Class: Transfiguration
Task: Write about someone going through a change (minor or major, physical or mentally is completely up to you).
Additional prompt: Oliver Wood
For: the forum Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)
My change: Graduation is finally here, and the seventh-years leave by boats, the same way they came.
"Oliver Wood," Professor Dumbledore calls out, "Gryffindor." Oliver stands up and makes his way to Professor McGonagall.
"Congratulations Wood," Professor McGonagall says proudly as she shakes Oliver's hand. Oliver beams back. "You've done your house proud – finally winning the Quidditch Cup for the first time in seven years."
"The team's win is Gryffindor's win," Oliver returns, before taking the scroll that Professor McGonagall hands over, red and gold ribbon tied around it. He holds his head high as he exits the Great Hall, following the first path he had ever walked at Hogwarts.
His friends are already waiting to them – standing by the last boat. Oliver swallows at the sight, gaze looking out over the Black Lake, the dark water rippling in the evening hours. "This is finally it," Penelope Clearwater says once he reaches his friends. "This is the last time we'll ever stand on Hogwarts ground."
Oliver looks at his two friends – Penelope, with her slightly red eyes but looking put together and exactly opposite of how she looked when they had first met; and Percy with a tight smile that would be called restrained on anyone else.
"This is it," Percy mutters in agreement.
"Look alive," Oliver says, grin widening once again. "We're going to be out in the world. We're going to be able to do whatever we want! No more listening to the rules."
"In other words, you're going to be playing Quidditch twenty-four hours a day because no one will make you stop," Penelope says with a soft laugh.
"Rules are in place for a reason," Percy responds, rolling his eyes, but despite this, his grin doesn't fade.
Oliver laughs, "More than likely, but as you so often point out – I'm not exactly reasonable when it comes to Quidditch."
"No one wants to wake up in the early hours of the morning for Quidditch, Oliver! Honestly, I'm surprised no one on your team murdered you. They're all Quidditch freaks like you, more than likely…"
The three of them smile at each other in silence, Percy's grin finally growing, before all three of them chuckle.
"The boats have started setting out," Penelope says quietly. "Shall we get in?" Before she's even finished speaking, Percy's helping her into the boat. "What a gentlemen," she huffs lightly, "You going to help Oliver in as well?"
Percy pulls a face, feeling comfortable enough to do it without his family watching him, without expectations pressuring him, with being beside his friends and graduation from Hogwarts. "Of course, we can't leave him to get in the boat by himself. Do you remember when we were coming to Hogwarts? He fell in the Black Lake!"
"I remember thinking that it was impressive that the giant squid didn't catch him and eat him," Penelope returns with a sly grin targeted at Oliver.
"I'm hurt!" Oliver announces, a grin belaying his words.
"It's not like it isn't true," Penelope says. "Get on here in you great big oaf."
"Quidditch has made me very graceful. I wouldn't flip the boat getting in," Oliver replies, easily getting into the boat without any help. "See?"
"Oh, Gryffindor's Keeper and Quidditch Captain, where would we be without you?" Penelope asks, fluttering her eyelashes.
"The Quidditch Captain that led the team to its first victory in years," Percy intones, voice barely managing to stay monotone.
"You're all so mean to me," Oliver complains with a grin.
The boat finally starts moving, and Oliver feels like he's arriving at Hogwarts all over again – emotions caught up in his stomach and so excited and fearful at the same time. Penelope takes his hand and squeezes it, and he gives her a wobbly grin. He thinks he's going to cry and he really wants to avoid that – not that Penelope and Percy haven't seen him cry before, they saw him after Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup, after all.
"Do you–" Percy coughs and clears his throat after his voice hitches. "Do you remember our first study session in the library?"
"Oh yes," Penelope says with a chuckle. "How could I forget? You and Oliver, complete idiots, the both of you."
"Hey!" The pair of boys in question say.
"You weren't much better," Oliver points out. "You didn't even do any studying and it was your fault we got kicked out of the library!"
"I was laughing!" Penelope defends. "You were both being so silly – you with Quidditch and Percy trying to get you to focus."
Percy groans, "I remember the utter mortification I felt and how I could never show my face in the library again. All I wanted to do was study."
"It was our second day at Hogwarts, what in Merlin's name did you plan to study?" Oliver replies.
