Chapter Seven:
(A/N. Just in case anyone starts freaking out, THIS IS NOT THE END. K? Just thought I would make sure everyone knew that. Now please review or no more chapies since I would be content to end it here but I KNOW you guys want me to go on, right? REVIEW.)
The Hogwarts seventh years were gathered inside the Entrance Hall. Some were sobbing hysterically, others were laughing and hugging their friends close. Hermione saw Colin Creevey taking pictures here and there, employed by the headmaster of course. All of the graduating students wore long black robes with sashes in their house colours. Suddenly, Professor McGonagall walked in and raised her hands for silence.
"Can everyone please line up as we rehearsed previously?" She called into the crowd of students. Drifting into pairs without stopping their excited whispers, soon everyone had found their partner. Hermione glanced over at Draco. The Head Boy and Girl walked in first followed by the rest of the students in alphabetical order.
"You nervous?" Draco whispered softly. She nodded her head and he reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Don't worry, say what's in your heart." Hermione smiled at him and nodded again. Suddenly she was hit by a sudden sense of nostalgia and looked back into the masses of black and quickly spotted Harry standing next to Parvati. He waved at her and she grinned. Proud music started up from some unknown source and the doors to the Great Hall swung open. Hermione and Draco led the students in down the aisle between the seats. Hermione's eye was instantly drawn to the row of redheads waving enthusiastically and noticed that Mrs. Weasley was crying a bright smile on her face. The brunette girl smiled back and blinked back tears of her own. Then she spotted her own parents clutching each other and smiling proudly at her and a tear did escape her control. She turned back to the front and felt her skin tingle as she approached the Hogwarts teachers smiling down from a raised platform. Dumbledore was smiling proudly, the twinkle in his eye, evident even from afar. The only one not smiling was Snape but even he had pride shining from his eyes as he gazed down at the Head Boy beside her. Hermione also saw some people she had never seen before and she assumed they were members of the School Board or of the Ministry for Magic. Hermione strode up to the empty set of rows set out for them and sat down at the far end. The music stopped as all the students were seated and everyone else followed suit.
"Welcome families and friends to the Graduation of 1998." Dumbledore said as he stepped up to the podium and spoke in a magically amplified voice. "It has been my honour and great pleasure to watch over these students as they have grown into the noble witches and wizards you see here today. I would like to introduce our Head Girl for the welcoming speech." He said and Hermione stood up and strode up the steps carefully. She clutched the wooden podium in tremulous hands and quickly applied the spell to her own voice.
"Ladies and Gentleman, esteemed guests, welcome. My plan was to come up here and tell you how much Hogwarts means to me and some other rehearsed nonsense but then, just now as we were walking in, my love, and my fiancée, told me something so simple and yet so true. 'Say what is in your heart'. So I will." More mutterings filled the room at the confession of her engagement. "When I first came here as a small, muggleborn, snotty girl I was awed by the castle I would spend seven years in but I did not know what it meant to be a Hogwarts student. It wasn't until this year that I learned what it meant. This year I lost everything to one man and gained everything from another. I learned what true friendship is and what true love is. If you think that you come to Hogwarts to learn about magic and spells than you have never been here and are only looking at the surface layer to a much deeper teaching because Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry teaches you about life." Hermione was amazed at how fluidly the words came from her mouth even when she had no paper in front of her. "It teaches us the morals and ethics we use to make real life and death decisions. It teaches us about love. The love that flows through everyone, or nearly everyone, here fills you with a feeling of completeness that you will always remember for the rest of your life. But now, the time has come for us to leave our home away from home and for some of us, the only home we have ever know. We have grown up and thanks to Hogwarts and the noble professors that fill these halls with knowledge and wisdom, we can now go into the world as full-fledged capable witches and wizards who know what is right and what is wrong. Goodbye Hogwarts and thank you." Hermione completed and stepped away. The silence after her speech was defeaning and the Draco leapt to his feet and started to clap loudly. Her parents, Harry, and the Weasleys followed until soon everyone in the room was thundering their applause. She looked at her parents and found them both crying identical looks of pride and love on their faces. Hermione went back to her seat and Draco gave her a small hug.
"That was bloody brilliant, love." He whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek. There were gasps from around them but Hermione just smiled. Dumbledore soon called for attention.
"Now, before each student collects their graduation certificate, I will say a few words about their achievements and acknowledgements during their time at Hogwarts. An absolute asset to Hufflepuff house, and a bright young addition to the Herbology class she so loves I present to you Hannah Abbot…" Dumbledore continued to list the students alphabetically but she stopped listening and thought about her own achievements. Suddenly she felt Draco prodding her a long time later and she started to listen again. "These three students have been a wonder and a pain depending on who you ask. Together they have ruined more than one of Voldemort's plans of return, saved an innocent man from a fate worse than death, snuck into the Ministry of Magic and had more adventures than even I. It is my privilege to present to you Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." There was applause all around as well as a buzzing as everyone repeated the second name behind their hands. Hermione stood up again and went back up the stairs joined quickly by Harry and a strangely dazed Ron. They shook each of the professor's hands and Dumbledore handed them each a rolled parchment tied in the same colours as their sashes, Hermione's even had the extra white line that marked her as Head Girl.
"Thank you, sir." Hermione said at the same time as Harry and they grinned at each other.
"Congratulations to you three, and well done on you speech my dear." Dumbledore said.
"It truly came from your heart." FLitwick put in from the side and Hermione blushed. Then the three Gryffindors made their way back to their seats. More names were called out as Hermione half-listened looking over the faces as people accepted their certificates.
"This boy has been an asset to the school all around. He defeated Lord Voldemort in his seventh year, an outstanding achievement. He has shown tremendous bravery while he has been at this school, from his first year, as well as great loyalty. He has also contributed a large amount to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, through his position as Seeker, and later captain. Draco Malfoy, please come up and accept your graduation certificate." Dumbledore said and there were more gasps and squeals of surprise and disbelief. Hermione watched him get up. He was still a Slytherin through and through. A normal person would have balked at the thought of having to get up in front of all these people that hated you. A normal person would have been frightened and nervous of the whispers all around. But Draco, egotistical, cunning, self-confident Draco – he could walk up there like he owned the world. She clapped as hard as she could as he shook hands with the teacher's, seeing him pause with Snape as the greasy haired man said something for the blond Slytherin's ears only. Finally he was coming back to his seat and she took his hand in hers as she sat down. An hour later, Dumbledore fished out the last graduation to Blaise Zabini.
"I noe present to you the graduating Class of 1998!" Dumbledore cried and as one the seventh years jumped to their feet tossing their wizard hats into the air, cheering, and hugging their friends. Amongst the chaos Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger stared into each other's eyes.
"We did it. We made it through everything." Draco said quietly so only she could hear. She smiled at him and took both his hands.
"Yes, Draco. We did."