The seventh year students were up early the next morning, a crowd of them in the Great Hall, eating their last Hogwarts breakfasts. Others were off taking last walks about the grounds in the rising sun. Emmaline Vance and Marlene MacKinnon were spotted going to bid the Library farewell.
The Marauders were mysteriously absent from all the activities.
Lily made her way downstairs alone, several people stopped her to ask after James and the other boys, but Lily simply shrugged. She went through the Entrance Hall and into the dungeons, knocking on Professor Slughorn's office door. When he opened it, he looked most uncomfortable, clutching his goldfish bowl with white knuckled fingers, his eyes red.
"Just was having a nice talk with Francis," he said in a dizzy sort of tone. "I didn't expect any visitors today."
Lily smiled, and bent to look at Frances. "He's a lovely fish. I'm very glad you liked him."
"A damn good example of transfiguration, indeed, my dear! And a masterfully formed goldfish indeed!"
"Thank you Professor." Lily paused, then, "I just wanted to pop by today and thank you for --"
'"Don't mention it, don't even mention it!" interrupted Slughorn. His voice was funny and higher than usual. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Miss. Evans, I do wish you'd been in Slytherin! You are among the most talented students that I have ever taught. It was a great pleasure knowing you and teaching you. You will do great things in your time, and I do hope that we can keep in touch." Slughorn smiled warmly.
"Of course, Professor," she said, and she shook his hand.
Slughorn smiled crookedly for a moment, then cleared his throat, "Yes well, I've not got all day, I've things to do, you understand!" He bustled hurriedly toward his desk, looking flustered and red about his neck.
Lily smiled. "Goodbye, Professor."
"Goodbye, Miss Evans."
The dormitory looked so empty without their personal touches on the walls. The beds were made, their trunks gone, the desks cleaned out and the shelves empty. The four Marauders stood by the door, looking around in silence.
James was the one who remembered to disappear the list of rules on the back of the door.
Remus ran a hand down the poster of Sirius's mostly unused bed and his throat felt very tight with emotion. He glanced at the others. "Thank you lot for all the good that's happened in this room. I was so scared the first time we walked in here, scared you wouldn't like me and I'd be just the weird sick kid you had to share a dorm with."
"I was scared, too, the first time we came in here," Sirius remembered. "I'd just been sorted Gryffindor, the first Black not in Slytherin! I was sure my parents were going to kill me." He sighed nostalgically, "And then that summer they did try at it."
"And I ended up with a brother," James laughed.
"I was scared too," Peter said.
"Were you, Pete?" James asked.
"Yes!" Peter squeaked, "You were all so very friendly already. I hadn't met you on the train like you three had and I felt like you might not let me be part of the group. I was scared of being left out."
James smiled, "Well what would the Marauders have been without a Wormtail?"
Peter grinned.
"What about you, Prongs?" Remus asked. "What were you scared about?"
"Me?" James guffawed, "I wasn't scared of a bleedin' thing. You remember what an egotistical little shit I was back in first year? It's a wonder I could hold my big head up on my shoulders."
"So what were your thoughts the first time we came in here?" Peter asked.
"How lucky the lot of you were to have me as your roommate."
They all laughed and Sirius yelled, "Bloody little shit indeed, you were!!!"
"But you were right," allowed Remus, and they stopped laughing. He nodded sincerely, "We were lucky to have you as our roommate."
"I was luckier to have you lot as mine," James said.
"I hope whoever get this room next year is half as lucky as we were," Peter said.
"Hear, hear!" announced Sirius.
They stood for a moment longer, simply staring at the emptiness of it, and feeling the weight of their final departure on their shoulders.
Finally, they backed out of the room and James pulled shut the door. Sirius repaired the scratches on the outside that declared it the Marauders dormitory, and just like that, it was good as new... as though they'd never been there at all.
On the way down to the grand ceremonies on the grounds, the Marauders hunted down Peeves to say goodbye and to remind him of his duties in the festivities. "Remember to wait for our signal, Peeves! Don't do anything until you hear the signal."
"Ohh Peevesy will wait for the signal, for sure he will!" Peeves did somersaults in the air before them, then blew a fat raspberry in their faces.
"We'll miss you Peeves," Sirius said.
Peeves hung there upside down and, for the first time ever, quiet.
"Thanks for everything," James said.
Peeves stuck out his tongue, "Peevesey loves to make the noise and chaos!"
"And you did well indeed!" Sirius answered. "Thanks for all your distractions and hauntings, old friend! Do continue to piss of Mr. Filch for us, hey?"
"Consider it my duty!!!" Peeves saluted, and he hung there in the air, watching as they walked away.
Everyone was gathered out on the grounds by the lake. Students clustered higher on the hill, and the staff closer to the shore, where Hagrid stood with a dozen little boats moored. He was wiping his eyes with a bedsheet sized handkerchief and when he blew his nose it was like a foghorn sounding.
Dumbledore's voice was magically amplified, and it echoed over the grounds. "Students and staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - I give to you, our graduating class of Witches and Wizards, 1978." He smiled, clapping politely as the line of Seventh Years walked down the hill towards Dumbledore, their long black school robes swishing about their ankles.
McGonagall let out a wheeze of sadness that popped into a choking laugh as Sirius walked by, as stoic and straightfaced as could be, his Gryffindor tie wrapped around his head and trailing over his shoulders, robes opened to reveal his safety pinned jeans and hot pink If Lost Please Return to Remus Lupin t-shirt. He grinned and waved at her, and she wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.
