Y47 Graduation Ceremony: Graduates

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt stood at the end of the hall and watched as graduates, guests, staff members, and prefects entered and settled into their seats. The long house tables had been removed from the hall, leaving enough room for many rows of chairs for everyone in attendance. The decorations for the four houses were gone as well, replaced by simple banners with the Hogwarts symbol on them. The graduates were no longer a part of their house, they stood together as the graduating class of 2063.

After waiting for everyone to sit down, Matt made his way across the stage to take his position at the podium. It was one of the first times he had to do this, and he hoped his nerves weren't showing. There was something different about addressing parents and other guests along with the usual students. He hoped this would all go smoothly. "Welcome everyone to the graduation ceremony of twenty-sixty-three. I would like to thank you all for joining us in this celebration of all the bright young witches and wizards who will be receiving their diplomas today. Seventh years, you should all be proud of what you have achieved." He said with a smile. "Your lives are just beginning, you are the future of wizardkind. I think I speak for all of the staff when I say that our future is a bright one." He said, pausing for a moment. "With that, I'd like to call upon our head students Emmanuel Okoye and Marnie Frogg take the podium." With that, Matt finished, stepping to the side to allow the two head students to take the stage

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

It felt a little absurd to Emmanuel that he was at his own graduation, after so much time passing, after so much work done, he was finally at the point where he was graduating. He had done his NEWTs, done everything and this was all that was left to happen. He just had to graduate. Emmanuel had prepared a speech, he had written and re-written it over and over, not finding the tone he wanted, or feeling like it was too heavy on the facts about graduation. It ha dbeen fun to research but he didn’t think others would find it as interesting as he did. He was also acutely aware that Marnie would also have a lot to say and he didn’t want to drag this out too long. He wanted to graduate and wanted to do it before the end of the week. He had applied to universities all over the place and was looking to sit the entrance exams within the next week to try and secure a place somewhere. The grades he had were a little smudged so they’d make sense for those schools. Emmanuel glanced at the head master as the man began speaking and then invite him and Marnie to the podium. Emmanuel stepped up first. He let his gaze move around the various students, their guests, the teachers. He cleared his throat and took some note cards out of his pocket.

“Friends, it is a great honour to speak with you all, on this the graduation of the class of 2063. Graduation ceremonies have been in place since the Middle Ages in Europe, though they tended to recognise university graduations and not high school graduations. The point of a graduation though, regardless of the stage of education, is to celebrate. It is to celebrate our achievements, however big or smaller they might be. To let ourselves celebrate all of the work and effort it took to get to this point. No matter your grades, you still managed seven years of education, that is no easy feat. A lot of us will have come to Hogwarts largely on our own, without parents to support us, this is an achievement for all of us here. I would, however, like to extend a thanks to our professors, our head of houses, our headmaster for the guidance, care, and aid they have given us, helping us to reach this point. We owe a good deal to them, so, thank you.” he paused for a moment, flicking to his next card. He cleared his throat again and then looked back out at the students.

"Classmates, fellow graduates, you are all wonderful, excellent people. I am honoured to have shared these halls with you, to have grown with you, to have experience so much with you. I know most of you have not appreciated my historical facts as much as think you should’ve, but I will cherish the memories I have with each of you. I know that likely all head people say this, but truly I believe we’re the best graduating class this school has seen. I know that in five years time, when I look to check in with anyone, that I will only see success after success. Though importantly, that success doesn’t need to be in achieving highly in tertiary education or in work, success is different for all of us, measured differently, but it is still success. Graduates, I wish each of you the best for the future. Let us hold our heads high, look fondly upon this place and move forward boldly in our lives. Here’s to us,” He finished and then took a little step back, gave a small bow and then let Marnie move in next.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

It was so surreal to think seven years had lead to all this. Marnie never could have imagined what her second year at Hogwarts might have looked like, let alone her seventh, and her standing up here as Head Girl hadn't even crossed her mind once. Even at the start of the year, Marnie had found her own plans falling apart around her some, like she'd fallen into a bit of a hole and hadn't managed to pull herself fully out of it, not without help, but they'd still made it and despite a lot of procrastination on her speech writing and exams, they'd all still made it to the ceremony today, ready to address the school.

Marnie found herself nodding along as Emmanuel spoke first, trying to keep her own appreciative little 'ooh's of interest to herself. Maybe she should have asked him for advice writing her own speech, not that she'd trade using Penny as a soundboard most nights the past several weeks.

