"And Gryffindor wins the House Quidditch Cup 215-20 on this lovely June afternoon. The team would like everyone to know that they can only dream that Jacqueline "Jackie" Kensington and Rafael "Rafe" Hernandez were here to share the victory. Here's to you guys." Remus said with a sniffle. The victory was bittersweet. Instead of smiles and cheers, the Gryffindors and their supporters had tears mixed with sorrow and happiness.
Exams had been called off for funeral services. Five Hogwarts students had been killed in the massacre, and even though Gryffindor had won the House Cup, everyone was preparing black curtains and decorations for the final feast.
Meanwhile, packing was going on in every dormitory. For Arabella, it was forever. She was to go to a magic public school in London.
"Blossom, Bella? This is our last year as a group. Next year, this dormitory will be empty except for me. Are you sure you have to go to Beauxbatons, Blossom?" Lily asked with a sniffle.
"I have no choice. My dad's an artist, you know.. So that means Paris for me. I'll write." Blossom said, getting the last item she owned in the room into her trunks. "Guys, help."
Arabella and Lily joined Blossom by sitting on the trunk's lid, and Blossom snapped the latch closed. "Thanks."
"Look at the bright side, Lils. McGonagall said you can turn this room into your own. And aren't you staying here over the summer?" Arabella asked as she pulled her Alley Guys pin-up down from the window.
"Yeah.. They sort of understood about Claire..." Lily muttered, flushing. "McGonagall is going to take me shopping when she selects the books for all the book lists."
"What will you do all summer?" Arabella pondered aloud, pulling down the curtains she had put up (the ones with the little lily blossoms and little bells all over them).
Lily sighed. "Probably take my O.W.Ls, just to get the scores, study a bit, and decide how to decorate this room. The beds are leaving the day you guys are. And, of course, I'm going to find every single secret passage and room there is. I'll give myself a one-up on my fellow Marauders."
"I'm going to miss you guys." Arabella wailed.
"Oh crap!" Lily exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "The yearbooks! I've got to pass them out!"
"Relax, Lils. You first need to get the photos of the Quidditch Cup developed." Blossom said, as if it was obvious.
"Good. Remember.. My birthday!" Lily squealed. "In two months, I'll be sixteen!"
"Well, birthday girl, hate to ruin the surprise, but the Marauders have already started planning your sweet sixteen party." Arabella said with a coy smile.
"Spill it, Arabella." Lily demanded, jumping on her bed.
"And ruin the surprise?" Blossom said with a giggle. Lily caught on quickly.
"You don't know, do you?"
"Nope." They chorused. All three girls giggled and took a heavy swig of pixie sticks.
"You're good." Lily said finally. All the Gryffindors managed to slip into the locker room to admire what Remus had done to the walls. On one wall, he had depicted the scholarly success of Rafe and Jackie. On the opposite, their triumphs in Quidditch. One wall featured all the greatest memories they had (including Sirius and Jackie dancing in Paris, Sirius shed a tear). And on the last wall, there were little tiny mosaics with symbols of every Gryffindor in the year, and a spot to sign their names with paint. In the center of it all, there were memorials and shelves to put flowers and other such things.
"This is good." Remus said as he stood back to admire his work. "Next, we do the lockers to honor the Marauders."
People hooted and cheered, glad they left a memorial for two fallen friends.
Lily, Blossom and Arabella chose their best casual black clothing to wear to the final feast. Helen would be making her farewell speech. Alone.
"Scoot over, James.." Lily hissed when she couldn't find a seat.
"I can't, Lily." He whispered.
"Why not?" She demanded in a low voice.
"There are no more seats."
The remainder of the seats had been taken up by Rafe's parents and Jackie's mother. The only seat left was Helen's.
"Fine, but don't take this as a compliment." She muttered.
"Take what?" He asked quickly, but soon found out. She settled herself in his lap.
Professor Dumbledore finished up his speech, and said, "Without further adieu, Helen Guerra, Head Girl."
Helen stepped up, dressed head-to-toe in black. "Hello, fellow students. Normally, the Head Boy and Head Girl would do the speeches together. Now, as you all know, this is impossible. Let me read you an article from April 22, 1975. It's a Daily Prophet article."
