Chapter 10: Graduation Day

"You know, I kind of feel a sick kind of regret at leaving this place," Fred announced as he and James started stuffing everything into their trunks.

"Yeah, it's almost like I don't want to go…" James trailed off. The two of them locked eyes and sighed.

"I can't even laugh. This is horrible."

"Don't worry, it's not like we actually have to get jobs or anything," James said, looking at the pile of letters still setting on his bed. They were all offers from professional Quidditch teams. Both he and Fred had ultimately decided on Montrose, because the Scottish team's home pitch was only an hour away from Hogwarts, and it even enabled James and Fred to live conveniently in Hogsmeade, allowing them to not only watch all of the Quidditch matches and stay in touch with family, but also letting James and Sierra still see each other more often than otherwise.

"Yeah, but still… we've been here the last seven years of our lives, and now we're just going to be gone."

"I don't think we'll just be gone, Fred," James said, looking around the dorm sadly as he shoved the letters into his trunk. "I mean, everyone still remembers the marks our parents have left on this place, and that was years ago."

"But they were war heroes. Hell, you dad was thee war hero. Of course they'll be remembered." James started looking through corners to make sure that he'd picked everything up.

"I don't know about that. Aren't our parents connected with bad memories? You've seen the old teachers, like Flitwick, cringe when they say Fred Weasley to you. It hurts them to think about everything that's happened. They don't want to remember the things that our parents were connected with. But for us, it's different. The mark that we left here, well, it was laughing and jokes, and things that people will want to remember, things that they'll strive not to forget."

Fred smiled more surely now. "That makes sense. But, still…"

"It sucks. It's like the past seven years of our life are just…"

"Gone."

"Exactly."

"You know, sometimes I wish I could have bombed my way out of like my dad and the first Fred. That I could've done something that's gotten memorialized. You know, like that little piece of the portable swamp that's still upstairs? No one's going to forget what they did. They went out with a bang."

"And who says we can't?" James smiled at him, heaving his trunk off the floor and taking one last look around what had been his home away from home for the past seven years. His bag, still filled with all of their supplies, was waiting by the door, in easy reach. "Fred, I think that we have time for one last day of fun."

His cousin smiled at him, his eyes shining slightly as he lifted his own trunk. "Perfect, mate, just perfect." James struggled to shoulder his bag, and the two of them waddled down the stairs, leaving their trunks in a pile that would get magically transported to their homes. James kept his school bag on his shoulder.

"Before we do anything big, I need to get back at little miss Head Girl for being an arse to me the entire year," James muttered, pulling out a vial of a potion that him and Fred had been working on for George.

"Oh, come on James, it's probably the biggest day of her under-exciting life."

"Well, she shouldn't have been such a git," he said, shoving the tiny vial into his graduation robes.

"Alright, but there has to be more to it than that. We need something big."

"Do you think we have time to sneak out and apparate down to Hogsmeade quick?"

"Why?"

"I just want to grab a few things from your father's store, that's all," James said. Fred sighed.

"We've got forty minutes to get there, back, and to set up whatever your planning."

"Give me thirty nine."

…

Exactly thirty nine minutes later, the two of them dove into the seats just as McGonagall started the ceremony. For Fred this wasn't a problem, but as James was required to speak, he basically stomped onto the stage while she was talking. The headmistress fixed him with an icy glare, but James was breathing too hard to care. He simply settled into his seat and sat down, telling himself not to fidget and that surely the speeches wouldn't be too horribly long.

McGonagall turned the microphone over to the Flitwick, who went on about hard work and how accomplished every one of the students were. Then the Head Boy, a Ravenclaw, took his place and droned on and on about his experiences at Hogwarts, and how much he'd learned, and how he was going to use it now that he'd graduated. James rested his head in his hands, fighting to keep his eyes on the speaker.

