Graduation Day for Hogwarts’ Class of 1998

It isn’t too hard to assume that, a year ago, this day likely seemed impossible for our graduates. A year ago, they and everyone inside Hogwarts fought a battle the rest of us were oblivious to, ultimately saving, not only our beloved school, but our world as well. Through their fight, the truth finally came out.

It has been quite the year since the wizarding world learned the truth about Albus Dumbledore. The war ravaging our world came to an end and we learned it was not Lord Voldemort that had threatened, harmed, and destroyed us for so long, but Albus Dumbledore. Disbelief had our world in its grasp, at least until we began to thrive. The threats that once faced us disappeared and we began to function once more.

In the Ministry, we gained a competent and compassionate Minister in Kingsley Shacklebolt whose reforms to various legislations and institutional relationships has been a whirlwind of positive change to wizarding Britain. It appears, under Minister Shacklebolt, the problems that had plagued our world for so long may finally come to an end.

Yet, the greatest changes have been in Hogwarts itself. The magical education of our children has never been so great, meeting such astonishing standards. As we’ve learned, with the return of the magic that powers Hogwarts, magic never-before-seen in our children has been discovered. Unique specialties and types of magic have been identified in dozens of students, leading to mentorships, apprenticeships, and the implementation of amazing courses with masters at Hogwarts. The generations of witches and wizards leaving Hogwarts are being considered the most powerful our world has ever seen and will change our world in remarkable ways.

However, it is important to acknowledge that this has all been possible due to one person. Hailed as the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had since the Founders themselves, Tom Riddle has been the one to lead Hogwarts out from the darkness Dumbledore had trapped it in. As the longest victim of Dumbledore’s machinations and portrayed to the world as an evil dark lord, it would not have been unexpected if he had chosen to leave us behind. Instead, he took Hogwarts under his guidance and, if the word of staff and students is to be believed, has become beloved to the Hogwarts community.

And now, today, the first class under Headmaster Riddle is to graduate and, if I might say, I have never seen someone so proud. With today’s graduation ceremony, we will also learn what paths our graduates have chosen. I will be in attendance—invited, of course—to hear first-hand how these young witches and wizards will change the world.

So, thank you, students and staff of Hogwarts, for all you did for us one year ago and, to our graduates…congratulations!

Reported by Milly Stine

“Bloody hell, you’re not ready?”

Harry looked up from the Prophet and found Ron coming down from the dorms, tugging at his graduation robe and the tie around his neck. He held his graduation cap and ran his free hand through his hair, messing it up.

“I just have to put on my robe,” Harry said, gesturing to said robe draped over the back of the sofa as he tossed the Prophet on the table.

“Well, put it on,” Ron said impatiently. “We have to go. Nearly everyone is already in Memorial Hall and I am not dying at the hands of Snape for you if we’re late to the ceremony.”

Harry chuckled and stood, grabbing his robe. They left Gryffindor Tower as Harry pulled it on and they headed down to the final corridor that led to the Clock Tower Courtyard, now known as Memorial Hall. As Hogwarts had been repaired and everyone slowly recovered, it was quickly decided that more needed to be done to honour all those who had died during Dumbledore’s seventy years of control. Thus, portraits had been painted and, with the power of Hogwarts, given life, creating a memorial in which they could speak with their lost friends and family.

Arriving at the hall, they found all the seventh years milling about just outside, waiting to begin. Harry found Neville, Dean, Draco, and Hermione near the hall’s entrance, and threaded through the students with Ron to get to them. They smiled at each other and Harry turned to the rest of their year.

“Everyone ready?” he called out. “We’ve got fifteen minutes or we’ll all be late to our own graduation and I’m sure the headmaster will not approve.”

“One more detention with him to remember us by!” Terry Boot shouted and everyone laughed.

“I don’t think forgetting us is going to be a problem,” Ron said and everyone laughed again.

“Alright, let’s go,” Harry said, he and all the seventh years putting on their caps.

