She spun around with her arms outstretched, feeling the wind blow through her hair and the sun shine down on her face. It was a beautiful day, a day that Hermione thought she would never see, which made her all the more excited. But at the same time, it was painful. It was painful to think about what they had lost in the previous weeks, and what they would still continue to lose in the weeks to come. It was painful to think about those that should have been there today, but weren’t.

For the moment though, she was content just to spin, spin until she lost her balance and fell over, into the arms of a red head with an irresistible grin. He looked so much older for a moment, her hand reaching up to gingerly touch the cut that ran across his cheek.

“Come on ‘Mione! I told you, I’m fine!” He laughed.
“I know…I just…”
“You wish there was something you could do. Relax.”

She was standing once more, leaning against Ron to prevent herself from falling over again, and his arm was around her waist. It was a gesture that made her smile happily, waving Harry over from talking to Ginny, the young redhead still bandaged up in places.

“Hello Harry!”
“Hi ‘Mione. Ron. How are you both?”
“Lovely.”
’Spiffing!” Ron exclaimed.
“Obviously.” Harry nodded, eyeing Ron’s arm, “Are you both ready for it?”

The sparkle in Harry’s eyes hadn’t quite returned, but Ron figured that that moment was the closest they had seen it in almost a year, looking from his best friend to his best mate, to the gathering throng of people in the distance, and back to Harry.

“I…. Don’t know.” He said honestly.
”Me neither, Harry. Are you?”
“Can’t say I am. Honestly…. I didn’t think we’d make it to this day.”

There was a silence, where Hermione broke away from Ron to stand by herself, brown bushy hair tamed into a half ponytail, as she looked between the two boys. Men, she had to correct herself. They weren’t the eleven-year-old boys she became friends with. They were the seventeen-year-old men that she had watched them grow into. They had changed so much in seven years, and she probably had too. They were older, wiser, more mature, stronger, and closer than any other set of graduating students Hogwarts had ever seen.

“Hermione?” Harry finally whispered.
“Yes?”
“You’re crying.”

The tears were begging for him to wipe them away, like he had always done. But Ron held back, looking at his other halves. Harry and Hermione were just as much of a part of his soul as he really was, and the startling reality of their lives as they knew it coming to an end hurt. It hurt more than he ever knew it would.

“Come here.” Ron mumbled gruffly, pulling both towards him.

She hadn’t remembered feeling so safe in such a long time, squished between Harry and Ron as the three held onto each other for what seemed like an eternity. Her robes were dotted with tears, not from her solely though. They belonged to Harry and Ron, their bodies shaking just the slightest as Harry’s arm rubbed her back and Ron’s lips kissed her forehead, the Golden Trio finally separating. For what felt like the last time to Hermione.

“I suppose we should get a move on.”
“Yeah.” Ron nodded.
”Mmmm. Harry? Ron?”

They were slowly nearing the mass of people settling down to their chairs beside the lake, the group of seventh years fidgeting around nervously.

“’Mione?” Harry asked.
“I…I love you. Both. Good luck.”
“Good luck to you, ‘Mione. We love you too.”

Ron’s head nodded, giving her forehead another quick kiss as he ambled to his spot near the back of the Gryffindor section, mumbling about being one of the last to receive his diploma. Hermione smiled as Harry leant down to whisper in her ear for a short second, before watching him disappear into the crowd as she too headed towards her spot.

“And now, our Head Girl, Miss. Hermione Granger.”

She looked up for a moment, smiling at her parents sitting beside the Weasley family in the sixth row back, with all the other parents. Hermione felt small standing behind the podium on the stage, looking down at her handwritten speech. But she knew she wasn’t small anymore, and she certainly wasn’t afraid after what she had lived through.

“Good afternoon. To parents and family, to teachers, to students, and most importantly, friends.”


She paused, catching Ron’s eye.


“Today is graduation day. Today is the day we are meant to stand up in front of those who have taught us, raised us, and loved us, and show them the witches and wizards we have become. But not this graduating class. Because we are unlike any other group of students that have ever passed through the doors of Hogwarts, and I pray that we are the last.

