Violet finally put away her letter, having read the information in it over a dozen times by now and realizing that she couldn't really do anything about it until she got home. She turned to listen to the headmaster's annual closing speech, but it all seemed so unreal this year, as if it were all happening for the first time. At least Slytherin had won the House Cup on this, her final year.

Violet turned to look around the Great Hall, up at the marvelous ceiling with it's night sky, and finally around the Slytherin table. "Hi, Maya, Aria," she said, in a belated attempt to greet her table-mates. Aria, as usual, was ignoring her; Violet had really hoped the other girl would grow out of whatever nargle was in her ear over Violet--what was she, sixteen now? She needed to grow up! Violet nodded to others around her at the table as well, trying to include everyone. It was really hitting her that she was experiencing all this for the last time, and she suddenly felt a rush of emotion. Everything was so confusing and nothing was going as she had pictured it in her head so many times. She could only pick at her food when it arrived, even though it seemed even more varied and delicious than usual.