Chapter 240. Leaving Hogwarts.
The next day, after breakfast, the young wizards gradually began leaving their rooms, suitcases in hand.
Most were happy to finally return home and graduate from Hogwarts, but some could barely manage a smile. Their melancholy gazes and forced grins revealed only a quiet sadness.
For many seventh-years, this place had become a second home, no matter how difficult it could be at times. Even the memory of exams couldn't erase that feeling.
It marked the end of childhood and the beginning of adult life, something everyone understood but not everyone could accept.
There was no formal graduation ceremony beyond the evening feast and Dumbledore's parting words, simply because Hogwarts had no such tradition.
The newly graduated wizards would receive their certificates from the Ministry of Magic in a few days. Bearing the seals of the Minister and the Headmaster, the certificates would officially recognize them as qualified wizards and list their grades for all subjects from first year onward.
Yet even Severus found himself smiling at the farewell before boarding the train. Now he understood why Macmillan had decided to stay until the very end: to ride the train one last time.
---
The Trophy Room was a spacious chamber lined with wooden cabinets with glass doors, pedestals, and shelves displaying an array of trophies of gold, silver, and copper in every size, along with medals, statuettes, shields, miniature broomsticks, and Golden Snitches.
Nearly all were housed in crystal display cases with plaques bearing names or House affiliations.
Before one such cabinet at the far end of the room stood Severus, an open smile on his face as he gazed at the top shelf. The name "Merlin" had once stood there with the inscription "best graduate." It now read "Severus Prince."
Of course, this was not yet the fulfillment of the promise he had made when he first inhabited this young man's body, but the foundation had been laid. In time, his name would be forever enshrined in magical history.
"Well... time to leave this place." He cast one last glance at his name, then turned and headed for the exit.
"I think I'll even miss this place a little," Nagini sighed, with a hint of sadness in her voice as she gazed at the cold stone walls of the castle, the silver armor standing sentinel along the corridors, and the pleasant views of the Forbidden Forest through the windows.
"I agree. It's a shame to say goodbye to such a peaceful place, one where one could actually relax a little."
"Meow..." Lucky, cradled in his arms, mewed plaintively, as if in agreement.
"And why are you sad?" He glanced down at Lucky. "We'll still visit the forest here once a month."
"Meow...?"
"Really, truly. So no need to be sad." He patted the kitten's head while glancing at the magical armor.
"But why?" Nagini asked, puzzled.
"It's about those bees I mentioned before. The Queen still doesn't trust me and refuses to relocate. I can't force them; they're proud creatures. But I think in another year or two, I'll change her mind and move their hive to our home."
"I completely agree! We absolutely cannot lose them!"
"Meow! Meow-meow, meow-meow, meow!" the two gluttons chimed in enthusiastically; they particularly loved devouring honey with pancakes or in tea every morning.
"Yes, yes, I know." He gave them both a knowing look that left the first one slightly embarrassed and the other utterly indifferent. He rounded a corner, then another a few meters later, and began descending to the second floor.
Severus had already said his goodbyes to everyone the day before, so he headed straight for the ground floor toward the main entrance, where the students were gathering.
As he had with Slughorn, he had left Pomfrey a mirror so she could contact him at any time if something arose, or if he had questions about healing magic.
He hadn't forgotten Myrtle, either, though in recent months he had barely seen her. He had been busy with countless matters, and she had been occupied with the house duties Helena had entrusted to her.
He had visited both Ravenclaws the day before yesterday in that very room, and had even received a small gift: an old, timeworn book on potion-making in honor of his graduation. In return, he had left them a mirror as well.
Additionally, Severus had used his privileges to instruct the castle core to broadcast everything happening on Hogwarts grounds to a magical screen he had created in their room, so Rowena wouldn't be too bored. It was also his way of repaying them for the book.
The day before, he had visited nearly all the professors; he hadn't even forgotten Filch.
Despite the caretaker's rather unpleasant personality, Severus had found common ground with him over cats. He couldn't leave empty-handed, so he gave Filch the best possible gift: the very map he had confiscated from the four idiots, now bound to Filch so that no one else could use it.
The old man had nearly wept at such a gift and swore he would never let another rule-breaker escape him.
Though Severus felt somewhat sorry for the students, the caretaker, apart from Mrs. Norris, was entirely alone against the same sort of idiots as James. So Severus decided to help the elderly Squib even the odds and give the students an incentive to improve, assuming, that is, they wanted to keep roaming the castle at night doing their dirty business in abandoned classrooms.
---
When Severus reached the ground floor and approached the large cluster of seventh-year students divided into four House groups, he quickly spotted Layla chatting with her friends, along with his three half-bloods, including the Austin brothers.
"I take it the others have already been led to the train?" he asked the older of the two brothers.
"Yes, a few minutes ago."
"I see." Glancing at Slughorn, who stood at the front near the doors, Severus looked around, ignoring the stares of a certain Gryffindor girl and the four idiots. He yawned broadly, still stroking Lucky's head. The kitten had drawn the attention of some of the girls and was purring as loudly as possible, clearly reveling in the spotlight, especially from the opposite sex.
A moment later, a pair of rather attractive students with blue ties approached him, glancing shyly between him and Lucky.
"Um… could we pet him a little?" one asked with an awkward smile. The other nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. They acted as though they were confessing love rather than asking to pet a kitten, and that was exactly what a few students in the distance, who hadn't heard their request, assumed.
