“The end of a beautiful year. A Great Hall filled with sad faces. First years realizing they’ve found their favourite place in the world and won’t return for another two months. Seventh years who may never come back at all. With pain in their hearts, they’ll bid farewell to what had been their home for seven wonderful years.
"You’ve walked a road. You weren’t the first, but you did walk it, without straying from the path, without getting lost. You did not climb any unnecessary mountains, and kept your balance whenever something unexpected reared its head. You’ve swept the path clean for those that’ll come after you. Who will, in their turn, walk it gloriously.
"But your new path is full of lurking dangers. There will be no one to guide you, no one to hold you by the hand and make sure you go the right way. Whenever you face a split, you will have to decide for yourself in which direction you will go. Friends and family, they can help you, they can advise you. But when push comes to shove, it is your life, and you are walking your own road. One that needs to be cherished. With every tick of the clock, you’ll be a tick older. And before you know it, you’ll be an old man speaking to a Great Hall full of children hanging on your lips, listening to your every word.”
Dumbledore smiled and looked around the Great Hall. His gentle expression faded into one of severity and concern.
“I wish to warn the eldest among you. Dark times are upon us. You may have grown used to the rose-colored pallet of Hogwarts, however it is nothing like the real world. Soon, you will find yourself facing darker days. Because, as clever, brave or loyal as you may be, there will always be traps you can find yourself caught within. There is something dark, that is gaining power. Silently, under wraps, yes. But it is powerful and it is gathering a large following. It is up to you to resist whatever injustice they may be spreading. It is up to you to stay true. To yourself. Keep looking for that happy child you always were, and you shall find yourself the victor.”
Dumbledore sat silently and looked at several last-years. There were some hardly paying attention to his speech, there were others listening closely, their mouths ajar in admiration.
Richard Headly and Charles Anglin looked at each other, frowning their eyebrows.
“Do you think he’s trying to make something clear?” whispered Rich, leaning towards Charlie.
“Future’s gonna be dark?” Charlie shrugged.
It was the end of June. The fifth years had just completed their O.W.L.-examinations and those in the seventh year had made attempts to pass their N.E.W.T.’s.
Rich and Charlie were two friends who’d found themselves in their last year. They’d had their last exams, and the time had come for Dumbledore’s annual speech. For the two Hufflepuffs, this would be the last time they sat at their house table, and with that came an array of mixed feelings. They were overjoyed that the time had come to begin their own lives, to find a job, and to build a family. They were sad because, as of today, their magical years at Hogwarts would just become memories. From now on they were on their own. “No one to hold your hand,” as Dumbledore had said.
As Dumbledore’s speech ended, tradition called for the scrumptious feast to appear. Everyone loaded their plates with food greedily, and the towers of food on the dishes rapidly diminished.
“Worst of all,” shouted Pete, his mouth jam-packed with chicken, “we’ll have to miss these banquets.”
There were laughs and smiles of agreement along the table, and everyone enjoyed the feast even more. The seventh-year Hufflepuff students were seated together, and they enjoyed each other’s company. Each bite that passed through his throat, made Rich realize more and more that this would actually be the end. Charlie, on the other hand, acted as if it were the first enchanted meal he’d ever tasted and mostly made noise.
“One more night,” Rich sighed and several looked down at their plates.
“I don’t think I really understand it yet,” Esther whispered, spinning her fork around in her food. “It’s like Dumbledore says, like you have to leave your own family behind.”
“Oh, come on. At least the lot of you can still see each other. I’ll be going off to China, to capture a bunch of Demiguises and take care of ‘em. Some Chinese bloke apparently thought they were some sort of albino-gorilla’s or something like that, and tried to catch ‘em. And now they were looking for someone to keep the colony in check. I must’ve been one of the only ones to sign up, ‘cause I got the job,” said Sean.
“Demiguises, wow!” Pete said, and he let out an admiring whistle. “Does it pay well?”
“You can bet your skinny arse, I wouldn’t be going to China for nothing, would I?” grinned Sean.
“I’ll be applying to be a Healer,” said Pete. “Sprout says I’d make a nice chance.”
“I’ll be helping my mother out on Diagon Alley. When she quits, I’ll be able to take over the shop.” Esther smiled.
“We’ll be working at the Ministry,” Rich said, pointing at his own chest and at Charlie’s.
“What department are you trying out for?” asked Sean.
“I’d like to go join the Committee on Experimental Charms. You know. Try out a lot of spells and charms, make up new ones, approve of them. Seems like it’d be fun.”
“The Department of Magical Games and Sports is where I’ll be headed first. My father says they always have a great time there,” Charlie said. He was already lost in a daydream and saw himself sitting by a desk, shouting orders at other people, while sipping from a large mug of tea himself, when unexpectedly, the Fat Monk passed by him.
“But that, my children, is the future,” he said, moved by everyone’s big plans. “Live from day to day, because, before you know it… your life will be over.”
“It’s healthy to dream about the future,” Esther laughed, moving over and making place for the Fat Monk to sit beside her.
“Isn’t there anyone of you that dreams of becoming a monk?” he tried, but the only answer he received was loud laughter. “It is a fascinating profession, truly!”
“Not if you’re more fascinated with love, though,” Pete said, as he lovingly pressed a kiss onto Esther’s cheek. With a chuckle, she pushed him away.
“That, my dear mister Sugarby, is called resisting the temptation. In all of my years as a monk, I have always been able to control my urges. Although I must admit, that the Grey Lady gets more beautiful by the year.”
They all expressed their apparent disgust, and soon found themselves in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. As the banquet came to an end, the desserts appeared mid-air, and with that, the final feast had ended.
