Disclaimer: Yeah. Whatever. See the last nine disclaimers.

/ flashbacks/. Normal print is present time. During this chapter I will be telling about the graduation ceremony, but a lot of flashbacks will be occurring. Most of them will not be in any particular order. They will be merely covering important events that happened from Christmas to June, and like I said before, tying up loose ends. However, the graduation will be in a continuous time flow.

A/N: Sorry, again, this took so long, You know what? I hate school. I hate finals, I hate the SAT's, and I especially hate the SAT II's. Whoever said you had to know grammar to write anyway? But given time and inspiration, I've finished the story! (tee-hee, Dumbledore's walking across my TV screen…) Right, anyway, on to the last chapter!

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The Hogwarts graduates waited with bated breath as Dumbledore made his way up to the podium, list of students in hand. After what seemed like an eternity of speeches from the teachers, it was finally time to accept their diplomas.

Dumbledore's voice rang out over the crowd, announcing the first graduate. "Able, Rebecca." Rebecca leapt from her seat, beaming, and ascended the floating platform in front of the audience. A round of cheers greeted Rebecca as she accepted her diploma, and then turned and waved it in the air with great enthusiasm.

Lily grinned and squeezed James's hand tightly, humming with excitement and yet still nervous.

"Don't worry," James murmured in her ear. "I'm sure you'll do fine. You always do."

Lily sighed, smoothing the paper in her lap. "I'm glad you think so. I'm just hoping I won't get sick in the middle of it."

James laughed. Lily was graduating at the top of the class, so it was up to her to deliver the traditional Valedictorian speech. She had been reading him the various speeches that she had come up with over the past few weeks, and although James loved them all, she never seemed quite satisfied. She finally decided on one that James hadn't heard yet.

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/"Merry Christmas," said James as he handed Lily the gift he had painstakingly picked out for her. In spite of the excitement of the previous night, all five of them still managed to get up in the morning and exchange presents. James had saved Lily's for last.

"Oh!" exclaimed Lily. "What is it?" She inspected the small package curiously.

"Open it," encouraged James.

With great relish, Lily ripped off the paper and opened the box. "James," she breathed as she pulled the present out, "It's beautiful. How could you ever afford this?"

A small, silver locket hung on a long silver thread, sparkling in the morning sun. On it was engraved a single Lily flower.

"I can't accept this!"

James shook his head. "Nonsense. Look inside."

A picture of the Marauders and Lily, taken during their first year at Hogwarts, was revealed. All six were smiling and laughing, still carefree and young.

"Thank you," she smiled, and threw her arms around James's neck. It wasn't diamonds, but it meant so much more to her.

"I love you," said James./

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"Isn't this great?" cried Sirius over the cheers. "Who'dve ever thought that *we*, the pranksters, would have made it here! I'dve thought we would have been expelled a while ago."

"Cheers, my good friend!" laughed James.

"Cheers!" Sirius answered.

"Black, Sirius," called Dumbledore, smiling as he did so.

Remus hugged Sirius. "Go on," he laughed.

James reached over and thumped Sirius on the back, as did Peter. Lily hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Congratulations."

With an impish smile on his face, Sirius ascended the platform.

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/Sirius watched as Remus moved up to the freshly laden graves, laying a bouquet of flowers atop them.

"Good bye Mom, Dad. May you rest in peace," Remus choked through his tears.

He felt warm arms encircle him, lifting him up and away from his grief.

"Sirius," he said, wiping his face. "I wanted to thank you for the other day, when you stopped me from killing Voldemort. I wasn't in my right mind."

"Who in their right mind *wouldn't* want to kill Voldemort?" joked Sirius. "It's all good." Then his expression turned more serious. "I remembered what you told me. That once you taste flesh, you are damned. I didn't want you to suffer because of *him*. I still don't understand how you did it, though."

Remus sighed. "The wolf is always with me. I can become it when I wish, but I am forced into the change on the night of the full moon. Usually, I don't want to become it."

Sirius nodded. The two stood there in silence for a few moments, before he asked "So what now?"

