The next morning, Hermione went to wake Draco early. She shook his shoulder gently and he rolled over and gave her a somewhat sleepy grin.

'Today is the commemorative service for those who died,' Hermione reminded him. 'Get up and get dressed.'

'What're you wearing?' he yawned, rubbing his eyes.

Hermione stepped back and twirled around. Her robes were simple and black.

Draco looked her up and down appreciatively, his eyes darkening.

'How can you look at me like that?' she wondered, smiling at him all the same. 'These robes aren't sexy.'

'But you are,' Draco purred.

'Why thank you,' Hermione said. 'But you still need to get up and get dressed.'

Draco groaned and swung his feet over the edge of the bed.

'But I haven't anything to wear,' he whined. 'I didn't go shopping yet or get my things fetched from Hogwarts.'

Hermione pulled robes from the wardrobe and tossed them at him.

'I had Harry pick some up when he went to Diagon Alley with Ron and Mrs. Weasley.'

Draco stripped off his shirt and pulled his robes on over his head before removing his pyjama bottoms.

'I know they aren't the absolute finest,' she said mockingly. 'But Harry didn't want to spend too much, since he didn't know what you wanted.'

'I notice yours aren't the finest either,' Draco said. 'We shall have to remedy that after we get out of school.'

'We?' asked Hermione. 'Would you have the patience to shop with me?'

Draco gave her a semi-disbelieving look.

'Hermione, honestly,' he said. 'If I can go through shopping with my mother, I can shop with you.'

Hermione straightened the collar of Draco's robes and kissed him.

'Come along now,' she told him. 'Tonks has cars from the Ministry meeting us at the entrance to the tube station.'

The whole lot staying over at Grimmauld Place travelled to the meeting point for the cars and filed in. The train to Hogwarts for the service was leaving at seven, so they had to hurry if they were to arrive in a relatively inconspicuous manner, though their absences from school had been noticed as out of the ordinary.

'The entire school must be here,' Draco murmured to Hermione as he placed a protective hand on the small of her back.

'Draco, the entire school is here, because school is still in session, we have just been away from it,' Hermione reminded him.

McGonagall caught Hermione's eye and motioned for them to sit in the row behind the teachers. Ginny filed into the row of chairs, then Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, the Weasleys, and the rest of the Order.

Hermione saw Percy standing with Rufus Scrimgeour and her jaw tightened. Then Percy came over to their row. Mrs. Weasley stood up her arms open wide. She sobbed into Percy's shoulder as he apologised over and over for how he had behaved. Everyone moved down a seat so that the repentant Percy could sit on the end beside his mother. The younger Weasleys and their father didn't look quite so ready to forgive and forget as Mrs. Weasley was.

Dumbledore rose and a hush blanketed the crowd.

'All of us here today, I am sure, have spent moments of silence, remembering those who died in that last battle against Voldemort,' he said. 'But let us do so again now.'

They all bowed their heads.

Dumbledore continued his speech after the passing of a couple of minutes.

'Those who died in protecting that gift of life, which we all hold so dear, would not wish for us; however, so stop living. Those who died gave their lives so that the rest of us could keep on living.'

Many others got up to speak after Dumbledore, but none were so well listened to as he was. Short speeches are, after all, the best speeches.

When the last person had said his piece and parents had said their goodbyes to their children and left, Dumbledore again stood at the front of the Great Hall. He smiled broadly at the room of students, teachers, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix who blended in so remarkably well that the students who did not know them did not remark on the strangeness of their presence.

'I'm sure you all wish to celebrate the great happiness that we have won,' Dumbledore said. 'Therefore, classes will not resume until Monday, giving you five glorious days of freedom to yourselves. And I have one request to make before you all may go. Let us join together in the singing of our school's lovely song!'

A golden ribbon of words issued from the tip of his wand, so that they all could see lyrics.

'Everyone pick their favourite tune, and off we go!'

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.

The Weasley twins reprised their rendition of the school song in a mournful funeral march, though this time the effect was almost eerie in light of the reason for their assembly that day. They were the last ones to finish the song, of course. Hermione could have sworn she saw tears of joy and pain leaking out of Dumbledore's eyes, but he was gone in a swirl of robes out a side door before she could be sure of it.

Hermione slipped her hand into Draco's as they wended their way back to Hogsmeade with the rest of their friends. While the rest of the school began celebrating in earnest, their ride to Platform Nine and Three-quarters on the train was very quiet.

This sombre mood did not last long; however. Once back inside Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, everyone began to liven up again, in preparation for that night's solemnities. For, the finest celebrations would take place at the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.