Aaaand this story is finally complete! I had a bit of a hard time writing this chapter. Not only due to lack of time, but I had to find a closure as well.
Through the seasons – summer solstice.
'Today is Monday. My first lesson is charms with professor Flitwick. Next is care of magical creatures. Then it's lunch before I have herbology. My last lesson is defense against the dark arts. Perfect for last day of school' thought the female. She opened her bag to make sure she had the necessary books. All the books were there, so it was time to go down for breakfast. Luna went down to the common room where two of the third year students were reading a book about animal transfiguration. She noticed that the sun was shining despite that it was not even 8 AM yet. 'Hmm…I hope the weather lasts until my care of magical creatures lessons are over. It's a pain to be outside when we're having rain or snow' thought the young woman.
She exited the tower and went down to the Great Hall. The very familiar scent of toast, tea as well as jam tingled her nose. A small pang of sadness hit her since this was the last official school day at Hogwarts. It would not be very likely that the blonde would return for another year. She was doing quite well at school thanks to the help Hermione and Ginny had given her for starters. The female did not have to worry about Voldemort running around or death eaters causing havoc either. To cap it all, she had just turned 18. Harry, Ron, Hermione as well as Ginny had celebrated her birthday last weekend. Her father would probably invite her relatives to have a birthday party this weekend. It was a tradition they had every school year. 'Oh – I have to reply to the letter he sent last week about the Hogwarts express. I need to send the letter today so he doesn't forget it' recalled Luna. She put some grilled tomato on her toast after she had poured some tea in her cup.
The young woman looked around her as she ate her food. Despite being less outgoing than Ginny, the teenager would miss the meal times at Hogwarts. Being able to catch up with your friends at mealtimes was not something everyone could. Another privilege was that she did not have to cook her own breakfast. Her father always made her breakfast during the holidays to make sure she got a good start on the day. 'I guess I have to practice more during the summer' concluded the female after she had finished her toast. She brushed the crumbs off her uniform before she went up to the charms lesson. The blonde tried to not collide into anyone as she jogged up the staircase. 'That's one thing I won't miss. Moving staircases can be quite inconvenient sometimes' mused the young woman as she reached the top of the stairs. She noticed that the door to the classroom was already open and went in. Her ears picked up the buzzing of familiar voices when she entered the room. It was to be expected since most of the students were present. Hermione was sitting by herself at the front and was reading in a book. Luna smiled as she went over to her desk. "Good morning Hermione. How're you?" greeted the female.
"Oh – morning Luna. I-I was just reading on something for my history class" replied the older woman. "I see. I wonder what we're going to have this lesson. I mean, our N.E.W.T's practical exam were last week after all" said the Ravenclaw. The N.E.W.T's consisted of a theoretical exam plus a practical exam. The last theoretical exam was usually a week prior to the first practical exam. This gave the students some time to calm their nerves and practice their spells. "I think we're going to have some games or a competition. That's what we had when we completed our exams in my sixth year" answered the Gryffindor. "Good morning everyone! Nice to see that the N.E.W.T's did not hinder you from showing up" greeted a familiar male voice. Flitwick had just arrived and was using his wand to levitate a wooden box. He had just placed the box on the floor when one of the Hufflepuff students approached him with a slip. The man read it and gave the student a nod.
"All right then! Today is my last day as your charms teacher. I must say, it has been an honor to teach you all. Especially due to the events that happened about a year ago" started the male. The students nodded with a serious look at their faces. The two female friends at the front felt a shiver run down their spine when he said this. "Since this is the last day with charms, we are going to play games that are a bit different. You do not only need to be good at charms. You need to use your smarts as well. Please choose your game after you have teamed up in four man or women teams. We are sixteen people today, so we can form four teams. No more than two people from the same house can be in one team" instructed the charms teacher. The blonde and the brunette decided to team up with a red-haired Hufflepuff girl plus one of the Slytherin boys. The redhead got them a game that looked like a quiz of some sort. "All right. There are four colours. Choose a card with the same colour as the circle you're standing on. The number of correct answers will tell how many circles you can move. If you answer correct on four questions, you can move four circles forwards. You get a minute to answer your question" read the older female.
