For Neither Can Live While the Other Survives

Chapter Ten

Graduation

Disclaimer: Nothing you might recognise belongs to me

It was nearly seven years later and a tall, proud, seventeen year old Harry Potter stood in front of the teacher's table facing the rest of the seventh years and their parents and guardians.

"My first few months at Hogwarts were strange and almost frightening to me. Everywhere I went people stared and whispered after me, deeply in awe at the sight of me. I never used to know what they were on about. I mean of course I know I defeated Voldemort but I never knew how. But Professor Dumbledore filled me in and you all know too…"

Here Harry snuck a peek at his best friends Ron, Hermione and Draco to whom he had entrusted his secret with four years ago. They grinned back.

"I've loved my seven years at Hogwarts. It only seems like yesterday that I arrived and here we are on our last day. It fills me with great sadness that I'll never return here as a student but I'll always have great memories of this place and I hope you all will too. That's all I could think of as a speech as 4 o'clock this morning when Hermione reminded me so I hope it's been ok!"

Everybody laughed as their Head Boy took a bow and went to sit down with his friends.

"Thank you Mr. Potter," said Professor Dumbledore, "Well, it has been an honour to be your headmaster for the past seven years and I am going to miss each and every one of you. Please don't hesitate in coming back to visit. You are welcome at any time…well perhaps not three o'clock in the morning…"

The crowd laughed again.

"Anyway, I'm sure you are all anxious to sink your teeth into our delicious Graduation Feast courtesy of the House Elves and I'm also sure the rest of the school wants their dinner so I'll wrap this up. All of you have great potential in you and I am sure you'll all do extremely well in the world. I am honoured to send out such a fine bunch of witches and wizards upon Wizarding society and I wish you all the best of luck. May I present the graduation class of 1998!"

The graduates rose to their feet cheering and their parents and guardians clapped loudly. Gradually, it died out and the sound of talking arose.

"We've done it!" yelled Ron, jumping up and down,

"Yeah!" said Draco, "Hallelujah!"

Harry grinned and saw Sirius, Remus, Vicky and their two children Jack, who was six, and Kirsten who was three coming towards them. Snape was also accompanying them.

"Hey kiddo," said Sirius, giving his god son a bear hug, "I'm so proud of you!"

"We are too," said Remus, also hugging Harry,

"Cheers," said Harry, "Can't believe it's all over though!"

"Yeah I felt that way," nodded Remus, "It drags while you're doing it but when you look back, it seems like it's happened in a flash!"

"I agree," said Snape,

"Are we still on for The Three Broomsticks tonight?" asked Draco, "I can't wait to try my first fire whisky,"

"And who says you'll be having a fire whiskey, young man?" asked Snape,

"Sev, I'm eighteen!" said Draco to his godfather, "besides everybody else has tried one!"

"Does that mean you have?" asked Sirius to Harry,

"Nooooo," tailed off Harry. He cast a 'now you've done it!' to Draco and turned to face his smirking godfather,

"As your guardian, I simply cannot condone your behaviour Harry. But as a fellow Marauder, I saw right on!" said Sirius,

"Mr. Moony would like to remind Mr. Padfoot that children are present and he should do his very best to keep stuff like fire whisky away from them until they are a suitable age."

"Mr. Padfoot respectfully apologises to Mr. Mooney and his cubs,"

"Mr. Batty would like to say Mr. Padfoot and Mr. Moony are crazy and would like to know for the thousandth time, why you had to give me the name Mr. Batty!" said Severus,

"Well your Animagus is a bat," Sirius managed to say before he, Remus, Draco and Harry went off into spasms of laughter.

The group sat down for the graduation dinner and Ron and his family and Hermione and her family joined them at the Gryffindor table.

"I can't believe I'm sitting at the Gryffindor table," moaned Severus,

"It's a damn site better than the Slytherin table, Sev!" Harry joked and ducked as both Draco and Severus threw a piece of bread at him,

"Food fight!" Sirius yelled.

The rest of the hall looked over towards them as they dissolved into laughter.

Harry sat back and surveyed his extended family. Sirius had always been there for him as had Remus. Vicky and the children continued to love him every day. His best friends Hermione, Ron and Draco had stood by him from day one at Hogwarts and Severus had been like another uncle for him. He was very close to the entire Weasley family and knew he could rely upon them for anything and he had shared some good times with Hermione's parents.

All in all, life was good and Harry looked forward to a bright future surrounded by love.

The End

Thanks to hypa4evr for reviewing the last chapter.

Well, that's it, the end! It only took me a year and a half… lol. I hope you enjoyed it.

Review please. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.