* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART THREE
The Eighth Year
Chapter 64: Graduation
When Harry arrived in the great hall, everyone was chattering away, but those at the eighth year table looked nervous and sad. Combined with the fact that everyone was dressed in black, it looked like they were preparing for a funeral.
Harry sat down at one of the few gaps in the table, which happened to be between Neville and Draco, and opposite Hermione and Daphne, who were both reading the Daily Prophet.
"Is anyone gonna talk?" Harry asked as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice, "It's not like this is a funeral or anything."
Draco smiled slightly, "Feels a bit like it."
"The death of our lives as students," Theo joked from his spot next to Draco.
"You should put that in your speech," Neville said with a snigger.
Theo laughed loudly and said, "I might just do that."
Hermione looked up from the paper and glared at Theo, "You need to be serious in your speech Theo. You're Head Boy."
"So?" Theo asked as he rolled his eyes.
Hermione was about to respond when McGonagall appeared at the end of the table, holding a stack of yearbooks.
"The yearbooks are ready," Daphne said with excitement as McGonagall made her way around the table and handed them out. It was traditional to get a yearbook on the morning of graduation, but Harry had gotten so caught up with everything else that he had completely forgotten about it.
Draco got his first, and Harry and Theo peered curiously at it. The front cover was simple; it had "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" stamped on it with the school logo underneath. Then it said "Class of 1998/99" and underneath that was his name, "Draco Black". There were then the four logos of each house in each corner of the parchment.
Harry's yearbook was then dropped in front of him, and he eagerly opened it up to read the message from McGonagall on the front page.
"The staff of Hogwarts, myself included, are very sad to see you all go this year.
More so than almost any other, this year group has weathered countless storms together and have already achieved much to be proud of.
Some of you fought in the war between light and dark. Others have fought wars just as difficult inside themselves. Most of you have lost loved ones. Some of you have even lost family. Some of you have lost parents, something which no child or teenager should ever have to live through.
What I find extraordinary about each and every one of you, however, is not how many battles you have won but how strong you are, and more importantly, how united you are.
I will miss every single student that returned for The eighth year, but I am sure that I will see you all again one day, whether as a teacher here at Hogwarts or in the Daily Prophet. I know you will all be successful in whatever you choose to do.
The war may be over, but the hardest battle is still to come, life. My best wishes are with you, and remember, help will always be given to those who ask for it. Always feel free to send me an owl.
Good luck."
At the bottom of this rather moving speech was McGonagall's signature. Harry smiled as he flicked over onto the next page, it was a lovely little message, and he supposed her graduation speech would be similar.
The next page featured a moving picture of the Head Boy and Girl with their names underneath. Then there were pictures of the Prefects. At the bottom of the page were the Quidditch captains. All of the images on the page moved, and Harry smirked at the action shot of him in the Quidditch Captains section.
The next page featured pictures and names of all of the Gryffindor students, and Harry was pleased to see that Dean and Ron were both in the yearbook. Harry knew that Ron would be because a few weeks ago they had written out little profiles for their friends, which would feature in the yearbook, and Harry had helped write Ron's.
At the top of the page, the word "Gryffindor" was written in scarlet ink with some facts next to it. The first two were standard, "Founder: Godric Gryffindor" and "Head of House: Minerva McGonagall". However, the third fact made Harry chuckle. It said, "Year: 1991-1999 (with some taking a 'gap year' in 98)".
Harry glanced at the pictures; he looked somewhat cocky and more like his father than he ever had done. Hermione looked more confident than Harry could ever remember seeing her, so did Neville, in fact.
Harry smiled as he turned the page to see that this was the 'profiles' page for all Gryffindor students. There was a small box for each student with a little note about them that their friends had written. He scanned over the ones he cared about, the people he actually liked and was surprised by how many he had contributed to. It hadn't felt like that many at the time.
Hermione Jean Granger
A beautiful person, inside and out, but don't take her camping! – Daphne Greengrass.
Harry laughed out loud at this and glanced over to where Daphne and Hermione were giggling, "You do realise hardly anyone will understand what that means?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Thank Merlin," Hermione muttered.
Daphne laughed louder, "I just couldn't resist," she admitted with a cheeky grin. Harry laughed again and looked back once more to Hermione's profile.
Her knowledge is only matched by her love of house-elves. Long live spew – Harry Potter.
Hermione glared mockingly at Harry for this and said, "You spelt it wrong. It's S.P.E.W!"
"I know," Harry grinned, "I did it on purpose."
Hermione chuckled, and Harry smiled. He had a feeling this yearbook would be full of inside jokes. But the final comment on Hermione's profile was actually hugely touching.
She saved me – Draco Black.
Neville Longbottom
Regardless of how famous he gets or how cool he is, I'm always going to think of Neville Longbottom as that sweet boy with a toad who always got stuck in the most ridiculous places. The new Neville is cool, but that's the Nev I fell in love with - Lilly Moon.
But Lil, he's a snake beheading, cardigan-wearing, authority defying badass! (Who's going to be my Auror partner) – Harry Potter.
Fatbottom. P.S: please be my Auror partner – Draco Black.
We all know he'll be mine – Theodore Nott.
Neville barked out a laugh as he read his entry, "Sorry guys," he said to Draco and Theo, "But in this case, I'm Harry's."
This made Harry snigger and Lilly grin suggestively.
"Mind out of the gutter, Lillian Moon!" Neville joked.
"Well, if you will say things like that, Nev," Lilly laughed.
"What you said was nice," Neville said quietly so that the others wouldn't hear.
Lilly's smile didn't shift, "It was the truth, Neville. I didn't fall in love with some badass guy who beheaded snakes. I fell in love with a sweet guy who was always there for me."
Neville kissed her lightly, "I love you too, Lil, and even though you keep claiming you aren't a romantic, I can see right through you."
Lilly grinned at this and looked back down at her yearbook. It was lifting all of their moods.
Harry James Potter
The bravest man I know (sorry, Draco) – Hermione Granger.
"Oi!" Draco said as he glared across the table at Hermione, "I resent that."
"Well, you are a coward, Draco," Theo pointed out casually, which made Draco smack him over the back of the head.
