Chapter 1: Graduation of Memories
Harry watched as she took the stage and took her Hogwarts diploma. He had been waiting for this moment for a year, ever since he left school. She was the only thing in his life that hadn't changed in the past two years. Everything had been turned around when Dumbledore had died. The wizarding world had turned to shambles, Hogwarts had almost been closed, the ministry was under a lot of stress because of all of the attacks, and Harry's life had been anything but quiet.
After Dumbledore's funeral Harry had went back to the Dursleys but wasn't there for long when Voldemort had come for him. The Dursleys had lost their lives and Harry was devastated even though he hated them. He was the reason why they had been killed and Harry had tried his hardest to fight for them but had barely came out of the attack with his own life.
After he recovered from the attack, in which everyone in the wizarding world had heard about, he went back to the Burrow. Ron and Hermione had tried to get him to talk but the only person who Harry would talk to was Ginny. She never talked about the Dursleys, Dumbledore, or anything that Harry didn't want to talk about unless he started the conversation.
He didn't know why he broke up with her anymore but the brake up didn't last long. Sure he didn't want Voldemort to use her against him but Harry and Ginny were being very careful about who found out about their relationship. At first it was only the Weasleys and a few trusted Order members.
Hogwarts was reopened with much controversy. It was open to any students who wanted to come back. Unfortunately, most of the students didn't. Only about forty students returned, most of them in upper years. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had decided it best if they went back for their last year of school. They had made a deal with McGonagall that they would leave if they needed and she would not ask questions. No one else knew of the Horcruxes but Harry had to fill McGonagall in on some of the things that he was doing with Dumbledore. The only thing that she knew was that he knew how to defeat Voldemort and that he and Dumbledore came up with a plan to do so.
During Harry's seventh year they searched and searched for the Horcruxes. Hermione spent most of her free time in the library either trying to think of a new place to search or trying to find out how to destroy a Horcrux. Harry would spend all of his time in Dumbledore's pensive which held all the information he had learned the year before. Ginny would help Harry and Hermione as much as possible but was busy most of the time helping Ron with the DA club.
McGonagall had failed to find a new defense against the dark arts teacher and asked Harry, Ron, and Hermione to help the students in this area. Harry and Hermione had most of their time occupied but Ron had agreed as long as Ginny helped and Harry and Hermione would assist every once in a while.
By the end of the year, Harry and Hermione had gone through most of the library and Dumbledore's memories. They had also found two of the four Horcruxes and had a good idea on what the last one was. They had found the locket at Grimauld place. It turned out that R.A.B. had been Sirius's brother, Regulus, but he wasn't able to destroy the locket before Voldemort had gotten to him.
The other Horcrux they found was Ravenclaw's cups. They had been located in the cave that Voldemort had found Nagini in. It was in a small town that had been cursed ever since Voldemort placed his Horcrux there. The powerful magic surrounding the Horcrux made all of the people in the town get sick, killing most of them. As time went by, the people abandoned the town, but anyone who went in search of the town and found it ended up getting sick, most dying. In truth, as Harry and his companions found out, the Horcruxes was guarded by Nundus, which cause disease just by their breath.
Clever Hermione had figured this out before they had gone there and had found a potion that would make sure that they did not catch the air born disease. Ron unfortunately had caught the disease because he was bitten by one of the creatures. This is what cased another thing to change in Harry's life.
After Ron had almost died he finally figured out that time was precious and he could not stop the inevitable. He finally came to his senses and asked Hermione to go out with him and they have been together ever since. This left Harry to the side which he didn't mind because he had Ginny but he still missed it just being the Golden Trio, best friend till the end.
At the end of Harry's seventh year he and Ginny's relationship had gotten out but was later shot down because of the rumor of Harry and another girl, which Harry had never heard of before. She had claimed to be his girlfriend and surprisingly people believed her. Harry tried to shot down those rumors before Voldemort believed them but a couple of months later she was found dead killed by Death Eaters.
When Voldemort found out that this didn't affect Harry as much as he thought it would he got angry and went on a killing spree. Most of them were targeted on Harry's known friends. Hermione's home was attacked killing her parents. The Burrow was one of the first attacks and it was destroyed after the battle that had taken place their. Luna's house was attack on the same day but fortunately no one was there. Neville's house was also attacked and his grandmother put up an excellent fight killing 25 death eaters before she fell. Dean and Seamus who didn't return to Hogwarts were killed but ended up taking down 64 death eaters with them. They were both given Order of Merlins.
Through all of this Harry stood strong and was able to finish school with some of the top marks in his class and was able to join in the Auror University come next year. But first he had to confront Voldemort again.
