Chapter 3: Leaving Hogwarts for the last time
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter. Shame. Wish I did though. Brilliant Stuff.
Hope you like this bit. Working on the next chapter, may be a few days, cause I've got to get my exam results,and mates and things. I'll update ASAP! Promise.
Harry waited with Ron and Hermione, dressed for the last time in his Hogwarts robes, with the red and gold colours, that told everyone he was in Gryffindor, his Quidditch Captain badge, pinned to the front of his robes. Ron and Hermione were wearing theirs as well, along with their shiny new Head boy and Girls badges, but as usual, Ron had grown another couple of inches, meaning there was a lot of wrist and ankle showing.
"I look like a right idiot," Ron said desperately, looking down at himself.
"No you don't," Hermione said, smiling at him, "Anyway, No one's going to care. And I think it suits you."
Harry grinned, knowing that, what Hermione had said last, was the only thing Ron was going to care about. He turned his back to them, as Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione to kiss her. Harry concentrated on his last words to the teachers, when he spotted Ginny walking towards him. She had been up in the common room. She smiled when she saw Harry and grimaced when she spotted Ron and Hermione.
"Get a room you two, for heavens sake," Ginny said, as she let Harry wrap an arm around her waist. Ron sent Ginny a glare, as Hermione stepped away from him, looking flushed.
"Ready?" She asked, breathlessly, motioning to the doors, "We're meant to go and sit down, before parents, and family turn up."
"Who did you ask to come, Harry?" Ginny asked, squeezing his hand, and looking up at him.
"I asked 'Dromeda to come with Teddy, she said she would," Harry said smiling sadly, then he added, smiling slightly happily, "I want to show Teddy a few things before I leave."
"I'm sure he'll like that," Hermione said over her shoulder, as she lead the way to where most of the other Gryffindor's sat.
"He's not going to remember it though is he?" Ron said, sitting down, "I mean, he's two."
"I don't care," Harry said smiling, "I want to show him where his parents…" but he couldn't finish his sentence. His throat had become tight, talking about Teddy's parents. Hermione and Ginny both gave his arm a little comforting squeeze and Ron slapped him gently on the back.
They sat together, and didn't notice the rest of the Weasley family walking towards them. Mr and Mrs Weasley, at the head of the family, smiling proudly. Bill and Fleur, were there, smiling happily. Percy was with them, smiling, rather pompously in Ron's opinion, he told Harry later. George was a little way behind, surrounded by some of the younger students, selling some of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products. Even Charlie had come back from Romania to see his youngest brother, and his little sister, leave Hogwarts.
Ginny was first to spot them. She smiled, and said: "Ron! They're here!" Ron turned around, and smiled. He and Ginny went over to their family. Harry and Hermione remained seated, but that didn't last for very long as Mrs Weasley, who considered them as part of her family already, came over and hugged each other them in turn.
"Oh my dears," She said breathlessly, "I can't believe that it's that time already. Seven years! Oh I'm all of a flutter."
"Eight years, mum," Ron said, rolling his eyes, "We're not the same age as Ginny."
"Oy!" Ginny said giving him a punch on his arm.
"You know what I mean," Mrs Weasley said smiling, all of a dither.
"Alright you four?" Mr Weasley asked, looking at his youngest children and Harry and Hermione.
"Yes," They all said together. Hermione detached herself from the Weasley's when she saw her parents, and ran down the hall to hug them. She had found them again, after confounding them, for their own safety, the year when she, Harry and Ron had spent wondering the country to find the Horocruxes. They had some idea what Hermione had done, because she had told them what she had been up to.
Harry was just having his hand shaken by George, when he saw Andromeda, carrying Teddy in her arms. Harry smiled and walked over to her.
By now, Teddy had learned to recognise Harry and giggled happily, and held out his arms to his Godfather when he saw him. Andromeda smiled and passed Teddy to Harry.
"He knew we were coming to see you today, you know," Andromeda said to Harry as they walked over to join the Weasley's.
"Really?" Harry asked surprised.
"Kept saying 'Hawy' all this morning," Dromeda said as they drew level with the large group of red heads, "Though that might have been because I told him." She added smiling the same smile, which Tonks had smiled so many times. Harry grinned. He looked at Teddy and said, in a voice which made the little boy smile; "You could have made your hair Red or Gold today, instead on Turquoise couldn't you? But no. Not even honouring you godfather." Teddy laughed, and as he did so, his hair turned from Turquoise to a mixture of Red and Gold.
"Thank you very much," Harry said smiling, and Andromeda smiled, and laughed too. The rest of the Weasley's smiled as well.
Ginny came and stood next to Harry, and gently chucked Teddy under the chin. The little boy giggled.
"Isn't he just a sweetheart?" Ginny asked Harry, as Teddy, blushed and hid his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry laughed.
"You haven't seen him at home," Dromeda said smiling, "Right messy little blighter. Even worse than…" She trailed off, tears had suddenly sprung to her eyes, and Harry never knew whether she was going to have said 'Worse than Ted' or 'Worse than Dora', because a second later, Professor McGonagall, stepped on the stage, along with the rest of the teachers and asked every body to sit.
"Another end, to another year," She said, as the crowd sat quietly in front of her, "And we have to say goodbye to, not just out seventh years, but last years seventh years as well, because of well documented circumstances. They have shown courage, and understanding beyond their years, these two year groups, and along with the rest of teachers I want to wish them all the best in their lives outside of Hogwarts." She paused and allowed the rest of the school, and the families to clap.
