A/N: You're all going to hate me for this chapter. I apologise in advance.

Moving On

Rose,

Good luck with your NEWTs over the next few weeks, though I' sure you don't need it. Thank goodness you inherited your mother's brains, eh? Unfortunately, you probably inherited her tendency to get overly stressed, too. Try not to worry too much. You'll do fine.

Love you always,

Dad


Al,

Hope your exams go well. As you know, I never took my NEWTs, so I don't really know what they're like. I'm sure you'll do fine, though. You're smarter than me, more like your mother really. Just try not to get too stressed.

Anyway, I'll not keep you from your studying any longer (or your games of Exploding Snap and chess, if you're as bad at studying as I was). Good luck.

Dad


Scorpius,

Good luck for next week. That's when your first exam is, isn't it? Just remember not to get stressed or worried about NEWTs. Keep in mind that they're not really that important for what you what you want to do. Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll do brilliantly.

Mum and I will be equally proud of you regardless of what you get in your exams.

Dad


Dad,

We're about halfway through the exams now, and I think they're going okay so far. Care of Magical Creatures was easier than I expected, though I'm not so sure about Transfiguration. I think I got some of my switching spells seriously mixed up. Defence Against the Dark Arts was a breeze though. I've got Charms tomorrow, and I've been studying practically nonstop for the last two hours.

Anyway, it wasn't exams I wanted to write to you about. Yesterday, Rose and Scorp had a massive fight. Rose has been very, very stressed lately – to the point that most of us don't dare go near her – but mostly she's been okay with Scorp. Generally he's the only person who can manage to calm her down, and just having him around makes her a lot less panicky. Yesterday evening, though, I walked into the Gryffindor Common Room – which Scorp probably shouldn't have been in at all – and the two of them were absolutely screaming at each other. I don't know what they were fighting about, but I don't think I've ever seen Scorp so angry before. When I walked in, they both stopped and looked at me, and then Rose burst into tears and ran up to her dorm, and Scorp stormed out without telling me what was wrong.

They haven't made up yet, and I'm really worried. Neither of them will tell me what's wrong, or even mention the other person, and I'm scared they might have properly fallen out. What should I do?

Al


Al,

My advice to you would be not to do anything. These things generally sort themselves out, given time. When I was at Hogwarts, my two best friends used to have massive fights sometimes, and I would often wonder whether this time it might be it. The fact that Rose exists at all is proof that these fights never lasted.

I know from experience how hard it can be when your two best friends aren't talking to each other, however, and I sympathise with you completely. Try not to let it damage your relationship with either of them. It sounds to me like Rose just got a bit too stressed, and Scorpius got sick of putting up with her moods and finally snapped. From what I know of both of them, I'm sure it won't last.

In the meantime, I hope this doesn't add too much stress to you on top of the exams. If they get too much, leave them both to it and go and hang out with some of your other friends. If you can mange to put up with them, though, I'm sure they'd both appreciate having your support at the moment. Just make sure you don't get drawn into taking sides.

I hope this has helped.

Dad


Dad,

School ends tomorrow, and Rose and Scorp still haven't made up. Something's really not right. Rose can be very stubborn and unreasonable sometimes, but it's not like Scorp to let an argument last this long. Normally he would have apologised by now – regardless of whose fault it was – and then Rose would have felt bad about not apologising and she'd apologise too and they'd both be sickeningly in love for the next few days. Instead they're still completely refusing to even be in the same room as one another. And not long after we get home, Rose's course starts so she's going to some place in Wales for that, and the Ministry want Scorp to start as soon as possible, so he'll be moving down to London. I'm scared that if they don't make up by then, it might be too late. Keeping up a long distance relationship would be hard enough, but if they're still mad at each other then I think it might be over between them.

On a completely unrelated note, I can't believe my time at Hogwarts is almost over! It still hasn't quite registered that once I get on that train and leave tomorrow, I won't be coming back again. I'm excited, but there's a lot of sadness at leaving too. I've had such an incredible time here, and I really don't want to say goodbye. I guess Hogwarts was really only here to prepare me for what comes next, though, wasn't it? All the friends I've made here, all the things I've learnt, everything I've gained from my time here: I'll still have all of it even once I've left Hogwarts behind.

