A first year as DADA professor under their belt and Dhruv could not have been more happy about the success. They had been warmly accepted by their peers and students, their lessons had been unchaotic; Hogwarts as a whole had been this way which was a bit surprising given all that seemed to occur here.

They took their assigned seat then surveyed the four House tables. While pleased for the Hufflepuffs, Dhruv was somewhat disappointed Slytherin House had brought last. Still, there was always next term, a term for which they would surely be back for.

They sat there, enjoying the silence of the Staff table for now until the hum of conversation by their colleagues took over.

Would you look at that...the term was coming to a close. It had been a change to teach at Hogwarts versus Wizarding University but Celeste had found it quite enjoyable for sure. But she had to wonder what it was going to be like tonight at the traditional end-of-term feast. She briefly remembered how it had been as a student, many years having passed, it had to be far different from the side of staff.

"Guid evening, Dhruv," she greeted the defense professor as she approached the staff table and noticing her colleague was the first one there. "We've made it," she mused with a smile as fellow newbies to the professors. A flicker of movement above the student tables caught her attention as she moved to sit down, noticing her familiar had made it down was handling the message she had sent on ahead to a certain Hufflepuff.

Was it truly possible that a term had gone by with no catastrophic event? No near death experiences for both staff and students? No dark magical creature attempting to take over some part of the castle?

Javier could hardly believe it.

Nodding at the newbies who were already there, Celeste and Dhruv - although they weren't newbies anymore were they? They'd completed a whole year of teaching. They were vets now - he smiled at them as he took his place. "You two lucked out - relatively quiet year here. Assuming the Giant Squid doesn't crash the closing feast or anything," he teased, knocking on the wooden table for dramatic effect.

"Now, don't jinx us, Javier, my dear boy," Headmaster Winterbottom settled into his seat with bit of a groan. What was that quaint phrase the Americans said? Ah, right. His 'dogs' were barking. The castle was just full of long hallways and staircases, and the stone floors were unforgiving on his old feet. Perhaps he'd take up roller skating to cut the travel time in half next term.

The older man dawdled over thoughts of his sore feet while the professors chattered around him. He could tell they were delighted that the term had ended safely and with everyone fully maintaining their own arms and legs (and eyeballs), and everyone seemed ready for the summer. Wilber was ready for the summer as well, time enough to spend with his extended family and to stock up his library before another term came around.

But, alas, he could only dawdle so long. With an even greater groan, the Headmaster shoved back to his feet and raised a hand for quiet. He didn't need to shush, because young people were respectful when treated with respect, and when silence fell, he raised his voice. "Hello for the last time this term, young people. I hope that you will eat your fill and chatter with your classmates until your hearts are as full as your bellies, and then you will safely away to your beds for one last night. The trains will take you home in the morning, and for some of you, it will be your last farewell for Hogwarts."

Wilber paused a moment to let the full import of those words settle in for the seventh years. They had a big next step. "We wish those graduating a wonderous future. For those returning next term, enjoy your trip home and the summer months with your family and friends. When you return in the fall, we shall fill your noggins with many new amazing things, I'm sure."

Was he forgetting anything? Something cheerful or rousing? Something that captured the tone of the term that had ended quietly and safely? Or perhaps they were all a bit tired and a bit nostalgic, as he was, and the sooner the food appeared, the better. "Eat, drink, and be happy little chipmunks. Thank you for a lovely year."

AThe students were filing in and so were the other professors. “Good evening to you, Celeste! Yes, we sure did.” There was a hint of amusement and wonder in their tone because they were thinking of all the events that had occurred in recent years; the amusement was wholly due to the lucky fact that they had missed any form of chaos, good or bad. Indeed it had been quite the peaceful year.

Javier’s comment got a chuckle out of them. “I wouldn’t call it lucking out if you’ve got a bunch of adolescents to teach.” These students knew how to keep everyone on their toes; overall, they were a good bunch and Dhruv was sorry to see the graduates go. But there was the new batch of first years and transfers to look forward to next term. More chuckling ensued from them, this time it was because of the Headmaster. Dhruv greeted him and secretly hoped the speech wouldn’t be long now. Their stomach was just about to commence embarrassingly loud whale noises.

Mercifully, it didn’t come to that. Their eyes swept the four House tables as Winterbottom gave the speech, and they too could not help but feel thankful too.

Thankful that the students and the rest of the staff had welcomed and accepted them into Hogwarts.