“Wait!” Dumbledore shouted, when people started to get up from their seats. “I’m afraid I cannot let you leave, without hearing you all sing Hoggy Warty Hogwarts one final time!”
From the top of their lungs, everyone in the Great Hall croaked the song they had known since their first year at Hogwarts.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please…
“Your last night,” said Sifra, a fifth-year student, to Charlie, as they walked towards their Common Room. “You do realize you’re going home tomorrow, and you’ll never be coming back?”
“Never say never,” Charlie laughed. “Who knows, I might work myself up to Minister for Magic and have to come to Hogwarts for a check-up.”
“You? Minister for Magic?” Sifra screamed joyfully, patting Charlie’s shoulder. “Keep dreaming, honey.”
“Mind your words, ma’m,” said Rich, joining the duo. “We will be working at the ministry, and we might even become ministers, one day.”
“At the ministry?” Sifra said admiringly and her mouth folded into a naughty smirk. “As cleaning ladies, at the most!” Laughing frantically, she darted off.
“Why does everyone doubt us?” Rich chuckled, dropping himself into an armchair.
“We’ll show them,” said Charlie, and he patted his stomach. “I think I ate too much. I’ll be too sick to go home tomorrow.”
Rich laughed.
“So this is it,” Esther whimpered. A tear rolled down across her cheek. “I can’t believe it.”
“There,” Pete said, wrapping his arm around her, “I’m sure we’ll be back. Besides, our kids’ll be able to tell us everything.”
A stiff smile is all she could show before her eyes got wet again.
“You’ll miss it, won’t you?” said Sifra, who was standing next to Charlie.
“It was a nice time, but we’ll have to go on,” sighed Charlie and he looked back over his shoulder at the gigantic castle.
“I wish I could be out of here already myself,” Sifra mused, leaning herself against Charlie. “If I could just come work at the Ministry with you guys.”
Sifra Escher was a Hufflepuff, like Charlie and Rich. She got along with the boys quite well, and spent quite some time with them. She tried to hide away the fact that she was having a hard time with the departure of her friends. Especially Charlie.
“Hey, it’s not like we won’t see each other again,” said Charlie and he wrapped his arm around Sifra’s shoulders. “I’ll come visit you sometime, anyway.”
“I’ll take your word,” said Sifra, smiling.
Slowly, they strolled towards the carriages. They gave one final look at the building that had been their home for seven long years. The Quidditch field, which had been like a sanctuary for Star Keeper Charlie. The Forbidden Forest, where they’d planned secret meetings for all houses. The gamekeeper’s house, which was a part of Hogwarts, just like honey was part of tea. And the deep blue lake, where they’d sit on hot days in the sun, with their feet in the refreshing water.
Rich and Charlie got into their carriage and asked Sifra in. The carriages started moving and Rich poked his head out of the window once more.
“Till next we meet,” sighed Sifra, and she hummed “Hoggy Warty Hogwarts”.
“God, I’ll miss it,” said Rich, softly. He pulled the curtain shut in front of the window. “I mean, it is the base of everything we’ll be going through as wizards.”
“Watch out, you’re getting poetic,” Sifra grinned.
Charlie sighed and asked them to change the subject. He too knew that he would miss it, but he would rather think of the future than of this moment.
The train ride home was everything but silent. Seventh-years of all houses ran through each other’s compartments, wishing each other a happy future. Picture’s were made, names were scribbled onto cloaks, badges were exchanged.
On Platform 9¾ the fun seemed to end abruptly.
A bunch of Hufflepuffs said goodbye to Rich and Charlie. Esther clamped herself to Pete desperately and didn’t even try to control her tears anymore. First years that had wanted to tell Rich and Charlie how much they admired them, came to tell them that they would ‘never forget them and they would follow their example’.
Sifra, too, said goodbye with pains in her chest.
“I’ll really miss you guys,” she said sternly and hugged Charlie. “Especially you, Charles Anglin,” she whispered softly. She hugged Rich and then ran off to her parents with watery eyes quickly, so the boys would not see her cry.
“Rich! Charles!” Rich’s parents and Charlie’s father ran toward them.
“Mom! Dad! It’s been so long,” yelled Rich, hugging his parents.
Charlie, too, hugged his father, who seemed overjoyed to see his son. Charlie’s mother had passed away last year, and he had been on his own. Charlie had offered to stay with him, but his father had refused and had insisted he finished his seventh year.
Charles and Richard didn’t live with their parents anymore. They had bought their own small flat in London last year. During the school year, they would rent it. And so, this would be the first time they’d spend more than one night in the flat. Because of that, they were quite excited.
They’d called the house “Azka”, in reference to Azkaban, the wizarding prison. When they’d first seen the flat, it had looked horrendous. It was dirty, damp and it smelled. After cleaning it thoroughly, it had recovered its charm, but they’d kept the name.
“Home,” Charlie smiled, putting away his suitcase.
“Go on, Fiddle,” said Rich, leaving his cat out of its cage.
“We had clean tenants,” Charlie whistled as he swept his finger across the top of a large dresser. “Not even a thin layer of dust.”
“Hey, Charlie! Come here, look! A letter from the Ministry!” Rich shouted excitedly, as he entered the room with an envelope clutched in his hands.
“Well,” said Charlie with the same air of excitement. “Open it up!”
Trembling, Rich opened the letter and skimmed it hastily.
“Your dad,” he mumbled and started laughing. “Your father arranged us a job interview at the Ministry next week! Any Department we want to!”
“What?” said Charlie unbelievingly, and he yanked the letter from Rich’s hands. “What!? This is brilliant!”
The two couldn’t hide their joy. They gave the letter a prominent place on their fridge, so that each morning, they would be confronted with the great news.
‘Monday, July 12th,’ Rich wrote on the calendar. ‘Fix Ministry job.”