A/N: This chapter goes out to the Mt. Olive High School Class of 2006. Only one more year guys!

And I still don't own Harry Potter.

Graduation

"Hey, Lily, isn't that your owl?" asked Elizabeth.

Lily, Elizabeth, Alice, and Dorcas were all in Lily's dorm and were suppose to be helping Lily pack, as she was to go home for her sister's wedding in two days time. But the girls had completely forgotten about packing and, instead, were sitting around having some serious girl talk.

Lily turned around. Sure enough, Lily's owl was tapping on her window with a note attached to its leg. She opened the window with a flick of her wand and her owl flew in and landed on her shoulder.

She looked at the handwriting on the envelope; it was written in the same cramped handwriting as Petunia's. Lily immediately tore open the letter; if it was something from Petunia, it couldn't be good news. She started to read aloud.

Lily,

As you are fully aware, I will be marrying Vernon this coming Saturday, and we do not want you to attend. I know that Mum really wants you to be there, but I and Vernon think it would be best if anyone of your kind did not attend the ceremony. Please write to Mum and tell her that you are unable to attend.

Petunia

The girls watched Lily in a sad silence. After a few moments, Lily finally said, resolutely, "Well, I guess I'd better write to my mum." She walked to her trunk, grabbed a piece of parchment, ink, and quill, and began to write.

When Lily finished the letter, she gave it to her owl, who flew out the open window.

Alice was the first to break the silence. "What did you say?"

"That I am staying to study for our N.E.W.T.s and that it's probably for the best the I stay home anyway." Lily was nearly in tears.

"Lily, are you okay?" asked Elizabeth softly.

"I'm fine" she said, but the tears in her eyes started to fall. "I'm being stupid, that's all. I should have known that this would happen. And besides, it's not like I actually wanted to go anyway"

The rest of the night was spent comforting Lily. She didn't know why she was so upset, after all, she hadn't had a civil conversation with her sister in seven years.

Over the Spring Break, the seventh years were so loaded with homework that Lily barely didn't have time to think about how much her sister hated her.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team, led by James, beat Slytherin for the Cup. The party that followed was that of Hogwarts legend. Somehow, and Lily didn't want to know how, the Marauders had managed to get twenty crates of butterbeer, and a few bottles of firewhisky, not to mention enough food to last the rest of the weekend. McGonagall had come to break up the party twice, but with no success. Each time, the students would go to their dorms, but come right back down a few minutes later. It finally ended when McGonagall was accompanied by Dumbledore himself.

Before anyone could believe it, the seventh years were stuck inside on beautiful, sunny days studying for their N.E.W.T.s. The girls were so stressed out, the guys hardly even bothered to talk to them.

As weird as it was, Lily was almost sad that the N.E.W.T.s were over. It meant that she was completely done with Hogwarts. For seven years, Hogwarts had been all that she had known, and now, there was a good chance that she would never see the school again. It seemed so hard to believe that the greatest seven years she's ever had were going to be over in a week.

The Admissions Department of St. Mugo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries had sent Lily an owl saying that she had been accepted for their Healer training program and that she would start on August 1st.

Because she was the top of her class, Lily had to make a speech at graduation, which was to take place on the school grounds on the last day the students would be at school. This had made Lily even more stressed because she hated speaking to a large group of people. Sure, she was fine in front of the prefects, but graduation was going to take place in front of a good few hundred people.

But much sooner than anyone would have liked, graduation was upon them. Lily, dressed in black dress robes like all of the other graduates, was toward the end of the line of seventh years, with James right behind her. As she walked down the aisle, she saw her mother sitting with James' parents. She smiled as she saw the obviously proud look that her mother had on her face.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally made it up to the seats designated for the graduates. Lily was seated in the front row, close the faculty that was to be speaking, with James sitting to the left of her.

McGonagall gave an introductory speech, saying that she was very honored to have been given the opportunity to teach everyone of these students, and so on and so forth. Lily wasn't really paying much attention; all that she could think about was that she was to give her speech as soon as McGonagall was done with hers.

