many moments like these were left.
The EndA/N: Please review even though it's only a one-shot.
hermione2.0