Chapter One

Each May their school remembered the battle and their hero. A lot had changed since the year 1998 and the school was no longer only open to wizards and witches. Ben was one of the Squibs who attended Hogwarts for the past seven years.

It had been a decision by the new teachers to end the rant and mobs of houses and blood status.

Ben and his cousin Vera had been scared to come to Hogwarts but in their final year the classmates had never been this close. New subjects and classes were formed to prepare all students for a world outside with peace and a lot more muggle technology than their parents had ever known existing. Professor Finnegan's homework to write a six pages essay about a muggle I-phone and how to break its cover by explosion was giving him headaches and sleepless nights.

"How did you make it explode?" Ben looked to his cousin who was working on her Divination homework for Professor Weasley. Vera looked up from her writing and sighed. "Ben, it's all about imagination. Do you really think you need anything Professor Finnegan or Professor Weasley are teaching us? When they went to school they at least had real classes"

"It was a different time back then. We need other classes these days and the teachers are preparing us the best way they can. While Hogwarts was shut down they spent years studying muggles and their lives and this will help us after we graduated" Ben defended Hogwarts and its teachers as well as their new headmaster Professor Thomas. "We would be in a muggle school and wizards would hate us if they didn't change the school laws. It's a privilege to attend Hogwarts and we are part of this"

"I could have spent my last seven years better than this" Vera whispered to her cousin and grabbed her homework to finish it elsewhere.

"You look sick today, Molly. Are you sure you don't want me to send for Ron?" Dean Thomas was in the gardens outside the school and helped Molly Weasley walking back to the old cabin he had redecorated during his first year as Hogwarts new headmaster.

"Ron has a lot to do with the anniversary" Molly's hair had turned white and Dean thought she looked a bit older every day but he didn't mention it to his kitchen master. The Weasley family needed jobs after the war and Dean was pleased to have a wise woman by his side. He often came to visit Molly and spoke to her about his ideas and when he was troubled.

Since his own mother had passed away Molly was not like a mother to him but to every teacher and student of Hogwarts. She was most beloved and everyone cared for her which made it difficult for Dean not to inform her real son about Molly feeling sick. "I'm sure Ron would rather spend his time with you than this stupid anniversary. I know, I know we owe Harry a lot but it has been decades now and we all moved on"

Molly didn't answer and instead sat on the brink bank in front of the house. The headmaster sat next to her and both watched a few bees flying from one flower to the next.

"This year our first Squibs graduate from Hogwarts. You should be very proud, Dean" Molly put a hand on the headmaster's knee until he took her hand and held it tight. "Without you as their fairy godmother none of them would have felt like they belong here"

"Oh no, that's not true. You did a lot of changes to prepare this. When I came here I felt like a child again because there was so much new and you made all the bad memories disappear" Molly smiled and looked up to the castle like the headmaster did. "Yes, it needed changes... after the war no one wanted to come back here. It didn't feel like home anymore and now it's a place of peace and a step towards finding your own home"

Molly nodded and her eyes got smaller when she saw a small figure running from the castle towards her cabin. The student was one of the wizards of the seventh year and his black coat gave her a hint on what to expect. "Andrew, did the Professor set you on fire?"

"No, Mrs Molly, it's your son! The Professors were arguing and -" Andrew Hatfield was a muggleborn but like all of the muggleborns he had lost his fear of magic coming to Hogwarts. Just the unpredictable arguments between Professor Finnegan and Professor Weasley still scared him and made him run to the only person who could put an end to it.

"What was that?" Ben looked up from his homework and wasn't the only one around who heard the noise. He saw one of his friends running into the room and clapping his own coat until the flames died out.

"James! What happened?" Ben grabbed his pages and joined his friend who couldn't stop laughing. "It's the professors again. Weasley and Finnegan were arguing who should prepare the great firework they planned for the anniversary and suddenly Professor Weasley was on fire and some of us students who stood near him"

"That's horrible"

"Oh it's nothing really. It was one of Professor Weasley's own firework, so it wasn't as dangerous as Professor Finnegan's explosions. Still you should look after Vera, she stood closer to the professors when she wanted to go upstairs" James still laughed when Ben started running out of the room. He heard the footsteps on the ground following him until they reached the bedrooms.

While Hogwarts had no houses anymore the students stayed in dorms for each year one for girls and one for boys. Ben and James had to knock on the door and wait for one of the girls to come out but Vera wasn't inside.

The two boys asked around until they found Ben's cousin outside the gate with the headmaster and Mrs Molly. Vera looked okay but the mother of Professor Weasley was furious. "How often did I tell him not to play with fireworks? A Divination teacher should know better than to play with such things. Can't he see in cups and leaves who he will hurt?"

"Divination isn't real, Mrs Molly" Vera shrugged her shoulders while James put a hand on Ben's shoulder and whispered. "Hasn't she still didn't stop to talk like this? You are the best student of Divination class and your cousin makes it seem like it's all worse nothing"

"She is just surprised a Squib is the best in class" Ben left James behind while running towards his cousin and taking a look at her wounds herself. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's not as bad as it looks like" She smiled while Molly Weasley shook her head. "This shouldn't have happened at all. Why does it even have to be a firework every year? The war wasn't won because of a firework. This is nonesense! Dean – Professor Thomas – after all the changes shouldn't we bring this tradition to an end as well? I'm sure we have other options and more safer options to protect our students"

"I'll see what I can do"

Ben watched the headmaster leaving before he followed Mrs Molly's advide to help Vera and grinned when his friend was likewise ordered to help.