The morning after Dumbledore’s funeral the students were finally sent home, they had been kept three days late by the events of what should have been their final day of term. There was an air of sadness as the seventh years left knowing that they wouldn’t return ever again, while the younger students knew that when they returned in September, it would be to a very different Hogwarts. A leaving breakfast was held with all the school banners emblazoned black in honour of the dead. This gave Professor McGonagall the opportunity to address the school as its headmistress for the first time.
“The events of the past few days have been difficult to comprehend, and it will be a long time before any of us fully appreciate the effects that they will have on our lives. I am sure that Professor Dumbledore would have wished us to carry on as close to normal as possible in his absence, and it is for this reason that I would like settle a few things. The points for the House Cup lie as follows; in fourth place with 530 points are Slytherin, in third place with 603 points are Ravenclaw, in second place with 626 points are Hufflepuff which means that with 652 points Gryffindor win the house cup, congratulations Gryffindor,” she smiled down at her former house’s table.
“The Ministry of Magic has asked me to announce that Orders of Merlin “Second Class will be awarded to the following students, Luna Lovegood, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie MacMillan, Michael Corner, Blaise Zabini, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Parvati and Padma Patil, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones, Ginevra and Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger. An Order of Merlin- First Class is to be awarded to Harry Potter for his defeat of Voldemort. All these students will also be given special awards for services to the school. I would like to congratulate all of you in your triumph over the forces of evil which threatened our beloved school, and ask that we always remember the names of those who have been lost, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor Moody, Luna Lovegood, Colin Creevey, Madam Rosmerta, Blaise Zabini and Justin Finch-Fletchley. To perished friends and loving memories,” she finished and raised her goblet high in to the air.
“To perished friends and loving memories,” her students chorused back to her. The return to normality uplifted people’s spirits and they began laughing and chatting as they had in years gone by.
Harry, Ron and Hermione opted to not go home on the Hogwarts Express; it seemed a bit pointless to go all the way to London just for the nostalgia of travelling on the scarlet train once more, especially since Potter Hall was really only on the other side of the mountains that surrounded Hogwarts. Even though they weren’t going on the train, they went down to the platform to bid goodbye to their friends. It was a very sad event but everyone set off home with a new feeling of hope in their hearts, their families were safe and they wouldn’t lose any more loved ones. After seeing everyone off, they walked back up to the castle with Hagrid chatting amiably about their plans for the next few days. Relaxation seemed to top the list of activities. Once they were back in the castle they took a Portkey from the Great Hall of Hogwarts to the Great Hall of Potter Hall.
Everybody settled in and unpacked their things while Dobby and Winky started preparing a sumptuous dinner. They had decided that since it was such a nice day they would eat outside at an enormous stone picnic table that was out on a terrace, in what passed as the back garden of Potter Hall. It wasn’t long before Harry realized that a couple of people were missing from their number. Then, for the first time ever, Ron and Harry were actually ALLOWED (rather than having to sneak off) to go and fetch Neville and Susan unaccompanied. When they returned from Longbottom Cottage with the pair, Professor McGonagall had joined them but Ron and Hermione disappeared. “Where have that pair got to?” Molly tutted in an annoyed voice.
“I’ll go and get them, Mum,” Ginny volunteered quickly. Too quickly in fact, Molly spotted the attempt to cover for her youngest son immediately.
“Oh no you won’t, missy, I’ll do that!” Molly snapped and marched back off into the house. Wherever it was, she eventually found her son and his girlfriend, one could only presume that it was towards the back of the building because the open windows carried her furious voice and Ron’s protesting one across the grounds. “RONALD WEASLEY WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF THERE AT ONCE!” George choked on the roast potato that he hand snuck into his mouth while his mother wasn’t there to see.
“Ten galleons says he’s got his hands up Hermione’s jumper,” Ginny said loudly.
“No, no, no,” said Fred. “Little Ronniekins is far too hormonal for that, ten galleons says he’s got his hands elsewhere!”
“You’re on!” Ginny stretched her hand across the table to shake Fred’s; her engagement ring glinted in the sun.
“CAN’T YOU CONTROL YOURSELF?” Molly continued to shout.
“But, Mum, we’re engaged you know!” Ron argued.
