What a year.

With her usual bouncy steps being replaced by a calmer stride, Maddie Kemp made her way into the Great Hall. The Inferi attack had changed her. Permanently? Nahh. She'd grown a bit during that fight, though. The little girl that attended the Start-of-Year Feast wasn't quite the same girl that was attending the End-of-Year Feast. The girl that belonged with "the little kids" at the beginning of the year somehow felt like she belonged more with "the older kids" now. She couldn't quite put her finger on what had happened, but something had happened.

Maybe it was just that she was fourteen now. Who knew?

The Hufflepuff swept a bit of hair out of her face, revealing the four facial scratches she'd walked away from the fight with. They were healing pretty nicely now if she did say so herself. The Healer probably could have gotten rid of them for good, but Maddie hadn't even gone to see her. She kind of felt like there were others that needed help more than she did.

...but they'd won the house cup AND the Quidditch cup, which was awesome! As she thought about that, a smile appeared on her face. It had been a good year after all, hadn't it?

There weren’t words for how she was feeling. The year had simply gone by far too fast and she was torn between wanting to get to her new home and not wanting to leave her friends. She felt older, stronger, and more capable than she had ever felt before. Even though it had been horrifying, the Inferi attack had made her a much stronger witch.

With her arm still bandaged and healing, she entered the Great Hall with a proud look on her face. The Hufflepuffs were in first place in points. They had won the quidditch cup, and she was almost certain they would win the house cup.

Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the last looks of where she had spent so many hours the past year. She looked up and down the tables, beginning to fill with students from the various houses, and smiled at her friends. Friends that she might not ever see again. Some were graduating, and others moving away.

Emmalyn took one last deep breath, then ventured forward to find herself a seat at the Hufflepuff table, next to one of her very best friends. "Hi Maddie!" She greeted her fellow Hufflepuff with a warm smile. It was going to be a day of celebration and she was thrilled to be spending it with the friends she loved most.

Isa was relieved to still be alive when it came time for the end of term feast and feeling conflicted over what this moment meant. This was going to be the last time she ever saw all her housemates, her friends, this school. Her decision had been made to transfer to Castelobruxo for her last year of school. For many years she had dreamed of studying herbology in Brazil, but she was going to miss everyone here at Hogwarts. The sixth year took a good look at the whole table before sitting down next to her friends Maddie and Emmalyn. ”Maddie! Emmalyn! I’m going to miss you guys so much next year.” Isa almost felt guilty that she was leaving her younger friends behind. Naturally it was expected that she wouldn’t be seeing her older friends like Skylar next year as they were graduating, but as she was not yet graduating herself it was going to be hard to leave behind friends who would still be here next year. Moving was in her best interests in the long term though, for her plans to have a career in herbology. Brazil had amazing flora, and Castelobruxo had an outstanding herbology program. For now, she had some goodbyes to say.

Daisy had spent some time at St Mungo's due to the extent of her injuries. Her lower left leg was now covered in large scars and she limped to her house table and sat down opposite Isa, Emmalyn and Maddie. "Hello everyone. I'm really going to miss you, Isa!"

Isa looked to Daisy when she heard her name. ”Daisy! I’m so glad to see you! How are you doing?” The sixth year had been so worried for her friend when Daisy had been injured by the inferi. She couldn’t get the images of Daisy being clawed by inferi out of her mind. That had been a truly terrifying moment, one that had feuled her rage against the inferi. ”I’ll be at Castelobruxo next term. I’ve always wanted to go there, but it’s sad to leave everyone behind. You can always owl me, if you want.” Could owls get all the way to Brazil? Might have to look into that. She had always imagined going as a fifth or sixth year when she could still return to Hogwarts to finish school, but that was not to be. Now she would be going for her seventh and final year. It was a shame that she was leaving her friends right after such a traumatic event in a time when her friends might need her support.

Daisy sighed sadly. "Well, I have a permanent limp so I'm afraid I have to give up Quidditch. I don't know what I'm going to do with my broomstick. Anyway, I'd rather not dwell on such things. Brazil sounds amazing! I will try my best to owl you. I am so happy that Hufflepuff has done so well."

All of her friends were coming! She spotted both Isa and Daisy enter the Great Hall and make their way over to the Hufflepuff table. “Hi ladies!” She was almost bouncing in her seat. “Wait, what? Miss us next year?” What did that mean? Isa wasn’t a seventh year. She wasn’t graduating. Then she continued with where she was going. “Oh, well best of luck to you. I guess I’m happy for you, although I’ll miss you tremendously.”

“How’s the leg feeling, Daisy?” Her teammate had been through quite the ordeal with the Inferi and her heart ached to see that she may have lasting trauma from the attack. Out of compassion for her friend, she didn’t dare bring up quidditch.

Just as she was about to ask her friends about their summer plans, she noticed Professor Stewart enter the Great Hall and sit at the Staff Table. She tried to catch her eye and gave her the biggest smile possible. In just a few days, she would be going to her new home with Kay.

