Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters; they are property to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Review please. I got several emails saying I was added to different people's alerts, but not many reviews.
"Mrs. Potter, I trust that you have merged their thoughts?" the tight lipped woman spoke matter of factually, sitting on the edge of her desk.
The younger woman sat down in one of the comfy arm chairs that sat in the Headmistress's office, "Thank you for offering me a seat, Professor. But yes I have." she said pulling a vial of blue and purple mist swirling inside.
Professor McGonagall grabbed the vial in her wrinkled hand, pulling the tube close to her face so that she was eye level with it. She turned the enclosed mist over a few times in her hand, inspecting it. She sighed, remembering Hermione Granger. She was a bright young witch. She held so much life. She very well would've taken the next Headmistress's place when it was time.
"I guess the good do die young," she muttered absentmindedly to herself. Sighing she dropped her hand and faced the only Weasley daughter, "They both had so much promise." She stood up straight before continuing, "Very well. I will hold onto this until tomorrow. Should be interesting. I hear the Minister is going to sit in. What a fiasco tomorrow will bring."
Ginny smiled a small smile that didn't touch her eyes, "Hermione was brilliant. Malfoy...well he was Malfoy, but in the end he did help us tremendously during the battle, and he captured 'Mione's heart so he couldn't have been that bad. I mean, from the little I did get to know him he wasn't, and then...they created such a beautiful and brilliant little girl…" Ginny trailed off. "I'm eager to know their story. As is, everyone else. They had a love that will never die. I see it every time I look at their little girl."
Ginny stood up and walked towards the door, as she did the few weeks before when they decided it was time Temperance knew her parent's story. She nodded her goodbyes to the older woman, letting the silence stretch so they could both indulge in their own thoughts, and with a slam the door closed behind her.
"If I may say," the portrait spoke behind the Headmistress, "Life is a precious thing. We neither know when we will have it or lose it. It is sadness that befalls us all because we lost such great promise, but they went with courage and love. That is the greatest gift of all, choosing how or when you die."
The woman wiped her eyes and felt she had been crying. Looking at her mentor and confidant of so many years she whispered, "Spoken like a true nobleman."
With nods they both bid goodnight and went their separate ways.
The Great Hall had been made into a theater the next day. The ghost had been given the responsibility of overseeing the first through fifth years, the house elves were instructed to bring food to the respective house common rooms, and at 3PM sharp the pictures were instructed not to swing open to let any student in or out.
To say the entire school was in complete chaos by 2PM would be an understatement. The Daily Prophet had come by earlier that morning to get their story. Their headline titling "The Snake & The Lion Twisted Story Told 17 Years Later", much to Headmistress McGonagall's protest. The picture frames were floating all around the room, covering so much space that you couldn't see out the magical ceiling. Some of the top Ministry of Magic officials also decided to join, as well as hundreds of parents, and even Hagrid. The tables had been removed and rows of plush, burgundy seats took their place, all facing the front where the Head Table typically sat; now instead there was a simple basin. The basin was an antique object, dark bronze, and thick in metal. Harry recognized it as the basin Professor Dumbledore once showed him Voldemort's thoughts in.
As Harry Potter and the Weasley clan walked in, followed by the other families that fought in the war, or what was left of them , took their seats at the front of the house they heard the Headmistress bellow through the Great Hall.
"Everyone take your seats. Everyone take your seats, please." She spoke into her wand. She stood on the risen part of the hall, where the basin now stood so that the the Hall looked at her. The chatter died down as people crammed into seats and sections of the Great Hall, leaving very little sitting space available. Clasping in her left hand the vial that would indulge the whole hall into the depths of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy's world she spoke into her wand once more.
"I would like to thank the Ministry of Magic for joining us," she smiled a tight lip smile at the front row on her left hand side where the Ministry sat. "Furthermore, I want to thank all our guest family and parents, who invited themselves," she scolded, "For joining us. I want to give a big thank you to Ginerva Weasley-Potter for preserving the thoughts of Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger all these years."
Ginny dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her white handkerchief before mouthing a "thank you" towards the woman speaking.
Professor McGonagall continued, "I especially want to thank Miss Temperance Malfoy for allowing us to see such private aspects of her life, aspects she currently knows nothing of. I ask that we be mindful that this is her first time seeing these memories as well, and that we all be as sensitive to that as possible. I do not know what will be shown. I do not know what to expect, but be prepared for the worst and best of times for they were only two young kids in love." McGonagall paused, gathering her thoughts. "Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy, as well as their seventh year class, and of course all of you were some of the bravest, most courageous witches and wizards I have ever known, and I thank you for that." With that she poured the purple and blue mist into the basin. The colors swirled into a whirlpool with the dark waters that sat in the basin, popping like pink and orange fireworks, before settling into a muggish brown and black.
The greying woman flicked her wand and the candles died out in the hall. She walked off the stage to the first row of seats on her right hand side where Harry sat with his family and Temperance. Grabbing Temperance hand firmly she looked the young witch in the eyes, tears filling her soft brown ones, "If at any moment you need a break let me know. You're brave. Your parents would've been so proud of you. Good luck." She walked off, snapping her fingers at two third years that snickered, before having them taken to their dorms.
With another flick of her wand the longtime professor sat in the back of the now auditorium filled with students, parents, and curious patrons alike and watched as the thoughts of her former students burst above the basin, covering the whole front of the hall from one end of the room to the other. The older woman sighed as she sat back in her seat. The only picture frame floating close to the people sat above her head, as he did in her office.
The colors formatted above the basin taking form of a Hermoine Granger in the Great Hall 17 years ago, in her black robes kissed by her Gryffindor crest, and like magic the present day Great Hall was glued to the memory.
A/N: So, I hope you all like it. Review and I'm going to try to have another chapter up by Friday since I'm going to be out of town the next week on vacation.