Chapter 21, Graduation
It was strange how fast the last few weeks left of Hogwarts had gone. One day they were all sitting down at breakfast, and the next, having their last. It was a mournful day, and the weather seemed to agree too because it was raining harder than ever.
Every person in seventh year was reminiscing over the good ol' times. Unsure of what their future would hold. Some were unwilling to accept that their time at Hogwarts was up.
It was their home. Memories were made here. Friendships had begun. Now that it was going, how could they be sure that the bonds they made were strong enough to stick?
"When we came here, we were worried about how we would do. We were worried about leaving our families behind to pursue an education we could receive no other place. We were worried if we had to share rooms with people who we didn't like, or were too noisy when they slept. That first day at Hogwarts, we were all joined by something. Fear, uncertainty, worry, and classes. That's exactly what we are joined by again. Fear, uncertainty, worry, but instead of classes, the future."
Lily was at the front with James by her side. The Head Boy and Girl gave speeches every year to their graduating class. Students were lined up by houses. Tables of gold and scarlet for Gryffindor, Black and white for Ravenclaw. Green and silver for Slytherin, and blue and purple for Hufflepuff.
"The future is what we make of it, nothing more, nothing less. Try and you will succeed, don't try and you won't. Though, not all failures end up in disasters. Sometimes failing makes you a better person. A person you never realized you could be.
"While times here make up who we are, there is still a lot to learn about who we truly are. Memories shaped who we are now, but what about memories you want to happen?"
When Lily finished, which was in about 2 two 3 more minutes more, she moved back and let James take the stand. His was short, but at least it made sense.
"Like Lily said, we never know who we truly are until we try to understand ourselves. Sit down and think about who you are. Right now if you want. Think so hard that your brain starts to cramp," some people here started to chuckle.
"That's what life's journey is, isn't it? Finding who you are, and never denying it. Now, I know who I am, one of the infamous members of the Marauder's. So who am I to let something as big as this go without something to remember us by? Padfoot!"
Sirius got up and ran to the back of the crowd, where the tables ended.
"Moony!"
"James! What're you doing?" Lily hissed as Remus went running to a large trunk that was located in between the two center tables.
"You'll see, Wormtail!"
Peter, slow as he may be, stuck his wand into the air and said a few words. He must have been practicing for ages because the sky around them went immediately black.
Some of the teachers looked alarmed, but since Dumbledore was not doing anything to stop it, the teachers just sat back and watched with anticipation for what seemed to be the last joke the Marauder's would ever pull at Hogwarts again.
"Look up and be amazed!" James shouted.
It was so quite that even when Remus muttered the spell form a long way away, Lily still heard the words correctly.
The trunk flew open, and what seemed to be thousands of glowing flowers flew out of the trunk. From what Lily could see in the dim light that was left, James was levitating the flowers and Sirius was the one making them glow.
Slowly the flowers started to spell out something in beautiful calligraphy.
'Lily, will you marry me?" it said.
"So?"
"YES! Yes!" Lily was definitely expecting something like slime to come pouring out of the box and cover the entire crowd, but a proposal was definitely out of the question. Lily flung her arms around James and he twirled her.
"All you have to do now is find the ring," James joked holding out his balled fists.
"Umm… left one?"
"You're lucky I decided to change it to opposite day, otherwise you would have gotten a face full of frog spawn."
Lily laughed, she would never forget today. They both wouldn't forget today, and from the looks of it, no one else surrounded in the dark dome would either.
Lily was hit with something cold, and wet, sludgy, and green.
"What the…?"
"Padfoot!" James yelled.
"Yeah mate?" Sirius yelled from the back, as the dark dome was lifting form around them.
"Did you just throw slime at us?" James yelled.
"Not just you mate!" Sirius answered gleefully. Which was indeed the truth, because everyone around them was covered in slime, including the teachers.
"And why, per say, did you do this?"
"Well, it was getting to much to handle, not that I'm not happy for you too, but I was about ready to puke."
"Rin! I hope you know what you're getting into with him!" Lily yelled, she and James were walking down to the Gryffindor house table as the teachers continued on, very uncomfortably now that they were covered in slime, with the ceremony.
