Disclaimer: Haven't owned them for the rest of the story, have I?
characters: the next generation
song: long live
the time of my life
long live the walls we crashed through
the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
-:-
Stars glitter, high and bright, above Hogwarts, and Lily perches herself on the railing of the Astronomy Tower, tilting her head up and inhaling the scent of starlight and moonshine. Nighttime spins in velvety black and golden swirls all around her; she breathes in the beauty and imagines.
She is the youngest, the last to walk through these halls until Teddy and Victoire's children reach Hogwarts-age, and sometimes, if she stands very still and looks deep into the souls of the stars, she dreams that she can remember, can recreate the steps she has followed, the steps carved by her parents and her brothers and her cousins, the steps engraved into Hogwarts itself.
Stories are written in the stars above, she thinks. There's Teddy, beaming as he bounds through the halls with a mop of turquoise-golden-indigo-green hair, and there's Victoire, spinning into his arms with a joyful laugh, her blonde locks fluttering around them as they kiss.
There's Molly, surrounded by her beautiful, blooming flowers, and there's Lucy, her blue eyes bright and her head in the clouds, lost but not forgotten in Narnia; there's Fred, zooming around on his broom with a grin of delight at being so high up, and there's Roxanne, winking as she casually unwraps a butterscotch toffee.
Rose is there, too, dancing amongst stars and books, cheering on Hugo as he swims a lap and leads his team to victory; Albus stands next to her with Scorpius at his side, and the trio stands over the school, united in three different Houses.
She finds Lorcan and Lysander scattered in the constellations, too, their stories spelled out around the moon – laughter and adventure, swinging on rainforest vines and swimming through majestic rivers, caring for unicorns and chasing after dragons.
And then there's her. Lily smiles, thinking of her massive, loving family and the scar on her father's forehead, thinking of the stories her Uncle Ron tells and the biographies her aunt Hermione has written. She thinks of the war memorial spanning a Hogwarts courtyard, and she remembers why it was fought.
Her parents, her aunts, her uncles – they fought for her. For their children, for the next generation, for their future and their happiness and their safety. They fought so their children could stand tall and proud and take on the world without the threat of death hanging in the air.
Quite honestly, she thinks they succeeded.
Hogwarts shines on.
-:-
bring on all the pretenders
one day, we will be remembed
Author's Notes: Well, this is it, guys! The last chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who ever reviewed for your wonderful support! I'm so happy you all liked it, and your reviews mean a lot to me :) I'll miss this little collection, but don't worry; I'll have more coming up soon, hopefully! :D
If you read this far, please be kind and drop me a review to let me know what you thought :) Thank you!
Don't favorite without reviewing, please and thanks.