"Right, thank you Emmanuel that was really good like I didn't know about the Europe stuff before that's really interesting- and- And I actually wrote a speech this time sorry no I promise I'll do that I won't talk too much for once I mean maybe a little too much like what is 'much' anyway but no! I have a speech look-" Marnie raised her torn out note paper, not as organized as Emmanuel's cards, possibly because she'd really only finished it the night before, but it was done and that was the important part.

"I think a lot of us probably came here with some sort of idea or plan in our heads of what our time at school might be like. Whether because you had a goal in mind, or family to impress, or just because you have certain expectations what life and school and everything are supposed to be like. And I bet every single of one of you found out at some point or another, that what actually happened is nothing like what you were expecting. That nothing ever really gets to go according to plan, right? Good or bad, you can envision exactly what you want but life is always going to be a little bit weirder, or wilder, or harder, or easier than you were expecting, it's a lot like art in that way really you can sketch and plan and practice everything in advance but you never really know what your project is going to actually look like till you put that pen to paper and finish it right? And to me I think that's really what school has been all this time right? We've been learning and practicing for this big art project that is gonna be our life outside but we really can't tell what it's going to look like until we get out there and starting making it and wow that is a scary thought but it's a fun thought too. Like you've got to know it's not going to turn out exactly like what you were seeing in your head cause it never is but maybe sometimes that's okay even if you hate the first project or uh whatever it's a metaphor even if you hate it you can do it again and you've learnt more this time so it's good and it's scary I already said that but you're learning and you're creating and really that's the important part, that you're always embracing that process." Marnie had gotten side tracked a little, the paper crumpled in her hand some as she glanced up to look at her classmates and peers out in the crowd and smiled.

"All that is to say, my dear friends in the class of 2063, that I am so excited for us to all get out there and see the amazing things we get to make, good, bad, surprising, ugly, we're making them and I couldn't be prouder or happier for each of us. So congratulations, I'll stop talking now, love you!" Marnie finished, hiding a fond laugh behind her palm as she stepped back from the podium, bouncing her heels and shooting Penny a quick thumbs up as she waited for Professor Alcott-Ward to finish things up.

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt listened proudly to the two speeches, chuckling to himself as Marnie kept going and going. Both speeches were nice and Matt appreciated them both. He applauded politely, then stepped forward with a smile. "Thank you both." He said kindly, before turning his attention to the other graduates. "To the class of Twenty-sixty three, I wish you all the luck in the future. I know you will all be amazing. Once I call your name, come up to the stage to receive your diploma.” He took the group of graduates in for a moment, then smiled and read the first name on his list.

 

[Emrys Connelly]

Emrys was relieved that graduation was finally here. He was over being at school, done with this whole process, and he couldn't wait to settle in back at home, to start working at the family book shop while he figured out how he wanted to continue with life. He intended to take a gap year, maybe figure out how to make some dolls or something, that seemed like a fun career to have. He was half lost in thought- it was easier than he'd anticipated tuning Marley out as she rambled- did she ever do anything else? Eventually she was done, though, and he only half listened, clapping half-heartedly along with everyone else as names were called. He didn't need to wait too long for his own, thankfully. He stood, walking over with a small smile. He took his diploma, giving a small nod and a quiet thank you before returning to his seat, glad it was all over and done with.

 

[Rory Styx]

Rory couldn’t believe the moment had actually come for him to walk across stage and leave Hogwarts for the final time. He’d worked hard during his final year, the exams had been brutal as they were designed to be but he was confident he would come away with good grades, not that he needed them as he was fully intending to go into professional Quidditch, if he could get on a team. He waited his turn and watched his classmates walk across the stage, shake the headmasters hand and receive their diploma.

Soon enough it was Rory’s turn, as he walked across the stage he could hear Tori’s screams over the applause and couldn’t help but smile in response to his sisters enthusiasm. He’d miss her when she came back to school without him, he’d enjoyed seeing so much of her over the last year.

Rory walked across the stage and shook the headmasters hand, took hold of his diploma and made a bit of a show of it on stage, waved at his mother and sister and then walked off stage.

 

[Kyon Lockwood]

Kyon was excited for graduation, honestly, ready to start college. He had a flawless plan, one he was sure would work. But he had to keep it hush hush for now, just to keep it a fun surprise for Emmanuel later. He'd decided against inviting his parents, or his younger sisters- he had two other siblings for that, after all, so he'd decided to invite his cousin Marley and one of her friends. Kyon listened to Emmanuels speech, smiling crookedly. He clapped enthusiastically for his boyfriend, before spacing out just a little during Marnies' speech as he looked over the crowd for his cousin.