"Well," said Remus, "my house is going to be kind of empty without my parents there. I was thinking maybe you could move in? And James and Lily too, of course, and maybe Peter, if he wants to."

Sirius smiled and took Remus's hand, leading him away from the graveyard. "I think that's a brilliant idea."/

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Sirius accepted the diploma jauntily, and like Rebecca turned and waved it at the crowd. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled out his wand and showered the graduates with fireworks. The crowd went crazy.

"Mr. Black!" cried McGonagall, but she was smiling. She spoke on an aside to Dumbledore. "I never thought that I'd say this, but I think I'll miss their pranks."

Dumbledore smiled dreamily. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of them soon. And besides, there are always their children to look forward to."

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/Lily, James, Remus and Sirius walked into Dumbledore's office warily and looked around. Arabella and Mundungus were already present, sitting on one of the plush couches. Another figure was there too, hidden in the shadows.

"Let's get down to business now that we're all here, shall we?" said Dumbledore in that eternally cheerful way of his.

"I have heard about your recent adventures…"

Lily gasped and flushed, while the others just stood there looking shocked.

"…. and seeing how you are already neck-deep in the affairs of Voldemort, I'll give you a chance to continue your excellent work. Let me be frank. Voldemort is terrorizing our world, and while the ministry claims they have people working on him, many of them are either incompetent or else under his influence. We need real agents, brilliant people who are really committed to the cause. Therefore, I have created my own secret order- the anti-Death Eaters, as I like to call it, but formally known as the Order of the Phoenix; named after Fawkes here."

The phoenix puffed proudly and preened his feathers.

"I would like to ask all of you to join. Make no mistake. It will be hard. It will be perhaps the most dangerous thing that you have ever done. But the rewards will be beyond your imagination- the knowledge that you have saved millions of innocent lives. Are you willing? You have the right to say no, and I will not hold it against you."

The friends shared a glance with each other. They remembered how much they had been through, and between them a secret agreement was reached.

"You can count us all in," said James.

"Us, too," added Mundungus.

"What about you, Severus?" Dumbledore addressed the figure in the shadows.

Severus Snape stepped into the light. "I am committed, headmaster."

"What?!" cried Lily. "You can't let him join! He's a…a…"

"A Death Eater, " finished Dumbledore. "Yes, Lily, I know. He has told me everything."

"After I heard what happened to you, I realized that I'd done wrong, Lily. I am truly sorry," said Snape solemnly.

Hesitantly, Lily nodded.

"I figured I could redeem myself. I have agreed to become a spy for Dumbledore, " he continued.

"That's dangerous business," cautioned Lily.

"It's the least I can do."

"Wait a second," interrupted Sirius, "I don't understand. I thought Voldemort was dead."

"Obviously, you thought wrong," scoffed Snape, reverting back to his normal moody self.

Sirius, however, refrained from answering him in Dumbledore's presence.

"Voldemort has been spotted. Right now, he's in Russia," explained Dumbledore.

"I knew it was too easy," sighed James.

"Take heart, James. What we are creating right here, right now, is extraordinary. We* will* defeat him." Dumbledore's blue eyes burned with an intense internal fire, and for a moment he looked someone to be reckoned with. But as quickly as it was there, it was gone, and he waved at a piece of parchment on his desk.

"Sign here, if you please," he said, and offered them a phoenix feather quill. As Lily signed her name, the ink glowed briefly and then disappeared. The others followed suit, and when they were all finished the parchment burst into flames. The room around them seemed to catch fire, and then there was Fawkes, above them with his wings spread wide, showering the group with golden sparks.

Then the room reverted back to normal, and Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk as if nothing happened.

Lily felt a burning sensation on her forearm. She pulled back her sleeve, and right next to where the Death Eater mark had been, was a shimmering gold Phoenix tattoo. As it slowly faded away, Dumbledore said: "Welcome to the Order."/

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After a few others had been called up, it was Lily's turn to receive her diploma.

"Evans, Lily- who, might I add, is this year valedictorian," said Dumbledore proudly.

