Chapter Twenty-Eight:
(A/N. Sorry this took ages. I've been soooooo busy. Junior year is a bitch. But summer is nigh and so I will be updating crazily. I can't wait to finish this story with you guys! Read and review please!)
Walking through the halls hand in hand, Ginny breathed deeply. She glanced at Draco and found him as composed as ever which worried her. They approached the great hall and found a small house elf standing outside the door.
"Excuse me Miss, Mister. Here is your ticket," the house elf said. Ginny glanced at the paper which had the number three on it. Peering at Draco's she realized it was a one.
"What do you think these are for?" he asked. She shrugged and they proceeded inside. She gave Draco's hand a quick squeeze.
"I'll see you later," Ginny said and then moves away to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Colin.
"Alright there, Gin?" he smiled at her. She nodded and gave him a small hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Never better," she replied. Suddenly the crowd in the hall hushed and Ginny looked up to see Dumbledore walking up to the podium.
"Today has been a bittersweet day for all of us. Before we begin anything I'd like to call attention to the small paper slip you were handed as you came in. These have been distributed randomly," Dumbledore said. Ginny glanced down at her paper again and then at Colin's realizing that he held a number one. "I'd like all of you to divide into the groups indicated by the paper."
"Colin! Switch papers with me!" Ginny whispered urgently and her friend complied easily handing her the paper. Ginny stood up only to sit down again as Draco came over.
"I thought you were group three, my dear," he smirked. She laughed and showed him her new slip of paper.
"You were wrong." Soon everyone had moved to their correct group numbers and the teachers had passed to check the numbers and collect the papers. Dumbledore raised his hands for silence.
"From now on we will sit like this. If we learned anything today it is that we are stronger united. Alone we shine brightly but together we shine brightest. Brighter than any star or jewel or sun. Today Voldemort was defeated. He passed from his limbo between life and death into true death. One he cannot be resurrected from. His demise, however, came at a great cost. We lost many dear to us. Now Professor McGonagall will list those who died fighting," the old headmaster said and stepped away. Ginny looked away and to the upturned faces of her schoolmates. Some were separate from their table, silently crying by themselves, their tear-bright eyes shining with sadness and hope. Others were huddled in groups, the house differences melted away, taking sympathy from one another. Gryffindors and Slytherins were eying each other warily across the great oak tables but with grudging respect. Given time the differences would all but disappear. Ginny turned away and listened again.
"We should all thank Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley who, after a seven year struggle, finally managed to defeat He-who…Voldemort," Professor McGonagall cleared her throat as if she had just said a vulgarity. Suddenly on the far side of the room Ginny saw Colin leap to his feet.
"I say we should also thank Ginny Weasley! She was the one who pulled the people who stayed behind together! Who commanded them in the fight! She deserves credit too! If not for her there would have been far more many deaths! If not for her there would have been more Death Eaters helping their master! I think she had the hardest job of all!" Colin cried and, to Ginny's total amazement, the great hall erupted into a thunder of applause and cheering. Ginny felt herself blush all over her face. She slowly stood up and the hall hushed to hear her speak.
"I don't deserve this. I'm no hero," she said, shaking her head and brushing away a strand of hair from her face. At the teacher's table, Dumbledore stood up.
"No? My dear Miss Weasley, hero's are not born. They are made through the people and the strength of their hearts. Heroes are those that see clearly the dangers ahead and yet are the first to go out and meet it. You are indeed a hero," Dumbledore said and another wave of cheering exploded in the hall. Ginny stared around at the faces of pride, love and joy and felt her heart swell. She turned to Draco who took her hand and squeezed it encouragingly. With a sly smirk, Ginny Weasley took a bow. "Now, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore cried and conversations erupted all around. Ginny sat down and saw her brother and Harry staring at her from a table not so far away. Draco draped and arm around her and they gave her a look that made her blood boil. The blond boy at her side turned to see what was making her angry and she saw him give the two boys a chilling look that quickly made them look away. With a smile, Ginny turned to her food glad that everything would be alright.