He was drawn back by the applause for Marnie (which he joined happily) and he tried to pay attention after that, listening until his name was called. He stood with a crooked grin and sauntered over, hands in his pockets. There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Diploma in hand, he sat down in his seat again, waiting now to just applaud for his siblings and his boyfriend, tossing Emmanuel saucy winks anytime he caught the other man looking his way.

 

[Emery Mettlestone]

As Emery looked back on his final year at Hogwarts, he wished he could do it over. Just restart it again. It wasn't like he was particularly fond of the place, though he knew at least a part of him would miss it. It was mostly that he just felt like he was worse off than before. Things with Raawhiti had gone terribly bad, and Emery was worried that once they graduated the other boy would just disappear without a trace. He had already been avoiding Emery these past months, what if they stepped out of this school and he just never saw him again? He knew he'd have to confront him tonight, no matter what. He found himself barely listening to either speech, not surprised Marnie blathered on for what seemed like an eternity. He didn't start to focus on what was happening until the speeches were done. His own name would be somewhere in the middle, so he waited as he watched his classmates get up on the stage. It hit him that he barely knew any of them. He hadn't tried especially hard to make friends, and well... he hadn't. He watched dispassionately until it was his turn. He got up almost automatically and headed to the stage. He took the diploma from the headmaster, only then remembering his sisters were in the audience to watch him. He tried to find them in the crowd but couldn't. He knew his parents weren't here, but he didn't care about that. He returned to his seat, glancing around until he finally spotted Briony and Vanity. He hoped they would have better times at Hogwarts than he had.

 

[Penelope Marshall]

Penelope knew she wasn't going to get through this graduation dry-eyed, but she also wasn't expecting the tears to start as soon as Emmanuel started speaking. It wasn't that she was particularly moved by his speech, but it just kept hitting her that her time at Hogwarts was really over. She had adored her time here, she still remembered how small and unsure she had felt when she first started here, and now she was done. She would never be a student here again. The tears only came on more strongly when Marnie took the stage and started speaking. Her speech hit Penelope, and she also just felt so proud of her friend. She buried her face in her hands and leaned into Todd next to her as she tried to compose herself. She would have to get on the stage to get her diploma soon. Though thankfully, not as one of the first. She stayed like that until Todd was called up, at which point she started cheering and clapping for him loudly- and the tears began anew. She was so proud of him and so glad she had found Todd. She applauded and cheered just as much for Marnie when it was her turn, and was thankfully no longer actively crying when it was finally her turn. Penelope made her way to the stage, hoping she didn't look too blotchy. She thanked Professor Alcott-Ward as she got her diploma, then turned and found her brothers in the crowd. It hurt a bit, that her dad wasn't there. It hurt even more that her mom wasn't there, because Penny knew she wouldn't have missed it for the world. But as she looked at Eric, Connor and Holden, she didn't feel alone. She realized the tears were starting again so she quickly left the stage, wiping her eyes before her tears could drop down on her diploma.

 

[Todd Cobbler]

Beneath the excitement of graduation, Todd was a complete bag of nerves. His time at Hogwarts had come to an end and sitting beside Penny, he felt a bittersweet mix of emotions. Hogwarts had been his home for all those awkward teenage years and now it was over. He glanced sideways at Penny and gave her hand a small reassuring squeeze, she was by far the best part of his time at Hogwarts. He listened as Emmanuel gave his speech, or tried to, but Penny burying her face in his shoulder distracted him. He shifted slightly, letting her lean on him as much as she needed to. Todd clapped along with the crowd when the speech ended. Then Marnie stepped up, and Todd enjoyed her speech too. He cheered when she finished.

He clapped for everyone who was called up before him. When his name was called the noise of clapping and cheering filled his ears. He straightened his robes and walked up to the stage, his heart pounding as he accepted his diploma from Professor Allcott-Ward. “Thank you, sir,” Todd said, his voice steady even though he had been so nervous. As he turned to face the crowd, he spotted his parents. Todd lifted his diploma slightly in acknowledgment and stepped down from the stage, letting out a shaky breath as he returned to his seat.

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel had figured that Marnie would talk more than she did in the end, but it was a pretty touching speech. It was pretty startling to him that it was now over. His schooling was just done. He would never be back at the school. It was just done. He knew that there was so much out there and he was so ready to get on with it, but it was over. His schooling was done. He lined up with other students, glancing towards Kyon and then towards his parents who were in the crowd. He was pleased they'd come to this. He crossed the stage when his name was called. Getting his diploma. "Thank you," he said to the headmaster and then it was over, his schooling was done.