Theo merely sniggered and said, "You didn't deny it."
"And Harry is the saviour of the wizarding world," Daphne pointed out with a smirk.
Hermione smiled slightly at Draco's pout, "Calm down, Draco. You haven't gotten to what I wrote in your entry yet."
Harry smiled his thanks at Hermione and glanced back to his profile.
He gives people second chances. Thank you, Harry – Draco Black.
Scarhead – Theodore Nott.
Hate his hero complex, love him – Daphne Greengrass.
"Gee, thanks, Daph," Harry joked as Daphne smirked at him, "And really Theo? Is that all you could think of to write in my yearbook?"
"Pretty much," Theo grinned.
Ronald Bilius Weasley
I couldn't have, and wouldn't have, gotten through the war without him. Thanks, Ron, for coming back – Harry Potter.
A good man doesn't falter. A great man can pick himself up after he does. I wouldn't be alive today without him. Thank you for keeping me going when all I wanted to do was stop – Hermione Granger.
Harry and Hermione caught each other's eyes across the table, and both smiled. They had both done Ron justice in the yearbook, despite how rocky this year had been on their friendship. Harry flicked the page; he was disappointed that Dean didn't have a profile, but then again, a picture was better than nothing.
Next were the Hufflepuff pages. There were only six pictures on the first page, each with the name underneath and the 'fun facts' (aka the founder, head of the house, and year at the top of the page). On the next page were the Hufflepuff profiles, some of which were amusing.
Hannah Abbott
A lovely, beautiful friend who will have a great life ahead of her, whatever she decides to do! – Sadie Cauldwell.
The greatest friend anyone could wish for. She had the strength to forgive things that should never have been forgiven. It's been a difficult year, but you will always be my sister in every way but blood – Susan Bones.
Susan Sara Bones
My best friend since I was tiny. It's been a challenging year, but you will always be my sister from another mister – Hannah Abbott.
One of the most genuine, helpful people that I know. Thanks for keeping it real, Suse – Harry Potter.
A girl who's never had it easy in life but has become a fantastic person. I wish her so much happiness – Daphne Greengrass.
Zacharias Ebeneezer Smith
He doesn't understand sarcasm…He's intelligent, funny, a great person to be around, and everybody loves him. As I said, he doesn't get sarcasm – Theodore Nott (Head Boy; as the rule states when nobody else wishes to submit an entry…says it all, really!)
Harry snickered at the profile and was amused to see Zacharias giving Theo death glares down the table.
Harry flicked the page and looked at the six Ravenclaw pictures with the founder's name, head of house and year at the top again. On the next page were the Ravenclaw profiles.
Terrance Boot
Awesome seeker, I have always had so much fun playing Quidditch with him. He kept us all going through the war and saved so many innocent lives – Michael Corner.
Michael Corner
Sunday Quidditch and pizza sessions won't stop! I wish him the best of luck with his Quidditch career because he was a fantastic captain, and he's one of the best beaters I've ever seen – Terry Boot.
Lillian Moon
She's beautiful, witty, and so bloody smart. Thank you for turning my life around, for being my best friend and for (eventually) letting me fall completely head over heels in love with you - Neville Longbottom.
Lil is sweet, genuine and caring. But she's also totally punk rock (apart from her Spice Girls obsession) - Susan Bones.
Wonderful person, wonderful Healer. So glad she's going to be watching our backs while we protect our country - Harry Potter.
Lilly grinned, "Thanks Harry and thanks for letting my biggest secret out of the bag Suse," she joked.
Susan laughed, "Somebody had to say it, Lil."
"And I meant what I wrote," Harry said honestly.
Lilly smiled at him once more and turned to Neville, "But really, Nev. Could that have gotten any cheesier?"
Neville just grinned and kissed her, "You like the cheesiness really," he said, and his eyes sparkled playfully as he looked at his girlfriend.
Melody Norris-Filch
I'm so glad she got this chance to live her life on her own terms! – Hermione Granger.
A funny, intelligent girl who has the best taste in vintage fashion! So happy for her! Good luck and enjoy your life with Roy! – Susan Bones.
Harry flicked over and grinned when he realised that he was now at the Slytherin section. He smirked as he looked at the pictures. Draco looked handsome and confident. Sadie looked quietly gorgeous. Daphne was winking and posing in her photograph, which was befitting, and Theo was attempting to pose and look sexy in his. Blaise just looked the way he always did.
Harry flicked the page to the profiles. He had contributed to a fair few of them.
Draco Abraxas Black
Since this is my last chance to say it, Draco…I'm in love with you. Ditch Hermione, and we can run away and elope! – Theodore Nott.
Draco chuckled and glanced over at his best friend, "Nah, mate."
"Come on, we all know it's gonna be a foursome anyway," Neville joked.
Sadie rolled her eyes, "Don't call it a foursome."
"Why?" Harry laughed, "It basically is."
"Foursome makes it sound sexual," Hermione said. She made a face, "Like a giant…"
"Was the word 'orgy' genuinely about to come out of Hermione Granger's mouth?" Theo asked with a grin.
In response, Hermione hit him over the head with her yearbook, "Ouch!"
"How about a quartet?" Neville sniggered, "Do you prefer that?"
This time Sadie lifted her yearbook and whacked Neville over the head with it.
"Oh no, definitely sounds more like a harem to me," Harry said with a grin.
Daphne hit him over the head with her yearbook.
"Four-way?" Neville suggested.
This time Sadie silenced him, then Lilly said, "Just be done with it, and call it a gangbang."
"Lilly!" Hermione exclaimed in horror as the others burst out laughing. Harry was still chuckling when he glanced back at the yearbook,
Everyone deserves a second chance, and I'm glad I gave Draco one – Harry Potter."
Thanks, Harry," Draco said quietly to his friend.
Harry just smiled, "Don't sweat it, Draco. It's just the truth."
"The ferret done good – Neville Longbottom."
"Fatbottom!" Draco growled as he threw a bit of toast at Neville.
The Gryffindor dodged it easily and exclaimed, "Hey! You wrote fatbottom on mine!"
"You are never going to live that one down ferret boy," Hermione teased, at which her boyfriend glared at her.
