After Mattheo and Lennon returned to the Gryffindor table, sliding into their usual seats, it didn't take long before curious glances turned into open questions.
"So," Ron said with a half-smirk, his eyes flicking between them. "What did Pansy want this time?"
Ginny raised a brow, elbow propped on the table, clearly ready for some tea. Seamus and Dean leaned in closer. Neville looked a little lost, but Luna had a dreamy smile, like she already knew the answer.
Lennon laughed as she poured herself pumpkin juice. "Honestly? The usual drama. Something about the showers again."
"The what?" Dean choked.
Ron's eyes widened. "Wait, again? What is wrong with her?"
"She's obsessed," Lennon said with a shrug. "I told her stalking isn't a good look. And it's not even the first time Mattheo and I have done that thing, so… she can relax."
The table broke into laughter. Mattheo shook his head, clearly amused but a bit tired of the drama.
"I think she's still trying to pretend we're not a couple," he said.
"For years now," Lennon added with a smirk.
"Well, let her wallow in denial," Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes. "It's not like it changes anything."
Luna leaned over to Ginny and whispered something about Pansy probably needing more sleep and less jealousy. Ginny giggled.
They moved on from the topic with ease, slipping into easy Sunday chatter. The sky outside was clear, and the castle was filled with golden light as the morning wore on. There was no class, no tension—just the warm buzz of friends who had earned a peaceful day.
⸻
By midday, the seventh years—Mattheo, Lennon, Theodore, Lorenzo, Oliver, Angelina, and Katie—headed down toward Hogsmeade, joined by Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Seamus, Dean, Neville, and Luna. It had become a sort of unofficial group tradition to spend weekends together when they could, now that the end of the year was creeping closer.
The spring air was crisp but sun-drenched, the path lined with blooming wildflowers and buzzing bees. Dean challenged Ron to a race halfway there and nearly tripped into a bush. Harry and Neville laughed the entire way down.
At the Three Broomsticks, they claimed two tables and squished together. Butterbeer was passed around, and Seamus managed to start a toast that turned into a competition over who could make the most dramatic, ridiculous speech.
Lorenzo pretended to declare undying love for chocolate frogs, while Katie announced she was founding her own Quidditch team called the "Firebolt Foxes." Mattheo and Lennon just leaned against each other, content, sipping their drinks and watching it all unfold.
Later, they wandered through the shops, visited Honeydukes, and spent far too long sampling free Bertie Bott's Beans and laughing every time someone got a questionable flavor.
By the time they returned to Hogwarts in the late afternoon, the sky was glowing orange with sunset, and the castle cast long shadows over the lawn.
⸻
After dinner, they all drifted toward the courtyard. It had become a favorite spot lately—quiet, open, peaceful. The air was warm, the stones still heated by the sun. Torches flickered gently on the castle walls.
Lennon sat with Mattheo on the edge of the fountain, shoes off, her bare feet brushing against the stone. Angelina and Katie lay on the grass nearby, heads tilted toward the sky. Oliver leaned against a pillar, arms crossed but smiling.
The rest of the group—Hermione, Ron, Seamus, Dean, Harry, Luna, Neville, and Ginny—spread around them. Ginny sat close to Luna, brushing daisies into her hair. Ron tossed a small stone between his hands while Dean leaned back on his elbows.
It was quiet, peaceful, the kind of silence that invites truth.
Oliver broke it first, voice soft. "It still doesn't feel real. That in a few weeks, we won't be here anymore."
Lennon looked over at him. "I know. It's been our home for so long. It feels weird to imagine life without Hogwarts."
"It won't be without Hogwarts," Hermione said gently. "It'll just be… a new chapter."
Oliver nodded slowly, then smiled. "I'm going to be flying for Puddlemere United."
A round of cheers went up. Ginny clapped, Dean gave him a high five, and Luna applauded softly.
"You earned it," Angelina said proudly. "You've been obsessed with Quidditch since day one."
Katie grinned. "Obsessed is putting it mildly. Remember when he fell asleep hugging his broom first year?"
Oliver groaned. "Must we bring that up?"
Laughter echoed around the courtyard.
Lorenzo spoke next, quieter. "I still don't know what I want to do."
"Same," Theodore added. "There's this… strange freedom now. Like, for the first time, I can choose something. But I don't know what."
Mattheo glanced down. "I've never pictured anything beyond survival. This is the first time I've let myself think beyond that."
"I think you'll figure it out," Luna said, her voice dreamy but certain. "You're not who your family was. You're who you've chosen to be."
They all looked up as three owls swooped into the courtyard, cutting through the dusky sky like arrows. One landed on Lorenzo's shoulder, the second on Theodore's knee, and the last beside Mattheo.
Each carried a thick envelope sealed with Hogwarts' crest—and Dumbledore's personal golden stamp.
They stared for a second. Then Mattheo broke the seal.
As he read, his brow furrowed, then softened. His eyes widened.
"It's…" he looked up. "It's a recommendation. For anything we want. Dumbledore wrote each of us one."
Theodore blinked. "He… what?"
"He said we chose the light when we didn't have to," Lorenzo read from his letter. "That he's proud of us."
Mattheo exhaled, emotion tightening in his throat. "He doesn't see us as our fathers. He sees us."
Lennon put her hand on his. "Because that's exactly what you are. Just you. And that's more than enough."
"What about you, Lennon?" Hermione asked, curious. "Have you made any decisions?"
Lennon nodded. "I'm thinking about the Auror program."
Harry turned sharply. "Seriously?"
"My dad was one," she said, smiling faintly. "It's something I've always admired. I want to protect people like he did. It feels… right."
"I think you'd be amazing," Hermione said, and Harry nodded.
"I'd feel a lot better knowing you were out there," Harry added. "Chasing down the bad guys."
Ron grinned. "Better her than me."
They all laughed again, but the moment was filled with warmth and pride.
Oliver raised his butterbeer bottle. "To us. To the future. Even if we don't know where we're headed, at least we're heading there together."
They clinked glasses and bottles—some with sweets, others with pumpkin juice—and leaned into each other, laughter mingling with the stars above.
No one said it out loud, but they all felt it: this moment would stay with them. No matter what came next—whether it was the Auror office, a Quidditch stadium, or something still unknown—they would always have this. The courtyard. The comfort of friends. And the courage to face whatever came next.