Not wanting to disrupt the staff, she turned her attention back to the Hufflepuff table. “Hey, where is Derf? I haven’t seen much of him since the attack and I was hoping to catch up with him before we left for the year.” Of all the Hufflepuffs, he may have had the worst Inferi experience and she really wanted to make sure he was okay before leaving for the summer.

The table felt kind of lonely until Emmalyn arrived. Maddie visibly perked up. "Emmalyn! Did you see the Headmistress's dress? It's yellow! It's for us!" she exclaimed. "We won the House Cup!" ...and the Quidditch Cup, too, but that had already been announced, and Maddie had already had time to get excited over it.

Isa arrived not longer after Emmalyn. Maddie started to greet her, but then something the older girl said made her stop. "Did you say...miss us next year? Where are you going?" she asked. Wasn't Isa a sixth year? She still had a whole year to go! Maddie couldn't imagine going all the way through Hogwarts just to move away before her very last year.

Maddie quieted down when Daisy arrived. She hadn't really talked to the girl since she'd started getting healed from that Inferi attack. She honestly had a little trouble coming up with what to say. After all, feel better soon just didn't seem like enough. So in the end, she decided to treat Daisy just like she would any other time. "Daisy, did you hear? We won the House Cup!" she said.

She turned toward Isa when the talk turned back to her move. "Wow, that's a pretty big move," she said. "What are you moving there for?" Did her parents get a new job or something? Going to school near the rainforest seemed cool, though! Distracted a bit, she turned to look over her shoulder when Emmalyn asked about Derf. "Not sure. He'll probably be around soon, though." Although, she hadn't really talked to him much since the attack either.

When Emmalyn asked her about her leg, Daisy gestured at it with her hand and replied with, "Well, it is better than it was considering. At least I can put my weight on it. I am getting used to how I 'walk' now." When the younger Hufflepuff asked about Derf, Daisy said, "I haven't seen him. I hope he is able to join us at the feast."

When Maddie mentioned about Hufflepuff winning the House Cup, Daisy beamed. "I am so proud of us! To win both the Quidditch and House Cups is amazing!"

Two weeks have passed after the Inferi attack, and the whole school was once again restored to its old state. Although things seemed to be back to normal, Charlie didn’t see things that way. Forget about the countless calming draughts and sleeping potion that he consumed on a daily basis because that wouldn’t change the past for the fourth year Hufflepuff chaser. Right after the attack, they were able to get some help from the castle and brought his injured friends and Grimsbane back to the Hospital Wing. They too were thoroughly checked, and Charlie was one of those kids who didn’t get seriously harmed and got a premature clearance from the school healer. Of course, he would because he didn’t do much, did he? Most, if not all of his attempts were nothing but failure. And from what he heard, he almost killed Derf with the boulders. The thought made Charlie slow down in his walking as he headed towards the Great Hall for the End of Term feast. He could feel the tightening sensation in his chest once more, and he instantly felt lightheaded.

No matter how much he convinced himself that his friends are okay, Charlie could swear that the guilt he felt inside slowly ate his soul. The usual sparkle and life in his eyes were gone, and he wasn’t even sure if he’d feel cheerful from there on. The aftermath brought bad memories from childhood wherein he was shadowed by the magical prowess of his older siblings. They were brilliant, smart, and perhaps one of the toughest cookies in Ilvermorny during their schooling. He didn’t live up to that when he attended his first year there. He’d always been compared, and was told that he will never be good in anything...and that he was better off living a full no-maj life. Before the Inferi attack, he didn’t see that as a problem, he even welcomed it. He’s no-maj born after all, so what’s the deal right? But after he proved to himself that he failed in both worlds, Charlie didn’t see any more reason to return to this place where weirdos like him was accepted. He felt like he was a disappointment, and thought of disappearing for good. Was he going to leave any friends behind? Yes, but did they consider him a friend? Perhaps not, so again, what was the use of returning? What was even the use of appearing in a festive dinner like this one?

There was, however, a tiny voice in his mind that kept telling him to fight just a bit longer. Maybe...maybe the Feast has something in it that will change his mind. Maybe.

The next thing he knew, he found himself in the Great Hall which was decked in their House Color. Ah, yes. He forgot about that. He forgot about their victories this term, and maybe he did so for a very good reason. Each and everyone of his housemates did their best in contributing to the points, and he felt belittled with the fact that he didn’t do well in any of the classes, except for Quidditch. But...really, who cares about sports nowadays? Wasn’t it just for entertainment? Charlie could feel the heat radiating off from his face as he stared at the decoration, and then to the occupants of the Hufflepuff table. All of them fought well, just by looking at their temporary wound marks. They were happy...healed even. His eyes then went to the Staff Dais taking note of each professor already present. They too look happy and relieved. Charlie felt jealous, wondering how in the seven hells of Hades were they able to bounce back just like that? If they can move past the events, how come he couldn’t? Why did he felt left behind, all of a sudden? The Hufflepuff took a deep breath as the emotions threatened to flow out of his eyes once more. He’d been crying day and night, and even during his exams. He was very...very tired. The overstimulation that was the Great Hall and the happy faces around were getting to him.