"And now I would like to introduce Lily Evans, this year's Head Girl" said Professor McGonagall as she left the podium.

Lily took a deep, steadying breath as she approached the podium. She looked into the crowd and began.

"During the that very first train ride to Hogwarts, there was only one word that summed up how I felt: terrified. I had no idea what was in store for me. But from the first moment that I saw the Hogwarts castle as we rode across the lake, I felt calm. I felt like I had found my home.

"The seven years that I have spent at this school have, by far, been the greatest I have known. There are some memories that I know that we will never forget, like competing for the Inter-house Championship, and cheering on our teams at the Quidditch matches. And I know that both the students and the staff won't soon forget the many pranks that were pulled over the last seven years, most of which, were caused by the same four people." she paused and glanced at James, "You know who are." She turned back to the crowd.

"But those times are over, and we are all being thrown into the real world, which, as any adult witch or wizard can tell you, is a terrifying place. But do not think of today as the end: think of today as a new beginning. From this point on, we choose our fate; we make our destiny. We must not let certain forces confuse us into believing that they are right. We must stand up and fight for what we believe is right.

Congratulations graduates. We did it!"

Applause followed Lily's speech as she sat down next James.

"Glad that's over?" he whispered to her.

"You have no idea" she smiled back.

Next, Dumbledore stood and handed out diplomas. One by one, the students walked to Dumbledore, shook his hand, and received a diploma. When Lily took hers, she noticed what looked like an extra piece of paper sticking out of the side.

000

After the ceremony, meeting with everyone's parents, and what seemed like a million pictures, the Marauders, Lily, Alice, and Dorcas had decided to simply sit around the Heads' common room. Elizabeth was planning on it, but said something about some guy and hurried off in the other direction. Josefine, who was usually attached to Peter by the hip, had started hanging out with everyone less and less since Gryffindor had beat Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup (not that anyone but Peter was complaining).

They had just entered the room when Lily pulled out the extra piece of paper from her diploma. A note was written in narrow, loopy hand writing that read:

Come to my office at eight o'clock. The password is 'lemon drop'.

Puzzled, Lily turned to her friends. "Did anyone else get one of these notes in their diploma?"

It turned out that they all had one, and they all said the same as Lily's.

"Who are they from?" asked Peter, completely lost.

"It has to be Dumbledore; he's the only one who ever touches the diplomas" replied James.

They spent the next two hours talking about what Dumbledore could possibly want to talk to them about. Finally, the time came when they would ask him themselves.

000

After riding on the moving staircase that led to Dumbledore's office, James knocked on the door.

"Come in" they heard Dumbledore say.

They all filed into Dumbledore's office to find their Headmaster seated at his desk, which was surrounded by seven chairs, just enough for each of them.

"Please, sit down" said Dumbledore kindly.

After they each sat down, Dumbledore said, "I'm sure that you are all wondering why I asked you here this evening."

Their was a general murmur of agreement.

"As you are all aware, the threat of Lord Voldemort is growing everyday. I know that each and every one of you is not the type of person to sit back and do nothing when something like this is going on. I am giving each of you an invitation to join a secret society, the Order of the Phoenix, which I have founded, that will do all that it can to bring an end to the terror that Lord Voldemort is causing. But this is not a decision to be made lightly. The work that this society will do is going to be extremely dangerous, and you would risk nothing less than your lives nearly everyday. I will give you two weeks to decide, and I beg you to think carefully. No one will think less of you if you decide not to join. Does anyone have any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Very well. You may return to your dorms."

000

"Well, that was not what I expected." said Sirius. They were all back in the Heads' common room, discussing what had just happened.

"No kidding" said Dorcas, sounding slightly breathless.

"So, what do guys think?" asked Lily.

James was the first to answer. "Well, there's no doubt that this is gonna be dangerous, but if it helps stop this war, I'm all for it"

"But is it really worth risking our lives?" squeaked Peter.

"Absolutely" said Remus.

They kept talking about the possibility of joining the Order until five in the morning when everyone, even Peter, had come to the same decision: they were ready.