▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

chapter fifty four | long live

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

KAYA AND JAEDEN LEFT the hospital wing three days before the end of term — before the end of their time at Hogwarts. Of all the things Kaya thought she'd be doing, rotting in a hospital wing was not what she thought she'd spent her last few days at school doing.

But, she had three whole days to make the most of Hogwarts before leaving for good. And her group of four had many things in mind.

The first was using the Prefect's bathroom, one last time — well, that was more on Kaya's checklist than anybody else's. She knew there would be no other bathroom on earth that would live up to this one — so she just had to make the most of it.

The second was the group of four spending one last day by the lake. It had been their favourite place, under one specific tree, and Kaya knew she'd miss it greatly. It was on this day they spent a lot of time with people in their year group they were friends with, knowing fully well they'd never have the luxury of living together again.

Well, Kaya thought she would with her three other friends. Their funding they'd put aside to buy a flat together was still on the go — Kaya knew they'd be all living in the same place one day.

The Hufflepuff Quidditch Team had taken Kaya's Quidditch Uniform and signed all of their names on it with messages of love and good luck — some even called her 'big sis' which she thought was cute. She'll admit, the surprise did bring a few tears to her eyes — but she dared not to cry in front of her teammates and so managed to keep it together, until they'd left and she'd managed to wipe any stray tears away a bit quickly.

Umbridge left Hogwarts the day before the end of term. It had seemed she'd crept out of the hospital wing during dinnertime, evidently hoping to depart undetected, but unfortunately for her, she met Peeves on the way, who seized his last chance to do as Fred had instructed, and chased her gleefully from the premises whacking her alternately with a walking stick and a sock full of chalk. Kaya and her friends, as well as many other students, had rushed out into the Entrance Hall to watch her running away down the path and the Heads of Houses tried only half-heartedly to restrain them.

McGonagall had sank back into her chair at the staff table after a few feeble remonstrances and was clearly heard to express a regret that she could not run cheering after Umbridge herself, because Peeves had borrowed her walking stick.

It hadn't been on their list of things to do before leaving, but it was definitely a worthwhile experience for the group of four.

Now, the third thing Kaya and her friends wanted to do was something they'd sworn to do in third year — and that was to carve their initials somewhere.

Jaeden and Milo wanted to do it somewhere on one of the stone walls, but Maisie had pointed out that the more noticeable they were, the more likely they were to be erased. And they wanted these carvings to stick there until the end of time. Like — even when Hogwarts is in ruins in billions of years in the future (if it ever comes to that) their initials will still be hidden somewhere.

The next thing suggested was a classroom desk — but Kaya said that the desks may be replaced in a few years, and so that wasn't a great idea either. Also, way too many names have been carved into those over the years. Theirs would just be overshadowed by the rest.

"Well I don't know where else, then," said Jaeden. "What about the spot we sit in at the Great Hall?"

"Nah," said Milo. "Loads of people have done that,"

"Well where else, then?" Kaya said, practically defeated at this point.

But Jaeden was distracted, his head tilted upwards, looking at something.

"What?" Milo asked him. The brunette boy raised his arm, and pointed.

"How about under one of the staircases?"

The group exchanged glances — the silence proved a good sign, meaning there were no objections.

"Come on then," Jaeden rushed forwards, the three following after him.

"Which one?" Maisie asked. "There are hundreds,"

"First floor," Kaya said. "That way it's easy to remember which one,"

They rushed down the staircases until they reached the first floor and dived underneath it, choosing a spot to carve their initials.

And, soon enough, there became a singular staircase that differed from the rest of Hogwarts, because underneath it had the initials K.B, J.E, M.S and M.J carved onto it — along with letters that spelt out 'LONG LIVE' underneath it.

"Christ, Jae, we're not dead," said Kaya, after reading his little addition.

"I know, I know," he responded, and yet still believed the letters fit perfectly.

Their last evening at school arrived, and Kaya and Maisie alongside other girls in their dormitory had a very emotional time packing up everything to leave.

Even during the feast, Kaya was taking everything in, her mind not being able to process that this really was it. Her days at Hogwarts were over.

She looked at the empty spot still sitting at Hufflepuff's Table and her heart began to ache once more.

