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When everyone else was seated, Cornelius Fudge decided to grace them with his presence. He strode into the hall in the strangest combination of clothes Christine had ever wanted to see. A purple suit, a pinstripe cloak, and the most hideous lime green bowler hat she'd ever had the displeasure of laying eyes upon.

Luckily, she had enough self-control not to let the disgust she felt at his outfit show on his face. And the repugnance she felt knowing that he'd likely been waiting for that moment, keeping everyone else waiting, just so he could make a dramatic entrance.

Aside from his terrible fashion sense, Christine was unimpressed with the man. He looked pompous and self-absorbed. And Christine had learned to trust her own instincts about people.

He took his seat next to Dumbledore with a self-satisfied air that she couldn't understand how her headmaster could stand. Finally, the ceremony could begin.

It started with Professor Flitwick's speech. It was short, sweet, and full of philosophic advice, as was to be expected. A round of polite applause followed. More enthusiastically by the Ravenclaw students. And the parents who had been in Flitwick's house when they were at Hogwarts themselves.

Professor Sprout took the podium next. Her speech was longer, full of hope for their futures. Very uplifting. Filled with confidence that each and every one of them would succeed in their lives after school. The warm applause that followed was what Christine had seen coming. She'd also seen it coming, that Tonks would stand up to give a big whoop, until she was pulled back into her seat by a very amused Yasmin Tamer.

Even so, Christine couldn't quite hid the smile that it brought to her face. But she did raise a hand to her face to try and stifle the giggle that rose from her throat. Amelia looked at her disdainfully out of the corner of her eye. Christine ignored her. As per usual.

Her cousin didn't look at all upset that her appreciation for her head of house was cut short. In fact, she looked positively delighted. Probably because everyone in the Great Hall was doing the same as Christine, trying to stifle the laughter that her cousin's outburst had caused. Tonks looked very proud of herself because of it.

The only person who wasn't close to laughing was Professor Snape, which was clear as he stepped up to the podium to make his own speech.

That wasn't surprising. In seven years, Christine had never seen Professor Snape so much as smile. Or even look like he might be close to forming such an expression. And Christine had gotten much closer to her head of house than any other student had during her time at school.

It was a little sad, if Christine thought about it. Knowing someone for seven years and never seeing them so much as attempt to smile. But she put it down to her professor's tendency to keep everything close to his chest.

His speech was short, it was dramatic, and far less sentimental than any of the others that had preceded it. And far less gushy than any that would follow, as well. That was typical of Professor Snape. He was proud of most of his students, at least his Slytherin students, though he rarely deigned to show it publicly.

The Slytherins knew how he felt all the same. Most of them were perceptive enough to know either way. Additionally, they had been under his tutelage for a long time. They knew how he worked, and they saw between the lines of his speech well enough to see the pride for them shining through.

Christine clapped along with the rest of the hall as he turned back to his seat. But unlike them, she shared a quick, quiet look with him as he returned to his place between Professors Sprout and McGonagall. A quirk of her lips, almost a smile. A flick of an eyebrow before he looked away from her.

He was proud of her.

And he was just as impatient as she was for all the pomp and circumstance to be over and done with already. Unfortunately for both of them, they still had five speeches to get through and then all the diplomas to hand out.

McGonagall took the podium after Professor Snape. Her speech, too, was exactly what Christine had expected from her. Reserved, but proud and a little emotional.

Once the applause for their Deputy Headmistress died off, the Minister took her place at the podium. Christine had no interest in listening to anything he might have to say. So, she allowed herself to zone out a little bit. And she turned out to be right to do so. Cornelius Fudge rambled on for a good fifteen minutes, far longer than anyone else. And in all that time, he managed to say nothing at all worthwhile. A true politician, as her step-mother would say. In this instance, as with many others, Christine couldn't argue against her point.