Marilyn took her seat at the dais beside Dhruv and made small polite nods. She would have questioned Javier about it being a quiet year but she also knew from her own experience that Hogwarts always seemed to have some excitement or other. Yet, as Dhruv pointed out .... teaching adolescents was excitement enough. Definitely a whole different experience than research and development. "Think it's more likely to be Peeves than the Giant Squid." Mari chimed in. Although perhaps the poltergeist was keeping a low profile and sulking after the fiasco the previous year.

There was the Headmaster's speech. Relatively simple. Even after a year there were a few faces that she would be sad to not see returning in the Fall, but she was also excited to see what their future held.

Norman quietly slipped into the great hall, taking his seat at the far end of the table a few minutes before the headmaster's speech. After greeting each of his colleagues with a polite nod upon arrival, he sat silently, looking out at the house tables. This was seven end-of-term feasts under his belt now, but something about this one hit different. This graduating class had started attending Hogwarts at the same time he started teaching here, and they were the last firsthand witnesses to Lucien Rosier's tyranny.

That meant that once the students boarded the train home tomorrow, Norman would have fulfilled a promise he made long ago to atone for his inaction by staying on until the last class present that term left Hogwarts, to protect them from any further threats.

While his thoughts were elsewhere, he wasn't oblivious to the conversations going on around him. Javier was right on the money about this term! Quiet terms like this one were a rarity. Anyway, he doubted it was possible for anyone to have a more stressful first term than the one he had - Merlin, he hoped it wasn't! He wouldn't wish that on anyone! Marilyn's mention of Peeves got a slight smile. She wasn't wrong, especially considering the poltergeist antics last term!

Norman listened politely to the headmaster's speech, applauding for the seventh years. He was proud of them, their hard work and resilience. Not that he would ever let on, of course. He wasn't the type to wear his heart on his sleeve!

Celeste looked past the defense professor as first Javier and then Wilber joined them at the table. She gave a bemused look as the potions professor remarked on their luck, the elder man calling him out on the jinx. “Aye, Bartholomew would never…” she remarked with a laugh in defense of the squid. Though at Marilyn’s words as she sat between her and Dhruv, Celeste stopped short. Having heard about last term’s antics, the astronomy professor certainly hoped Peeves didn’t get any ideas.

She would be content to have had a quiet term for her first year here.

Moving her gaze from her colleagues to distract herself from thoughts of trouble, she settled on the students as more and more of them entered the Great Hall. The din having risen as they met up with housemates and friends awaiting the actual feast. When her eyes alighted on the Hufflepuff table once more, Celeste caught Jude’s gaze looking at her, smiling back with a simple nod of acknowledgement at his unspoken words as the headmaster had gotten up to speak. The woman paying full attention and clapping for the graduating students before dinner arrived.

Hadleigh couldn't believe that another for term had come and gone. This one without much incident at all. It had truly felt as if only yesterday these students had arrived and now they were all going to be heading home tomorrow morning. Her own thoughts had caused her to miss a little bit of the conversation going on between everyone at the dais but she smiled when the Headmaster rose to his feet.

It was time for his speech. Short. Sweet. And directly to the point. As the man mentioned the graduating students, Hady couldn't help but seek out several. Mainly the ones in her family that wouldn't be returning next term as they were moving on to bigger and better things now. She was so proud to have been able to teach them these past two years.

After nodding his greetings before the Headmaster commenced his speech, Kennedy remained quiet, glancing out at the sea of students. The pale in his face that had drenched it the past few weeks was finally beginning to ease. You'd think by now he'd be used to receiving news from his wife that he was going to be a dad again. Yet...twins. They were expecting twins. Kennedy's mind still whirled. They had a baby boy of a year old--little Angel--and now their family was expanding by two little babes.

He let out a breath.

There was no way he would leave Gabriela alone with a soon-to-be toddler and twin newborns. No. And so, his Hogwarts career came to and end for now. The past two years were the best career-wise, and though he wished it to be longer, his family needed him.

What a year, Ean thought. Two years in the game and he was mostly pleased with the calm closure. Pleasantries were exchanged with his co-workers as he took his seat beforehand. Conversations flew over as he wondered if the next one will follow suit as a warm smile filled him hearing the closing speech. He had a whole crew of graduates that won't be blossoming his corridors any longer and less questions to answer. Very bittersweet.

Oh yeah, Hufflepuff won. Good for them. Feirgrund's Gryffindor pride was still there but not as huge as in the past so he accepted their third place win as he applauded with the others. This summer though, he had some plans ahead of him. Looking forward to seeing his partner and kids again as he tucked into the last meal of the term.