She continued, "Each house, has made a little display, to show off their achievements, and I hope you will join me in enjoying their displays. First I would like to ask Slytherin, to show us their display." She stood aside as the members of Slytherin house, stood, their colours, of silver and green, gleaming on their robes. They made their way to the front of the hall, and started their display, of all the things Slytherin stood for, snakes, and cunning. Harry noticed that Crabbe, and Malfoy, were not among the Slytherin members.
The hall clapped politely when Slytherin had finished and returned to their places.
"Well," Ron muttered in Harry's ear, "We could have guessed what they were going to show us." Harry nodded, as Professor McGonagall called the Ravenclaw's forward.
As the display continued, Harry was once again reminded of what Mr Weasley has said at the Quidditch world cup four years ago, 'we can't help showing off' he grinned.
"Very nice Ravenclaw," McGonagall said as they sat down, "And Hufflepuff please!" the Hufflepuff's sprung forward.
Harry grinned to himself, he had been in charge of the Gryffindor display and was very happy with it. As McGonagall called Gryffindor forward, Harry and the rest of the House went to the back of the hall where there were enough broomsticks for the graduating students. They each picked up a broom and mounted.
Suddenly the Gryffindor's were showing the others houses, their daring, nerve and chivalry, Harry noted, as Hermione almost fell off her broom, and Ron swooped to catch her.
Harry stopped mid flight with the other members of the Quidditch team, and they muttered a spell, which had taken Hermione two whole weeks to find and teach them, which allowed, red and gold sparks to erupt from their wands, to form, five Gryffindor lions, which swooped around the hall, to the stage, where the Professors stood. The parents, and student's were roaring their approval, as the lions merged into one, and exploded in a shower of red and gold sparks.
The Gryffindor's flew down, and settled in their seats, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well," Professor McGonagall said, sounding shocked, and rather in awe, "Now, before Each student receives their degrees, and the Sorting Hat, gives you the last piece of advice; I would be honoured, if our student's and parents, and guardians would do us the honour as well, of joining in our School song!"
Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned at each other, as they saw some of the shocked expressions of the parents sitting around the hall. They watched as Professor McGonagall, waved her wand, and a large drape, with the Hogwarts song on it, hung in the air behind her head.
"Would you all stand please?" She asked the audience, and added, "On three." She paused and Harry could have sworn she winked at him, "One… Two… Three…"
The whole hall broke out with the school song:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot!"
Harry, had his arm around Ginny's shoulders as they sang, and Ron had his arm around Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of Hagrid bellowing the words along with everyone else and smiled. Mr and Mrs Weasley were in perfect tune. Fleur was looking disgruntled, but Bill was smiling and He and Charlie were grinning widely. Percy looked a little stiff, but sang with dignity. George, was singing with the rest of them, but he kept glancing to his left, as if he was looking for Fred, who should have been singing it with him.
Andromeda, was singing along too, tears in the corners of her eyes, and Teddy, who could not yet read with out help, was laughing and clapping his hands; admittedly out of time, but he was only two.
Everybody clapped when they finished and Harry couldn't keep himself from smiling happily, as he sat down with the others, and waited patiently, as the Sorting Hat was brought out, and Flitwick started calling out the names of everybody in Ginny's year to come and try the hat on.
By the time, that Flitwick had reached the 'S' in Ginny's year, Ron was fidgeting, causing Hermione, and Mrs Weasley to shoot him some very un pleasant glares.
"I don't' know why she's complaining," Ron muttered to Harry as she slumped in his chair, "I never liked the sorting and this is almost the same thing!" Harry designed a smirk, but smothered it quickly when Hermione sent them another glare.
Harry could just hear, somewhere in the back of his brain, Teddy getting board as well. It was alright for Ron to get board, as he wasn't about to burst out crying in protest; Teddy would. Harry slipped out of his chair in a spilt second and crouched down by Andromeda. Teddy perked up. He smiled at Harry. Grinning, sheepishly at Mrs Weasley and Andromeda, who looked relieved that Teddy wasn't about to cry, he took Teddy and crept back to his place.
He bounced him on his knee, and smiled as Ginny started making funny faces at Teddy, who was giggling. She stopped quickly however, when Hermione, who was getting very annoyed with the lack of attention and slipped concentration, glared at her. She consented to let Teddy play with her hair band. Harry grinned, and nodded at Ginny when he heard her name called. She got up hurridly.
Ron was shaking his head in despair at his sister, as Ginny walked up to the sorting hat.
"Ah, Ginerva Weasley," Said a small voice in her ear, when she sat down, and had received her certificate, and had the hat placed on her head: "You were well placed in Gryffindor, I'll give you that. You have a ready mind and a loving heart. Choose wisely in your life, and your choices will give you much happiness. Remember Miss Weasley, trust your instincts, follow your heart and you shall be a Gryffindor for the rest of your life. Goodbye Miss Weasley."
Ginny took off the hat, and walked back to her place. She smiled secretively at her parents, brothers, her best friend, and Harry. She sat down and waited as Flitwick moved through the names of Harry's year.
Harry waited in his seat, for his name to be called, and was surprised when he wasn't called out after the Patil twins. Hermione, Ron and Ginny sent him confused glances, which told him that they didn't know what was going on.
Everybody else looked confused when Harry's name wasn't called out. Harry was just considering pointing out their mistake, when Professor Flitwick reached the end of the list and Professor McGonagall stepped forward, just as the buzz of talk started.
"And, last but not, by any means least, I would like to call forward, Harry Potter!" McGonagall called over the noise. There was an up roar of cheer, as Harry stumbled forward, his face as red as Tomato. He had to walk back to Ginny, however, because he realised that he was still holding Teddy. The hall laughed politely.
"Congratulations Harry," McGonagall said quietly, to him as she handed him his certificate, "Good Luck," She added, smiling. Harry grinned and allowed the sorting hat to be placed on his head.