They chose a figurine and started moving. Hermione was the first one to answer her questions. "Question one: What is the name of the charm that can propel you to the surface of the water?" asked the male. The memory of Harry emerging from the lake during the Triwizard Tournament popped up in her mind. "Ascendio!" replied the female. "Correct. Question two: What charm do you need to use to immobilize a target?" inquired the black-haired guy. The memory of the pixies in Gilderoy's class emerged in her brain. "I think it's the immobulus charm" answered the teenager. "Immobulus is correct. What charm can liften the mood of someone who has suffered heartbreak?" asked the young man. The young woman tried to think, but another memory came in her way. It was the memory where Ron had left the group during their search for the horcrux. The feeling she had felt back then did not fade until he came back and apologized. She took a deep breath while trying to suppress her emotions a little. "I-I don't think there is any" told the brunette in a quiet voice. "That's correct I'm afraid. Question four: Are there a spell that can conjure birds?" inquired the Slytherin. She instantly remembered the name of that one. Ron had been the unfortunate receiver of the said charm during their sixth year. "Yes, it's called avis" stated the female. "Correct. Question five: Which charm can cause bills to be paid?" asked the guy with a mused look at his face. "Uhm…wait a second…" muttered Hermione as she tried to think of one. She could not recall any charms that could produce money or make things look like money. "I don't think there are any" concluded the young woman. "That's correct – sadly. And time is up. You did really well" told the inky-haired guy with a polite smile. "Thanks" replied the young woman as she moved five circles forwards.
Luna was up next and the Hufflepuff was going to ask her. "All right. Question one: Which charm has two versions that can both cause an explosion?" inquired the girl. The female suddenly remembered the time Umbridge blew up the wall during a DA meeting. It was a memory that still made her angry despite being a rather optimistic person. "I think it's the bombarda" replied the Ravenclaw. "Correct! Question two: Is there a spell that can cure sadness?" asked the teenager. The young woman knit her brows as her brain started to churn at full speed. She was positive that there was a tickling charm as well as a cheering charm. But those spells just made people laugh. "I don't think there is a spell that can cure sadness" told the female. "Correct. There are spells that can make people laugh or smile, but that doesn't cure sadness. Question three: Name three types of charms that can protect a user" continued the young woman. "Uhm…protego duo…the patronus charm…uhm…oh! Protego horribilis!" recalled the blonde. "Correct! And we're out of time I'm afraid. But you got three right though" said the redhead. "Yeah. It's not that bad" replied the young woman as she moved three circles forwards. It did not take long until the class was dismissed.
"I would like the Ravenclaws to stay behind a bit. I'm the head of your house and I got some messages for you. Don't worry – I will write a note to the professors who have you in the upcoming class" told Flitwick. Everyone except the Ravenclaws students stayed behind. The tiny man waved his wand and five envelopes flied up from the wooden box. It appeared that the letters had been hidden in a secret room inside it. The envelopes turned around to reveal the names on the front. Each Ravenclaw student took the envelope that had their name on it. "I would like you to read this letter before you go home on holiday. I'll see you at the end of year dinner tomorrow" told the old man. "Yes professor Flitwick" replied the five students. The female felt a sting of sadness in her hearth as she left the classroom. This was the last time she would attend charms lessons with this teacher. He had been the person who had welcomed her class to the Ravenclaw tower and talked to them at the start of each year. Flitwick had in addition taught them charms that could fill up glasses or make things explode. 'He's been a huge positive influence in our lives despite being a short man' thought the teenager as she went down to the ground floor.
The transfiguration classroom was abuzz as McGonagall appeared. Her stern expression seemed to be softer than usual. 'Wait a second. Today is the last day the Gryffindors are having McGonagall in transfiguration!' remembered the female. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had transfiguration on Mondays while Ravenclaw and Slytherin had transfiguration on Tuesdays. "Good morning everyone. Today is the last day I will be your transfiguration teacher. I would like the Gryffindors to stay behind after this lesson. Professor Sprout told me that the Hufflepuff students had to come to her office tomorrow at 3 PM sharp" told the woman. Everyone nodded, curious about what the reason for this could be. Hermione suspected it had something to do with the graduation. All the Gryffindors who were in this room were going to graduate. The only exception was Neville, who had a free period.
"We're going to do something a bit different today. I want you to choose two nonverbal spells you want to practice on. There are only three requirements. One: They cannot be used to injure another classmate or person. Two: It must be a spell that can be useful in dangerous situations. Three: The spell must be one you enjoy. I don't mind you working together if you're doing the same spell. Let's begin" finished the principal. The young woman knit her brows as she tried to think of the five nonverbal spells that fit those requirements. 'I think I should pick the alohomora as my first? That can be useful in case I need to escape without people hearing me. My second charm is going to be the expelliarmus charm. Disarming someone without saying anything is a huge advantage' decided the Gryffindor.