I'm glad I've had this last year to say goodbye. You never had that, and I think that must have been hard. I know you had more important things on your mind, but I think it must have been very difficult to leave Hogwarts, knowing that you might not even survive the next year, and that it might not even be there when you came back. And then you finished what would have been your seventh year in a battle that killed loads of your classmates and damaged half the school.

When I compare my own goodbye with that, it suddenly doesn't seem so bad. I've had a wonderful seven years here, and I'm grateful for every moment of them. From the moment I stepped onto the train when I was eleven, I've made incredible friends, learnt things I could never have learnt anywhere else, and been challenged beyond anything I ever expected. It's been truly wonderful, and I wouldn't take back any of it.

Well, I guess it's time to say goodbye. We're having one last party in the Gryffindor Common Room tonight, and just this once I think Professor Longbottom might not come and tell us off for being up too late.

I'll see you soon, Dad.

Al


Dad,

Rose and I had a fight. I'm writing this letter sitting in the Hufflepuff Common Room on my own. I should be at the party in the Gryffindor Common Room – which seventh years from all four houses are invited to, on account of it being the last night – but I couldn't face it. This should be a night of celebrating the end of exams and looking back on the last seven years, and looking forward to the future, and I guess to a certain extent it is. I just wish I could stop thinking about Rose.

Perhaps I should just apologise to her, but I don't want to. Not this time. We were both responsible, and it's her turn to say sorry first. I know that sounds childish, but I can't help it. It feels like from the moment we met it's always been me who's the calm, sensible one, and me who puts up with all her tempers and me who chases her. And most of the time I don't mind, but just this once I'd like her to take some responsibility and admit that she was wrong without me having to go to her first.

I don't think she's going to apologise, though. I think this might be it, Dad, I really do. Perhaps we're just too different after all. Perhaps we were stupid to think we could make this work. Our relationship consisted of me constantly chasing after her and putting up with her and never, ever being able to keep up with her. It wasn't my fault and it wasn't hers, it just wasn't meant to happen.

I was right: this has ruined our friendship. That's what I was always scared of. Perhaps one day we'll be able to regain some sort of friendship, but it won't be the way it was, when me and her and Al were just about inseparable.

I feel for Al right now, but there's not much I can do to make it any easier for him. His two best friends aren't talking, and that must be awkward for him. Hopefully it won't damage his relationship with Rose, or with me.

I'd better go now, and stop bothering you with this miserable, depressing letter. I'm sure I'll be in a better mood tomorrow, when I see you, though I suppose I may be pretty devastated to be leaving Hogwarts. So much has happened since you waved me off on the train seven years ago, and I'm going to miss this place. I really am.

See you tomorrow!

Scorp


Mum,

I had a fight with Scorp. We haven't spoken for the last couple of weeks, and I think it might be over for good. He hasn't come and apologised, and I'm scared that means he doesn't care anymore. I know you'd probably tell me that I should just go and apologise myself, but it's not as simple as that. I know it was partly my fault, probably more my fault than his, but normally he'd have apologised by now, regardless of that. I think that maybe this time he just doesn't want to get back together. If he doesn't care enough about our relationship to come and say sorry, then I don't think it's worth carrying on.

I guess I should have known all of this was too good to be true. Scorp is the most unselfish, gentlemanly, thoughtful guy I've ever met, as well as being my best friends, and I didn't deserve to be that lucky. I'm not good enough for him, and I never will be. Not that he'd say that, or even think it, but I know it's true. He deserves a girl as wonderful as him, not a stubborn, pig-headed one who flies into tempers at the tiniest thing and can't sit still for more than five minutes.

I can't believe this is how it ends. Not just the thing with Scorp, but my time at Hogwarts. I'm sitting in my dorm and I can hear the party going on below me, but I can't go. I can't pretend to be happy tonight, and smile and laugh and dance like people would expect me to. And besides, he might be there. Everyone else in seventh year is.

I think I'll just go and cry myself to sleep, and then maybe tomorrow I can move on and leave all of this behind: Scorp and my wonderful seven years at Hogwarts. See you tomorrow, Mum.

Love,

Rose