Faced with the tide of invitations—filled with admiration and courage—surging toward him,
Lin Sen simply smiled… and declined them all with calm politeness.
"Thank you, but I'm sorry."
"I appreciate your feelings. Thank you."
He did not accept a single individual invitation.
Just as the girls who had stepped forward began to feel disappointed—thinking he intended to dance with no one that night—
The music at the center of the ballroom suddenly changed.
A more graceful, more romantic, and more majestic waltz began to play.
Lin Sen slowly rose to his feet.
He walked to the center of the dance floor.
Under the gaze of everyone present, he gently raised his hand—
And snapped his fingers.
A miracle descended once more.
Every candle and light in the Great Hall extinguished in an instant!
In their place, the enchanted ceiling transformed—vast, boundless, and infinitely deep.
Countless brilliant stars shimmered within reach. Vast rivers of galaxies stretched across the heavens!
And the dance floor itself, under Lin Sen's effortless, god-tier transfiguration, became…
An endless, tranquil expanse of eternal starlight.
A cosmos belonging only to him—and them.
Then—
He turned toward the Gryffindor table, extending his hand to the brilliant girl gazing at him.
"Hermione, my first dance is yours. Thank you for your companionship and wisdom along the way."
He turned toward the most radiant and proud figure in the crowd.
"Fleur, may I have this dance? Your beauty, like a rose of France, has filled my journey with fragrance."
His gaze shifted to Slytherin.
"Daphne, your decisiveness and loyalty are the foundation of a new era. This dance is for you."
Then—to the dreamy girl who seemed not quite of this world.
"Luna, dance with me. Your soul brings me more peace than even this starry sky."
Finally, his eyes settled on the Seeker whose eyes shimmered with tears.
"Cho… this is a farewell. Thank you for leaving the most radiant sunset in my Hogwarts years."
He had refused everyone—
Yet invited the five who had left the deepest marks on his life.
Hermione.
Fleur.
Daphne.
Luna.
Cho Chang.
Under the warm, blessing-filled gazes of the entire hall, they stepped forward—
Like maidens answering a divine summons—entering the dreamlike cosmic dance floor.
Lin Sen stood at their center.
He chose no single partner.
Instead, as the music flowed—
With Hermione, he danced a movement of intellect.
With Fleur, a romantic verse in motion.
With Daphne, a rhythm of resolve.
With Luna, a dreamlike spiral of wonder.
With Cho Chang, a final turn of quiet release.
Alone, he danced with five of the most extraordinary girls—
Beneath a starry sky he himself had created—
Performing a waltz so breathtaking…
That no one present would ever forget it.
It became a legend.
A myth etched forever into Hogwarts' history.
And the most perfect, most romantic conclusion…
To the student years of a living legend.
After the dreamlike ball became an eternal memory in every heart—
The seventh-years finally arrived at their last, most solemn day in the ancient castle.
Graduation.
The Great Hall was decorated once more.
This time, there was no romance of a ball, nor the tension of judgment.
Only solemnity—filled with hope, blessings, and farewell.
Sunlight streamed through tall windows, casting warm golden light across the four house tables.
Graduates sat in the front, dressed in new robes embroidered with the Hogwarts crest.
Excitement shone on their faces—
Along with a trace of reluctance to part.
And among them—
One seat stood utterly apart.
Lin Sen sat as always, calm and composed.
Yet around him, an invisible "vacuum" seemed to exist.
No one dared sit beside him.
Not out of fear—
But reverence.
A sense that sitting beside a "god"… would itself be a kind of desecration.
When all were seated—
A tall, solemn figure stepped onto the stage.
Thunderous applause erupted instantly!
It was not Dumbledore—
But the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.
A sitting Minister personally presiding over a graduation—
An honor unprecedented in Hogwarts' thousand-year history.
And everyone knew why.
Kingsley raised his hand, and silence fell.
"Good afternoon… future pillars of Hogwarts."
He began with customary blessings.
Then—
His gaze turned toward one person.
His expression became solemn… even humble.
He bowed slightly.
"But today, I stand here not only as Minister."
"But as a representative… of every survivor of this war."
"I am here to honor… a great existence."
His voice rose with emotion.
"We were once shrouded in darkness!"
"We were ruled by fear!"
"We believed hope was gone!"
"But he appeared!"
"He swept away all corruption!"
"He reshaped our order with supreme wisdom!"
"He elevated our civilization with boundless generosity!"
He turned fully toward Lin Sen.
"Lord Lin Sen! Please allow me—on behalf of the entire magical world—to thank you!"
"Thank you… for saving this world!"
"Thank you… for giving us a new era of light!"
The entire hall rose to its feet!
Applause thundered like a tidal wave!
Then came the final step—
The presentation of diplomas.
Dumbledore himself stepped down from the stage.
He did not call students one by one.
Instead—
Holding a single, unique diploma crafted from dragon hide and imbued with eternal magic—
He walked directly to Lin Sen.
The world watched.
The passing of eras.
The old legend… and the new god.
Dumbledore looked at him—this student he never fully understood, yet was most proud of.
He handed over the diploma.
Then grasped Lin Sen's hand firmly.
"My child," he said, voice soft but sincere.
"I once believed that protecting this castle… was my greatest pride."
He smiled, relieved and radiant.
"But now I understand…"
"I… and all of Hogwarts…"
"...shine because of you."
Then—
Kingsley stepped forward once more.
In his hands—a velvet box.
He opened it.
Golden light burst forth!
Inside lay a grand medal:
A golden circle, marked with a violet "M," framed by oak leaves.
The Order of Merlin, First Class.
The highest honor in British magical history.
"Lin Sen," Kingsley said solemnly,
"By unanimous decision… we award you this honor."
He placed it upon Lin Sen's chest.
"At seventeen… you are the youngest recipient in history."
"And the most deserving."
Applause erupted once more.
This was the coronation of an era.
Finally—
Lin Sen stepped onto the stage.
No script.
Only his gaze, sweeping across the young faces before him.
He smiled.
"Today… we graduate."
"Some say this is the end of an era."
He paused.
"But I believe…"
"This is only the beginning."
He did not speak of the past.
Only the future.
"This land is vast—but the world is greater."
"Hogwarts is magnificent—but it is not the entirety of magic."
"It is a cradle… not the end."
His voice ignited something in every heart.
"Beyond these shores… beyond known magic…"
"There are civilizations, mysteries, and truths waiting."
"To be explored."
"To be discovered."
"To be conquered."
He opened his arms—
As if embracing the infinite.
"So, my friends—"
"Do not dwell in the past."
"Do not settle for the present."
"Take up your wands—and your courage."
"Travel. Learn. Create."
"Make this land… the brightest beacon of civilization."
His eyes shone like countless stars igniting at once.
"Because—"
"Our journey…"
"Is the sea of stars."
~~--------------------------
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