She went to the cupboard and picked up a padlock from a box. They often used those for spells involving locking or unlocking. Her light brown eyes narrowed as her mind focused on the spell. The female laid the medium-sized padlock on the table and picked up her wand. 'Alohomora!' thought Hermione while she pointed at the padlock. It did not budge. Her mind started to float back to her first year at Hogwarts. Alohomora was one of the first spells she had learned. The young woman had used it to unlock doors, cupboards or locks that were in her way. A smile formed at her lips. 'It's almost like how magic can work if used right. It unlocks the passage to learning or discovering new things' mused the Gryffindor. She lifted her wand once more before pointing it on the padlock. 'Alohomora!' repeated the female. A small 'click' was heard as the padlock unlocked itself. 'Yes!' thought the teenager. She put the padlock back to locking position and tried it one more time. 'Alohomora' said the young woman with her inner voice. Another 'click' was heard as the padlock unlocked itself.
The brunette decided to try expelliarmus. But how could she practice that without a partner? She decided to use one of the practice puppets they had in the back. The female placed a wand in its hand before walking a bit backwards. 'Focus Hermione. No wonder Harry did this spell so well – he had so many he wanted to protect. What sort of enemy can be in my way?' pondered the witch. Voldemort was dead for starters. Nearly all the death eaters had been killed, caught, put in prison or turned away from their belief. A squeal of surprise snapped her out of her concentration. It was Ginny, who had lifted her skirt quite high by accident. Her accident made a shiver run down her spine. What if it was not a spell, but another person? Rapists were not uncommon in the wizard world or among muggles. A fire lit in her brown eyes as she looked back at the dummy. 'EXPELLIARMUS!' shouted the female internally. The fake wand flied out of the dummy's hand before it landed five feet away. 'Not bad' concluded the Gryffindor as she attached the wand to the dummy's hand once more. She tried to come up with a different scenario. 'OK. Let's try something else. What if it's someone who is completely mad like Bellatrix?' recalled the young woman. Just the memory of what she did to her just a year ago made her insides cold as ice. Her arm was shaking a little as her eyes looked at the wand hand. 'EXPELLIARMUS!' screamed the brunette inside her while her wand aimed at the fake one. The fake wand was sent backwards before it hit the wall ten feet behind it.
'Heh…looks like I just need to keep my imagination going. What else may I face in the real world?' wondered the young woman. She picked up the fake wand while she tried to come up with a new scenario. Most of her wizard friends could defend themselves quite well. But what if someone attacked her muggle family or muggle friends? A muggle did not have a chance against a magical creature, witch or wizard. Even a simple shield charm could easily deflect bullets from a gun. Hermione imagined her parents being the target for a nasty sectumsempra as she lifted her wand again. 'EXPELLIARMUS!' thought the female while she fired off another disarming charm. It took only a second until the wand had been sent six feet to the right. "All right everyone. Class is over. I would like the Gryffindors to stay behind. The rest of you have to leave. I'll see you tomorrow at the end of the year dinner" told McGonagall. Everyone apart from the Gryffindors packed their bags. The teenager had just put the dummy back when Neville walked through the door.
"Hey Hermione! How're you?" greeted the male with a smile at his face. "Not too bad. How are you?" replied the young woman. "Not too bad. I'm a bit sad though. This is our last day here after all" told the Gryffindor. She nodded in agreement. "Please come over here" told the woman after she had laid five envelopes on the table. Each envelope had a name on it. The brunette saw there was one with her name on the far left. "I would like you to open this envelope tonight or tomorrow before the end of year dinner. Read it thoroughly several times. Harry and Ron told me they are coming tomorrow morning. I will see you at the dinner tomorrow" told the witch after she had handed them the envelopes. "Thank you professor" told the Gryffindor students. The female could not help but to smile. 'I'm really lucky to have had McGonagall as my head teacher. I mean – she's a female principal who fought Voldemort last year! And she's thought me so much about transfiguration that I can't bring it to words' thought Hermione as she walked towards the Gryffindor tower. It was time to pack down her luggage for the Hogwarts express in just two short days.
"So – are you interested in meeting me and Luna after dinner?" inquired Ginny as they started on their last "normal" school dinner. It consisted of baked chicken, root vegetables, gravy plus baked potatoes. "Maybe. What are you doing?" replied the older woman after she had swallowed a mouthful of potato and vegetables. "We're going to open the letters our professors gave us. They told us to open them today or tomorrow after all" said the female. The teenager nodded in reply. "I don't mind. Not sure if I can stay all night. Ron told me he would send an owl tonight with details about the holiday. He said he would use Pigwidgeon since the weather was nice" told Hermione. The said owl had gotten much better at delivering letters over the years. "I see. I can't wait to get the reply from my audition for the Holyhead Harpies either" stated the redhead after she refilled her tea cup with her wand. The buzz of voices was a welcome sound. They noticed that Luna was sitting next to a barn owl. She had a concentrated look at her face while she was reading a seemingly important letter. The young woman then handed the owl a letter with her hand writing plus an owl treat. Said animal let out a small screech before it left the Great Hall. Both Gryffindors went over to the Ravenclaw table after their friend had finished their dinner.
