It started with a Melody

Chapter 30 : Graduation

Hermione pov.

Graduation had finally arrived. I would leave Hogwarts for good and never look back. Draco and I had decided to move in together in the new Malfoy Manor because it would do Narcissa good and Draco could catch up on the time he missed with his parents due to his father being imperiused.

Our group of six was wandering through the halls, sharing old memories with each other. McGonagall had made some time for that because she knew how hard it would be to let go for some. That includes everyone in our group. Hogwarts had been our home for the last 8 years.

For Draco, when his mother had PTSD and when his father was in Azkaban or imperiused.

For Theo, when his father was in Azkaban and his mother died.

For Pansy, when both her parents were in Azkaban.

For Astoria, when her parents never cared for her.

For Blaise, when our mother died and he didn't know we were twins yet.

For me, when I obliviated my parents and took care of Melody.

For us, when we didn't have a foot to stand on.

We were crossing by the lavatory of Moaning Myrtle. It remembered me of the day Harry and Ron saved me from that troll. The day we brewed polyjuice potion. The day we snuck into the chamber of secrets.

I looked over at Draco, he also seemed to have memories here. But not the good kind of memory. I, subtly, pushed the group in the other direction and gave Draco a small smile.

---TIME SKIP TO THE ACTUAL GRADUATION---

Narcissa sat beside Lucius in the crowd. People had heard by now that Lucius had been imperiused and he had started apologizing to people just like Draco did to me in the beginning of the year. People weren't afraid of the two Malfoys. Narcissa smiled at the six of us as we sat down in front of the group adults. My parents were also there. One way or another, my dad had managed to get my mom, well adoption mom, inside the Hogwarts grounds. I smiled at them.

McGonagall did a whole speech, but I knew the students, who were graduating, only looked around, thinking back at all their memories. Suddenly, she gained everyone's attention.

"May I ask the two heads to say a word or two?" Draco smirked and stood up. He held his hand out for me and I took it gratefully. We made our way to the stage. Draco tapped the microfone to make sure it worked.

"Thank you" And he walked away. I was dumbfounded for a minute, before he walked back on stage after all the students laughed. "Sorry professor. It was just a joke." he said at the glare the woman gave him, but soon after his apologies, she smiled but was still trying to hide it.

"Anyway. I'm sorry I didn't write my speech last night. But I already know what I want to say. I want to say thank you. To all of you. To the teachers, for teaching us everything we know about magic, to my friends, for being there when it was hard, to all the other students, for forgiving me and making me see I was a total prat. To those who died in the war, for saving others and sacrificing themselves. And to many more people.

I only want to say thank you, because I don't know what else I can say. And for once I'm not trying to beat Hermione, we all know she'll do better." He said with a not so subtle wink at me. "But also, thank you Mia, for giving me a second chance, for giving me a home when I didn't have one, for giving me back my mother when I thought I lost her. Thank you Mia." He ended his speech gaining a lot of applause.

I walked towards the microfone, tears in my eyes, ready to drop. But I kept them in. I didn't want them to fall, not yet.

"Well, Draco, you stole my speech. At least part of it." I took a deep breath. "When I first entered Hogwarts, I thought it was a dream. I never knew about magic, until I was eleven. You all know about me being a Zabini, but I was raised as a muggleborn would've been raised. I can tell you when I saw my letter, but my parents didn't look surprised, that was one of the lonely times I was confused.

Anyway, in first year, I was a complete bookworm, I was lonely, didn't have friends. Until the first of November. I had become best friends with Ron and Harry overnight, and everyone asked questions how it happened. I'm pretty sure you all remember our first Halloween here. Qurirel running in the Great Hall saying a troll was inside Hogwarts.

I wasn't in the Great Hall that moment. I was in a girls lavatory, crying because of my loneliness. The troll had entered that lavatory and attacked me. Harry and Ron saved me that night. And that's how the Golden Trio began.

Year after year, Harry was attacked by Voldemort. In second year, we had some help from a fourth person, he knows who he is. In third year, we helped mass murderer Sirius Black escape. No, he wasn't a mass murderer, the murderer was Ron's almost best friend, his rat Scabbers who was an animagus. In fourth year, Cedric died because of Voldemort's wrath. Fifth year was a very pink year, but it was horror pink. You all know who I mean. Sixth year was the year we found out there were death eaters under the students, but now we all know they were imperiused. Seventh year, well, we didn't go to school.

We were hiding in the forest of Dean, but still working on defeating Voldemort. We went horcrux hunting. March 26 was a day that left us all bad memories. I'd rather not tell why, but I think May second was worse. Lots of people died trying to sacrifice themselves.

I want to thank them. I know you can hear me up there, Harry told me what it's like to be death. We all miss you. Let us be silent for a minute in their remembrance."

A minute silence followed. It was like the world knew to be quiet. The wind didn't blow and the birds stopped chirping. After exactly a minute, the silence was over and the birds were back to chirping.

"Thank you" I got a lot of applause and my cheeks flushed because I don't like all the attention. Draco noticed and pulled me back to our seats.

After McGonagall had given us our certifications, we started to get ready to leave for Malfoy Manor. I got a bunch of compliments on my speech, but I told them what I said was only the truth, which it was. We stood near Hagrid's hut.

"You ready, Mia?"

"I just want to do one more thing." I sang a single tune and a hippogriff appeared. Draco paled.

"Is that, is that who I think it is?" I nodded. Buckbeack came near me and stroked his head against my hand. I started petting the animal. Draco bowed and Buckbeak did the same. Draco came near and started saying something to the hippogriff.

"Hey, look, I don't know how you survived third year, but I'm sorry for it. I didn't mean to get you executed. And I was not myself you see." Buckbeak nodded and bowed further down. My eyes widened.

"He wants you to ride him," I said surprised. Draco got the hint and stepped on his back. Buckbeak didn't move but he did turn his head to my direction. Draco held out his hand.

"Come on Mia. I'll hold you." I smiled and got on Buckbeak and sat behind Draco. Buckbeak stood up and flew off.

We were off to Malfoy Manor, just not in the way I expected it too...

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Word count : 1340

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A/N : the book is only going to have 2 more chapters! I'm sorry...

Love, SB