The red-haired Gryffindor standing among her classmates clenched her fists at the sight, bit her lip, and turned away with a fleeting sadness in her eyes.
Severus simply tossed Lucky into the girl's arms, surprising them both.
"Do whatever you want with this ungrateful kitten." Ignoring Lucky's indignant meowing, he walked past, followed silently by the three half-bloods. The shameless kitten immediately played the pity card, and within seconds a dozen girls from various Houses were gathered around him, cooing and feeding him treats, very nearly squealing with delight.
While Lucky basked in feminine attention, Severus approached Slughorn and asked about the Black Cauldron ranking exam in potion-making, for which the old potioneer had granted him permission.
Horace himself could have upgraded his qualifications long ago to match his teacher's rank, but he had never found the time. Now, upon learning that the old man was still alive and would be administering the exam, the Head of House had decided to skip it, remarking that seeing that stupid old codger was the last thing he wanted.
Though Slughorn had approved his participation, he held out little hope for Severus's success, especially with that old geezer as the judge.
"…I've registered you for August ninth. Until then, our lessons will resume daily, but an hour longer," the Head of House added sternly. Severus nodded with complete seriousness.
"Very well. Thank you, Professor. I won't let you down." Then, as if a thought had just struck him, he smiled wickedly and added, "And don't worry, Professor, I'll personally administer your exam when you decide to upgrade your qualifications."
Hearing those words and seeing that insufferable expression, Slughorn wanted to smack this insolent student, hoping it might teach him some respect for his elders, or at least for his teacher.
"That sharp tongue of yours will land you in trouble someday," the potioneer said, shaking his head with a weary sigh.
"Professor, you wound me. I only wanted to help." Severus sighed theatrically, making Slughorn's eye twitch.
"You're definitely going to regret that tongue of yours one day."
"If such a person exists, I'll personally give you a hundred thousand Galleons." He stepped back quickly, dodging Horace's hand. The professor clicked his tongue in mild irritation. "Missed."
"I'm holding you to that, Mr. Prince. I could use a nice mansion and a personal laboratory." Some of the students watching were surprised by the familiarity between the Head of Slytherin and Severus, but the green-tied students paid little attention, feeling only a touch of schadenfreude at the shock on certain Gryffindors' faces. Severus had been given detention by Horace multiple times, and only now did they realize it had never been punishment at all. Quite the opposite, given their warm relationship.
The four Marauders, who had assumed he was being punished just as they were, clenched their fists and practically incinerated that damned Snivellus with their glares. McGonagall had never been soft on them, and Filch had gone positively feral, loading them with so much work that making it back to their room with enough energy to undress was a minor miracle.
Just then, the great double doors slowly began to open. The students' voices quickly fell silent as all eyes turned toward the widening gap.
A magnificent sight greeted the graduates: hundreds of floating lanterns glowing in four colors, red, green, blue, and yellow, each bearing the matching House emblem.
Some lined the path to the left and right of the entrance, while others drifted across the sky. Had it been nighttime, the spectacle would have been truly unforgettable.
As if reading the students' thoughts, the sky began to darken rapidly. Within seconds, utter darkness enveloped the castle, illuminated only by the lanterns.
A moment later, a cough drew everyone's attention to Slughorn, who nodded encouragingly.
"Follow me. And don't crowd." The slightly excited students quickly paired up and followed him in a long column beneath the colorful glow.
Many gazed at the lanterns with nostalgic smiles, recalling their brightest moments at school. Almost no one noticed the soft, barely audible music playing in the background; they were lost in their own thoughts.
After a few minutes, they reached the shore of the sparkling, crystal-clear lake, where a wooden pier stood with twenty boats moored alongside.
To the right stood nearly all the teachers, Dumbledore among them, greeting the procession of surprised students with warm smiles. Even McGonagall, strict as she was, felt a pang of sadness watching these children leave, children who had grown up before her eyes. Most of the teachers shared the sentiment; they had grown attached to their students.
When the procession finally came to a halt, Albus looked over the students and nodded slightly.
"You arrived here by crossing the lake in boats and spent seven long years at our school under the careful guidance of your teachers. Today, it is time to say farewell and send you forth into adult life. The path may not be easy, but we wish you to choose wisely, whatever direction you take. Never look back, only forward." The Headmaster gestured toward the boats, which were illuminated all the way to the opposite pier by the same glowing lanterns. "Four per boat."
Though his words were simple, some of the students couldn't contain the emotions welling up inside them.
Once they boarded the boats, they would never return to this place as ordinary students. Their carefree childhood was ending.
Yet gradually, one by one, they began to take their seats, following Dumbledore's instructions and trying not to look back. When the last student was seated, the boats began to move.
As they approached the far shore, the sky grew lighter. When they were about twenty meters from the opposite pier, the sun slowly began to rise, as if marking the beginning of a new chapter.
*They certainly know how to stage a beautiful farewell. I'm glad I decided to stay until the very end.* Severus stroked Lucky's head as the kitten returned to him, inwardly sighing at the surprisingly moving display. *Perhaps I really will miss this place, and the time I spent here, just a little.*
"Mm."
------------------------------------------
Chapters on Patreon progress: Currently at;
1. Harry Potter: Satan? Nah, Just My Family Crest = CHAPTER 421
2.Harry Potter: Beyond Good and Evil in the Wizarding World = CHAPTER 436
3.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 228
support me on Patreon for instant access to the 120+ advance chapters: patreon.com/redofic