And then...he heard the concerned voices of his housemates. They were all looking for Derf. Of course, they would. Of course, they heard about the happenings back at the Pathways. Of course. Charlie then decided not to stay for dinner. He felt like he wasn’t welcomed anymore. The word ‘failure’ flashed in his mind again in big bold red letters, as he was reminded of the events of two weeks ago. The fourteen-year-old got shoved left and right by older students coming in from the hallway without any consideration as he was blocking the entrance. See, even the other students didn’t see his presence, let alone felt. Without second thoughts, Charlie spun around and decided to head somewhere else where people wouldn’t be able to find him. He'd only dampen the mood, and ruin their night of victory.

Considering how quickly the inferi attack had finished, the Seventh year and her twin sister had been just as well continuing on studying for their exams. They had, after all, started regardless of the drama just as they had been scheduled. This put them in the best position, in her opinion. Unhurt, and with the extra study time…. Well, as much study time as they could actually do around their yoga and their walking, doing their hair and makeup and choosing dresses for prom.

However, regardless of the past month of so - there was nothing that stood in the way of her graduating now. Nothing that would - or could - make her return to this stupid school after tomorrow when she and her sister embarked on their luxury spa week to recover from the stress of their NEWTs. Multiple massages, manicure & pedicures, divine food, glorious sunshine… What else was needed other than cute men to look at and dance the night away with. Hopefully. If they were cute enough anyway.

Looking at her twin sister, she rolled her eyes at most of what was going on around the room - for the last time annoyed at their lack of china, napkins, proper goblets and cutlery. Nevermind the fact what they used were gold and cleaned by the house elves. Sure, it looked fancy - but it wasn’t truly. No, they knew class and this wasn't it. They would be returning to it when they went home and had their first full dinner with their parents. Parents who understood what it meant to be raised well, rather than letting their children run around and cause mayhem.

So no, Kaylah O’Sullivan was not sad for this to be the last feast she was attending. In fact, she was glad and she doubted she would miss anyone… Her sister was all she needed.

While listening to Daisy talk about their quidditch win, she noticed her teammate enter the Great Hall then pause. What was Charlie doing? He had been a key player in the winning quidditch match and she was excited to talk to him about his summer plans. Just as she was about to wave him over, he started to turn away. "Hey! Charlie! Over here. Come sit with us!" She was half standing and waving her arms like she was shipwrecked and trying to flag down the rescue plane. "Charlie!"

She hoped he had heard her and would join them at the table. It was a celebration of all they had accomplished over the year and each and every Hufflepuff had worked to get the win.

Maddie was glad to see that Daisy was in such good spirits despite having so much recovery. "Oh, yeah! We were awesome!" she said. She wasn't one to ever brag, but Hufflepuff winning both cups had been way overdue. Come to think of it, Hufflepuff winning just one cup had been way overdue, too.

...and there was cutie pie Charlie. That's what Maddie had called him since...when? Maybe the beginning of third year? She couldn't even remember now. She started to strike up a conversation with him, but then he abruptly turned on his heels and headed back out. She looked over at Emmalyn, who was calling for him, and echoed her in calling his name. "Charlie? You okay? Charlie?" she said. "Come sit with us! We won! BOTH CUPS!"

She was only slightly distracted when the Headmistress stood up for her end-of-year speech. She listened and even clapped at all the appropriate times, especially when the Cup winners were announced. When the food and drink appeared on the table, a very hungry Maddie spun around and began serving herself. "Better eat now," she told her friends as a whole. "It's a pretty long train ride home."

Gaston slowly limped toward the Hufflepuff table, his cane clacking dully against the floor alongside him. He usually started at the Slytherin table and worked his way back to the Gryffindor one, but he was doing things a bit out of order tonight. Somehow he suspected that he'd be too emotional after visiting the Slytherin table to do much else! "Hello, everyone," he greeted the Hufflepuffs with a smile. "Congratulations on your House Cup and Quidditch Cup wins!"

His eyes scanned the table, and his smile faded at the sight of Maddie's scars and Emmalyn's bandaged arm... and he hadn't forgotten about Daisy's leg, either. A sudden pang of guilt gripped his heart. There had to be more he could've done to protect them! Out of the corner of his good eye, he saw Charlie leaving and stared after him in concern. A part of him wanted to go after the poor boy, but he knew he couldn't move fast enough with this cane to catch up to him. Besides, he probably wanted to be alone...

Gaston made his way further down the table until he came to Kaylah. He took a deep breath, willing himself not to immediately turn the other direction. He never got the idea that the O'Sullivan girls liked him, but it would be unfair not to offer them congratulations and a parting gift, as he did for the other seventh years. Please don't say anything unkind, he thought as he set a fancy box containing a quill pen on the table in front of Kaylah and another one for her sister as well. "Congratulations on your graduation, Miss O'Sullivan," he said,. "I wish both of you the best."