All the seventh years were standing just outside the doors to the Great Hall.. Suddenly I felt like it was first year again and we were waiting to be sorted.
I looked over at my two best friends, Ron and Harry. Harry kept messing with his glasses and his hair, Ron had one hand in his pocket and the other one was adjusting his tie. He had yet to fasten up his robes. Tomorrow, Harry, along with myself, would be going to the Burrow to spend time with Ron and his family. Sadly, our trio's time together at the Burrow will be very short, only four days. Harry is going off to the Auror training program. Unfortunately, so is Ron. It's killing me inside. I knew Harry had to, he has to be able to defeat Voldemort when the time comes. But Ron, he doesn't have to. He could go play for the Cannons. Oh, I am terrified Ron will never come back. Even though I'm told that I am the smartest witch in the class, I have yet to come up with a way to tell Ron my true feelings.
Behind me, I heard some girlish giggling and I knew it was Lavender and Parvati, the girls who had been my roommates for seven years. For the most part, I had complained about their constant gossiping and talk of clothes and make up, but actually their girlieness had been great after hours spent with Harry and Ron and their Quidditch talk.
Looking around, I noticed that our group was shockingly small. I guess it was a combination of parents not wanting to have children during the first war and then casualties of the second war. Most noticeably (but not most unfortunately) was the lack of Slytherins, their only representative being Blaise Zambini. Rumour had it he had defied his friends and family by not becoming a death eater and now they wanted nothing to do with him. It was a shame really.
Somebody up by the doors cleared their throat. I tired to look above the heads, but it was no use. I had stopped growing fourth year. I pushed through two people and saw Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott, our head boy and girl standing by the doors. "Er, I suppose we should line up," Neville said. After the battle at the Ministry, he had taken on a lot of responsibility, especially helping the younger students in the DA. His grades had improved drastically and now we were seeing htat leader we had caught a glimpse of all those years ago.
The doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall came out. "It's time," she said, a small smile on her tin lips. I got into place behind Seamus Finnigan. He had grown into quite a man and after years of an on-again, off-again relationship with Lavender, he had mustered up the courage to propose to her at Christmastime.
The line started to move, Professor McGonagall leading the procession of seventh years into the Great Hall. The tables were gone. Where the head table would be, all the teachers sat in a line. There was a podium in the center. There were many chairs facing the teachers, most filled with students and family. The front two rows were for them, the seventh years that walked down the center aisle. The filled the remaining empty seats except for three. They were for Dean Thomas, Terry Boot, and Justin Finch-Fletchey who had died in battle just two weeks earlier. I sat down in my seat and watched Dumbledor approach the podium. His blue eyes were not twinkling. "It all depends on you," he began. "You will be the class to save our world. You will be the class to choose what is right over what is easy. You have all made me very proud to be your Headmaster. As a class, you have endured many horrible things but you have perservered. Justin, Terry, and Dean were very luck to have friends like you. Could we please have a moment of silence in their honour?" Everybody bowed their heads. From behind me I heard some sniffles. Dumbledore raised his head to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Class of 1998."
Professor McGonagall stepped up to the podium and began to call our names, just as she had done seven years ago. I watched as my classmates went up and shook hands with Headmaster Dumbledore. Mandy Brocklehurst was called. SHe had had it rough the past year and a half. She decided to stay at Hogwarts during Christmas Break 6th year. Her parents nad her younger brother and sister were killed on Christmas Day by Death Eaters. She had been going out with Terry Boot for nearly a year and a half when he had been killed.
I had gotten lost in my thoughts and I snapped back to reality only to see Seamus walking up and I heard my name being called. I practically leapt up from my chair and walked to the podium. Wait. This is all wrong. Why is Professor Dumbledore giving me a role of parchment? Where's the Sorting Hat? It can't be over yet! I paused and looked out at the Great Hall. It's all over. We're done growing up. And me? What am I doing once I leave these stone walls? I've gotten loads of job opportunities. I just have no clue what I'm going to do with them all. No clue whatsoever.