That didn't turn out well. He started searching the people who had gathered, beaming when he saw his family, all forty-some of them, sitting together in the middle of the crowd. Sierra was wedged between a sleeping Roxanne and Lily, who was at a fidgety Lorcan's side. Sierra noticed him looking and smiled before jerking her head back up to the Ravenclaw. James pantomimed sleeping, then noticed his mother watching the exchange with her strict eyes and immediately turned back to the Head Boy.

After another five minutes, James covertly conjured a small sparkling ball, which he flicked into the crowd of students sitting below him. Someone else hit it, and it multiplied, the now doubled spark balls flying towards other students. Every time one of them was hit, another one came out of it, until they were flying everywhere in the crowd. McGonagall furiously started mouthing incantations, and some of them dissipated, but more always took their place. The Ravenclaw was embarrassedly rushing through the rest of his speech, his face tomato red.

"And finally," he said, after forty five minutes of talking, "I'd like to conclude this by saying that I thank the students and teachers of Hogwarts for giving me the greatest years of my life, and I hope that you all succeed in whatever you decide to do. Thank you." As he stepped down, he muttered something that contained the words James and git and Potter, and several people started laughing, including James, who just sat there, looking like he won a prize.

Then it was James's turn. He hopped out of the chair and strutted to the podium, planning to freelance, because really, it was kind of crazy that any of the professors expected him to take the time to write a speech.

"Well, here I am, working my ar- uh, butt off, for my N.E.W.T.s, when good old McGonagall comes up and tells me that the captain of the Quidditch team that wins the Cup has to give a speech. I, obviously, have no idea what I'm going to say. I still don't, actually. Really, I think that Davies, in that last little speech he gave, probably ate up any cliché I could have hoped to fall back on." Several people laughed, but if looks could kill, the glare the Head Boy sent him would've dropped him on the spot.

James stared at the audience, fishing for words. He knew that it was his graduation, and joking his way through the whole thing wouldn't exactly work, so he took a deep breath and tried something else.

"As you all can assume, I'm Harry Potter's son. Throughout the years, that's been both a curse and a blessing. There have been times when I've wanted nothing more than to step out from under his shadow, where I wanted people to stop telling me how my O.W.L.s weren't as good as his, or how I should take things more seriously, or how many different ways I was such a disappointment because I wasn't, and never will be my dad.

"Since my first year here, I've done everything to become my own person. Sometimes, I'll admit, my actions may have been extreme, but now, standing here today, I like to think that I've made a name for myself that absolutely no one will confuse with my father's. And really, isn't that's kind of what life is about? Leaving a legacy?

"What people need to figure out, though, what my dad's past experiences have taught me, is that the good legacies, the ones that people want to have, aren't made by copying others, or by doing what the world expects of you. Whether you forge your own destiny by going kamikaze on an evil wizard when you know that people will think you've betrayed them, or if you're remembered as a slightly crazy Quidditch captain with an affinity for dung-bombs, people aren't going to forget about you, and they won't want to forget about you.

"Everything that I've done these past seven years has played a part in creating a string of memories that is hopefully going to stick with this the school for a very long time. It's like that with all of my classmates. Every student in this school has already started writing their own legacy, and now, we've got the chance to continue with our stories, to make them bigger than just Hogwarts. And doesn't that just make you feel brilliant?"

"Alright, it's been about six minutes, and you're probably all dead-bored from that last speech, so I'll let you go. But, really, don't sit around with your head up your arse and wait for someone to write your life for you. If you ask anyone in my family, they'll all say that if you want to be great, you have to take the stage and prove it... Well, I've run myself dry. Now, please don't cry, but I'm gonna to turn you over to Little Miss Head Git over here. Don't worry, though—you'll be hearing from me again real soon."

Then he took his place next to McGonagall, who'd started looking through the fiercely cheering, now very awake crowd warily.

"What did you do Potter?" she hissed. He smiled innocently and shrugged.

"Nothing big."

