Silver Lining

Chapter 15: A Present

Chapter 15: A Present

Hogwarts returned back to normal after three days. Except it felt odd without seeing Dumbledore around the school. On the second day of the war, there was a funeral. Every single wizard or witch or creature Dumbledore knew was invited. 

“So let the wizard who fought Lord Voldemort remain in our hearts forever.”

These were the words that sent almost every girl crying. 

“I can’t believe Dumbledore’s dead. He was such a, a, a wonderful headmaster,” Hermione said after the funeral.

Harry, Ron and Draco all nodded solemnly. Two girls walked passed them and they kept staring at Draco and Harry, giggling.

“Oh please, stop staring!” Hermione snapped at them.

Draco and Harry had become the heroes who killed Voldemort. It was always known that Harry would be the one, but it was very unnatural for Draco. Especially a Slytherin who was constantly fighting with Harry Potter. So, since the war, Hermione would be constantly seen snapping at people to stop staring at her boyfriend. 

“In our defence it’s not my fault that I’m so good-looking at Potter’s so stuck up,” Draco had said.

“Excuse me?” Harry would then interrupt.

Harry and Draco also got on better terms. Seeing they defeated Voldemort together, but they were still not friends, or anything. They were just much more politer towards each other.

Because of the war, the NEWT results were delayed to the week after, and the seventh years, were unfortunately not able to have a proper graduation ceremony, but they did not care. Lord Voldemort was finally dead, and that was every Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw’s biggest wish. 

One day into the last week for the year sevens, their NEWT results came. Every seventh year was told to stay behind in the great hall after lunch that day, and Professor McGonagall called them one by one in roll order to go up and receive their results. After Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco (he had been spending a lot of time with them since the war) all received their roll of parchment with their results they all retreated to Harry and Hermione’s common room. It was very tense between all of them, and they all just stared at each other in silence.

Hermione broke the silence.

“Erm, do you guys want to open it now?”

“Yeah, we’ll quickly get over and done with. On the count to three, together then?”

Hermione, Draco and Ron nodded in agreement. Draco was paler than usual, Hermione was shaking so that her piece of parchment nearly fell out of her hands. Harry was breathing very deeply and seemed to have lost his voice. Ron looked very green and looked like as if he might puke all over them.

“Well, good luck. One,”

They all looked down at their piece of parchment.

“Two,”

They readjusted their parchment so that they could see the seal sealing the parchment closed.

“Three.”

There was a shuffling as the pieces of parchment opened.

Hermione looked down and quickly scanned it. She nearly fainted.

Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test

HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER

Pass Grades:
O- Outstanding                                                              
E- Exceeds Expectations                                                
A- Acceptable