"Schoolwork! The things we came to learn! You know that's the whole reason we go to Hogwarts – it's a school," Percy responds.
"Went," Penelope corrects a few seconds later, "It's the whole reason we went to Hogwarts."
A sombre mood falls over the group, the reminder that they've finally graduated hanging over their heads. "We should be happy about this, right?" Oliver asks softly. "I mean, we're finally out in the real world and all that."
No one speaks for a minute, before Penelope dares to breach the silence, "Well yes, but we are leaving the place we've been basically living in for seven years. We're going to go into the wizarding world and be responsible adults. Percy's going to join the ministry, you're going to go play for Puddlemere United, and I'm going to work at St Mungo's Hospital."
"We have to keep in contact," Oliver says. "We've been friends for seven years."
"You'll be over the world, whilst Penny and I will be extremely busy," Percy warns. "But, yes," he says, "we'll keep in contact. Someone needs to make sure you're getting the right amount of sleep, Oliver. You can't spend all your waking hours playing Quidditch either."
"What is this?" Oliver asks with a grin, throwing his hands into the air, "Tell Oliver how to live his life day? We've lived together for seven years Percy, I'm sure I'll manage to survive without you."
"You guys have lived together for seven years?" Penelope repeats, raising an eyebrow, "Oliver, that's just proof that you won't manage to survive by yourself."
Oliver sniffs, and finds his eyes watering, "It's going to be so different," he says with a sigh, tension loosening its hold over his muscles. The shore is nearby, and the future all of them know is seconds away. They are leaving Hogwarts, and finally that knowledge cements itself into their bones.
Penelope glances at the two boys, her best friends at Hogwarts. She's fought with them, had a relationship with one, but despite it all their friendship has remained – the friendship that came from when one child fell in a lake on the way to Hogwarts and his companions had to fish him out.
They are seconds away from landing, and Penelope lifts her wand. "Let's make this memorable," she says, and already Percy and Oliver's faces are growing pale.
"Penny don–" Percy starts to say, but it's too late. With a swish and flick of her wand, and a few words muttered under her breath, the boat tips, dropping them all into the cold water of the lake. There are shouts as the water hits them, knocking the air from their lungs with its freezing temperature. Oliver is the first one to stand, helping Percy and Penelope up seconds later.
"That was a dirty trick," Oliver says, but he's wiping tears away from his eyes. Emotions all buried in his mind and in his stomach rise, and happiness settles in his chest. He's scared of the future yes, fearful of what it brings and the changes that must occur, but he will have his friends to talk to, even if distance parts them.
Percy's red hair is plastered to his skull, dark in contrast to its usual colour. He, too, is wiping water away from his eyes. "Penny, honestly," he mutters, "you had to, didn't you?"
Despite all his mutterings, the Gryffindor doesn't pull away when his friends sweep him into a hug. They're all crying but with grins on their faces, and they stand in knee-deep water in the Black Lake, the dark water rippling around them.
It is their final time in Hogwarts, their last day, their final memory, and they know not what lies ahead. It doesn't matter, though, because even if their world is changing, there are still pillars that remain strong.
Graduation is a theme close to my heart, currently. Mainly because I'm eight months away from graduation from school. Final year of school - that's where I am (although, I still have university and everything to go to). When I first read the prompt, my immediate thought was graduating. It's a major change, both mentally and physically, but also socially and emotionally. In Hogwarts, you go from the people you've been living around and with for seven years to the world that you've never really seen and had to live in.
I imagine that graduating would be sad, and these characters see it that way. However, they're also excited for what the future holds. Percy is going to the Ministry. He's going to do something and do it well, and he's been wanting this for years. Oliver's going pro for Quidditch, it's his dream - and he's gotten the Quidditch Cup this year. His dreams have come true and he's thrilled, although nervous and scared of what the future holds. Penelope has known what she wanted to do for a few years, but not for many. She's going to help people, heal them - all her time looking after Oliver after a Quidditch injury is finally going to pay off.
These characters do their best to make their last memories of Hogwarts good and memorable. They want it to be remembered. They want to remember it. This is something sad, and they're going to cry, but they're also going to smile because this is what they've been working towards for seven years.
They're finally here and they're damn proud of it.