He led the way into the corridor as it erupted into cheers and applause from the portraits. The seventh years made two single-file lines, facing both sides of the corridor. They all spoke with their friends and family and mentors, telling of future plans and receiving proud congratulations.

After about ten minutes, they bid their goodbyes and exited the corridor to the Clock Tower Courtyard. They spread out, circling the center memorial and turning to look up at the clock, forever frozen at three twenty-six a.m. It had been another decision to leave the clock at the time the battle ended, instead creating a new clock for showing the actual time on the Bell Tower. They all stared up at the clock and joined hands. After just a few moments, waves of magic began to sweep away from them, washing over the castle, magic reinforcing the bonds of all who existed in and would ever pass through the school. The love and friendship of the Founders was kept alive by the children of Hogwarts.

The bells began to toll, then, indicating five o’clock. They all looked at each other.

“Run!” Draco yelled and they took off running in a pack through the school, laughing and chattering as they went.

The doors to the Great Hall opened as they approached, revealing a hall filled with people ready for ceremony. All the other years of students were arranged around the large round tables that now replaced the long House tables, those now only used during the Sorting Ceremony and holidays feasts, though seating was no longer restricted to one’s House. Anyone could sit anywhere. Banners of all the Houses hung along the walls with Hogwarts banners overhead. The Staff Table was now a half-circle. The biggest change hung behind the Staff Table. Sparkling happily and with power, the four swords had finally returned to their rightful place, returned to the Great Hall once their connection to the core had been completely restored.

For the graduation, rows of chairs had been arranged in the space between the students and the staff, chairs that were meant to be filled by the seventh years. Tom was standing at the podium—a bronze design of a lion, snake, badger, and eagle—and gave them all a hard stare.

“Late to graduation,” Tom said dryly.

The seventh years glanced at each other and back at their headmaster who sighed dramatically.

“Honestly, what am I going to do with all of you?” he said fondly and they all grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, Headmaster,” they chorused.

“Take your seats,” Tom said and they all hurried forward, sliding into the rows waiting for them.

Harry glanced at the staff behind Tom, immediately finding Severus. He nudged Draco and they both grinned at the raised eyebrow sent their way.

“Now that the guests of honour have arrived,” Tom said, pinning the seventh years with another exasperated look that made them all snicker again. “Let us begin our graduation ceremony of nineteen ninety-eight.”

Cheers and applause rang through the Great Hall.

“I have a few words before we bring up our graduates,” Tom said and Harry gazed at him curiously. “I believe we can all agree with Ms. Stine’s report in the Prophet this morning that this day did not seem possible just a year ago. We were trapped in a darkness that seemed inescapable, held in a despair that threatened to ruin us.”

Harry swallowed somewhat thickly and brought a hand unconsciously to the part of his scar visible on his neck as he remembered that day. Draco bumped his shoulder lightly, pulling Harry from his melancholy, and he smiled at his brother.

“However, despite everything this school was put through, particularly our year of graduates, your strength could not be destroyed,” Tom continued. “It is because of all of you that we sit here today.”

A round of applause was started by the staff and then all the students joined in.

“It is also because of you that I have the honour of standing before you today and for the last year,” Tom said. “You accepted me and gave me a chance. You gave me a place and I will be eternally grateful to you.”

The students exploded in loud applause, shouts, and whistles.

“Finally, to our graduates,” Tom said, looking down at the seventh years. “I could not be more proud of the young men and women you have become. To have you as my first graduating class as headmaster is the greatest of privileges. You are the most remarkable young witches and wizards I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and your mark on our world will be extraordinary.”

More applause and cheers.

“And now, our graduates!” Tom said and he began calling them up one by one. Each student received a scroll and handshake—even a hug for some—from Tom, and then they announced their future plans. Soon, it was Harry’s turn.

“So, I haven’t told anyone anything about what I’ve chosen to do, much to my father’s and brother’s frustration,” Harry said, grinning at Draco and Severus who both rolled their eyes. “The first thing I’m going to do is nothing except spend a year with my family after having lost them for so long.”

He smiled down at Draco.