"Everyone has their demons. Not all of us can fight them, but Draco did – Daphne Greengrass."
"Thanks, Daph," Draco said with a genuine smile at his friend.
"Just the truth Draco," Daphne said with a shrug. Harry chuckled. She really hated letting her feelings show in public.
"Everyone can change. I'm glad that Draco did – Hermione Granger."
Draco got the biggest smile yet at this and leant across the table to kiss her on the cheek, "Thank you," he said. He looked quite tearful.
"Aw, Draco, are you getting emotional?" Harry teased, which made Draco's cheeks even pinker.
"He didn't get emotional over my entry!" Theo retorted with mock anger.
Sadie and Hermione caught each other's eyes and rolled them. It reminded Harry of what Lily and Remus had done when James and Sirius had started fighting, and he smiled as he looked back to the yearbook page.
Sadie Cauldwell
When I first met her, I thought she was quiet and shy, and then I got to know her! Sadie is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. We lost someone special, and without Sadie, I wouldn't have gotten through the aftermath. Don't ever hurt her Theo – Daphne Greengrass.
In one of his rare moments of seriousness, Theo wrapped his arm around Sadie, looked Daphne straight in the eye and said, "I promise I won't."
Daphne, and everyone else who had witnessed the scene, was slightly taken aback by this. It didn't surprise Harry, however. Theo was like his godfather; the joking around was just a mask; he could be serious when he needed or wanted to be.
Thank Merlin for house unity. Without it, I'd never have made such a fantastic friend. I wish I'd known her since first-year – Hannah Abbott
.
She's the most real thing in my life, she's the light, and she is the spark that ignites everything. I love her more than I have ever loved anyone or anything. Thank you, Sadie - Theodore Nott.
Sadie had to fight back the tears as she read this entry, "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said, or written, about me, Theo."
Theo looked vaguely embarrassed, "Well, it's the truth, Sadie, and I can be romantic when I want to be. I'm marrying you because I know you're the one, the only one."
Sadie smiled a watery sort of smile and kissed him lightly on the lips, "I love you too, Theo. I'm sorry about everything that has happened this year."
Theo shook his head and kept his arm around his fiancé, "You don't have to be sorry for a single thing, Sadie," he said softly.
Daphne Greengrass
It might have taken me seven years, but I eventually found an amazing friend who didn't mind spending her evenings studying with me in the library! I wish we had been better friends before, but I know we'll be friends for a long time – Hermione Granger.
"How can we not stay friends?" Daphne asked Hermione with a chuckle, "After all, those two are practically inseparable," she said as she pointed to Harry and Draco.
"We are not!" Draco objected, "He's not my Theo."
"And he's not my Neville," Harry added.
Daphne rolled her eyes, "But you're still very close. Agreed?"
"Nah, I still hate the prick," Harry joked.
"It's not like I like you either, Scarhead! You still strut around this school like you own it."
"I don't strut!" Harry objected.
"And nor did his Father," Hermione joked, "But yours certainly did, Draco."
"God, yes. That guy could strut," Theo said with a shake of his head, "That was all he had going for him. That and his luscious hair. Reckon you'll ever grow your hair long, Draco?"
"If he does, it will mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night," Hermione muttered under her breath.
"What's wrong with guys with long hair?" Daphne asked with a snort.
"I hate guys with ponytails," Hermione said. She made a face, "It's disgusting, and man buns are even worse!"
"Didn't you fancy the pants off of Bill when you first met him?" Harry snorted, "He had a ponytail."
"I did not!" Hermione objected. Her cheeks flushed, "If you must know, it was Charlie I had a crush on."
Harry smirked, "Don't turn around; you might get embarrassed."
Hermione rolled her eyes and turned around, just to come face to face with a grinning Charlie, "I'm honoured, Mione, but you're like a little sister to me."
The others laughed at her expense as her cheeks turned bright red.
She taught me some of the most important life lessons – Susan Bones.
She's been there for me through everything. Without her, I wouldn't be here today. She's the person I look up to, and aspire to be more like. I love you so much, Daphne! – Sadie Cauldwell.
"Sadie, that's so sweet," Daphne said with a watery smile as she got to her feet and hugged her best friend.
"It's only the truth, Daph," Sadie said as she hugged her friend back, "You're my best friend. You always will be."
"You'll always be mine too," Daphne whispered as she pulled away from her friend and sat back down next to Harry.
"She saved me from myself and taught me how to be myself again, at a time when I had completely lost sight of who I was. For that, I will always be grateful. Thank you, Daphne - Harry Potter."
"So cheesy, Potter," Daphne teased.
Harry only smiled, "I don't care," he said honestly, and he truly didn't. His eyes found the engagement ring on her finger, which was sparkling in the early morning rays of sunshine. Everybody knew what she meant to him, how important she was and how he felt. He didn't see any reason to hide it or shy away from it anymore.
"Theodore Roosevelt Nott
He was there for me throughout everything, and without his strength and courage, I would never have survived the war. Thank you for keeping me going, and thank you for being the best friend I could ever ask for – Draco Black.
"Draco, you do care!"
The table erupted with laughter as Draco and Theo shared a 'manly' hug, at Theo's insistence, of course.
The only person who's more of a skinny runt than me – Harry Potter.
"Oi Potter! I'm not a skinny runt!"
"You kind of are, though."
"I am not!"
"Well, you aren't exactly a macho man, are you?"
"Whose side are you lot on?"
He saved me (sorry Harry and Draco, had to be done) – Neville Longbottom.
This caused another wave of laughter and another bromantic hug.
Once a man whore, now whipped as hell (well done, Sadie) – Blaise Zabini.
"Ah Blaise, a man of very little words," Theo said sarcastically. He shook his head in amusement at his friend's comment.
Blaise smirked at his friend from further up the table, but true to form, said nothing.
Blaise Zabini
A good friend throughout even the most challenging times at Hogwarts. When I needed someone with a brain, he was always there - Draco Black.
A man of very few words, but when he does have something to say, everyone ought to listen – Theodore Nott.
Blaise smiled, "I think that might have been the nicest thing you have ever said about me, Theo."