Cedric deserved to be here on their last day. Cedric deserved to be experiencing this with them. And it'll always hurt her that he wasn't able to.

But Kaya did her best not to turn her last meal at Hogwarts into something sad, and instead soaked up the atmosphere of which she was sure she'd never experience anything like it again — the floating candles, the buzz of chatter from the students, the Hogwarts ghosts, the house tables... and the warm, safe feeling she felt when she was within the castle's walls.

And finally, after devouring as many of Hogwarts' very own Yorkshire puddings as she could for the last time, Kaya left the feast alongside her friends.

But they had no intention of going to bed, just yet.

It was Jaeden's idea to drag them out to the Quidditch stands in the dead of night, but none of the other three objected. It was their last night here, after all. Their last chance to see the stars from Hogwarts grounds.

Kaya still could not quite believe her Hogwarts time was up. Her home for seven years, so many memories made within the castle's stone walls and she was so suddenly leaving it all behind. She felt like she'd only just entered the castle and been sorted into Hufflepuff last week.

It's strange how time flies.

It wasn't cold outside either, despite this particular time of night. The hot summer air made sure of that, and Kaya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She loved the smell and the feeling of hot air at night. She knew some people hated it, but she supposed that came with the type of person they were. And she was one-hundred percent a summer girl.

The group found themselves in the tallest part of the stands, and Kaya lay herself down on one of the benches, letting her hair dangle from the sides as she stared up at the night sky. Maisie did the same on the bench next to her, and the boys sat themselves around them.

"Weird, isn't it?" said Milo. "This time tomorrow we'll no longer be Hogwarts students,"

"Don't say that," Kaya hushed him. "Do you want me to cry?"

"You're a bloody hypocrite," Jaeden said to her. "Not long ago you were talking about how you couldn't wait to leave — how you couldn't stand it here anymore,"

"Yeah, but that was before Umbridge got kicked out and everything went back to normal," Kaya replied.

There was a short silence, until she continued.

"I do want to leave — not that I didn't like it here, I loved it here. But... I dunno, it's hard to explain,"

"Feels like we've outgrown school," Maisie spoke up.

"Yeah, that's it," Kaya said, still staring at the sky.

"I agree," Maisie said. "I'll probably cry as we walk out of Hogwarts, but it's still exciting. All the new things we'll have to do, now,"

"We'll be getting jobs and shit," Jaeden said. "Not even like summer jobs, real ones,"

"Summer jobs are real jobs?" Milo frowned.

"No — like — we'll have to do training and shit first probably, but then we'll have real jobs. Like permanent jobs. Jobs we'll keep,"

"You won't keep a job," Kaya told him, receiving a flick on the ear. "You'll be living with your parents forever,"

"Fuck off, girl-who-wants-to-be-a-singer,"

Kaya let out a laugh of surprise.

"That was fucking mean!" she said. "I'm not dumb, I know you don't just leave school and poof you have sold out stadiums everywhere. I know I'll have to do something in the time being whilst I work at it,"

"I was literally joking, but OK,"

"Do any of you know what you wanna be?" Kaya asked. "Do you know what you'll do after we've left? Besides going to loads of piss ups, of course,"

"I dunno," said Jaeden. "Something with animals'll do me. I'll have a proper look when we get out,"

"I still wanna be a Healer," said Milo. "I'll have to start training for it as soon as,"

"No surprise there," Maisie responded, with a smile. "You were ever so nosy whenever Madame Pomfrey whipped out some kind of potion for the Hospital Wing Gang,"

"I need like, really high grades for it, though,"

"Yeah, and you'll get them," Kaya said, with a tone as if she'd just settled the matter. "You always do, you work your ass off,"

Milo didn't seem so convinced.

"What about you Mais?" Jaeden asked the red-head.

"I have absolutely no idea," she said with a smile.

And Kaya knew Maisie was absolutely fine with not knowing. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if the red-head was more excited about the endless possibilities that could build her future.

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

They left Hogwarts the next day, and Kaya had cried (of course) which then gave Jaeden the opportunity to take the piss (of course) even if he himself was a little sorrowful.

