A/N I do not own Harry Potter ... you knew that already ...
A young boy named Harry Potter lay quietly on his deep scarlet four-poster bed. Steadily breathing, he watched as his thin chest moved up and down in a rhythmic motion. Then, looking over to the window, he caught a brilliant beam of sunlight creeping through the curtains, illuminating the tiny dust particles within the room.
Everything today - on this particular day - seemed to have a deeper meaning for Harry than anything ever had. Every little detail about his room, his friends, his teachers, and most importantly, his school, was effecting him in ways he never knew was possible. Even watching the sun through the curtains gave Harry an emotion that he never thought he would have to feel again - heavy heartedness.
The past seven years had been such a great struggle for Harry. While what he gained from it was great, what he lost was even greater. And now, today, they day he thought he would be most happy, was quite possibly the saddest day of his young life - or maybe not so young anymore. It was true, yes, that Harry had thought himself to be young, but was he really? He was just a small baby when Voldemort was paralysed in every way possible by Harry's power, and now, at 17, he had defeated Voldemort once again.
In more ways than one, Harry knew that he was forced to grow up much faster than any other kids would have been. He didn't get the chance to live a happy life - young and carefree, with no worries. His whole waking life was filled with fear, pain, regret, loss, and longing. Even in sleep he could not escape his horrid fate.
But that was done. It was all over now. The day had finally come. Voldemort was gone, and it was time for Harry to graduate from his only real home - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At the abrupt sound of thumping coming from the stairway, Harry felt around for his glasses and put them on, trying to put the room into focus. When his sight finally cleared, there was Ron, standing at the doorway, with a smile on his face from ear to ear.
'Hey, mate,' said Ron, still smiling.
'Hey to you too," Harry replied, rubbing his eye under his spectacles.
Ron continued to stand at the doorway, tapping his foot on the ground, looking like was concealing a great amount of energy.
Harry scrambled out of bed, (slightly tripping over his covers) and stood up.
'Do you know what day it is?' Ron asked.
'What do you think I am?' Harry responded. 'Of course I know what day it is ... graduation - ' He answered slowly.
'IS TODAY!' said Ron, finishing Harry's sentence. Then, to Harry's utterly amusing surprise, Ron broke out in the strangest form of movements Harry had ever seen in his life.
Ron was dancing.
'No more Snape! No more Snape! No more smug and dirty ... dirty great ... git ... er ... thing. Sorry, I'm lousy at rhyming.' Ron chortled.
Harry decided to laugh along with Ron, and even a few minutes later, joined in dancing with him. Harry wanted to forget his sadness, he wanted to be happy. The only way he could do that was by being around happy people.
That didn't last.
While him and Ron were linked in arms, happing around the room, Hermione burst through the door, with many tears pouring down her face.
'Do you realise what day it is?'said Hermione, with slight indignation as she looked from Ron to Harry and back again.
'Uhh, yes,' said Harry and Ron together.
'IT'S GRADUATION DAY - oh!' Hermione sobbed into her hands, before Ron sheepishly passed her a handkerchief from his side pocket. 'I-,' Hermione gulped for air, grabbing the handkerchief from Ron, 'I just c-can't believe that it's all over! I can't! I just can't!' 'But Hermione,' said Ron softly, 'I thought you'd be all happy now that you don't have all the school work to worry about.'
Clearly Ron thought that we was cheering her up, but was deeply mistaken.
'Happy?' said Hermione hysterically. 'Happy? Why would I be happy? I'm miserable! Oh! I'll miss Hogwarts so much!'
'What? Well - I - er ... Harry?' Ron turned his attention to Harry, who was back sitting on his bed, leaning forward with his hands covering his face. 'Harry, mate?'
Harry's hands feel to his lap and he looked up at his two best friends.
'I - ' Harry began, but was stopped by a horrifying burn creeping up his throat. There were only two other times that he had almost cracked in front of his friends. One, was in fourth year, while he was in the hospital wing, and Mrs. Weasley was hugging him. The other was in fifth year, when he was with Ginny in the library, and he had just received a chocolate egg from Mrs. Weasley. Harry didn't want to let his friends know how weak he was feeling. He never did.
Ron and Hermione were beginning to look a little uncomfortable because Harry wasn't saying anything for a long time. Ron, though, looked as if he was getting ready to inquire Harry's troubles, until Hermione shrieked.
'RON! WHAT IN THE NAME - what is this?' she yelled angrily. Ron turned his head and issued a little spit from his mouth before bursting out in laughter ten times louder than before.
For some reason, the handkerchief Ron gave her was squirting out heaps of purple liquid that splattered all over Hermione's face while she tried to blow her nose. Even Harry couldn't conceal his laugher and joined in with Ron.
'RON! Seriously, what is this? Hermione asked, now giggling herself.
'I'm - so - sorry - Hermione -' said Ron through spasms of laughter. He wiped away a tear, reached into his pocket once more and pulled out more of the handkerchiefs. 'During the spring break - I can't believe I forgot - but I bought a bunch of these from Fred and George's joke shop! They're called Hankerspanks! They explode whenever you try to use them!' Ron burst into more fits of laughter again, and this time it didn't subside.
Hermione glanced over to Harry who was still laughing slightly and caught each other's eye. It seemed that she too, understood the one thing Harry had been thinking the whole time in the presence of his best friends - that this might be the last time they have a really good laugh together in Hogwarts, or perhaps ever again.