He was succeeded in the spotlight by a person whom Christine had just as little interest in listening to. Samuel strutted up to Dumbledore's usual spot and started an obviously over rehearsed and self-congratulating rant. However, unlike the Minister, Samuel had the sense to keep his speech quite short, lest he lose the attention of everyone present as well.

Amelia's speech was similarly well practised. And similarly short, to the point. But it was a lot less self-centred. She took the time to thank all the professors, and her classmates, for the time they spent with her, and how they helped her grow as a person.

And then it was Christine's turn.

Like the Head Boy and Girl, Christine had prepared what she wanted to say. What she thought she wanted to say. Had memorised it, and prepared to give her sermon with as unstudied an air as possible. But when she passed Amelia, stood at the gilded owl podium where she'd seen Dumbledore give them talks and warnings and tell jokes, she tossed it aside completely.

She looked out over her classmates again. Her friends. Her housemates. Her teachers. And toward the back, she saw her parents this time. Dressed in their muggle best. Unashamed of who they were and that they didn't fit among the robed people surrounding them.

Christine decided in an instant that they deserved better than the short platitude she'd come up with to please the Headmaster and Professor Snape.

And she began in a manner which no one, not even she, had expected.

"My mother liked to say that the only obligation any of us really have is to, by the time we die, have made the world a little better than it was when we came into it," as she spoke she looked out at the faces that were all turned up to look at her, confused and a little surprised at the way her talk was going, "She died when I was only eight, but she had, without doubt, don just that during her lifetime. Short as it was."

"I've known you all for seven years. That's almost as long as I knew my mother. In that time, we've all gone through a lot. A great deal of it was hardly fun. And we didn't always see eye to eye about any of it. But all of those things made it clear to me that each of us has the ability to make the world a little brighter, in our own ways."

"Thank you all, for giving me the opportunity to know you. And for making my life a little better."

There was applause as she finished and returned to her seat. But Christine hardly noticed it. She was too busy trying not to notice the tears in the eyes of her friends and parents. And trying not to tear up herself. So, she didn't realise that her speech had gotten the best reception yet.

Christine wasn't in the mood to care, right then.

The rest of the event went by in a blur. Dumbledore's speech was poignant and hilarious as always. The Sorting Hat was placed on the stage and performed a song that made everyone present tear up in nostalgia. It was the last time they would all be present to listen to its performance.

Christine was the last student to receive her certificate. When she did, their time as students was officially over.

Then there were pictures and hugging and actual tears. With her parents, her friends, and even their families. Uncle Ted, Tonks' dad, insisted on getting a million and one pictures of Christine and Tonks. And then another few hundred of them with the family, and all of their friends.

Christine was so happy that she didn't mind being directed about as much as she usually would.

Eventually the flurry of activity died down, and everyone was directed out to the Entrance Hall so they could get on the carriages to the station. It was only then that she had any real opportunity to speak to her friends again.

"I never knew you had a knack for public speaking," Tonks teased as she bumped their shoulders together on the steps to the castle, "And here I thought we told each other everything. I'm pissed."

Christine laughed and nudged her back, telling her to shag off.

"No, seriously," Anna agreed as she joined them with her usual grin, "How long'd it take you to come up with that. It was genius. I swear I saw Evelyn crying."

"Oh, shut your bloody mouth Anna."

They teased and laughed with each other until it was their turn to claim their carriages and they had to split up to go with their families. It was then that Christine made a decision. It was a bit spur of the moment by her standards, but that had been working out for her pretty well that day, so she went with it.

"I'll go," she told Anna.

Instantly realising what Christine was talking about, she squealed in delight and threw her arms around her shorter friend, completely enveloping her in a tight hug.

"I'll send you the details by owl once I get home. No backing out now you've agreed!"

"I know, but someone has to make sure you don't get arrested."

Christine knew damn well that Anna was too smart to ever get herself arrested, but it was an old joke between them, so they both laughed heartily as they separated. Christine joined Tonks and their parents while Anna climbed into a carriage with hers, and off they went. Leaving Hogwarts for what was probably the last time.