"It's a pleasure to be here to…BELCH." Her sentence got cut off in an enormous burp. Cheeks flaming, she cleared her throat. "My apologies, I appear to have… BELCH."

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall hissed, her look making him very glad that he would not be returning next year.

"She should know better not to take drinks from me," he said. She glared at him.

"Fix it." He jumped out of his chair and took his place beside the flustered Head Girl.

"Sorry, sorry, slight beverage malfunction. I should have this fixed in a moment," he said loudly, then looked at the girl, who was glaring at him.

"BELCH. Ugh, Potter…" she growled.

"Next time, think before making me announce to the whole world that I have a crush on McGonagall." He grinned when the words were amplified, but ignored the laughs and murmurs and put a light pressure on her throat, murmuring a counter spell. She coughed for a moment, then looked at him cautiously.

"Is it better?"

"Should be. If not, I really have no idea what to do. That was kind of privately developed, and you were one of our first test subjects, so…" The words boomed for all to hear. The crowd was beside themselves with laughter.

"On graduation day, really?"

"Oh, don't worry, I've already humiliated myself much further than you will today, you know, with that McGonagall comment. If you want, I've got more though. What were some of those passwords…." He stopped and turned to the crowd. "If you're interested, I'm a hottie, I'm transsexual, uh, I wear thongs, there's more, just let me think-"

"Mister Potter!" The crowd was laughing uncontrollably, and if it had been anyone else, he probably would have been embarrassed. It was a good thing James probably hadn't blushed in his life. He was, however, utterly terrified by the look on his mother's face.

"Well, that's enough. If you're interested in knowing, I'm not actually serious about any of those things that I just said… well, it's a long story…"

"Mister Potter!"

"I'm coming. Good glory, I was just backing up my speech. You know, showing them how to make a legacy that future generations will never forget." The crowd started laughing even more as he took his seat

The Head Girl's speech finished without another belch, and then McGonagall stepped forward and concluded the ceremony. The second that she uttered her final words, James looked at Fred and they both nodded their heads.

"Incendio," James muttered, concentrating on a certain fuse that was hidden not a hundred yards away from where the ceremony was taking place.

Suddenly, a loud crackling noise filled the air. First, blazing red outlines of Quidditch players started zooming around, getting as close to people as possible, then soaring high above the crowds. They were quickly followed by sparkling outlines of the four house mascots, the biggest of which was a lion, who eventually ended up with the snake's crackling green tail in its mouth. While they were fighting, more images popped up, from the names of every single student in the school, to simple sparks, to incredibly realistic magical creatures. The entire air was filled with lights and the images that James and Fred had so quickly edited only an hour before.

More and more whiz-bangs continued to explode, going on for almost ten minutes straight. Even after they all went off, the pictures continued to zoom around and fight, much to the pleasure of the gasping crowd. Families pointed out the names of the graduating class as their witch's or wizard's flashed above them.

Nearly a half an hour after it all started, the outlines all faded, and the final names finished appearing in the sky. James flicked his wand one more time, and the last whiz-bangs went off, reading, "Courtesy of James S. Potter and Fred R. Weasley, Hogwarts Class of 2024".

With more cheering and whistling, the graduates threw their hats into the air before dispersing to spend the rest of the day with their families.

"That was brilliant," George congratulated Fred as soon as they were in sight. "Your uncle would've been so proud. Hell, I'm so proud. That almost beat my own exit from the school, and you even finished your seventh year."

Harry, on the other hand, wasn't quite so openly pleased. James gave him an 'It wasn't that bad' look when it appeared that he was going to start a lecture, but Harry was cut off by a flash of chocolate colored hair and sparkling white teeth.

"That was so amazing!" Roxanne cried, jumping on him and throwing her arms around his neck. He grabbed onto her reflexively.

"Uh, thanks, Roxy," he said, trying to peel her off of him as gently as he could, without actually throwing her to the ground.