Today is not our judgment day. Our judgment day was two weeks ago, when we took on a battle no other group of seventeen year olds could have. Our judgment day came in sixth year when we stood together as one and did what no one thought we were capable of. Our judgment day came in fifth year when we took it upon ourselves to do something about the world, to make a difference and take a chance. Our judgment day came in fourth year when our lives were changed, and we were faced with an impossible reality that we couldn’t believe happened. But it did. And we learnt to adapt. Our judgment came in third year when we realized maybe the only thing we truly feared was fear itself, and came to know people for who they were, not what the world labeled them as.”


Her eyes briefly met Professor Lupin’s, seated next to one Nymphadora Tonks.


“Our judgment came in second year when we were terrified, and we all learnt that the walls we thought protected us did not always, but we made it through. And our very first judgment day came in first year, on our very first day when we stepped up in front of hundred’s of eyes to be sorted. Every moment of every day we have spent as Hogwarts students these last seven years, have been our judgment days.

And I think it’s safe to say, that we have passed. Regardless of N.E.W.T’s, of our classes, of our public standings, and of our futures, we have lived to stand here. And that in itself, is enough for me. We stand here as enemies,”


She glanced at Malfoy.


“As classmates,”


A slight glance at Seamus, Neville, and Lavender.


“As friends.”


Ron and Harry.


“And most importantly, as family.”


Ron glanced around the group of students around him, eyes lingering on each for a moment. The stinging at the corner of his eyes wasn’t appreciated, but it was impossible to stop, and no one else seemed to be trying to do so. They were supposed to be arranged by house, and alphabetically in that. But with Lavender and Padme holding each other crying now, Ron found himself sitting in the square middle of Seamus and Neville, with Harry on his right. And even they seemed to be having a hard time holding it together.


“And as we venture out into the world, wherever we may go, we will always be a family. Regardless of house, we will always be known as the graduating class of Hogwarts that faced the world, and won. We stood defiant, all of us in our own way, and for that we stand united forever.

But we cannot forget those that should stand beside us, those that won but are not here today.”


Her voice suddenly broke, silence falling upon the crowd as quiet crying could be heard from nearly every direction, Hermione looking down at the words scribbled on her paper.


Be strong. I know you can finish this. You’re brilliant. Bloody brilliant. And don’t forget, I believe in you.


Her eyes looked up at Ron, sitting with one arm around Lavender in an attempt to comfort her, looking back at Hermione with an intensity she had never seen before. His lips mouthed two simple words at her, and her lips smiled back, wiping her tears.


“That is another judgment we have come to bear, and will bear for the rest of our lives. But take those who are not here, and remember them for the bravery and intensity which they fought. Remember what you learnt from each of them, inside and outside the classroom. Remember the way they lived their lives, and strive to make them proud.

Because today, and for the rest of our lives, no one but those missing from our midst have the right to judge us. We have stood judgment enough, and today we are finally free. We are free to try and become the seventeen year olds that other classes always were. Today, our service to the world is over, and we can let ourselves fully feel what we have gone through, and grieve not only for the lives we have lost, but the childhoods we have lost as well.

Today we are known not simply as a graduating class of Hogwarts, not simply as a group of witches and wizards, and not simply adults. We are known as a family of seventeen year olds, connected by the times that we lived in, and the ways that we lived.

So I wish each and every one of you good luck. Every Ravenclaw, every Hufflepuff, every Gryffindor, and every Slytherin. Never forget who you are, where you have come from, and what you have lived through.”


She paused, eyes wrinkling up at the end of her speech, scribbled out and another writing below it. For a moment Hermione panicked, she couldn’t read what she had written at all. But she trusted him, so she took a deep breath and read once more.


“Each one of you standing here today has proven yourself more than worthy of the diploma you are about to receive. You have proven yourself to be the most cunning witches and wizards of our time, and for that I am proud to call you my family. Life is not easy, but if you remember what we have learnt on these grounds, and remember that there are people up there-”


Her finger pointed upwards for just a second, the tears coming down harder than they were before. It didn’t seem much to matter though, as it looked like almost every person standing or sitting in the rows of family and teachers on the grounds was crying.


“…Remember that there are people up there watching over you, we will all achieve wonderful things. Things two weeks ago none of us dreamt could happen. We are the future of this new world, Seventh years. So good luck. I believe in all of you.”