 

[Ethan Alexander]

Ethan took his seat and for a moment he wasn't entirely sure how he got there. Obviously he had walked in with the rest of his classmates but after focusing on the finish line all year he hadn't really had a moment to reflect until he was sitting in the great hall about to graduate. There was a time when Ethan didn't think he'd even be here. When he first came to Hogwarts and New Zealand in general he was so sure that it was just temporary, that it was just a pit stop before he went back to his mom and his life in America. Every year he waited to transfer but every year he stayed, and he knew in his heart it was the best thing that could have happened to him. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Zelda with her bright hair almost instantly and from there saw the rest of his family, even Harlow with her perpetually sticky cheeks. He raised his hand to wave awkwardly at them as the ceremony finally began. Yes, his mom's absence hurt but it didn't come close to the contentment he felt knowing the people he cared most about where here.

Emmanuel spoke first and his speech was about what he expected. Polite and full of historical facts. Ethan wasn't particularly close to his roommates but he would probably miss the head boy the most with his fun facts and cheerful personality. Then Marnie was next and he made sure to clap extra loud for her. There was no way his past self could know that wishing to leave would have meant he never got to be with her. If they did, they probably would have shut up a lot sooner. He smiled throughout her speech even though he had heard bits and pieces of it before. He was really proud of her. When the names started to be called he almost missed his, forgetting how early his would be. Ethan scrambled out of his seat and made it to the head master without causing too much of a delay. He shook the professor's hand and waved out to the crowd where his family was sitting. Now that it was all finally done he was relieved but most importantly excited. He wanted to get out there and explore and live and do it all.

 

[Michael Watson]

Michael didn't know what to think.

This was a fairly common state of affairs for him, in all honesty, but as he listened to the Head Boy and Head Girl speeches he was a jumble of emotions he didn't know how to untangle. Emmanuel was a good man, and Marnie was a sweetheart, and Michael somehow felt sure he'd never see either of them again. He didn't really expect to see anyone from his year again, not for any drastic reasons but more for a lack of closeness to them. He'd mostly just politely gotten along with his dormmates without being close to them (except for Emery, who he'd ended up blowing up at when he was caught up in his feelings and hadn't really done much to fix things afterwards) and hadn't made any solid connections.

Well, he had, but he'd screwed that one up big time. He still knew deep down it hadn't been the wrong choice to break up with Margo, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to regret it for a long time, even when it wasn't such a raw painful ache anymore. Just another reason to resent his own cowardice.

His grades weren't going to be incredible, he knew, he could've tried a lot harder but he was going to scrape passing grades at best, having panicked throughout most of the NEWTs. But he wasn't even sure what he wanted to do after graduation, he wasn't sure how he felt about leaving Hogwarts, as usual he just wasn't certain about anything he couldn't quantify with facts and figures. He'd lose structure, but he'd gain freedom, and maybe that was an even trade and maybe it wasn't.

Michael had a long time to think about these things he didn't know how to think about, what with his name being so late in the order. He looked back as he took the stage and saw his mum waving at him, and he smiled and nodded back, at least having the certainty of the immediate future. Home. He gratefully shook the headmaster's hand and walked off the stage, waiting to say his polite goodbyes, make likely to be unfulfilled promises of meeting up later, and go home to some muggle sports and a room to himself. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a rare certainty of security and sometimes those were the victories you had to take.

 

[Yuelia Rossingol]

Yuelia had been toying with a piece of paper in her pocket for days. All she had to go by was the name and address that was written on it. It was smudged by now, but she'd committed the details to memory by reading it over and over. She didn't know what to expect from her grandmother, but she was curious enough to find her. At least it was a starting place for her life beyond Hogwarts. Her father had warned that the Lady Claudia (self-styled, seemingly) was quite an exacting and difficult woman, but Yuelia knew she needed to somehow simultaneously spread her wings and yet also find proper guidance to become the witch she had always wanted to be.

That was more interesting to think about than the speeches being given at graduation, anyway. She rolled her eyes in disdain as Emmanuel spoke. So full of himself, blatantly lying about the quality of the year and his apparent intentions to check in with anybody. At least Marnie was a little more earnest. Sure, Marnie was overwhelming at times, and talked way too much, but she had always been nice to her. Even when she'd delivered her such a crushing blow last year (and her eyes drifted to Chaos and quickly away, after all she'd be free of him now, wouldn't she? Was that not what she wanted?).

Yuelia didn't know what would come next, beyond working at the Apothecary and saving some money so she wouldn't be a burden on her father for much longer. She looked at him when she walked towards the podium, giving a stiff nod which was met with a curt nod in return. She'd had some difficulties through the years, struggling with study, injuring another student, heartbreak. But she had her duelling title, she had her diploma, and she could now fly free. She'd miss Hogwarts to an extent, but she was glad to be leaving. Now she could start again.