"Roxanne, James needs to breathe," George said, then thankfully hurried to extract her. James mouthed a quick thank you towards him, then turned in worry to look for his mum. His eyes rested on Sierra first.

"That was the best graduation ceremony ever," she said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss him. He sighed contentedly, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently deepening the kiss…

"Sierra, James needs to breathe," Roxanna interrupted, using the exact same voice that her father had.

"I'm doing the job just fine for her, thank you," he said briefly, then leaned down again. Another, much more frightening voice interrupted him.

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" He sighed and gave Sierra an apologetic look before turning to face the wrath of one angry Ginny Potter.

"What? Those fireworks were cool, nothing bad at all. And my speech was very nice, I think." She glared at him.

"And in between?"

"Well, if you heard the story about this Head Girl. You see, last year, I may have dyed her hair an unflattering color, and this entire year, she's been making the passwords for the common room completely humiliating, I named most of them up on stage. And I'd have to say those, out loud! So, it was just payback."

"Then you should have fed her a puking pastille, or something sometime during the year, not when everyone could see and hear you!"

"Honey, he's too much of a Weasley. He likes having an audience," his father tried, giving her a weak smile.

"TOO MUCH OF A WEASLEY!"

"You lot have always been just a small bit melodramatic," he tried again, giving her an 'I'm innocent' smile that rivaled James's own.

"I'm warning you," she growled.

"Mum, please. It's graduation day. Later?"

She sighed, but smiled at James, ruffling his hair."Fine, later. I am proud of you, that was a wonderful speech you made, and the fireworks, I will admit, weren't that bad." He threw his arms around her neck.

"Thank you." Then he hugged his father as well, holding on for an extra second before he pulled away. "You know that even if I don't want to be exactly like you, I still think that you're one of the greatest men to ever walk this earth, right?"

His father actually blushed.

"I don't think-"

"Just accept it, because it's the last time I'll say anything half so sappy." Harry Potter laughed, then hugged his son one more time.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me, but you're a better person than I could ever be."

"I don't think-"

"You have a nonexistent temper, I've never seen you with a real grudge, and you can make hundreds of people laugh without trying. I think everyone in Hogwarts must have looked up to you." James took a somewhat shaky breath.

"Dad, those things are all great, but I think I've pissed off as many people as I've made laugh," he said, joking to steer the conversation to an end. He didn't like being overly emotional, and he still had to greet the rest of his family anyway.

"I wouldn't be too surprised," Harry relented, thankfully recognizing where James was going. After giving him one more smile, James went back to accepting hugs and handshakes, making small comments to his enormous family, and everyone else who came to congratulate him. It made for a horribly long day, but when he was done, it seemed like it was all well worth it.

The actual graduation party wasn't until the next day, so the night after they'd returned to their respective homes, he and Sierra found themselves walking around the outskirts of Hogwarts. In only a few hours, she would be on her way back to Ottery St. Catchpole, while James and Fred went to Bulgaria to train with the former Quidditch star, Viktor Krum. It was only for two weeks, and then the two of them would return to spend time with their family for the rest of the summer before official practices started, but to him, it felt like a lifetime.

"I'm worried," Sierra admitted to him as they walked.

"About what?" he asked softly, although he had a pretty good idea.

"About you going off to become a Quidditch star and forgetting I exist. About what school will be like without you and Fred. About what life will be like without you and Fred."

He sighed, stopped and putting his hands on her shoulders. "You know that I'm not going to forget about you, don't you?"

She smiled sadly."I like to think that."

"Well, keep thinking it, because it's true. I love you, Sierra Scamander, and making a living by hitting a heavy ball at a few dunderheads isn't going to change that."

She stopped and stared at him, and he realized that it was the time that he'd ever said he loved her, although at that moment, with the moonlight shining on her hair, her shining silver eyes looking at him like he was her world, he knew that it was true. It had been true since he'd met her. He just hadn't realized it.