"Yesterday, in Napa, California, in the United States, an engagement party at the magical Nicholas's Vineyard was attacked by the Dark Lord and his followers when a young Death Eater was showing off and accidentally sent up a Dark Mark. In the havoc, the Dark Lord discovered an enemy of his was present. She died last. The Napa Valley Massacre left fifteen dead and four hundred injured. Three of the casualties were Muggles, coming to investigate."
"That is how the Daily Prophet put it. Not only did they fail to capture the chaos, the pain, the ruins of that beautiful house, they did not at all capture what happened to those inside the house. Death and injury are not details. Do you know how I spent my last minutes there? Clutching the body of my dead boyfriend, crying, huddling against the wall of a ballroom covered in debris of plaster, wood and glass- The chandelier had crashed. Do any of you know who Jacqueline "Jackie" Kensington was? Or Rafael "Rafe" Hernandez? Or Jay Adams? Patricia Moon? Maria Garcia?" Helen demanded in a loud, dangerous voice.
Her voice, though full of determination and anger, was very shaky. "I did. Patricia Moon went to Hogsmeade every day to care for our penniless elderly. Jay Adams gave up his Potions grades to take care of his sick grandmother every day. Rumor has it, he would have barely scraped by into the next year. Maria Garcia planted the big flowerbed out in the front of Hogsmeade's entrance and has watered and taken care of it daily because no one else would. Rafe never hurt a soul, he was very wrapped up in taking care of his team members, and they were his family. He was always sticking his head in a Quidditch book, or a Herbology book. He is this year's valedictorian. When Lily Evans had nowhere to go for Christmas last year, he invited her to spend time at his house. She was really sick and he nursed her back to health. Finally, Jackie helped raise money for everything her house needed money for, and was the top of her class, and the youngest member of the Quidditch team. She loved Paris, red dresses and dancing with her boyfriend Sirius. She, it turns out, is the one the Dark Lord wanted to kill. She had forewarned many of us, Remus, James, Sirius, Arabella, Lily, Munguldus, Ronan, Rafe and myself where to go when the chaos broke out. And that's how we escaped. We were sent to the hospital wing here. She was the one who risked her life for others. I hope the Death Eaters are happy. They ruined the legacy of Rafael Hernandez, and they destroyed the rainbow bright future of Jacqueline Kensington."
"Furthermore, tonight was supposed to be a night of no regrets. Tonight I was going to be the happiest woman alive. I found out recently that tonight, Rafael Hernandez was supposed to propose to me. And you know what? I would've said yes. I really hope you Death Eaters are happy. You have ruined the lives of four hundred fifteen families and more. Thank you very much, and, Slytherins-"
This was the only time they looked up. Helen's serious expression turned coy. "Enjoy the food."
Lily was still laughing as her friends got to the platform the next day. "Well, they said they wanted something representing their house. Now, they're green with silver hair! Now, then, who wants hugs?"
Lily opened her arms wide, and Remus ran over to her. They hugged for several minutes, then Lily screamed, "NEXT!"
In a matter of thirty minutes, Peter, Munguldus, Helen, Ronan and Sirius had gotten their hugs, and next was Arabella.
"I'll see you around, girlie." Lily said, managing not to sniffle. "You owl me when you need to."
"You owl me when you're in London. I'm staying with my grandmother in an apartment near Diagon Alley." Arabella whispered, then they broke apart as the train whistle blew really loud.
"Where's James?" Lily shouted. But then, she heard him shout from behind her.
She ran up to him, and he dropped his suitcases. She ran into his arms and he spun her around, she giggling the entire time.
"You're going to miss your train." She said as the rain started to pour.
"I'm going to miss you." He said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You be good."
He left, Lily shouting after him- "I'll try!"
Inside the train, they were making an announcement. "Will Sirius Black collect his trunk and his bags and meet Professor Dumbledore on the platform please?"
His friends shot him a questioning look, and he shot one just as questioning back. He shoved his stuff out the compartment door and waved a merry goodbye.
"Sirius, we've owled your family. You're staying at Hogwarts this summer with Lily." Professor Dumbledore said simply, his eyes like ice like the early morning of April 22nd.
Sirius looked at him with a confused air, then to Lily with the same pondering look. His trunk disappeared and Lily ran up to him. He put his arm around her shoulder and they followed the Headmaster back to the castle.