"Ah, don't get used to it, Blaise," Theo grinned, "I'm just feeling sentimental!"
Harry chuckled and flipped the page to the Quidditch section. This page featured the Gryffindor Quidditch team with the words "Winners of the 1999 Quidditch Cup". There was a picture of the group holding the cup and then individual photos of the team members with their position and name underneath. Harry was there as captain and seeker, then Dennis was there as keeper and Ginny, Natalie McDonald and Demelza Robbins as chasers. Neville and Samuel (a sixth year) were there as beaters, although there was a mention to Dean, who had been the beater until his untimely death.
The following page was of the runners up, the Slytherin Quidditch team. There was a picture of the group as a whole and then Draco as the captain and seeker, Daphne, Sadie and Gabrielle as the chasers (again, there was a mention of Tracey as the original chaser). There was also a photo of Blaise and Theo as beaters and the seventh year boy Maxwell who had been the keeper.
Next was the Hufflepuff team with Justin as captain and seeker, then Megan, Ernie and Mason as the chasers, Hannah and Susan as the beaters. Then there was Zacharias as the keeper.
Ravenclaw was last with Michael as the captain and beater, although the job had been shared with Terry towards the end of the year. Mandy, Luna and Laura (a fifth-year girl) were there as the chasers, as was Anthony Goldstein as the other beater. Terry was there as seeker and Paul Clearwater as the keeper.
The next page surprised Harry. He hadn't expected anything like this to be in the yearbook. The page had the words "Dumbledore's Army" in large letters at the top. Next to this were two small sentences.
"Years Active: 1995-1998".
"Teacher: 'Professor' Harry James Potter."
Harry chuckled at McGonagall's sense of humour. There was also a quote underneath these facts, "It is important to fight and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay though never quite eradicated."
The rest of the page consisted of pictures of all the members, not just those in the eighth year but also older and younger students and those who had died. It made Harry swell with pride, and he had to force back his tears too.
"That's a lovely addition to the yearbook," Hermione said as she looked at the page. Harry nodded; he was quite lost for words at the fact it had made it into the yearbook.
Harry then turned the page and smiled as he realised that it was the prom page. The words "1999 Prom" were emblazoned at the top of the page, and the rest was filled with photographs. In the middle of the page was a photo of Harry, Draco, Neville and Theo, all standing together smiling in their best dress robes. There was a picture of Draco and Theo hugging, and one of Draco and Harry laughing at something, then one of Draco and Hermione dancing and kissing. There was a picture of Harry and Daphne dancing and one of Harry and Hermione dancing too. There was also a picture of Neville and Lilly smiling at the camera and a couple of pictures of Sadie and Theo.
"That was definitely a night to remember," Harry said fondly as he caught Daphne's eye. He had very fond memories of the prom.
"That it was," Draco grinned as he looked at the photographs of him proposing to Hermione on the stage.
Hermione was still slightly embarrassed about the public nature of the whole thing, so she blushed at his words, but that didn't stop her from smiling broadly at him as she looked up from her yearbook, "It certainly was," she agreed softly.
The next page in the yearbook was a summary of Hermione and Theo's awards at prom. Harry chuckled as he scanned through them once more.
On the following page were fifteen baby photos with the words at the top, "Guess who the baby Witch or Wizard became!"
Harry cringed as he realised a baby picture of himself was there. He didn't look too strange in it, but he knew Hermione at least would be able to tell.
"Harry, is that you?" Daphne asked in surprise.
Harry blushed slightly, and Hermione chuckled, "Yeah, that's him."
"Aw, you were so cute then, Harry," Susan said as she looked on, "What happened?"
Harry laughed at this and tried to see if he knew any of them, "Is that, you Mione?" Harry asked as he saw a toddler with mouse ears on her head, smiling at the camera.
Hermione blushed and nodded.
"And look, little baby Draco!" Theo teased. He pointed at a picture of a cute little blond-haired baby boy.
"Oh shut up, look at you," Draco said as he sniggered at baby Theo who was looking very surprised and wearing what seemed to be a posh blue cashmere cardigan.
"Nice cardigan Theo," Sadie teased.
Theo's cheeks flushed, and he said, "Well, I can't insult you because look how cute you were," he said as he pointed to a picture of a little blonde-haired girl with pigtails who looked as if she was trying to eat her finger.
"I was not cute," Sadie objected, "I was a fat baby. Look at my face."
"You were not," Daphne said as she looked at her photo, "Mine is horrible. I've got such a chubby face."
"Is that you?" Harry asked as he looked at the photo she had pointed at, which was of a girl with pure blonde hair and bright blue eyes pouting and wearing a sunhat, "Aw, you were cute, Daph."
"Ugh, yeah right," Daphne objected.
"Oh, Lil, is that you?" Susan asked as she looked at a picture of a young dark-haired girl.
Lilly's cheeks flushed very slightly, "Yeah, and I hoped none of you would notice. Look at the state of me."
Neville laughed, "You look like you've been pulled through a hedge backwards."
"My dad took that picture right after I thought it would be a good idea to tumble down a huge hill," Lilly said with a shake of her head, "It's so embarrassing."
"But cute," Neville said with a grin.
"Wait, you must be in there, Nev," Draco said as he glanced down to the yearbook, "Is that you?"
Neville rolled his eyes, "Yep, that's me, the kid with the fat face and buckteeth."
The others chuckled, and Lilly patted her boyfriend on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Nev, I still think you look cute."
Neville chuckled, "So who haven't we found yet?" he asked as he glanced around at his friends, "Susan, where are you?"
"The only ginger girl there," Susan said as she pointed to a picture at the bottom of the page of a toddler with short curly red hair and lots of freckles, smiling very broadly.
"Aw, so cute and innocent," Harry said with a smirk, "What happened?"
"Shut up, Potter," Susan said with a chuckle, "I was such an ugly baby."
"You're quite cute, actually, for a ginger baby," Hannah teased. She laughed as Susan threw a bit of bacon at her, which she dodged deftly.
They figured out that the others were a young Ron, a baby Ernie, a baby Zacharias (who was wearing a miniature suit which gave everyone a laugh) and a baby Blaise who was laughing, probably the only picture of him doing so.
