Memory Book entry completed, only one speech separated Cooper from being a seventh year and a non-student. Well, there were still several other things, but symbolically once he left the Great Hall this evening...that was it. A little sleep and a train ride back to London were just the final embellishments to the meal, so to speak. Sprinkles on top of a sundae, the parsley bit nestled beside a steak, the last knock of salt on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes...sheesh was he hungry.

Walking to the long table, Cooper didn't take a seat just yet and instead ran his fingers along the length of the wooden surface. He was feeling for a particular knot in the wood that reminded him of a slightly melted looking bind rune for safe travel...while also walking through memory. It was more than a bit surreal to think about how this was the last night that all his peers and professors would be in this space together. Possibly the last time he would see some faces that had graced the corridors on the daily, their familiarity becoming a comfort to him.

Finding the knot, Cooper smiled and took a seat. He anticipated that Mercer would be along in a bit to squeeze in beside him. Though he hoped his little brother did not make a huge spectacle about him leaving - mostly because Cooper would be seeing him all summer and, once he and Theo had the flat situation all sorted out, no doubt be sleeping over from time to time to help them break in the space. Figuratively, break in. Hopefully not break anything. Please don't break anything. The list of people he wanted to see before arriving at King's Cross was monstrous and, of course, the feast was likely the easiest time to find them all...but he wanted to keep tonight, the feast, centered at the Ravenclaw table. He would just have to see how well he stuck to that plan.

Tucking into his bag, which was now nestled under the bench where he sat, he pulled out the little polaroid camera gifted to him by Cecelia, one of the bound photography journals from Olivia, and some nice calligraphy pens he had purchased from Scrivenshaft's with Florrie's influence.

One last little photography project, a personal one, for the road.

All things considered, this had been a 'good' year. Ash had finished her owls, thrown a spell at a board member, and avoided making anyone else dislike her. But there were bad things too- people who were gone, people who were leaving... she couldn't help but feel like this was the end of something(could you even end something that never started). So she just kind of sat there and avoided feeling anything. She'd distributed most of her presents, said most of her goodbyes, etc etc. She was done.

So she took a seat near the teacher table. It was a good seat because 1. it would be easy to get up and leave if she was on the end, and 2. Ash wanted to see the speech, which was easily the best part(it was a low bar, but she really liked the headmaster). She waited for others to arrive, stuck between wanting to run off and wanting to savor her last moments with some of her friends.

It had been... An interesting term to say the least, for him. He'd started the term moody and upset, and while there was still a large portion of him that was sad for things and people lost, studying had given him an excuse to hide from all of that. And to hide from feelings and the fact he very much still had no idea what to do with those, or even how to discern what they were within himself. Living a life of facts was so much easier, but it was becoming more and more apparent to him that wouldn't be possible for forever.

So with OWLs finally behind him, and a strong sense of feeling he had done well, a new challenge lay in the summer and the term beyond. Sixth year would be a break year from studying, but not from introspection.

He didn't need to start tonight though. Tonight was the night for good byes and see you laters. Making his way to the Ravenclaw table, Evan gave a nod towards Cooper - though he was not sure if he noticed - and settled into a spot next to Ash. He liked to be near to the staff table too, and from here he could scan the table and try to make guesses on who would be coming back next term.

Since arriving early to the feast, Ivy had been moving around and taking photos of the Great Hall as students flooded in. If she continued with her current plans - and she had no intention thus far of changing her mind - this was her last feast at Hogwarts. And though she was looking forward to the transition to continue her education in other ways, she still wanted to capture these memories.

Perhaps now was a good time to pause though. She hoped to get a few pictures with her friends as well, especially the ones who would be returning next term, but she could seek them out in a little while. The night was still young.

Returning to the Ravenclaw table, her eyes were drawn to look for Seth Elliot, as they so often did. As she passed by Ash and Evan at the end of the table, she grinned. "Hey, I wanna grab you both later, if you don't mind. End of term pictures." She tapped the camera hanging around her neck.

And spotting the empty seat across from Cooper, she decided to slip in there, noting the collection of items he had in front of him. "A new project?" she asked.

Celyn had been sitting at the Ravenclaw table for a little while. She was rarely ever early for anything as she was almost always caught up in a moment, but she had been early tonight for her last feast. It felt awfully bittersweet, being the last of something pretty significant, yet the start of something else significant, and she wanted to experience it for as long as possible.

She chatted lightly with anyone who wanted to, but she was more observing than anything else, trying to commit everything to memory. She watched Cooper take his time at the memory book, reminding her that she needed to write in that herself. She wasn't sure what she wanted to write at all, but she supposed that it would all come to her in the moment. Sometimes it was best to just be and not have a plan.

And then she watched Cooper when he returned as he seemed to want to commit every last detail to memory himself. Celyn turned her attention to some of her other housemates as they soon joined her. She gave a warm smile to Ash as the younger girl made her way to the other end of the table. And she gave a friendly finger wave to Evan as he joined the fifth year.

She turned her attention back to Cooper, knowing that she had one more thing she wanted to do before leaving. Well, besides leaving an entry in the memory book. But this was not something she could do right now anyway. Later. She noted his supplies and was about to ask him about it when she heard the voice of another housemate ask first. Looking up, she gave the sixth year a warm smile. "Hello, Ivy. Looking forward to some fun summer plans?" She would soon be starting her own adventures herself. And then she turned back to Cooper again. "A final Hogwarts scrapbook?" At least that's what it looked like to her, and she was a fan of scrapbooks too. Just a great way to preserve and relive memories.

