Chapter 479: Graduation
Harry walked the lower corridors alone. He reached the sink and took the elevator down to the Chamber.
"Basi," he called out. A familiar hissing slithered through the tunnels before the great serpent emerged. She glided into view, scales scraping across the stone.
"Master," she greeted, bowing her head.
Harry patted the side of her thick, scaled neck. "You sure you want to stay here?" he asked. "Ash and Spark wouldn’t mind the company."
Basi shifted slightly, her tail curling in closer. "Thank you, but no, Master. My place is here. My task is to protect the school. I remain."
Harry gave a light sigh. "Fine," he said. "I will bring Astoria, Ginny, and Luna down sometime. So you’ll have someone to talk to."
Basi dipped her head. "Understood."
Back in the corridors, he walked slower. The curve of the hallway past the potions wing, the small hairline crack near the base of the statue three corridors down, the one Peeves had blamed on a "particularly enthusiastic sneeze." He didn’t need to look to know where the castle’s heartlines ran. He’d seen every secret room, every locked door, every bit the Founders had tucked away.
Helga’s wasn’t a mystery, just a kitchen, really. A place of welcome. And Godric’s... well, Neville had that sorted. Probably passing it on to Ginny right now.
Inside the Slytherin common room, the chatter stopped the moment Harry stepped through the entrance. The stone fireplace crackled low behind them, green-tinged shadows dancing across the walls. Every student stood. Even Snape had risen from his chair near the back, arms folded, watching.
As Harry walked further in, a badge shimmered into view on his robes, Serpent of the Crown. A few younger years stared. Sixth-years straightened. A few fifth-years looked like they were holding their breath.
The room shifted.
The centre space cleared itself, furniture sliding away with a dull scrape, and a stone-backed throne surfaced where there’d been nothing a moment ago. Smooth marble, trimmed in deep green and inlaid with serpentine engravings.
Harry walked straight to it and sat.
With a flick of his hand, four more seats rose around him. Not quite thrones, but close enough.
Daphne claimed the one to his right without hesitation, crossing one leg over the other. Tracey followed, muttering something under her breath about "finally," and dropped into the seat beside her. Pansy strolled past a group of fifth-years and flopped onto hers with a smirk. Astoria took her place last, glancing over at the rest with a pleased look.
Behind them, three more chairs appeared. Blaise slid into the middle one like he owned it. Draco adjusted his sleeve before sitting. Theodore didn’t bother with the theatrics, he just dropped into place.
Harry looked over the room. "The room picks the Serpent of the Crown," he said. "But I can lean on it, if I want. Thing is, I don’t have to."
A few heads nodded. Others looked at the badge on his chest, already fading. It vanished in a blink and reappeared on Astoria’s robes, settling neatly beside the Duelling Club insignia.
"You all know who it would pick," Harry said simply. "So there is no point dragging it out."
He got up, walking to the edge, "Uphold the principles of Slytherin," he said. "And remember, cunning and ambition don’t mean petty and twisted. Use your brain, not just for yourself, but for the lot of us."
"You got more power than you think," he continued. "Don’t waste it acting like knockoff Death Eaters. There is no glory in crawling after old names. We don’t follow, we run ahead. That is what Slytherin meant."
He flicked his gaze across the room, then looked back to the centre. The throne behind him dissolved into the floor. The chairs followed, leaving the room as it was before, plain stone, crackling fire, students watching in near-silence.
"Alright," he added, straightening his collar. "That is enough drama for one evening."
Some of the younger years looked uncertain whether to laugh or not. Pansy rolled her eyes and started clapping slowly.
"That is your grand farewell speech?" she asked, smirking. "Bit light, isn’t it?"
The rest of the room clapped. Then, in one smooth motion, they all dipped their heads.
"Thank you, Serpent!" came the call, loud and unified enough to make the stone walls echo faintly.
---
Harry and his friends stood before the castle one last time. The carriages waited beyond the courtyard, thestrals stamping restlessly at the edge of the path, as if they were just as ready to leave. It was warm, unusually so for a Scottish summer morning, but none of them were in a rush.
Daphne flicked something off the sleeve of her robe, casting a glance back at the castle. "You know, it actually looks smaller now."
"That is just because we’ve outgrown it," Tracey said, nudging her with an elbow.
Hermione stepped closer, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "We really leaving, then?"
"NEWTs are over. Hogwarts can’t think of a reason to keep us," Susan said, half-smiling. "Even if it wanted to."
"I think the portraits will miss you," Luna said. "Sir Cadogan’s been unusually quiet. I think he’s grieving."
"He will get over it," Ginny said. "He always does. Last year he tried to marry a tapestry."
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t he duel it first?"
"Several times," Neville confirmed. "The tapestry won."
The group shifted, starting to head down toward the carriages. Padma and Parvati walked just ahead, laughing at something Megan said under her breath. Su Li and Nott were trailing slightly behind, arguing over some obscure bit of defensive theory that neither seemed willing to drop.
"Honestly," Draco muttered, keeping pace with Blaise on the right, "we should’ve left something behind."
"We did," Harry said. "A duelling club the castle literally absorbed. What more do you want, fireworks?"
"I wouldn’t mind a statue," Pansy said. "Something tasteful. Maybe me holding a wand over a pile of stunned first-years."
"You are going to scare the younger lot before they’ve even bought robes," Astoria said dryly. "Perfect way to keep them in line."
"Exactly."
They reached the carriages. Some were already full, underclassmen jostling for space, trunks levitating awkwardly above their heads. Harry’s group had one set aside near the front.
Before climbing in, Hermione turned to look at the castle again. "It is weird. No more classes. No more curfews."
"No more Prefect rounds," Hannah added, mockingly wistful.
"No more detentions," Daphne said, shooting Harry a look.
He gave a small shrug. "Not my fault half the rulebook was optional."
"Only for you," she muttered.
Once the door closed behind them, the silence settled for a moment.
Then Tracey spoke. "So. No speeches? No final words of wisdom?"
"I already gave one," Harry said, stretching his legs. "Can’t do two in one week, people start expecting things."
"Merlin forbid you become reliable," Blaise said.
"I am reliable," Harry said. "I just don’t like repeating myself."
"You lot are the worst," said Ginny, half-laughing. "You are leaving Hogwarts forever and the most we get is sarcasm?"
Harry grinned. "Would you prefer a poem? I can dig something up about time’s passing and youthful springs."
"Please don’t," Daphne muttered.
"I would rather jump out the carriage," said Draco.
"You would land on your hair and bounce," Tracey added.
"Wouldn’t even scuff the shoes," Blaise said smugly.
"Right," Pansy declared, settling back with a satisfied sigh, "new rule, no sentiment, just insults."
"Finally," Astoria said. "A tradition I can get behind."
Outside, the castle began to shrink behind them as the carriage rolled on. None of them looked back.