The following page was probably the most emotional because the title was "The Fallen."
There were pictures of those who had not made it to eighth year or had died since it began. There were twelve pictures on the page in total, some were teachers, and others were pupils.
Albus Dumbledore: 1881-1997 – Died in the Battle of the Lightning Struck Tower.
Charity Burbage: 1965-1997 – Murdered for her pro-Muggle views.
Oliver Rivers: 1980-1997 – Died saving orphans from a Death Eater attack.
Leanne Fox: 1980-1997 – Murdered due to her blood status.
Su Li: 1980-1997 – Murdered due to her father's political stance.
Lavender Brown: 1980 – 1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Parvati Patil: 1980 – 1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Stephen Cornfoot: 1980-1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Vincent Crabbe: 1980-1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Pansy Parkinson: 1980-1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Remus Lupin: 1960-1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Severus Snape: 1960-1998 – Died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Dean Thomas: 1980 - 1999 - Murdered by rogue Death Eaters after the war.
Tracey Davis: 1980 - 1999 - Murdered by rogue Death Eaters after the war."
At the bottom of this page was a quote, "The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living – Marcus Tullius Cicero."
This page caused a fair amount of sadness at the table, but the last page was more promising. It was a blank space for signatures. After graduation, they would get each other to sign the yearbook, either on the Hogwarts Express or at any after parties.
This thought jogged Harry's memory, "I'm having a post-Graduation party tonight," he said to those in his vicinity, "Everyone in our year is invited. Just pass the word around the table. It's at my house, and they should know how to get there because of the New Year's party."
"Nice, I was hoping you would," Draco said with a grin as he passed the message along his side of the table, Neville did the same in the other direction, and Daphne and Hermione did the same on the other side of the table.
With the excitement of the yearbook wearing off, Hermione went back to reading the paper, but it didn't take long for her to speak up again.
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione exclaimed, "A dreadful storm hit Harry, the part of London your house is in!"
"Was it?" Harry asked in shock. This was genuine at first because he had forgotten all about the second stage of his and Neville's plan.
Hermione nodded and continued, "The bones and relics they found in your street were all blown away; all traces are completely gone."
"Oh, that's weird," Harry said with a smirk in the general direction of Neville, who grinned.
"At least the houses seem to be okay," Hermione said. She shook her head and went back to her paper.
Daphne, however, narrowed her eyes. She had seen this exchange between Harry and Neville, and she had also seen the smirk on Draco's face. She wasn't going to mention anything now, but she would do later.
All of the time that they had spent reading through the yearbook had passed so much time that breakfast was coming to an end, and everyone was leaving the hall as it would be converted for graduation.
"Time to wait in the entrance hall for an hour," Daphne said with a slightly nervous sigh as the eighth years filed out of the hall to where a small waiting area was set up.
"It won't be that long," Hermione assured her friend, although she was more nervous than a lot of the others because she had her Head Girl speech to deliver.
The large oak doors to the great hall creaked open, and Harry swallowed a lump in his throat. They seemed to take forever to open, and a wave of déjà vu rushed over Harry when they finally did.
McGonagall stood with her pointed hat and green robes. She had a tight smile on her face, "Are you ready?" she asked the group of students.
It took Harry back to his first moments in Hogwarts, and he smiled fondly. There were some stiff nods and nervous replies of, "Yes." McGonagall then led the students into the hall, which had been completely transformed.
There was a long stage at the end of the hall where the Head table usually was, and all of the house tables were pushed up against the walls. Instead, there were rows of benches with a walkway clear in the middle of the room. It looked eerily similar to Cedric's memorial.
McGonagall led them all to a row of seats at the front of the stage. This was the part that took time. They had only actually been waiting outside for around half an hour.
The next little while was spent getting everyone seated in the correct order. It was alphabetical, with the person whose second name was first at the far left-hand side of the stage and the person whose second name was last at the far right side. This was so they could walk onto the stage, accept their certificate, exit the stage at the other side, and sit down at the end of the row with everyone moving up a seat every time someone got up to accept their certificate.
Over half an hour later, everyone was seated with a shaky, pale Hannah up first and a stout Blaise last. Draco was up second, which made Harry smirk and think to himself that this was probably one of the few times he wished he was still a Malfoy.
There was one empty seat in the line near the end between Zacharias and Blaise, which perplexed Harry, but he didn't have to wonder about it for long because a few moments later, none other than Ron Weasley walked through the door wearing black robes and his black wizards' hat. The others had all been forced to put theirs on by now. Harry grinned when he saw Ron walking in, he was being allowed to graduate. He must have passed all of his N.E.W.T's at the Ministry.
Ron had a brief word with McGonagall that nobody could hear and shook her hand, then made his way to his seat via Harry.
"Alright, mate?"
"Hey," Harry said, he was still in shock, "I'm glad you're here."
"Glad to be here," Ron said with a grin, "McGonagall let me come back and graduate."
"I'm glad," Harry said, he was still grinning like an idiot, "I'm having a post-Graduation party tonight," he added, "At Potter Manor, come round if you like."
"I might come round for a bit if Katie's alright with it. We aren't together anymore, but I'm trying to keep an eye on her at least," Ron said with a shrug, "I'll see you later."
"See you later, mate," Harry said as Ron made his way towards his seat.
After that, the guests began to arrive. There weren't any assigned seats, so those who came first got the best ones. Molly and Arthur were among the first to arrive, and Daphne's mother and sister also arrived early.
Hannah's parents arrived early too, as did Theo's step-mother and his half-sister Lacey who waved excitedly at her half-brother when they sat down in the front row.
Harry smiled at Andromeda as she entered the hall with Teddy in her arms and Narcissa by her side. They got good seats and tried to convince the little boy not to run over to Harry or shout "DAFFEE" at the top of his voice.
Not long after that, John and Elizabeth Granger entered the hall and sat in the two seats Narcissa had kept for them, which made Hermione smile fondly. Between this, the holiday in the Alps and her prom dress, she was beginning to feel very accepted by Draco's mother.
