Damaged (A Marauders Era story)

First Year, Part 25 (The Leaving Feast)

"I'll miss spending time with my friends of course, but I'm eager to be going home and spending time with Mum and Dad." Frank was saying as we made our way down to the Great Hall. "What about you? Are you happy to be going back home?" He opened the doors to the great hall and we entered.

Today was the last day I would be spending at Hogwarts for quite a while. I had spent the whole day with Frank and Aileen, dreading the moment when we would all have to separate and go home. I wished we didn't all have to go back home for the summer holidays. It would be over two months before we got to come back to Hogwarts. Two months I would have to spend with Aunt Cora.

"Not at all," I answered as we made our way over to the crowded Gryffindor table. "I'll have to spend two whole months with only Aunt Cora for company."

"Right," he sat down and started piling his plate full of the food that had only just appeared on the long table. "You're aloof aunt. I forgot about her. You can always come and stay at my house. Mum and Dad said it would be okay if you came and stayed for a while."

There was only one problem with that idea; Frank had also invited a lot of his other friends to come stay for the summer. I knew none of them would want me there, and I'm not so sure Frank's parents would want me there either after they saw me.

"That was nice of them," I said, "But wouldn't it be better if you came and stayed at my house? It's practically a mansion, so there's plenty of room. "

"I can't. Mum and Dad won't let me go stay at any of my friend's houses this summer. They said they wanted to spend as much time with me as they could before another school year started. They said I could invite some friends over instead of going and staying with them."

"Oh," I said. "While, if I don't come stay at your house, we can write to each other all summer, right?"

"Of course," Frank smiled. "I can send you some of Mum's cooking. She makes the best brownies you ever tasted."

Dumbledore arrived just then and the chatter of all the students slowly died down. The few students who had started eating already put down their food as Dumbledore spoke.

"Another year has gone by," Dumbledore said. "I hope you all have enjoyed your time spent here at Hogwarts, and that you all will be going home today with more knowledge than when you arrived. As well as some fond memories than when you first arrived. Now, if my memory serves me correctly, the house cup needs awarding."

The students start murmuring excitedly to themselves at this and then quiet down as Dumbledore continued.

"In fourth place is Hufflepuff, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twenty-three; in second place, Slytherin, with four hundred and two, and in first place, Ravenclaw, with a total of four hundred and thirty points."

Loud sounds of cheering and whooping arose from the Ravenclaw table while the other students half-heatedly applauded.

"Well done, well done," Dumbledore called over the loud cheering. "Congratulations to Ravenclaw on winning this year's house cup, a great honor indeed." He clapped his hands and suddenly blue and bronze banners with Ravenclaw's house crest inscribed on each of them hung all over the Great Hall. There was another round of applauding.

"Now, with that out of the way, let's feast!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

There was more cheering and the children all began to dig in.

James Potter loudly declared that next year he would be a chaser on the Quidditch team and that they would most certainly win the game with him on the team, making Gryffindor win next year's house cup for sure.