A/N – So… Another one! Thought you guys would appreciate a quick update with this one! Thanks again to the awesome lady who fixed all my mistakes!

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The walk down to the Quidditch pitch was fairly silent. All of the graduating students now stood around chatting aimlessly, waiting for the music to begin signaling their march onto the grass where they would take their seats. Hermione stood with Draco, Ginny and Luna. Draco had an arm wrapped protectively around his friend's shoulders, making it very clear to everyone in the room exactly whose wrath they risked should they come near her. Hermione had her head leaned over on Draco shoulder.

When the music started, Draco pressed a kiss to her hair, released her shoulder, and offered her his arm. "Remember," he said. "You are Hermione Granger. You helped save the wizarding world. You are Valedictorian, and somehow managed to help me with my grades enough that I am Salutatorian. You really are the brightest witch of the age. So head up, and dazzle them, my friend."

Hermione wrapped her fingers around Draco's arm and, taking his advice, lifted her chin slightly, and donned an almost carefree smile. They made their way across the pitch and to their seats, leading the rest of the graduating student body. As soon as they stepped onto the grass, Hermione drowned out the noise and focused solely on the speech she had prepared earlier in the week. They took their seats and Hermione tried to focus on the address Minerva was giving. She caught bits and pieces, "Greatest class in a long time", "Fred and George gave me greys", "Never thought I would see the day when such an intelligent witch would pass through our halls", "Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley", "The troll", and many other things, though she was focused on simply remembering all of the words to presentation.

When she felt a nudge on her arm she glanced up and realized that everyone was clapping and Minerva was looking right at her. Standing she made her way to the stage, her hands shaking like mad. This was the moment that she had studied for throughout her entire school career. She wasn't going to screw this up now. Taking a deep breath she focused solely on the words that she knew by heart.

"When I walked into this school 8 years ago, I would never have believed that everything we've been through would happen. This class has had an extraordinary tenure here. We have survived through one of our Professor's harboring a piece of Lord Voldemort's soul in his own body." She watched as half the audience flinched at her use of the name, pausing before continuing.

"We survived a giant snake making its way through the pipes and slowly picking off the student body. We survived the break out of a reputed mass murderer, though he was actually innocent, and we survived the Tri-wizard tournament. We lived through the return of Lord Voldemort, and survived the invasion of Death Eaters into the school. We lived through a great war which threatened to tear our world apart. And the antics of Fred and George. And Delores Umbridge's fake versions of a Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. And Professor Snape's Potions NEWTS. And Professor McGonagall's homework.

"If anyone had told me, when I was 12 and first stating at this school, that I would go on adventures like we did, and help Harry Potter defeat the darkest wizard of our time, I would have asked Professor Dumbledore to have their head examined. I never would have believed that the experiences that I have now, would become mine to share with the world.

"So here's to us. Here's to all the times we messed up and the future mistakes we know we will make. Here's to the good times and the bad times. Here's to that last 7 and 8 years that tested all of us to our limits. Here's to the Professors who put up with the antics of all of us and some who aren't here anymore. Here's to all of us who made it and all of those who didn't. Here's to us."

She finally looked up and the entire pitch, stands and students, erupted in applause. She smiled at the audience and waited for them to quiet down.

"And now I will turn this over to our class Salutatorian for his address."

With that final statement she left the make shift stage that before this, hadn't even realized had been set up. Draco waited for her at the base of the steps and walked her back to their seats in the front row of chairs before walking back and climbing onto the stage himself. He too took a deep breath before beginning.

"Many of you know who I am and what I have done. I let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts my 5th year. I stood by and watched the most horrific acts being committed on my best friend. I tormented Hermione Granger for years for being a muggleborn. I freely admit that I was a slimy git through my years here, before the war, and if anyone has the right to hate me in this life it is Hermione herself. Amazingly though, she forgave me. For a long time I believed that she was beneath me, that she wasn't worth my time. And that's how many of us from Slytherin house saw anyone who was less than pure blood. We were wrong. The purity of our blood shouldn't have any bearing on the people we become. I won't let it have any bearing on the person I want to be.

"If anyone had told me when I first walked through the doors of the Great Hall that I would proudly walk into graduation with a Gryffindor on my arm, a muggleborn Gryffindor at that, I would have laughed myself stupid. If anyone had said that it would be know-it-all Granger that was on my arm, I would have hexed them into oblivion. But that is what happened. The most unlikely pair in the world came out of the war as best friends.

"So it's time for us to let go of old prejudices. It's time for us to usher in a new era of tolerance and acceptance. It's time for us to forgive the mistakes of others and recognize that no race is perfect. Many of us lost loved ones in the war due to the family members of others. Many of us have reason to apologize to others for actions not taken when they needed us. I have reason to apologize to many of you and many others. So let's start anew. It's time to start over and make a difference for the better. Let's go out and leave our footprints on the world and know that we did our best."

Once again the crowd erupted. Draco smiled and introduced Professor Vector, who would be announcing the student who would be receiving apprenticeships at the school including Ginny Weasley, who would apprentice under Professor Snape, and Neville Longbottom, who would apprentice under Professor Sprout.

When the time came for the students to receive their diplomas, Hermione and Draco once again lead them to the stage, where Draco, again helped Hermione climb the stairs before mounting them himself. They made their way across, one by one, to shake Minerva's hand as they received the scroll. Then moved down the line shaking all the teacher's hands, including Rolanda's, who pressed a kiss to Hermione's cheek as she passed, to Kingsely Shaklebolt, the Minister.

Slowly but surely the line dwindled away into nothing as all of the students made their way back to their chairs. With the ending speech given and the final addresses said to the students, Minerva turned to the audience and presented them, the two Hogwarts graduating classes. The classes that had fought Voldemort and won. The classes that transcended an ancient feud between houses. The classes of hope and a brighter future.

A/N – Read and Review please! I love to hear your thoughts and comments!