The hall filled up quickly after that, and some of the guests were amusing to watch. It was funny when Filch and Lockhart walked into the room awkwardly and sat down in the second row. Melody looked like she couldn't decide if she was more embarrassed or amused.
The Delacour's looked very over-dressed and out of place when they entered.
Blaise's mother walked in and smiled radiantly at her son. Harry couldn't help but wonder if she had Veela blood; there was undoubtedly something enchanting about her. With her was a younger woman who looked very similar to her. Harry assumed this was one of Blaise's sisters.
Sadie's mother and her brother Sorenson arrived and waved as they sat down. Sadie was one of the paler, more nervous people in the line. She looked like she might throw up.
Harry glanced along the row at Susan, who looked a little sad. There were only a couple of minutes now until the ceremony would start. The teachers all took their places in seats on the stage, apart from McGonagall, whose job was to shut the doors before starting. She had just gripped the door to push it shut when a final guest walked into the hall.
Susan's eyes lit up when she saw Percy exchange a few words with McGonagall and stride down the walkway to the seat his parents were saving him in the front row. He grinned at Susan as he walked towards her. She had known that he was out of the country, so she hadn't expected him to be able to make it. It meant a lot to her to see him there. She grinned back; suddenly, she looked a lot less nervous.
McGonagall then pushed the doors shut and strolled down the walkway and up the stairs onto the stage. She took a deep breath and began to deliver her opening speech, "Hogwarts first ever eighth years are a mismatched group of students, and Merlin knows they have been difficult," she added, which caused some chuckling.
"However, this year group are incredibly gifted and incredibly strong," McGonagall said on a more serious note, "I am very proud of this year group. To talk in more detail about this is Hermione Granger, the Head Girl."
McGonagall stepped away from the podium and sat down in her seat on the stage. Hermione shakily made her way to the stage, she got an encouraging smile from Draco on her way. When she reached the podium, she took a breath and began.
"I always wanted to be Head Girl, and I thought about how I would give this speech a lot for a long time," Hermione admitted slightly sheepishly.
"But I realised when I started writing it out that it isn't the kind of thing you can plan. Hogwarts has been home to all of us for the last seven or eight years and leaving it will be sad for all of us. It's also something more; however, it's an adventure; it's the next step. It is terrifying in some ways to think about leaving the safety of these walls, but it's exciting too. It's our chance to live our life on our terms. School is just one stepping stone in our lives, and there are so many more to come, like having our own homes and not having to share a dorm," there were some nods of agreements at this from the students. Hermione smiled slightly.
"Today, we look back on Hogwarts and the amazing memories I know we all have of it, but we also look forward to the start of our lives as independent adults."
As Hermione finished her speech and stepped back, there was much clapping and cheering. She blushed beetroot and left the stage. She was happy to be back in her seat with the spotlight no longer on her.
McGonagall stepped forward once more to the podium and smiled, "Thank you, Miss Granger," she said as she glanced at Hermione, "Our second speech is from our Head Boy, Theodore Nott."
Harry had no idea what this would be like as Theo got to his feet looking confident, rather than pale and nervous as Hermione had. He strolled onto the stage and took the podium. Even McGonagall looked concerned as she sat back down in her seat to watch Theo give his speech.
"Fellow Students, you all know me as the fun Head Boy who doesn't take things seriously and who likes to have a laugh," Theo said.
"And while most of the time that's me, today is different. Draco once said he didn't think I had a serious bone in my body, but I do, and if anytime is a good time to show it, then I think it's today. As Hermione said, today is a day to say goodbye to something we have known so well for such a long time but today is also the start of the rest of our lives. Today we say goodbye to our friends, but that doesn't mean we're losing them, and we'll make new friends along the way too. Some of us have met that one special person, some of us are engaged and planning weddings and some of us haven't met that person yet, but they will find them along the way because that's life. You lose friends, and you make them, fall in love, get married, and have children. Those are the stepping stones that Hermione talked about, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that Hogwarts has prepared us for everything the world is going to throw at us. On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank our teachers for giving us those skills."
There was a stunned silence, and then everyone clapped. Theo's speech had been amazing, Draco was smiling somewhat proudly, but Neville and Harry hadn't expected this and were exchanging shocked looks as they clapped Theo off of the stage.
Sadie was smiling, and she looked like she was trying to hold back tears. Of course, she had probably seen this more serious side of Theo that was so foreign to most other students. Theo grinned as he took his seat. He winked at Harry and Neville after seeing their shocked looks.
A similarly surprised McGonagall took the podium once more, "Thank you for that moving and uncharacteristic speech, Mr Nott," she said with an odd sort of smile towards Theo, who did a mock bow.
"Now, it is time to press on with the individual certificates. For those in the audience unfamiliar with a Hogwarts graduation, I shall explain what will be happening today. Each student will be awarded a certificate signed by myself as proof that they have completed their schooling; in other words, they passed their N.E.W.T level exams. I can confirm now that every student has achieved this and is eligible to graduate," McGonagall said. There were sighs of relief amongst the students at this news.
"The student will be awarded a certificate with their Hogwarts grade level attached. Many of you may know the passing grade levels range from an O or Outstanding, an E or Exceeds Expectations, and finally, an A or Acceptable. This will be deduced for each student by their average grade in their N.E.W.T level exams. The results of these exams in more detail will be given via owl within the next few weeks."
Hannah looked as white as a ghost as McGonagall collected her first roll of parchment and unrolled it. She held it up for a moment and smiled, "Miss Hannah Abbott."
Hannah shakily made her way to the stage where McGonagall smiled and handed over the roll of parchment, "Well done, Miss Abbott," she said, "An Exceeds Expectations."
Hannah smiled; she was happy about this. It was what she had expected.
"Thank you, Professor," Hannah said as she accepted the roll of parchment. McGonagall then tapped the Hufflepuff crest on her robes which changed so that it now had a pure golden edge. Hannah went along the row of professors and shook their hands and thanked them, then made her way off the stage. Everyone moved along as she sat down next to Blaise.
"Mr Draco Abraxas Black," McGonagall called as she held the second roll of parchment.