Ah, another term had come and gone. Lady Helena glided gracefully into the Great Hall, pausing at the table of her mother’s house. “Good evening, students,” she greeted the group. “I hope this term has been intellectually stimulating for you.” She would certainly have a word with the staff if she learned it had been otherwise.

Spotting two seventh years, she smiled. “I believe congratulations are in order, Mr. Branxton and Miss Ashbury-Hawhtorne,” she said. “What are your plans after graduation?”

Ash was grateful for Evan's presence next to her. If everyone else left... he'd always be with her. Or at least that's what she thought in this moment. She caught Ivy's words and echoed them(hollowly, if anyone cared to know). "End of term pictures. Got it." She gave a weak thumbs up.

"Every term is intellectually stimulating. I just wish they were less hands-on- as in 'maybe going to kill me.'" Structural damage was no joke. "Maybe they should find a way to be intellectually stimulating using... art. Or literature. Or learning how to do more nonmagical stuff. I want to learn financial literacy." She liked that more than getting hurt. She liked that way more than her friends getting hurt. Her friends... she looked up and down the table. Too many people, not enough time. At least many of them would be coming back next year. She wasn't being abandoned. She'd be perfectly fine(evidence: Evan)

Checking to make sure he had ample film in his camera, Cooper peeks up and had a smile on his face as Ashley and Evan approached the table to take their seats. What followed was reminiscent of those times where you wave at someone, thinking that you know them, only to realize after you had committed to the gesture that you did not and had just thrust yourself into a modestly awkward predicament. Ashley, his little art buddy, did not seem to even see him at all and Evan seemed disinterested in conversation...which left Cooper's smile morphing into something more like an embarrassed grimace. Maybe they just needed some food in their stomachs? He could be a little standoffish when he was feeling particularly starving.

Not wanting to thrust his personal project on to either of them, though he did fervently wish to include them both, the soon-to-be-graduate took a pause to try and sort out how best to play off his eagerness when Ivy appeared and...well...did the very thing he had been hesitant to ask considering their general vibe. And Ashley's response to Ivy showed a certain reluctance that did not inspire him wanting to ask. At least...not ask about her partaking in his personal project...but rather he would check in with her before he turned in for the night. He had meant what he had put in his card to her for her birthday.

For now, however, Ivy had captured his attention and his warped smile unraveled and resumed its streamlined one. "Hey, yeah," he mused with a little shake of the camera before sliding it on the table in front of him and into the center of the table. "Polaroids with everyone who has influenced my time here. Lean in so I can get one with you? I got pens for you to sign it or write a word you associate with me." He paused a moment, feeling a little flustered by how...self indulgent and self centered this whole concept was. "Like...something to elicit a memory. I'm going to keep all of them in that journal."

Glancing over his shoulder, his smile brightened a bit more with Celyn's appearance and spot on analysis. "Bingo," he grinned while he swayed a bit to nudge her slightly with his hip. "We're going to, obviously, have to take one together."

The speech came and went, which Cooper gave his full attention to and felt a certain swelling of pride in hearing the confirmation that Ravenclaw had won the House Cup. It was...such a small and mostly irrelevant title in the grand scheme of things, but still nice to have as a memory. The collective effort of his housemates and such. There was only modest relief in hearing about Bitterwood. But, when you literally survived a war, there was a certain perspective that came with the inevitable repercussions of attending a school brimming with magic. Ample applause was given and Cooper made a mental note to pass a few thank you notes along to those professors who he had stuck with through NEWT level instruction before his attention was drawn to none other than Helena Ravenclaw.

Always a delight, truly. He would miss discussing history with her and just her general gentle presence. Perhaps a picture with her as well? If the film could properly capture her, that is.

"Thank you, Helena," he smiled somewhat sheepishly, ruffling his hair as he searched for the best way to say 'I am not sure because there is no plan' without disappointing the gentle ghost. "Flat hunting with my best mate and working alongside Celyn's brother on the creature sanctuary he runs with his girlfriend. At least for the summer months. After that...we'll just have to see what doors have opened and stayed open for me. Hopefully something that will just-so-happen to take me wherever Celyn ends up on her travels, at least for a bit."

He had options. Couple of those doors had already been slammed shut but there were still plenty more to try.

Che sarà sarà.

Celyn grinned at Cooper's nudge. "Of course we will." They did have plenty of pictures together over the years, but of course they needed to have a picture together from their last Hogwarts feast. "And you'll have to give me a copy." She had her own on-going scrapbook from throughout the year with notes, photos, and mementos of the bucket list completion and just general seventh year memories. That was something that was going with her on her travels after school so she could look back on it fondly.

She listened attentively to the speech, or at least tried to, still wanting to commit everything to memory, but it really was the food that came after that she was looking forward to. She was rather hungry. But first she applauded enthusiastically to Ravenclaw winning the house cup this term. She never really cared that much for the contest or the points, but it seemed like a fitting ending for her time here.

Beginning to fill up her plate with all her favorites soon presented, Celyn paused to look up and see their house ghost. "Good evening, Lady Ravenclaw," she greeted her in return with a smile. She would miss her regular imparts of wisdom. Listening to Cooper talk of his own plans, she nodded before continuing as he finished. "I'm headed to Madagascar first. I just secured an internship there with the Wildlife Conservation. Then, we'll see..." She planned on experiencing many places and many jobs before she wanted to settle down. Though that would be after spending a little time at home. But yes, hopefully one of those places would line up with Cooper too.