(Later on, she would go to her office and find a suit of armor, loudly singing Cmon Minnie light my fire over and over again.)
The seventh year students lined up behind Dumbledore, shoulder to shoulder. James and Lily's fingertips were entwined at their sides.
Dumbledore turned to them and with a flick of his wand, there appeared before them on a small stool, the Sorting Hat. The Hat's wide brim opened, and recited loudly:
"For seven years we've watched you grow -
And now you know all that you need to know!
There's no more studies, no more books and tests
But this is not a time for you to rest!
Continue on your lives so long
And find the places where you belong.
Go into the world and become who you were meant to be,
No longer sorted into houses by the likes of me!
Be brave and strong and smart as you live
And show the world what you have to give.
We will always remember you with joy and pride
And be here for you if you ever need a helping guide!
We cannot wait to see what you will go and do -
Hogwarts School has been enriched by you!
For seven years we've watched you grow -
But now you're done, and it is time to go!"
Everyone clapped and Dumbledore smiled warmly, then motioned for them all to get into the little boats. They all climbed in, and found that the boats were much littler than they'd once been. Only four would fit to a boat. James and Lily climbed into one, and Sirius launched himself in beside them. Remus and Peter stood outside looking at the boat and the one remaining spot.
"You ride with them," said Peter. "I - I'll take another."
"You sure?" Remus asked.
Peter nodded and watched as Remus carefully climbed over the side of the boat. Peter stood, staring at them for a moment. Then, "We'll sit together on the Express... yeah?"
"Of course," Sirius said.
Peter took a deep breath, and walked away, to where Hagrid stood, loading up the boats. Peter was put into a boat with Marlene MacKinnon, Emmaline Vance, and another Ravenclaw girl they knew. He looked extremely uncomfortable in a boat full of girls.
"Poor Wormtail," muttered Sirius. "But there really is only room for four, and I can't imagine not being with you three for this."
"Me either," answered James. He squeezed Lily's hand tightly, and thought about how different this trip across the lake was from their first one so many years ago.
Then it was time, and everyone on the hill was waving goodbye as the little boats pushed off into the water, moving away from the shore. They floated, the gap between them and the castle growing ever larger... and when they were midway across the lake, Sirius stood up... and so did James. Remus clung onto the boat's edges and Lily stared up at them - "what are you--"
But her question was answered before she could even finish asking it.
There was a great loud whistling sound, and far off over the lake and the grounds, shooting up from the roof of the Great Hall, came a single firework, shrieking as it climbed higher and higher into the sky over the lake. With a great, resounding BANG! it exploded, and color confetti fell from the sky like snow.
Everyone on the hill clapped politely.
Sirius grinned, "The idiots think that's all there is."
"There's more?" Lily asked.
Sirius grinned, "Well of course there is. It's the great finale, isn't it?" And he wave his arms wide, and bellowed, "ITINERARIUM MARAUDENTIUM!!!"
His voice carried across the lake - the signal for Peeves - and after a pause... there came a great many whistles all at once, and the sky was suddenly full of sparks and stars as hundreds upon hundreds of fireworks shot into the sky and began to explode their confetti everywhere. The sky was full of pops and bangs, the air filled with a colorful rain of confetti bits and stars. The students were screaming and cheering back on the hill, and the staff looked shocked and unsure what to do as smoke rose from the castle as explosion after explosion after explosion filled the air, banging and cracking with a great loud cacophony.
Sirius magnified his voice then, and began to sing loudly the final refrains of the Beatles "Hey Jude" - "ahhh na, na nanaaanaaaa!"
James did the same. And then Remus. And Lily.
Peter joined in and Marlene and Emma and their friend, and then people from the other boats and houses. The singing grew louder and louder - a chorus of song.
Ahhhh na, nananana naaaa na nana naaaaa
Hey Jude!
Ahhhh na, nananana naaaa na nanana naaaaa
Hey Jude!
And the tune carried them off across the water under the shower of sparks, all the way to the other side. It was the biggest display of fireworks any of them there had ever seen, and the confetti that fell from the sky was so thick that they were guaranteed to be finding bits of it for years to come all over the grounds at Hogwarts.
Upon each colorful scrap were the words compliments of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs! Sirius grinned, knowing none at Hogwarts could ever forget them.
On the Express, just before it was expected to pull into the station at King's Cross, Sirius went and fetched the DWO. The three boys crammed into the already quite full compartment that belonged to the Marauders. They shuttered the window of the door and Remus cast a locking charm upon it so they could not be interrupted.
Sirius, the master of ceremonies for the occasion, took out the Marauder's Map from his rucksack. He looked very solemnly at the DWO. "With this map," Sirius said sternly, "You must do great things at Hogwarts. You're being bestowed more than a spare bit of parchment, you're being bestowed a legacy." He stared at them, "Do you have what it takes to be the next generation of Marauders?"
Wally nodded, "We do."
Sirius looked at Remus, James, and Peter, and James nodded, and Sirius took a deep breath. "Go on," he said.
Dexter, Wally, and Ollie drew out their wands and looked at one another with excitement sparking in their eyes. Together, they lay their wands on the parchment.
"I SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I AM UP TO NO GOOD!"