“After that year, I am happy to announce that I will be studying wandlore under Master Cyrus Penroix.”

Congratulations were shouted at him as his friends gaped at him. Laughing, Harry returned to his seat. The last of the students were called up and Tom retook his place at the podium.

“Congratulations to our graduating class of nineteen ninety-eight!” Tom said.

The Founders appeared on either side of him and Hogwarts in front of the podium.

“You are true children of Hogwarts,” Hogwarts said with a smile. “Go forth in the world, my darlings, but never forget the bonds you have forged here. And, remember…”

“You can always come back home,” she and the Founders chorused and then raised their hands in the air.

Behind, the swords began to glow and red, green, blue, and yellow wisps left the gems. The threads danced on the air and tangled together before wrapping playfully around the seventh years. They all jumped to their feet and threw their caps in the air, laughing and cheering as they danced with the magic of Hogwarts.

Eventually, the magic disappeared and the ceremony came to an end. The graduates moved to mingle with friends, family, and professors. Harry was talking with Bill and the twins when he spotted Kingsley in the Great Hall entrance waving at him. He excused himself, dragged Draco away from Luna and Astoria, and they hurried over to the Minister.

“Officially filed this morning,” Kingsley said, handing Harry a large, brown manila envelope.

“He really has no idea?” he said and they all glanced at Severus who was talking to Tom.

“None,” Draco said.

“Thanks for this,” Harry said.

“Anything for you two,” Kingsley said and they grinned.

“What trouble are you helping my sons with, Kingsley?” Severus said as he came up behind Harry and Draco.

“None at all,” Kingsley said innocently.

“And that is insulting,” Draco said, gaining a raised eyebrow from Severus.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “We don’t need help.”

Kingsley roared with laughter while Severus rolled his eyes, and Harry and Draco snickered.

“Are you two done conversing?” Severus asked as Kingsley walked over to Tom and Professor Dawling, the year’s Defense professor as Severus had returned to Potions. “We must finish packing.”

Harry and Draco nodded, and they walked with Severus down to their family rooms in the dungeons. They entered, Harry and Draco immediately pulling off their robes and kicking off their shoes, falling haphazardly onto the sofa, playfully shoving each other.

“So, wandlore?” Severus asked as he sent books flying into a box.

Harry nodded, looking up from the peek he and Draco were taking in the envelope from Kingsley. “I talked with Salazar a lot over the summer and he helped me realize infusion helps with the pain.” He gestured vaguely at his left side.

Unfortunately, Healer Carling had been wrong and Harry did not become pain-free from his scarring from Dumbledore’s Killing Curse. It was mostly a dull ache except when around or using particular types of magic, mostly offensive and aggressive magic. It was manageable, though, and he was mostly able to ignore it.

“Well, I am very proud of you,” Severus said, “of both of you,” obviously referencing Draco’s plans to pursue Healing.

Harry smiled at him.

“You have both chosen to wait a year,” Severus said casually. “Why is that?”

Harry looked at Draco who nodded and Harry held out the envelope. Severus took it curiously.

“We lost years with each other,” Harry said. “We want to have the chance to actually be a family, a real, normal family.”

They watched Severus open the envelope and pull out the single piece of parchment. They waited as the man’s eyes darted across the certificate before flying to them, glimmering. None of them said anything, Harry and Draco just getting to their feet and moving to hug their newly official father tightly.

“We love you,” Draco mumbled and a kiss was pressed to both their heads.

“Rummy?” Harry said to Draco who nodded vigorously.

They pulled away from Severus and jumped back onto the sofa, Draco summoning the deck of cards.

“Boys, you have packing to finish,” Severus said, his voice sounding just slightly thicker as he carefully put the adoption certificate back in its envelope.

“We will,” Harry and Draco said in unison even as they began their game.

“Brats,” Severus muttered.

Harry grinned over his shoulder at his father. He took a second to take it in: Severus, his father, nearby packing, he and Draco on the sofa playing a game, a home around them, and a life ahead of them.

This was all he’d wanted.

This was enough.