On the night of the Leaving Feast, Harry, Colin, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Susan all noticed that Oliver Wood, who was sitting at the table next to them, was in tears.
Harry waved Oliver over to their table and motioned for him to sit with them.
When Oliver was seated, Harry asked, "Oliver what's wrong?"
"I'm just sad, " said Oliver heavily, "Tonight is my last night at Hogwarts. After that Hogwarts Express pulls out of Hogsmeade Station tomorrow, I will never set foot in Hogwarts ever again. While becoming a Hogwarts graduate is certainly something to be proud of, it stings my heart to know that, after tonight, I'll never sleep in the four poster bed I've slept in for the past seven years ever again, I'll never eat another meal in the Lily Potter Hall, I'll never save another quaffle on the James Potter Quidditch Pitch, and I'll never see the Gryffindor common room again. It's hard to leave that all behind."
"Did the feeling kind of just hit you when you came in here tonight that tonight is your last ever at Hogwarts?" asked Harry gently.
"Yes," confirmed Oliver, "I honestly hadn't thought about it too much before now. When I came to the Lily Potter Hall tonight for the Leaving Feast, it suddenly sank in on me that, this year, the words Leaving Feast mean forever and not just for the summer."
"I know how you feel, Oliver, " said Colin in understanding, "I felt the same way on my last day of fifth grade. I did not yet know at that time that I would be coming to Hogwarts because I am an August baby. Now, Hogwarts years correspond with Middle School and High School in the muggle world. In the muggle world, Kindergarten through Fifth Grade is Elementary School, Sixth grade through Eighth grade is Middle School, and Ninth through Twelfth grade is High School. So even though I didn't know I would be coming to Hogwarts, I did know it would be my last day at the Elementary School I attended for six years and I felt those same emotions. "
"I suppose we all will have to deal with such emotions at some point, " said Harry matter of factly, "Moving on isn't always easy."
"No, moving on isn't easy, " said Oliver sadly, "But, Colin, having been in this position yourself, what advice would you give me on how to deal with it?"
"The strong feeling of sadness and loss will stick with for a few days and that's okay, " said Colin wisely, "But know this, when I came to Hogwarts, my first day at Hogwarts was just as happy as my last day of Elementary School was sad. Nothing is forever, but that doesn't mean the next phase of your life can't be just as good."
"What do you plan to do next, Oliver?" inquired Hermione.
"I'm going to play Beater for Puddlemore United next Quidditch season, " said Oliver confidently.
"You've already signed with them then?" piped up Ginny.
"No, but I know I'm going to make the team because I'm that good, " said Oliver instantly.
"Well, " said Colin, "On the day of your first practice, your first match, you will be just as happy then as you are sad now. Sure, it hurts when parts of life pass you by. But the great thing about life is that there's always another opportunity."
"You may be right about that, " said Oliver fairly, "But I still can't help feeling a little empty thinking about leaving Hogwarts behind. In fact, all the memories of all my time at Hogwarts are replaying themselves in my mind and I keep looking at things and places at Hogwarts tonight and thinking about how I'll never see them again. It's hard, it really is."
Oliver felt a few more tears roll down his cheeks as Harry and Colin patted him on the back a little.
"It's a necessary sadness, " said Luna quietly, "If you didn't graduate from school, you could never go to achieve anything in life, be it as a healer, a potion maker, a Quidditch player or whatever."
"I understand that, " admitted Oliver, "But the end of Hogwarts being a part of life seems to have so quickly."
"Bill and Charlie had the same feeling of it having all gone by too fast when they graduated, " revealed Ginny.
"It's natural human emotion, " said Oliver matter of factly, "I'm not ashamed of it, but I can't hide it either."
"Understandable, " said Susan reasonably.
"The emotions of the night are a lot stronger than I would have guessed, " said Oliver finally, "Moving on isn't easy."
Next nanosecond, Lupin was on his feet at the staff table and said, "I have a few quick announcements."
Every student in the hall focused his or her eyes on Lupin.
"First, owing to their exemplary performances since joining the staff around Easter, Potions Master Professor Brew and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Protect have been retained for next school year."
There was some polite applause in response to this.
"If Professors Brew and Protect continue to exhibit stellar job performance next school year, I will offer them long term contracts, " added Lupin.
"That's smart, " said Hermione approvingly, "Professors Brew and Protect have earned the right to keep their jobs but they still have more to prove before they can be committed to on a long term basis."
"I fully expect them to be receiving those long term contracts next year, " said Harry briskly, "They seemed to be very highly qualified teachers."
"No question about that, " agreed Hermione, "But Lupin is right to take it slowly. "
"Be warned, " Lupin went on, "That I am considering some changes for Hogwarts for next school year that you may learn about in your annual Hogwarts letter. You already know about most of the big changes coming to Hogwarts next year, but a few more changes are still under consideration. Your letters will explain what these changes are should they be implemented. So be prepared for that. But's that's all for now, now, let's have a pizza party for our leaving feast."
Next nanosecond, everyone in the Lily Potter Hall found himself or herself piled with two thick slices of pepperoni and sausage pizza, two breadsticks, two meaty chicken wings, and a large glass of Coca Cola Classic.
What happened next proved Lupin had been right to eliminate the House Cup.
Without the tension of the House Cup, the Leaving Feast was one of the calmest and happiest meals they'd ever had at a Leaving Feast.
Harry, Colin, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Susan happily munched on their pizza, breadsticks and chicken wings and sipped on their Coca Cola Classics while chatting away as friends at a meal like this should,
Even Oliver, who was still sitting with them, managed to forget his emotions for a bit and happily ate, drank and talked with the rest.
In the past, students whose house had not won the House Cup had tended to be bummed out at the Leaving Feast and there had been tension between students of difference houses because of the House Cup.
As Lupin watched the students just eating, drinking, and chatting with their friends, it confirmed to him he had been right to discontinue the House Cup.