"Lily!" cried James, Sirius, Remus and Peter simultaneously, scooping her into a giant group hug.

Lily blushed as she fought her way through the hug good-naturedly, and made her way up to the stage.

Professor McGonagall handed Lily her diploma. "No one deserved Valedictorian more than you," she said warmly.

"Thank you," answered Lily. When she turned to wave her diploma at the audience, Hagrid was there behind the crowd, waving his pink umbrella back at her.

"Congratulations, Hagrid," she mouthed at him.

"Congratulations," he mouthed back.

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/1 "Lily," said Professor Dumbledore seriously, as she sat alone in his office, "are you adept at foretelling?"

Lily was a little taken aback. "Well, I wouldn't know, professor. I've never taken divination. I've always thought it was a bunch of hogwash."

"I see," said Dumbledore mildly. "Then let me ask you this: have you ever just known something? And you didn't know why?"

Lily gasped. It was true. She had told James just the same thing on Christmas Eve- that she knew he would die if he came after her. And her premonition had almost come true.

Dumbledore nodded knowingly. "Now. What am I thinking?"

"What?!"

"Just try. Clear your mind and concentrate."

Lily, despite her misgivings, closed her eyes and obeyed. As she cleared her mind, she suddenly felt the world come into sharp focus, as if she had just put on a pair of glasses- and her eyes weren't even open. But she wasn't seeing with her real eyes. It was almost if- as if she was feeling. It came to her that in order to see what Dumbledore was thinking, she had to open her eyes.

She did. Thoughts bombarded her mind, thoughts not her own, until one screamed blatantly at her.

"I wish I had some chocolate frogs," she said.

What Dumbledore saw in that moment was simply extraordinary. Her eyes, when she opened them for the second time, were a dazzling green. They were lit up intensely, as if someone had switched a searchlight on behind them, and were even too bright to look at.

And then she closed her eyes, and reverted back to her normal appearance.

"Was I right?" she asked earnestly.

"Yes, you were absolutely correct, Lily."

She sighed. "What does that mean?"

"It means you are a seer."

"But Professor Trelawaney…"

"Not an ordinary seer, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore interrupted her. "I should say, you are *the* seer. I always suspected because of your eyes, but your talent has not developed until now."

"My eyes?"

"A brilliant green. Such seers normally have bright green eyes. Only one of them can exist in the world at a time, you know."

"But I'm of Muggle parentage! How can I have these powers?"

"The seer gene is usually passed down through the family line, true. However, the last seer died without children- I knew her personally. Usually when this happens, the gift is transferred to whomever it chooses. You don't choose it, you understand. It chooses you. It is not something you can cast a spell for, or practice for. It is naturally inbred."

"Oh," said Lily, still not quite comprehending what Dumbledore was telling her.

"This means, Lily, that you are a lot more powerful than your average witch. *A lot* more powerful."

"So that's what Voldemort was talking about!" Lily blurted, and immediately regretted it.

"Yes," said Dumbledore calmly, "that is what he was talking about. I'm glad that you didn't succumb to him, Lily."

"So…what now?" asked Lily.

"Well," he answered slowly, "that is entirely up to you."/

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"Lupin, Remus," called Dumbledore. While Remus had not graduated top of the class, he still did quite well for himself, considering all the hurdles that he had to overcome. Today was a very special day for Remus. Only eight years ago, it had seemed he would never have had this opportunity-and then Dumbledore had come along, and here he was. He only wished his parents were here to see it.

"Hey," said Sirius, nudging him gently in the ribs. "Don't go getting all teary-eyed now; you gotta get your diploma!"

Remus smiled as Sirius hugged him. "Yeah, you're right."

James smiled. "Congratulations," he said sincerely, giving him a short, quick hug.

Peter shook his hand, and Lily also gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Go get 'em, tiger," she laughed.

Remus accepted the diploma from McGonagall, just as professional as always. "Always so serious, Mr. Lupin," she said. "I must say, you impressed me very much over the past few years. If people knew nothing about your kind, and met you, I'm sure they would wonder what all the fuss is about."

