A/N- This song "Mr. Brightside" was stuck in my head when I wrote this so that might explain some things. It's written from Ron's point of view.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or places, just the plot. If you can really count it as a plot... :)
Today is our graduation from Hogwarts. Hermione, Lavender, Parvati and Ginny have been fussing over their clothes and make-up all morning. I don't know why Ginny is, she's not even graduating this year. But I haven't seen much of them since our pre-graduation party last night. Yeah, surprisingly, Hermione didn't turn us in, her being Head Girl and all but I guess even the excitement got into her a little bit, believe it or not.
Harry, Seamus, Dean, Neville and I have been sitting around in our dorm, just talking and of course, doing stupid things. What would graduation be without so much stupid crap? That's part of the fun. I still can't believe that this is our last day at Hogwarts. I still remember coming up in the boats our first year and thinking, Bloody hell, that thing is massive. Not that it's not massive anymore but we don't come in on boats. Then the incident with Quirrel our first year, that was scary but now it's more of a joke, even Harry manages to laugh about it every once in a while. You know what they say; today's crisis is tomorrow's joke. Well, maybe that's not what everyone says but my dad sure says it a lot.
Of course no one could forget the Basilisk incident with the Chamber in our second year. In fact, I hear some of the first years are learning about it. Not just about that but about most of the things that happened our third and fourth year. Then our sixth year, where I told Hermione how I felt about her. Okay, so she slapped me but that was only because I hadn't told her before. I think once Hermione finds a good job; I'm going to ask her to marry me. She already told me she refuses to until she has a good and stable career but that's okay. I figure about six more months isn't going to kill me if I've managed to spend seven years with her and I've survived with all of my limbs. Okay, so maybe my dignity and ego isn't intact but does it really matter? Of course it does, I'll have to work on that after graduation.
Our seventh year, Harry and Ginny took down Voldemort. I had always told him he couldn't do it all by himself but my sister! That was the last thing I expected. It's not like she asked my permission for it anyway, I was lying unconscious on the cold stone floor of the Department of Mysteries. Hermione was helping all the people with cuts and bruises in front of the school. I don't know exactly when we got separated and I don't mean to make it sound easy but it only happened four months ago, it's still weird to talk about it.
People were dropping left and right from both sides, rushing back and forth. I don't mean a secret battle in the hills of a secret place but it was everywhere. Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Ministry of Magic, St. Mungo's, well, you get the picture. Apparently, they had planned a massive invasion and it all happened at the same time. Explosions, red lights, green lights, blue lights all flashing so fast, I'm surprised I didn't have a seizure. But I guess it's for the best I didn't. St. Mungo's wasn't safe either. When I say full-scale invasion, I really do mean it. So while I was lying on the floor and Hermione was saving people, Dumbledore was off in Diagon Alley and half the student population was in Hogsmeade for the weekend, perfect timing, huh? The guys were doing their best to stay alive amid all the explosions and the girls were taking on Death Eaters in the shops.
I know Dumbledore didn't want any of the kids to know about the evil in the world but apparently, we all found out. We had to defend ourselves, if you count that as finding out. If I had been conscious for more than half of the battle I would know how exactly my little sister helped my best friend bring down the most powerful wizard, besides Dumbledore in the history of magic and how he asked her out afterwards and how she said yes and now they are still going out.
But I don't know exactly how that happened so I can only assume the worst. Seeing my best friend and sister make out was scarring enough though. I can only hope if they get married they can shag far, far away from wherever I am.
One hour and counting until we have to be downstairs for the ceremony. It feels so weird to be leaving after seven years. The Gryffindor Common Room was my surrogate home and now I'm leaving, never to come back? I know the entire time everyone's at school, they mope about how they can't wait to leave but it feels weird leaving. Now everything's not sheltered, not that it really had been, but we're all out on our own. Adults, I guess. I don't feel like an adult. I don't think we really are adults, not yet. I know we've seen and been through so much more than some senile wizards and witches out there but that doesn't make us adults.
I doubt graduation's going to make me an adult. Maybe it'll make others adults but not me. I don't know if I can ever actually handle adulthood. Well, I guess now we really don't have much of a choice. It would have really been smarter to consider this years before graduating, not fifty minutes prior to aforementioned ceremony.
In case anyone has to wonder about how the N.E.W.T.s went, Hermione, as expected, did the best in our class. The highest score in the history of Hogwarts actually. Not that it surprised any of us. Harry did great in the classes he was expected to and did pretty well in Potions. And as for me, well, let's just say I can get a job thanks to Hermione's expert last-minute tutoring. It was hard to concentrate on the tests, even though Voldemort was dead and gone. There were still rumors and whispers, now my sister's a celebrity in her own right but she's still ickle Ginny. Hermione says I refuse to accept the fact that she's grown up but that's not it. Bloody hell, I am such a horrible liar. I am having the whole "letting go" issue and she's not even my kid. I know Harry'll take care of her. If not, I'll just kick his arse. But too hard though, he is my best mate after all.
Half and hour left and we can hear the girls laughing like banshees up in their room. Who knows what they're planning. It can't be anything life-threatening considering Hermione would never let them but sometimes I figure me and Harry have been a bad influence on her. They've been locked up there all day, getting ready and writing letters.
Just ten minutes ago, Harry got one from Ginny. Apparently, she requested he read it to the entire dorm. That was worth a couple of laughs. Everything's packed up now and the people are storming in here, sitting down and attacking the food like animals. There had better be food when I get down there is all I have to say. They should have eaten before they came.
Five minutes and we're all walking down the steps, my hand in Hermione's and Harry's with Ginny's. She's not graduating this year but she got special permission to come backstage. Damn, is this the Great Hall we came in seven years ago? I remember when we first came and everything was a mystery. I'm sad to say I never figured out much about Hogwarts, at least not as much as Fred and George did. Hermione's crossing the stage. She looks beautiful. Her hair is down in soft waves and it makes her look like an angel, I think she might actually be glowing. Now Harry. Damn, since when can Ginny scream so loud? I think I can be considered legally deaf now.
Weasley, Ronald… Dumbledore's going on about my accomplishments. It can't take that long, I didn't do that much.
The crowd can cheer really loud, I had better not trip. Not graduation of all times.
"Now that all you have seen the entire graduating class for the year, I would like to say a few things. These students have seen much more than some adults out there. When I was their age, I didn't encounter half of what they did. For a while, we tried to keep things from them, not informing them in hopes that they would never have to come across it. Never again will I do that. I've realized that not telling them doesn't make it less of a threat. These students have exemplified bravery while maintaining some of the most extraordinary grades this school has ever seen. They have defied more odds than some of us never knew existed. It is with great pleasure that I give to you the graduating class of 1998."
Reviews? Anyone?
Ally aka Alekin