“Yes, ENGAGED not MARRIED! YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HANDS OF HERMIONE’S….ASSETS UNTIL YOU’VE GOT A WEDDING BAND ON HER FINGER INSTEAD OF AN ENGAGEMENT RING!” Molly yelled.
“But, Mum…” Ron went on but further shrieking from his mother drowned his reasoning out.
“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT, THE PAIR OF YOU CAN GET YOURSELVES OUT INTO THE GARDEN NOW, BECAUSE EVERYONE IS WAITING TO EAT!”
A few minutes later a red eared Ron, a scarlet Hermione and a swelling Molly emerged from the French doors on the ground floor and joined everyone else at the table. “We need a quicker answer from you, Hermione, just a simple yes or no. Were Ron’s hands up your jumper?” Ginny asked, unabashed by the glare that her mother was giving her. Hermione gave a single sharp nod and stared down at the empty plate in front of her.
“Hold on a sec, where are Ellie and Charlie?” Harry asked.
“Probably doing the same thing we were,” Ron grumbled.
“They are a married couple; they can do whatever they like!” Molly snapped.
“I saw them on the way out here, they were in their room discussing something. Maybe we should start without them, they won’t mind,” Bill said. He was eying a steak pie in front of him hungrily, as was Ron who was opposite him.
“I suppose it won’t hurt, everyone tuck in!” Molly announced. They were ten minutes into the meal when Ellie and Charlie finally made it out on to the terrace. They plonked themselves down in the two chairs that had been left for them at the end of the table opposite Molly and Arthur.
“Sorry, boys, but that last share of Sirius’s will is mine,” Charlie announced as he patted Bill on the back sportingly and began to fill his plate with food.
“Last share?” Bill asked with mild interest.
“You remember, the one set aside for the first of you lot to make Molly a grandmother,” Ellie happily reminded them. Molly choked on the forkful of carrots that she had just deposited in her mouth.
“Do you mean…” she trailed off with a twinkle dancing merrily around her eye.
“Congratulations, Mum, in four months you’re going to be a fully fledged Granny,” Charlie proclaimed. The table erupted with noise as everyone congratulated them. Molly wouldn’t let go of Ellie for almost half an hour.
“This is so wonderful!” she howled at regular intervals. When Ellie was finally released from the arms of her mother-in-law she pulled her robes flat against her body, with the folds of material taught the beginnings of a large, protruding belly could be seen. “That’s a nice sized bump,” Molly commented. “All of mine were big babies, even Ginny. Who knows, it could be twins!” she patted the bump appreciatively.
“Well there’s a worst case scenario if ever I heard it!” Charlie said glumly.
“Oi!” Fred and George complained.
“I’m sorry, but I think that starting off with two like you would put me off having anymore,” he shuddered and went back to his food.
“We’re not THAT bad!” they protested.
“Not anymore, I think that Angelina and Alicia have calmed you down.”
“I hope every last baby you have turns out to be twins!” George said furiously.
“Amen to that!” Fred added as Charlie cringed. They all fell silent when there was a sudden outburst.
“I’m going to be an UNCLE!” Ron bellowed, spraying mashed potato all over Bill.
“Well spotted there, Ron,” Bill said as he rubbed the carbohydrate out of his eyes.
“Being an uncle would be pretty cool,” Neville nodded a little bit sadly, he was an only child and would never be an uncle.
“And you will be, Uncle Neville,” Ellie patted her bump to emphasize that her child would most certainly be calling him uncle; Neville smiled at her in return.
“Have you got any names in mind?” Molly asked.
“We’ve got a couple, Brian Arthur, Remus James or Andrew Sirius if it’s a boy and Alexandra Molly or Minerva Jane if it’s a girl,” Ellie beamed. Both Molly and McGonagall sniffed into their handkerchiefs suspiciously.
“But it’s going to be a boy,” Charlie confirmed.
“You don’t know that,” Ellie challenged him.
“Look around the table, my sweet, spot the pattern.” Charlie waved his fork over his brothers.
“I’ll have you know that the Dumbledore line has some very strong female genes that could give your Weasley male ones a run for their money!”
“We’ll see about that.” Charlie shook his head in disbelief.
“Oh shut up!” Ellie snapped.
“Ode to joy, here come the mood swings,” he said amusingly. Everyone sniggered into his or her plates, Ellie was giving him the most Mollyish look she could have ever given him.
