Til You Come Back Home

Prelude

Dedicated to Jordan10295

Prelude

June 12th, 1999

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had never had a 'calm' day, but if they had to rank their most hectic days; this would be in the top ten.

Why would we rank it as such, you ask?

One reason.

The class of 1998 and 1999 graduate today, otherwise known as the class that held Harry Potter. I'm sure you can imagine all of the reporters who are trying to get a glimpse of the boy who defeated the darkest wizard to live.

Headmistress McGonagall usually wouldn't have a problem with the reporters but said 'Boy Who Lived' was currently in a screaming match with the Head Girl.

"Now you listen here Boy Who Wouldn't Fucking Die," The angered female screeched, "you agreed to give a bloody speech WITH the prophet present, now I don't give a bloody damn if you don't like Skeeter and refuse to give her any of your time, but you gave not only me but the Headmistress your word. I'll be bloody damned if you puss out at last minute!"

"I'm not giving any speeches if Skeeter is there, Selwyn." Harry Potter said with a red face. Said girl took a deep breath, then swiftly took out her wand only to have it snatched away.

"It may be the last day, but you're still Head Girl, there are people that look up to you out there and I don't think you being escorted to Azkaban for the murder of Potter would look too good." Head Boy, Draco Malfoy's smooth, masculine voice said.

"I find it amusing you think I need a wand to maim him." The girl said with a glare at the Gryffindor boy.

"Potter, if I get Skeeter escorted out, will you do the stupid speech," Draco said, annoyance obvious in his voice. Harry was obviously tempted to say no, simply because it was two Slytherin's he was talking too.

"Fine." The emerald eyed boy muttered. Draco smirked, then handed the girl her wand back.

"I'm going to escort Skeeter out." In a manner much similar to that of Severus Snape, he exited the room, Harry Potter following soon after.

The Head Girl ran a frustrated hand through her caramel-like hair. There was no doubt she looked like a mess, Harry Potter had stressed her to the max. You would think after all she had done for the school this year as Head Girl, he would be a little considerate. She chuckled at the thought.

No, she was still a Slytherin, and he was still a Gryffindor. There would never be any common ground between them.

"You look awful." A feminine voice said, pulling her from her thoughts. Her cobalt eyes met her best friends sapphire.

"Gee, Thanks!" The girl said with evident sarcasm. A smile spread across the Ravenclaw's face as she shook her head, her ash brown hair falling into her eyes.

"It's time." And for a moment her heart dropped. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to leave the comfort of Hogwarts, the one place that always truly felt like home.

A tan hand appeared in front of her of her downturned head. Silently, they took each other's hands and walked into the great hall. They took their designated seats at the front.

"Now I'd like to introduce the four students who helped make this year bearable for us all," McGonagall announced, unsurprisingly there were murmurs of disagreement; mostly from Gryffindor House.

"First, our Head Boy and Girl; Draco Malfoy, Slytherin House," An uproar of female cheers came, unsurprisingly, " and Alyssum Selwyn, Slytherin House." Wolfe whistles and catcalls were heard throughout the room as she rose to join the Headmistress and Draco on the stage.

"Is there anything either of you would like to say before we bring the deputies up?" Alyssum's cobalt eyes met Draco's grey, he gestured her to go forward.

Alyssum slowly ran her hands over the old wood of the podium. "Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak. Those were the words a wise man told us eight years ago at the end of his Start-Of-Term-Speech. Most of us don't know that those are synonyms for the word 'other'. Most of us, were apart of that group who could have been in the 'other' house. None of us, are a hundred percent of our house. When we receive our certificates today and walk out those doors, most likely to never see one another again, remember you could have been that 'other'." She looked out at the crowd of students.

"You could have been the Hufflepuff instead of the Gryffindor. You could have been the Ravenclaw instead of the Slytherin. You could have been the Slytherin, not the Gryffindor, and vice versa. You could have been the 'other'. That's what Dumbledore tried for so long to tell us." A small smile fell on her lips as she saw some of her peers exchange looks.

"What's the point of hating each other when we could have been you? We could have been that random 'other' person, in that other house. So when you see one of us on the street and don't say hello because we were a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, or even a Slytherin remember that 'other' person could have been you." She pushed down her resentment.

"Last year was terrible. Our friends died. Would they really want us treating each other like that? They died because they were an 'other'. They died for our right to be united, we didn't achieve that this year, but we can change how we act from here on out, as adults." A solemn silence fell over the room.

"I know with my families history, I'm probably one of the worst people to be giving this speech, but it the truth. Everything we do from here on out decides who we are going to be." With that, she stepped away from the podium.

"Everything I would have said, she covered," Draco said with a chuckle, Alyssum rolled her eyes at the sound of girlish squeals. "when we walk out those doors today, we're not Hogwarts students anymore, we're adults. We have to act as such. I think that's all I have. Headmistress?" Draco took his position next to Alyssum once again as McGonagall regained her position at the podium.

"Now for our Deputy Heads," McGonagall said, a small smile on her lips. "Blaize Zabini, Slytherin House," The Head boy and girl both chuckled at the shrieks and wails of admiration coming from the girls.

"Desperate much?" Draco said under his breath, causing Alyssum to laugh. Blaize's right eyebrow went up in question, Alyssum shook her head at him, then proceeded to cover her mouth with her hand to giggle into. Alyssum didn't miss the Headmistress rolling her eyes.

"Evelyn Travers, Ravenclaw House." Alyssum pulled her hand away from her face as her best friend joined her and the two males on the platform.

McGonagall smiled at the two sets of heads. "I've worked at Hogwarts for a very long time. I taught almost every one of your parents," Students grumbled at those words, "never have I seen a class as strong as this years'. You have had so much pile on you physically and emotionally in the past year with the school being taken over, then the battle, then having to come back here," At that moment you could truly see how old and stressed Minerva McGonagall was.

"If it had been me in your place I could not have done it. Now, everyone wands up. This is what we've prepared you for," The headmistress looked sadly at the heads. Alyssum couldn't help but feel the same, Minerva McGonagall had been more of a parent to her in the past year than her parents ever had been, she was the first to step forward, wand raised above her head.

"Abiit et venit mihi quod regnaturus essem," (My reign has come and gone)

"De magia mea, sicut et ego mundo intrant accipere scientiam adeptus sum in juventute." Evelyn's feminine voice rang out beside her. (As I enter the world of wizardry I take the knowledge I obtained in my youth.)

"Ego vigemusque, ut excellere in usu est vita mea fiet," Blaize's deep voice chorused. (I will thrive to excel in the adventure that will become my life,)

"Optimum enim est doceri, at optimum, exceptis optimum." Alyssum's cobalt eyes met Draco's grey. The final line, that would make each and every one of the graduates, was solely theirs. He nodded at her, but she saw past that. (For I was taught by the best, at the best, beside the best.)

"Classis nonaginta et novem de decem ac Novem sic conciliumque diremit." Chaos broke out, shouts of happiness, excitement, and relief were heard throughout the room, well most of the room. Alyssum, Draco, and Blaize were silent as Evelyn happily chatted away to the trio, completely oblivious to their disappointment. Alyssum, Draco, and Blaize looked at each other, not one Slytherin had joined the chaos.