The train ride home was strange — it hadn't quite sunk in yet for Kaya that she wouldn't be returning. She felt like it was just the end of the school year and she'd be back in September. But she wouldn't be, and that was what she still couldn't wrap her head around. She continuously kept looking out of the window, watching the castle grow smaller as it gradually drifted from view.

Still, the group of four still chatted eagerly as they drifted further and further away from Hogwarts, already planning what they're going to do as soon as they get back.

They bought all kinds of cakes, chocolates and sweets off the trolley on the train for the last time, and Jaeden had grabbed the last of the cauldron cakes leading to Kaya having a massive go at him, because she'd wanted them too.

"Calm down, now, K, you don't want your last memories on the Hogwarts Express to be of us fighting do you?" Jaeden had said, mocking a serious tone.

He'd made Kaya laugh, so she decided to let it go, and settle with chocolate frogs instead. Especially as Milo had now brought up the fact that his aunt's holiday home in Greece would be empty in July so there was a possibility of them staying there for a week.

Kaya needed a holiday abroad. She deserved it.

The group of four had always felt before that the train rides to and from Hogwarts often dragged — but this one was over so quickly they still had a couple of leftover chocolate frogs, which was an extremely rare sight — and they were very unprepared when the train arrived at the station and they suddenly had to retrieve their luggage and get off.

But the surprise of the speedy journey was nothing compared to the one in front of Kaya when she jumped off the train.

There was, of course, the huge welcome group waiting for Harry on the other side of the platform, mostly consisting of the Order. There was also her parents, who must have just been reunited with Alfie as they were in deep conversation, talking enthusiastically with their son.

And then, at the front of the huge group, Kaya saw him.

Fred was standing alongside his twin wearing a matching green jacket and the largest beam on his face, his brown eyes immediately brightening at the sight of his girlfriend.

She rushed forwards immediately in disbelief and, flung her arms around his neck, smiling into his shoulder.

"Hey, you," she said, now wearing a grin that almost matched his own. "Forgot to tell me you were coming?"

"Well, I thought it would be better as a surprise," Fred responded, the pair eventually pulling apart.

Kaya playfully rolled her eyes. "But you ruined my plan!" she said. "I was going to casually just drop by your shop and surprise you!"

"Great minds think alike, eh Bennett?" Fred's eyes sparkled as he spoke.

He delicately traced tiny scar next to Kaya's eye from that night. A reminder of what had happened when he'd left. His face fell.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," he said, and Kaya frowned almost immediately.

"Are you having a laugh? You've got nothing to be sorry for, don't be stupid, you would never have known,"

"Yeah, but—"

"What are they supposed to be?" A voice over Kaya's shoulder interrupted, and she turned around to see Ron eyeing up his brother's jackets.

There was an awkward hesitation in which Ron was clearly unaware he'd interrupted a serious conversation — still, Fred smiled.

"Finest dragonskin, little bro," He said. "Business is booming and we thought we'd treat ourselves,"

"Yeah, and Kaya," Jaeden cut in, coming over to speak to the twins. "You know pollen gives me really bad hayfeaver? It was torture being in that hospital wing with her and half the fucking Elizabethan Garden surrounding her bed,"

"Well it's a good job we didn't buy any for you, isn't it?" Fred said.

Kaya finally managed to escape her small group of friends and rush over to her parents — her mum starting to get all emotional because her eldest had officially left school.

It wasn't long before they eventually had to get moving, since a group of their size was causing a lot of congestion in the train station. The hustle and bustle was causing an extremely overwhelming feeling to take over Kaya — but she was still making sure to take it all in.

Because now, she really was out of Hogwarts — and, for the first time, she felt properly ready to close that chapter of her life and begin a new one.

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

A/N: This chapter gave major Taylor Swift Long Live energy and honestly that was the song playing over and over in my head as I wrote this bc it just fit too well!!

But I'm acc so excited to begin writing these four out of Hogwarts, especially since shit's starting to go down with Voldemort and everything

Sorry this chapter was slightly shorter that the last, but I just felt as though I wanted Kaya and co. leaving Hogwarts to be in a separate chapter to everything else since it's a pretty core moment to the story!! The chapters will get longer as things start to pick up again. But we're officially at the end of Act Two OMG

Other than that I hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought <33