Oh Captain, My Captain

Harry had begrudgingly gone back to Hogwarts after the war. He had done it mostly on Hermione's insistence and the fact that he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life yet. Now he sat next to Draco Malfoy in their last class of their lives which coincidentally was a transfiguration class with Professor McGonagall. About a week prior he had heard McGonagall telling Flitwick about the tradition his grandfather had started. He had a feeling it had been staged and that McGonagall had known he was there the whole time and had done it that way to tell him without putting any pressure on him as he could have pretended that he didn’t know. It made him feel warm knowing that she had put so much thought into the whole thing. Harry however had no intention to ignore the tradition and every intention to continue it. While he had not even known it existed more than a week ago he had lost so many traditions and other things with his parents that now that he had something he could continue he was going to do it with everything he could. He was nervous of course but he had done way worse. The only one he had told about his plan was Draco, the reason being that they had been together when they had overheard their favourite teacher. He glanced at Draco as everyone began to pack up and he nodded in turn. He took a deep breath before slowly standing up immediately he had the attention of the whole room. Carefully he got on top of his desk. He saw Neville look at him with wide eyes before smiling at him both softly and encouragingly, he knew, he figured his grandmother must have told him. The rest of the room looked at him in confusion and Harry locked out all of the eyes and focused on his head of house. He smiled, then he grinned as they made eye contact, he could do this. He raised his arm slowly into a salute and then he spoke softly;

“Oh captain, my captain, you will be missed” Then he bowed formally with both arms at his side. Carefully got down from his desk grabbing his bag and exiting but not before seeing McGonagall's nod of approval and the small smile at her lips as well the proudness in her eyes. Harry felt warm as he left and his classmates cheered for him as he left just like they had for those prior to him. He knew that behind him Draco saluted and bowed as well and then followed him out. Just like his dad and his grandfather the rest followed him all of them saluting and bowing before leaving the classroom for the last time. As the last person left McGonagall smiled, wiping her eyes and this time he knew she didn’t have to worry because her lions were fully grown and had been for a long time. They had already been through hell and back and she knew they would make it and while she could see all the ways they were similar to their parents she could also see that this group of graduates had a flame in their eyes that their parents hadn’t. This time when she felt something coming she knew it was for the better and she hoped that she would be alive to see it.