“I’ll show you a mood swing when I swing you right into a brick wall!” she shouted.
“I really don’t think you should go swinging anyone in your condition. While we’re on the subjects of things you shouldn’t do while you are ‘with child’ can we add no dying for people to it?” Charlie asked with a smile. Ellie pursed her lips and tried to hold back her smile but cracked within seconds.
“Only since you asked so nicely.” She gave him a gentle slap on the cheek and then kissed the spot tenderly.
Several hours later everyone was very full, having scoffed his or her fair share of food and Harry felt the need to loosen his belt buckle so that his stomach didn’t feel quite so hemmed in. When it occurred to him that he had no idea what was going to happen in his life from here on in. “So where do we go from here?” he asked the table a large.
“Well you four start by opening these,” Professor McGonagall withdrew several parchment envelopes from the pocket of her robes and offered one each to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville.
“Don’t you want to know what you’ve got?” Molly asked.
“No!” He and Ron yelled in unison.
“Get those letters open now or I’ll do it for you!” she warned them dangerously. They did as they were told and gasps of shock emanated from each one of them.
“I got them all, four E’s and an O!” Harry exclaimed.
“Me too!” Ron chorused.
“What about you Neville?” Molly asked.
“An A, 2 E’s and 2 O’s!” he said in astonishment.
“I’d stake my life on Hermione having all O’s,” Fred said with a distinct hint of pride. Hermione nodded feverishly.
“Well done all of you!” Molly practically sang. Harry wasn’t paying attention though there was another piece of parchment in his envelope.
“Dear Mr. Potter,
We have received your recent examination results and would like to offer you the opportunity to take a place on our Auror Training Scheme. In order to for you to be accepted on to the scheme it is necessary for you to take part in a series of stringent tests which will determine your skills and abilities and whether these would be suited to a career as an Auror.
Testing will take place between the 1st and 7th of July. If you wish to partake in these tests I would ask you to present yourself at the Auror Headquarters, based in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on Level 2 of the Ministry of Magic, at 9.00 am sharp on the 1st of July.
Yours Sincerely
Amelia Bones
Minister of Magic “ Great Britain.”
When he looked over at the parchment in Ron’s hands it was identical to his own. Hermione, however, was holding one that was different to theirs; she was staring from the letter in her hands to Professor McGonagall who was, for once, smiling broadly. “Are you serious?” Hermione gaped.
“Ms. Granger, when have you ever known me to joke?” McGonagall asked.
“It’s just…I…” she trailed away.
“What’s wrong, Hermione?” Ron gently prised her letter away from her. “Bloody hell!” he exclaimed. “She’s been asked to teach!”
“Teach what?” Harry asked excitedly.
“Transfiguration!” Ron shrieked.
“You’ll make a great teacher, Hermione,” Ginny told her confidently.
“This is such a surprise,” Hermione continued to shake her head in disbelief.
“Is it really? Ms. Granger, you were always by far the most advanced student in my class. Now that I am headmistress I won’t have time to teach myself and I am more than confident that the subject would be safe in your capable hands,” McGonagall contributed her voice of approval to the conversation. “Will you accept?” Hermione looked to Ron for a moment.
“It’s your life, if this is what you want to do then go for it,” he stuttered.
“Okay then, I accept,” she told the headmistress.
“Welcome to the teaching staff at Hogwarts, details will be sent to you closer to your return,” McGonagall told her.
“Two Weasley wives on the staff. God help the students!” Ellie laughed.
“What does yours say, Neville?” Hermione asked him, she could see even from this distance that his letter was different from theirs.
“I’ve been offered a place with Natura Probatur, they’re a research unit that’s attached to St. Mungo’s they study plants and fungi for special properties,” Neville said happily.
“That’s great, Nev,” Harry congratulated. This was where school ended and life began, they were no longer kids holding on to their desperate dreams of house points and Quidditch cups. Their seven years at Hogwarts had seen them grow beyond these things. Life was knocking at their door, and finally, they were ready to answer it.
“I rather think a toast is in order,” Ellie announced. She rose from her seat and held her goblet of pumpkin juice high in the air. “To brighter days,” she said.
“To brighter days,” they chimed.
A/N: And so another saga ends. *Tear* Or does it? There’s another chapter here for you wonderful people. It’s called…When We Grew Up.