Draco looked pale as he got to his feet and walked towards the stage. He kept his eyes on the floor as he climbed the steps. Harry was fairly sure he was trying not to fall. When he reached McGonagall, Draco looked like he might throw up.
"Congratulations, Mr Black," McGonagall said as she handed Draco the roll of parchment, "An Outstanding."
Draco was slightly surprised, which showed a little as he accepted the parchment. His hands were shaking slightly. McGonagall then tapped his crest to convert it.
"Thank you, Professor," he said sincerely. He then shook the hands of all of the teachers and left the stage without falling off.
"Miss Susan Bones."
Susan didn't look quite as nervous as the others. She seemed quietly confident as she climbed the steps to the stage and stood in front of McGonagall.
The Headmistress smiled at her and handed her the roll of parchment, "Congratulations, Miss Bones, an Exceeds Expectations."
McGonagall then tapped and converted Susan's Hufflepuff crest. Susan beamed, "Thanks, Professor!" she said happily as she shook her hand then did the same to all of the other teachers. She then skipped off the stage to some chuckles and sat down next to Draco. They grinned at each other and hi-fived, which made Harry chuckle from where he was sitting, twiddling his thumbs as he gradually got nearer the front.
Terry Boot was up next, and he got an O. After him, Mandy Brocklehurst made her way up to the stage where she too was awarded an O.
"Miss Sadie Cauldwell."
Sadie made her way to the stage shakily, and her face was beyond pale. When she reached McGonagall, the Headmistress gave her the roll of parchment she was holding out and said, "Congratulations, Miss Cauldwell, an Outstanding."
Sadie beamed as McGonagall tapped her Slytherin crest. She shook McGonagall's and the other teacher's hands and left the stage.
Michael Corner then got an O. Gabrielle received an E. Justin also got an E after that, and Anthony Goldstein received an O. Eventually, Hermione was called up.
"Miss Hermione Jean Granger."
Harry watched his best friend carefully as she stood up, she looked slightly pale, but she held herself up confidently. The war had changed her, but not necessarily in an entirely bad way. She was used to holding her head high now, and she didn't like them, but she could handle speeches and public appearances. That was something a lot of others in their year graduating today couldn't.
McGonagall smiled proudly at Hermione as she held out the roll of parchment to her. Hermione accepted it, and McGonagall said, "Congratulations, Miss Granger, an Outstanding."
Hermione's smile could have lit up the whole of the great hall, and out of the corner of his eye, Harry caught two other people grinning as proudly as himself; Draco and Ron. McGonagall then tapped Hermione's Gryffindor crest and gave it a golden edge.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said as she shook the Headmistresses hand then did the rounds with the other teachers. When she left the stage, she still had a grin on her face, and her parents were grinning proudly in the audience too.
"Miss Daphne Greengrass."
Harry smiled as Daphne got to her feet. He knew that she was nervous, but she wasn't showing it. Daphne held her head high as she strolled up onto the stage, she wasn't shaking, but she was a little pale. It was the only small sign that she was nervous. When she reached McGonagall, she smiled politely, and McGonagall smiled back as she handed the roll of parchment over, which Daphne accepted.
"Congratulations, Miss Greengrass, an Outstanding," McGonagall said with a small smile as she tapped her house crest.
Daphne beamed at this and shook her hand, "Thank you, Headmistress," she said as she then shook the other teacher's hands and was applauded off of the stage. Harry was incredibly proud, although he had known all along that Daphne would do well. She was intelligent, far more capable than she wanted people to believe sometimes.
Megan Jones got an E after that. Then it was Neville's turn.
"Mr Neville Frank Longbottom."
Neville looked nervous as he made his way to the stage, but he was hiding it well. He smiled at McGonagall and accepted his certificate from her.
"Congratulations, Mr Longbottom," she said, "An Exceeds Expectations."
Neville grinned and thanked McGonagall as she tapped his crest. He had known he would never get an O, but he had hoped he would manage an E. After all, he had been getting A's and fails a lot before he returned to eighth year, so an E was a fantastic achievement for him. He was still beaming as he took his seat back down in the hall. Ernie got an O after this and accepted it gratefully.
"Miss. Lillian Moon"
Lilly was stoic. She was good at swallowing her nerves generally. As she got to her feet, she looked confident, but those who knew her best knew that she wasn't at all. She had to get an O overall because she wouldn't have passed all of the subjects she needed to get into her programme if she didn't. Her nerves weren't so much about the people watching because there was only her mother in the crowd out there. Instead, Lilly's nerves were about the grade she would be awarded. She smiled at McGonagall when she reached her and accepted the roll of parchment held out to her.
"Congratulations, Miss Moon," McGonagall said, "You have been awarded an Outstanding."
Lilly grinned, and Neville cheered, much to her amusement. She could have hugged McGonagall; she was that happy. Instead, she opted for a vigorous handshake, "Thank you, Professor!" she chirped as she left the stage.
"Say hello to Trainee Trauma Healer Lillian Moon!" Neville whispered across Ernie as he beamed proudly at her.
"And Recruit Auror Neville Longbottom!" Lilly grinned happily as the graduation ceremony continued.
Melody was next, and she got an E which Harry found impressive considering how much magic and magical theory had changed since she had initially been at school. It was then time for another member of their group to be called onto the stage.
"Mr Theodore Roosevelt Nott."
Theo didn't seem nervous at all as he got to his feet with a confident smile and strolled to the stage. Harry wondered how he would do, but he hoped Theo would get an E because he needed one to get into the Auror selection process. Theo greeted McGonagall with a smile and accepted the roll of parchment she handed to him.
"Congratulations, Mr Nott, an Outstanding," McGonagall said. She sounded a little surprised herself as she tapped his crest. Theo smirked at this. He shook McGonagall's hand and then did the same with the other teachers but decided to leave an impression by jumping off the stage instead of walking off like an average person.
Theo grinned along the row at his shocked friends. They all knew Theo was brilliant, but he had been doing little to no work this year, so barely anyone could believe he had gotten an O. Apart from Sadie, of course, who he had kept up all night with his late-night studying during the exams so that nobody knew he was studying.
Sally-Anne Perks was awarded an A after that, which she didn't seem particularly phased by. A pass was a pass, after all. When she did finally take her seat though, it meant that it was now Harry's turn.