Harry heard of the attack against St. Mango's. One of the Order's spies had given them a hint about the attack and Harry and his friends were informed on accident. They arrived at the hospital in the middle of the battle. When Harry arrived someone must have gone to inform Voldemort because a few minutes later Harry found himself dueling Tom Riddle. Voldemort had the chance to defeat Harry but took to long to talk and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny shot curses at him. This didn't effect him like they wanted but it weakened Voldemort enough so that he had to disapperate, leaving Harry behind once again.
After the encounter Voldemort didn't attack for a while and was rumored to be defeated again, but Harry knew better. Harry and Ron joined the Auror University while Hermione got a job in the Department of Mysteries, the youngest witch to do so. Ginny went back to school finishing her last year with the promise to join Harry and Ron the following year.
Hermione used her connections to the Department of Mysteries to find out more about Horcruxes and found out how to destroy them. She also found the last Horcrux. One day she was looking at some of the artifacts in the department and came across the golden hairpin of Hufflepuff. This was what she was thinking was the last Horcrux. She did more research about it and found that the ministry knew of Voldemort's doings but kept them secret. The minister didn't even know of it. The very person to be working on the Horcrux project was R.A.B. or Regulus. Turns out he found two of the Horcruxes but wasn't able to find the other ones.
Meanwhile, Ron and Harry were being kept busy with auror training. Any free time that they had was either spent with Hermione or in Harry's case trying to get a day with Ginny. During Harry's year at the University their relationship was rumored again but was shot down after Harry and Ginny performed a convincing argument in front of a couple of reporters. (Truth was they were really arguing.) Even though Voldemort wasn't active anymore they were sure that it wasn't going to last long and Harry and his friends would be in danger again. And they were right…
Just recently Voldemort and his death eaters were making themselves known. Harry and Ron were being put on a few cases while Hermione was trying to destroy the Horcruxes. It was a very long process that took delicate dealings. She had to do all of this while keeping it secret from everyone around her which wasn't easy. Ginny, meanwhile was finishing her N.E.W.T.S. top of her class and with a full offer to join the University. Harry was very proud of her. As was her family, which was made abundantly clear when Harry heard Mrs. Weasley's quiet cries of joy next to him.
"My little girl is all grown up." Mrs. Weasley cried while Mr. Weasley tried to keep her calm. Harry had to smile. He remembered the day that he graduated and Mrs. Weasley had acted the very same about Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Mr. Weasley had to give her a calming potion by the end of the day so that she would stop crying. Harry was sure that in an hour Mr. Weasley would have to give it to her this time. This was after all her youngest child and only daughter.
Harry looked back up at the women he had fallen in love with over the past two years. She was always there for him during all of the hard times and he didn't want that to change. He had plans to marry her of course but they had both agreed that they wouldn't get married until Voldemort was defeated. Harry wished that it could be different but nothing was ever the way Harry wanted these days. Harry knew that every day the final battle drew closer meant that Harry's death or freedom drew closer as well.
Harry's attention went back to the ceremony once again and found that it was the end. The audience was clapping and the students were all cheering, happy that they had made it to this day. As the audience started to leave and the students went to find their families Harry stayed where he was. Harry and Ginny weren't supposed to get along in public but all Harry wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and hold on to her forever.
"Come on Harry, I know you and Ginny don't get along but you can at least say 'Congratulations!'" Ron acted knowing full well that there were reports all over the place because he was there.
"Fine!" Harry said sounding reluctant. He hated acting but it was the only way that Ginny would stay safe from Voldemort even if she was a target just for being a Weasley.
Harry and Ron walked over to the other Weasley's who were now all congratulating Ginny. When Ginny saw them she gave Harry a cold, but playful, glare that made sure that the reporters didn't say anything about them again.
"Congratulations Ginny." Harry said stiffly. He wasn't going to be able to do this much longer but if Ginny had her way then he wouldn't have to. She has been trying to convince Harry to just let their relationship out but Harry said that it was dangerous. In the end he had given up but only if they kept it a secret until she was out of school and Harry could be next to her all the time. That way, if Voldemort went after her he would have to get through Harry first.
"Thanks Harry." Ginny said just as stiffly then returned her attention to her family. Harry waited at the side and ignored the press that was now starting to form around him. They all wanted to know that same thing. What was the Boy-Who-Lived going to do about Voldemort? Harry had been asked that question about a million times in about a thousand different ways but he had never given an answer. The only statement that they had ever gotten from him was when he was trying to shoot down the rumor of the girl who claimed to be his girlfriend.
"Mum, I think we should go home now." Ginny said noticing Harry's dilemma of reporters. "I'm feeling kind of tired and I want some of that wonderful cake I know you've baked for me."
"Alright dear." Mrs. Weasley said calmly. It seems like Harry was right and Mr. Weasley had to give her the calming potion before the hour was up. "Harry, were leaving so wrap it up." Mrs. Weasley knew that Harry wasn't talking to the reporters but thought it best to give the reporters a reason to leave him alone.
Harry walked back over to them and then apperated after walking out of the Hogwarts grounds without saying a word.