"Hello Luna! How're you?" greeted the female. "Oh, hi Ginny. I just got a letter from the Ministry. I've been accepted to their zoologist program in September" replied her friend before she turned the paper in her hand. The two young women bent down to read it. "Dear Ms. Lovegood. We have accepted your application for our magizoology course. The course starts at September 1st at the Ministry of Magic in London. The classes will be held by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Please bring an ID, parchments, quills plus the books listed underneath. An exam will be held in June next year. This course must be passed to take the level II version of this course. We wish you a pleasant day. Best regards, Mathilda Grimblehawk, executive at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures" read the brunette. "Luna, that's amazing! Congratulations!" said the teenager while hugging the surprised Ravenclaw. "I agree with Ginny. Congratulations with getting accepted" told the other young woman. She decided not to hug since her friend looked a little winded. "Thank you. I am really looking forward to start this course. If I complete all three levels, I can become a magizoologist. But it will require at least an 'E' in care of magical creatures, an 'A' or higher in herbology plus another 'A' or more in defense against the dark arts. I think the care of magical creatures went really well. Same for the defense against the dark arts. But how did your audition go Ginny?" inquired the female.
"It went quite well. I did my audition in Wales two weeks ago. I decided to audition for the chaser position and my team scored four goals. I managed to score one. But I won't get to know the answer until next week" replied Ginny. "That sounds really good. I don't know much about Quidditch, but scoring a goal sounds like a good thing. Have you got a job Hermione?" asked the blonde after she had gotten up from the table. "Er – I think I have. Kingsley sent me a letter two days ago. He asked me if I wanted to apply for a trainee program in the Ministry. I decided to say yes. But I don't know which program I will be enrolled into until I get my N.E.W.T's result" admitted the Gryffindor as they left the Great Hall. They had decided to go to the Ravenclaw common room to enjoy the view. "I'm sure you'll get into the department of magical law enforcement. I mean, you're the smartest witch in our year" told the young woman while she put up her auburn hair in a ponytail. "Thanks for the compliment Ginny. I'm positive you and Luna will get a positive answer as well" replied the teenager as they went towards the entrance.
"How many roads must a man walk down?" inquired the eagle knocker. It did not take long for the Ravenclaw to come up with the answer. "The one he is on" answered the female. The door opened moments later and the witches walked in. The sun was still out despite that it was 7:30 PM in the evening. But today was June 21st after all. Today was the longest day of the year. Nobody was in the room at the moment. Most of the Ravenclaws were most likely eating dinner, partying, relaxing or packing their suitcases. "Accio envelope" muttered Luna while she waved her wand. Her envelope came flying down the stairs and she grabbed it with her left hand. Her friends took out the envelopes they had been given as well. "All right. Let's see what it says" told Hermione. Her friends nodded. The trio opened their letters before they pulled out something that resembled a stiff type of parchment.
"You two can go first since you are from the same house" told the young woman. "Dear student. Congratulations on finishing your Hogwarts education. Remember that there are many things out there that requires the values Gryffindor are so famous for" started the Weasley. "Never forget that daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart. Best regards, Minerva McGonagall, head teacher of the Gryffindor house" finished the Granger. The trio went silent for a few moments. What the letter said was as true as it could get. There were things out there that they had to be prepared for as adults. Applying for a job, living at their own, protecting loved ones plus asking out someone they had a crush on required the values that Gryffindor was so famous for. "OK Luna. Why don't you read yours?" suggested the younger woman.
"Dear student. Congratulations on completing your Hogwarts education. School may be over, but there is still so much to learn. Remember to stay curious and keep an open mind. Do not forget that wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure. Best regards, Filius Flitwick, head teacher of the Ravenclaw house" read the blonde. The room went quiet one more time. What the letter said applied for all three of them. One of them had applied for magizoology classes, another was going to be an intern at the Ministry while the last one had auditioned for a Quidditch position. "I have to say – I think we have learned an immense amount of things at Hogwarts" told the female in a silent voice as she looked at the Gryffindors. "I agree. The seven years of lessons and living here have taught me more than what I would have ever imagined" muttered the older female while brushing a strand of brown hair away from her face. "Mhm. But I think we have an exciting chapter ahead of us as well. We can discover things on our own now" said Ginny. Her friends nodded before they looked out of the window. Their time at Hogwarts was over. It was time to put their knowledge plus their experiences into practice in the magical world.
So - what are your thoughts? Please let me know in a PM or a review. Constructive criticism and praise are always appreciated. I wish you all a great day!