 

[Joshua Lynch]

Joshua actually couldn't believe that he was actually here today. The thought of graduating had given him a mixture of emotions if he was being honest. While he was a little glad to be leaving this place, he still had no idea of what he wanted to do once he left school. Today he sat with everyone else that was in his year level. He wondered what his classmates were going to be doing once they left this place. He watched and listened to the head people, clapping along to what they had said after. It wasn't long before the speeches had come to an end and they were going up to the stage to receive their diploma. Joshua clapped for his classmates. He clapped and cheered loudly for his friends and he was happy for them. It hadn't been long until his name was called up and it was his turn to walk across the stage to receive his diploma. Josh met with the headmaster, shaking his hand while also thanking him before making his way down back to his seat and continuing to watch the rest of the graduation. He couldn't believe it. They really made it to the finish line.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

It felt a bit silly going to sit back down after her speech when she knew she'd get called right back up again but it did at least give Marnie a little chance to catch her breath. She'd been so worked up perfecting her speech (or just getting it finished) and how it was all going to go that now it was over Marnie wasn't really sure she was ready for the rest of it. Were they really supposed to just grab their diplomas, thank Professor Alcott-Ward, and then walk out of here forever?

Before Marnie could spiral too much, Ethan was walking across the stage and she had to leap to her feet, cheering and clapping. Everything was going to change after today, she knew that, she'd written a whole speech about it and it'd actually turned out pretty well, but it was still different to think about it all year and then actually have to face the reality of it. She'd had so much fun here at Hogwarts and while she was sure, as messy as things would be outside of school, that she could handle it, it didn't change that she was never going to have fun here again.

She didn't have too long to dwell on the idea, her own turn to grab her diploma coming up quick. It felt both less and more daunting to walk up here without having to make a speech and Marnie managed a bright smile for the Headmaster before heading back to her seat, catching Penny's eye and beaming all the brighter. She felt her own eyes start to water with the eye contact though, Penny looking a little weepy, and when Pen's turn to walk came, Marnie could feel herself misting even more, barely waiting for Penny to get back to her seat before throwing herself in her friends arms, the pair of them quietly weeping and squeezing each other as the rest of the class finished up the ceremony.

 

[Raawhiti Te Rangi]

Looking up at the stage ahead, Rāwhiti felt like a condemned man looking at the waiting gallows. Everything he loved; everything he wanted to do with his life, he was leaving it behind at Hogwarts. He hadn't heard anything from a single professional team; the offers he had always imagined piling up in his seventh year never came. He had never even considered a future where he didn't play Quidditch professionally, and now that reality was here. He didn't have the grades for a normal career, and couldn't imagine a single one he would actually want. He was only qualified for one thing, and he wasn't good enough at it. Today was the final stamp of failure on his life.

The hollow feeling that had haunted him since leaving the pitch on his final Quidditch match only deepened as he "listened" to the speeches, the pit in his stomach approaching the centre of the world. He barely even heard Marnie, which was an impressive feat. With the speeches done his classmates began ascending the stage, Rāwhiti following after when his time came. He couldn't bring himself to look up when he accepted his diploma, afraid of who he might see. Auntie Kahu; his siblings; his teammates.... any of them would be disasterous. He kept his eyes down as he returned to his seat, death certificate curled in his hand. His life was over.

 

[Daria Bright-Root]

School felt as though it had been eternal and brief all at once, and Daria had blinked and woken up here, at her graduation ceremony; seven years of schooling behind her, and... something ahead. What, she didn't know exactly. Timothy had said she could carry on her barista job while she was figuring out her next steps, but she wasn't really sure what those steps would be. Research of some kind, maybe. She would find an interesting apprenticeship or training pathway, see what opportunities there were in academia. She was leaving school with more questions than answers when it came to some subjects, and she wasn't going to find those answers serving coffee.

She felt immeasurably old as she listened to the speeches, wondering where the girl who arrived at Hogwarts had been. Her crush on Emmanuel felt like it had come from another lifetime, and listening to Marnie's speech only made her wish she had spent more time with her; one of the only people who had embraced Daria when she first arrived. Daria felt as though she had wasted her time with these people, being too shy and/or bitter to really connect; to be herself. It was all over, and she hadn't gotten a chance to really be herself. But it was too late now. Speeches were finishing, and Daria was once again one of the first students called to the stage. It felt far too fast; diploma in one hand, other hand shaken, and that was it. The timid little schoolgirl was gone forever, and Daria returned to her seat an adult woman, a future ahead that she couldn't truly see yet.