"Mr Harry James Potter."
Harry didn't think he would feel nervous; he had felt okay until his name was called. His stomach churned as he got to his feet and glanced at Molly, Arthur and Andromeda, who was getting Teddy to clap with his little chubby hands. The sight made Harry smile broadly, and he turned this smile towards McGonagall as he approached her on the stage. She smiled back at him ever so slightly and held out a roll of parchment to him.
"Congratulations, Mr Potter, an Exceeds Expectations," McGonagall said, and Harry smiled because that was great as an average. As a whole, he wasn't Hermione or Daphne or Draco or Sadie. Intellectually he was average, so the grade was exactly what he had expected and hoped for.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Harry said as she tapped his crest and shook his hand. As he did the rounds shaking the hands of all the other teachers and saying goodbye, he found it much more emotional than he had initially thought that he would have.
By the time he had walked off of the stage, without falling off (Sirius had put the thought in his head), Harry felt emotionally drained and exhausted.
There were only a few people to go after that. Sally Smith got an A and didn't look particularly happy about it. Zacharias Smith was given an A too, and he stormed off of the stage before he could turn into a beetroot or a plum. Harry was reminded violently of his Uncle Vernon.
"Mr Ronald Weasley."
Ron looked a little pale as he got to the stage, and Harry suspected it was partly because he felt like he didn't fit in with this year group. When he got there, he smiled anxiously at McGonagall as she handed him his certificate.
"Congratulations, Mr Weasley, an Acceptable," McGonagall said. Ron seemed happy with the result as his parents clapped in the crowd. Realistically he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't capable of an O, and if he had stuck out his eighth year, he might have gotten an E. But now, he had a good job and the qualifications to back it up. As she had with everyone else, McGonagall tapped his Gryffindor crest to turn it golden. He then shook her hand and those of the other teachers before leaving the stage.
Finally, the last student was called up.
"Mr Blaise Zabini."
Blaise looked relaxed and casual as he made his way up onto the stage. McGonagall smiled at him, but he didn't smile back. She held out his certificate, which he accepted with a slight nod.
"Congratulations, Mr Zabini," McGonagall informed the Slytherin, "An Outstanding."
"Thank you," Blaise said quietly. McGonagall then converted his crest and shook his hand. He quickly shook the hands of the other teachers and then left the stage.
"That marks the end of the Graduation of the class of 1998/99 from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," McGonagall announced finally, "Thank you all very much for coming along. We will be sending your children home shortly via the Hogwarts Express."
With that, their family members began to file out of the hall with shouted goodbyes and waves as the eighth years were forced to wait on one side. When the hall was finally empty, McGonagall stepped forward and said, "Follow me."
Harry began to wonder if what Daphne had said about leaving Hogwarts on the boats was true as they followed McGonagall out of the great hall into the entrance hall. He walked with Ron oddly enough, considering that he was the first friend he had made on his way to Hogwarts. They entered a room known as the Chamber of Reception that Harry hadn't been in since he had first arrived at Hogwarts. It brought back memories of Ron and Draco. They then made their way down a similar flight of stairs, and Harry knew after a few minutes that they were heading to the harbour under the school where the boats were. He recognised this place even after such a long time.
"We're going to the harbour," Harry muttered to Ron. Hermione had now caught up with them and heard him.
"So Daphne was right. We do leave by boat," Hermione said in surprise.
"Blimey, that will be weird," Ron said.
"Very much like déjà vu," Hermione agreed as they walked down the steep flight of stairs towards the harbour.
They arrived there a few minutes later, in the gloomy, dimly lit, damp underground harbour. All three of them smiled when they saw Hagrid waiting there for them by the little boats.
"Harry, Ron, Hermione," Hagrid said. He sounded a bit emotional, "I'll be sad ter see you go."
"We'll come back and visit Hagrid," Hermione promised.
Harry nodded. He felt rather sad to leave Hogwarts and Hagrid, who had been a constant friend to him, "And we'll always owl you, Hagrid."
"Yeah, we promise," Ron said.
Hagrid burst into tears and pulled all three of them in for a bear hug. When he finally let them go, it was because McGonagall told him in an undertone that they had to get the students on the boats.
There were several calls of, "Three to a boat!" as the group all climbed into the little boats. Harry, Ron and Hermione were in one together, and they set off first.
It was strange how it turned out, regardless of the friend groups they had formed in this last year, they ended up in boat groups very similar to those they had arrived in. Only three could fit in a boat, but some people were in two's.
Draco, Theo and Blaise were in a boat together. Daphne and Sadie were also in one together, and it looked as if they were both missing Tracey at that moment.
Neville, Lilly and Susan were sharing a boat, as were Terry, Anthony and Michael. Mandy, Megan and Hannah shared another boat. Ernie, Justin, and Zacharias shared a boat at the back of the fleet, and nearby them were Melody, Sally and Annie.
Hagrid led the group of boats from the front on a larger boat. As they left the harbour, the magnitude of what they were leaving behind sunk in. They sailed across the silent lake and took in their final views of the magnificent castle where they had effectively grown up. The sun was shining, and it looked spectacular as they all stared at it silently. Some were crying, others were glad to be gone, and some, like Harry and Ron, were just emotional. It must have been easier for Ron, but for Harry, it was heartbreaking. He consoled himself with the knowledge that although he was leaving a large part of his life behind by leaving Hogwarts, he was starting a whole new chapter with Daphne. It was undoubtedly a day of mixed emotions.
The trip across the lake seemed to take half the time now compared to how long it had taken to get to Hogwarts when they first sailed in the darkness that night eight years ago. Before they knew it, the boats were at the harbour, and it was time to get out. As they walked up the coast to the station where the gleaming red Hogwarts Express was waiting for them, Hermione stood between Ron and Harry and held both of their hands. None of them wanted to let go, and it had nothing to do with romance or any long lost feelings of love.
In effect, they had all just left everything they had ever known, and all they could cling onto from that part of their life was each other, so until they had to…until the others started to arrive off of the boats and make their way to the station platform. They held on tight, and they didn't let go.
* ~ TBC ~ *