"Thank you, professor," he said, and turned and waved at the crowd.

After Remus went up, a few others were called, including Peter. A lot of people had thought Peter would never make it through school, but he had, much to their surprise. This day was important to him as well.

James was the last of the Marauders to get his diploma, but definitely not the least.

"Potter, James- Gryffindor prefect and captain of the Gryffindor house Quidditch team," called Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.

About a dozen people barreled his way, including the Marauders and the Quidditch team members. The hug was so tight that he could barely breathe. "Thank you, everyone," he laughed.

"We love you, Jamsie!" cried Sirius, a mischievous grin on his face.

"*I* love you," Lily said seriously.

"I love you as well," he smiled.

"No fair," cried Remus. "You can't have him all to yourself!"

"Yeah!" enjoined Sirius.

"Be quiet," said James with a grin as he battled his way up to the platform.

To his surprise, Dumbledore was the one who handed him his diploma. "Job well done, Mr. Potter. Job well done," he said.

"Thank you," said James, grateful for the special attention. "This isn't goodbye, you know."

"I know," said Dumbledore. "If the fates be with us, there will never come a time when we will have to say goodbye."

James nodded, and he, like the others, waved at the crowd. A great round of cheers went up, including the Marauders: "Prongs!" and Hagrid, with his pink umbrella.

Soon the time had come for Lily to make her speech.

Lily ascended the platform and took the podium, nervously fiddling with the paper she had written her speech on. "We live in difficult times," she began shakily, and the crowd went immediately into a hush. "Many of us have lost someone precious to us over these past few years. One of my best friends lost his parents to the senseless violence that plagues our days and haunts our nights." Her voice picked up volume and confidence. "But here, today, is the future. As we graduate, we should look to the day when He will be gone, but we should also remember those who d us. Because, who is to know when we will ever see them again? If something should happen to them?

"In Hogwarts, we have learned to turn teacups into frogs, to create a sleeping potion, to distinguish grindylows and kappas. But more importantly, we have learned to cooperate, to make friends, to love. And whether we realize it or not, it is these more important lessons that will guarantee us a peaceful future.

"So, I will end this speech with these words: The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return."

The crowd was quiet for a few moments after she ended, and then burst into cheers.

Lily grinned and ran back to her seat.

"That was beautiful," observed Remus.

"Thank you," she said.

Dumbledore took the podium again. "I proudly present the Hogwarts graduating class of 1978!" he cried.

The crowd went crazy, yelling and throwing their hats into the air, chanting the class number over and over again.

"Lily," James cried over the ruckus, "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What?" she screamed back.

And much to Lily's surprise, he dropped to one knee before her, a ring box in his hand.

"Will you marry me?"

Lily's hands flew to her face. "James!" she yelled. "It's beautiful!" The diamond ring, cut in the traditional way and set in a golden band, blinded her in the noon light.

"Well?"

"YES! Of course I will!" she cried. She drew James to his feet and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close, oblivious to the rest of the class.

To Lily and James, the future was looking very bright indeed.

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~FINI~

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A/N: I don't believe it…it's the end. This was my very first story, and now it's finished *sniff sniff.* Err…hope the ending wasn't too corny.

But don't worry! I'm definitely doing another. I have a few ideas for MWPP in mind. It'll either be one that takes place right after this one, and centers mainly on James, with the birth of Harry and the Potter's death. Or it'll be a Remus- focused story, right after the Potter's death, while he travels to Romania.

I'm also thinking of taking a whole different view from this story and making Lily…a Slytherin! (Dun dun dun). Review and tell me which one you'd like best! (And thank you for all the reviews, especially the supportive ones that I've been getting lately. I'm getting teary-eyed….I'll miss you guys! Thanks!) Also any closing remarks? REVIEW!

Hey, if ya can't wait one more second for more (which I doubt…LOL) check out "I'm Sorry," an HP fic that takes place in Harry's time which I have out now. BTW, does anyone know how to upload italics? Originally I was gonna have the flashbacks in italics, but it didn't work.

Well…until later! It was a good run! Cheers !~Lady Evenstar