Graduation
The Great Hall was crowded with students, the seventh years gathered in the front rows, most looking a little uncomfortable in their formal dress robes. At the front of the room, on a small platform, the faculty and many members of the board of governors were gathered.
The ceremony began with a speech from the chair of the board, long and rambling, delving into the many academic achievements that the seventh year students had accomplished, meanwhile everyone - staff included - sunk lower and lower in their seats as the speech continued.
Finally, she finished, with unenthusiastic scattered applause, and Professor McGonagall stood up. "I will attempt to keep this short." she said, with a swift, unimpressed glance at the governor, who seemed oblivious to her meaning. "This has been a year of both tragedies and victories. We saw the champions of the House Tournament prove they could overcome any odds. We saw students take to the skies and fly in rebellion of a crazed headmaster. We also lost one of our own, a boy whose life ended too early.
"In a few short hours you will depart from the school that has been your home for seven years, and I hope that if nothing else, you have learned from your experiences here. I hope you will be able to say you acted with courage and with conviction, and here I will quote a man who always had much more of a way with words than I - it is our choices who show who we truly are, far more than our abilities. I hope going forward, you will remember those words, and act on them. For some of you this may seem like an ending, for some it is a beginning, but for all of you, it can and will be an opportunity for change.
"Thank you, all of you, and good luck. And please remember, that for as long as I am headmistress here, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
With that she took her seat, and the graduation ceremony continued.