"And Sierra?" he asked, staring into her sparkling eyes. "We're living in Hogsmeade, and you know about that one-eyed witch statue as well as I do. If you ever want to see me, just owl me, and I'll meet you in the tunnel. Hell, if you want, I'll sneak into the school for you."

"You really won't leave," she said, as a statement, not a question, like she was sure of it.

"Nope, I'm not planning on it."

"Well, then, James Potter. I think I just might love you too."

Then she stood up on the tips of her toes and kissed him, and James pulled her close to him, wondering how he'd managed to deserve someone so perfect.

Epilogue

"Aw, shit, Rose, what'd you bring him for?" James complained when he walked onto Platform 9 ¾. His cousin glared at him, as did Draco Malfoy II. James put a hand on Sirius's shoulder, giving him the most strict look he could manage.

"If it's blonde, moves, and has the last name Malfoy, what is it?" James asked seriously. Sirius looked up at him with his mother's silver eyes.

"The enemy."

"Don't listen to your father," Sierra said quickly, rushing through the barrier with a small girl with glistening blonde hair trailing behind her. Green eyes smiled as the girl ran over to Rose and Draco, giving them both huge hugs.

"You're fraternizing with the enemy!" Sirius cried to his sister. She looked at him and ruffled his messy hair.

"You love your cousin, and you know it," Ariana said, accompanying her words with her father's smile.

"We do not love each other," Draco said darkly.

"Yeah, but Ariana loves him," Sirius teased. James turned and sighed when he saw the spawn of Michelle Zabini walking towards them. His dark eyes were searching for someone in the crowd, and they lit up when they rested on Ariana.

"Anna," James warned his daughter. "If you even think about it…"

"Dylan!" she shouted, and took off in a run towards him, throwing her arms around her neck.

"Gross, that's just gross," Sirius commented. James looked at his son sadly.

"It truly is. I'm sorry that you have to see this," he commented. When he turned back to Ariana and Dylan, they were locking lips. "Oh, not in public, sweetie. We don't want to be associated with those people!"

Sierra put a hand on his arm and gave him a warning look.

"James," she warned. "Let her be. Once she finally meets his mother, she'll realize that there are better fish in the sea." James laughed, beaming at his wife.

"You're kind of perfect. Do you know that?"

"No spewy lovey garbage or I'm going to hex you," an all too familiar voice shouted.

"Hey, Lils," James called, jogging over to see his sister. She had a baby boy resting on her hip. A very scared fire-haired girl was clinging desperately to her husband's legs.

"What's with her?" James asked, jerking his head towards a shaking Maddie Scamander.

"There is nothing with me," Maddie said, raising her head defiantly, but her eyes were still scared.

"Come on, Mads, you look like a gulping plimply out of water."

She gave him a blank look."Oh, really, you can't tell me that you don't know what a-"

"James, she's just scared," Lorcan interrupted.

"Of what?"

"Of being in Slytherin," Lily whispered.

"Oh, Al was scared too, but look, he got sorted into that house and became an ugly, pathetic, sick snake. He was happy though, so don't worry. That's what really matters."

"But you and Lily disowned him," she cried. James laughed.

"Yeah, and I'll disown you as well. Sirius, too, if he gets stuck in there." She gaped at him.

"But-"

"I'm kidding. I promise that it really doesn't matter to any of us. I mean, look at little Draco. You know him, and-"

"But I want to be a Gryffindor!"

"Then you will be. The Hat listens to what you have to say, y'know."

"Really?"

"Uh, maybe a little. You know, now that I think about it, that could be a rumor…"

Lorcan glared, and James smiled innocently as walked away from them and back towards his wife. She grinned up at him, just as beautiful as she was when they first met, and he loved her even more than he ever thought possible. Looking at her, at his family, he realized that the legacy he'd written for himself was nothing compared to the people who'd added their own wonderful parts to his story.

~THE END~