In the beginning, there was silence. Just wholesome, peaceful silence. Silence had been hard to come by for many months now, and to some, it was well worth waiting for.

The sun rose in the east, shining light upon all the damage that had been done. The rays of sunlight stretched across the Hogwarts grounds, and there was nothing but silence. The destruction was thrown into great relief, with bricks scattered about and fires that still needed putting out. It was a horrible mess, to say the least.

And inside the Great Hall is where our story begins. It hardly looks like the dining hall it used to be, tables pushed to the side and bodies lain across stretchers. So many people had been killed, but they had all been fighting for something important. They had been willing to lay down their lives in order to make a better world for everyone else.

Among them were the living, the ones with gashes on their cheeks and dirt on their clothes. Most hadn't made it up to the hospital wing yet, hanging around the Great Hall and reuniting with some of their peers. In a corner, Ginny Weasley sat with her mother, her expression blank and her posture tired. She had lost a brother today, and it still stung. But for now, she was numb, and that was a better feeling than pain.

By the window, Luna Lovegood was being held close by Neville Longbottom. She gave him a tired smile, her blue eyes not as bright as they usually were. He understood. They had a long year, and it was finally over. For that, they were both grateful.

By the door, Hermione Granger clung to Ron Weasley's side, refusing to let go of his hand. Her cheek rested on the upper part of his arm, eyes half-lidded as she scanned the hall, picking out people that she recognized. Ron rubbed comforting circles on the back of her hand, but she hardly paid attention. She was looking for something important. Or, rather, someone.

All around, almost all who had participated in the battle were gathered in that Hall. But, there were two people missing from the crowd. One wasn't much important at all, though he was partly responsible for the reason this whole war startled.

The other was the one who had ended it.

HDHD

Silence and solitude was something that Harry Potter had been seeking for months now, and he finally had it. He knew they had expected him to remain in the Great Hall, probably to make a speech or something like that, but he just had to get away from it all. So, on the Cloak went, and Harry made his clever disappearance.

He had stopped at Dumbledore's office first, the Elder Wand weighing heavily in his pocket. He had wanted to return it to it's proper owner, and to try out an experiment as well. He opened the moleskin pouch that hung around his neck, removing the pieces of his own wand. He had been incredibly heartbroken when it had snapped in half, back in December when he and Hermione had narrowly escaped from Nagini. But, he had a thought. Could the Elder Wand mend his own?

Harry had laid the broken pieces of his wand on Dumbledore's desk, putting them as close together as possible. Then, he drew the Elder Wand over the crack, and to his surprise and delight, his own wand mended under the tip. As he laid the Elder Wand on top of Dumbledore's desk, he gave his wand an experimental wave. Bright sparks shot out of the tip, and he could feel the wood thrumming with power.

After his trip to Dumbledore's office, Harry had headed up to the Astronomy Tower. It was the quietest place at the moment, and nobody would think of looking for him up here. It also gave him some time to himself, to let his thoughts become coherent, and to let his mind wander for at least a little while.

Harry wondered who he was, now that he had saved the Wizarding World. Though, he supposed they'd come up with some stupid name like the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, or the Golden Boy Savior. He had always hated those nicknames, and now they'd get even worse, since he was a war hero. They'd write about him in history books once more (perhaps even a whole book series), and he'd be thrust into the spotlight for years to come.

But, Ron and Hermione would be able to share the spotlight as well. They had done as much as he did, and deserved the glory that they would be given. He was happy for them. Ron would finally get the fame that he wanted, and deserved, and Hermione could actually read about herself in books. It was a win for everybody, except for Harry, who hardly wanted any of the fame at all.

Slight footsteps behind him startled him out of his reverie, and he turned to look at who had discovered his hiding place. But Draco Malfoy didn't seem to see him at all, lost in his own world as he slowly climbed up the steps. As grey eyes met green, Draco finally seemed to realize he wasn't alone.

"Potter." he said monotonously, not even a smirk twitching at his pale pink lips.

"Malfoy." Harry replied, leaning against the railing behind him. "Surprised you haven't left by now. Aren't your parents waiting?"

"They are." Draco shrugged, moving to stand beside Harry, though he was facing the view. "But I thought I'd gaze out upon Hogwarts one last time."

"Not coming back next year?" Harry asked, turning as well, and he directed his sights to the impossibly blue skies.

"Well, I don't know. If I get put on probation, which I suspect I might, then I'll be back here on order. But perhaps I'll travel elsewhere. How about you?"

The question stumped Harry for a moment or two. Was he going to come back? It was a hard choice. On one hand, he couldn't ever imagine leaving Hogwarts. It was his first real home, and leaving it would just seem wrong. But on the other, he had a strange need to go off by himself for a long while, and think about things.

"I'll take that silence as a 'I'm not sure yet', but I'm surprised. Harry Potter, not wanting to come back to Hogwarts? What a headline." Draco drawled, stepping away from the railing. "Well, I'd better head out. The Aurors will show up soon, no doubt, and I don't want to get caught up in that whole mess."

Harry listened to the blonde leave, and he pondered over the other's words. Everyone would want him to go back to Hogwarts to finish schooling, of course. He was destined for this life, to become an Auror, to be a good little poster boy. But he didn't have to be that until September first. He still had three months of freedom left, and he certainly wouldn't waste it by hanging around here.

"Harry?"

Harry turned once more, to find Ron and Hermione standing at the top of the stairs. They both looked exhausted, but happy to see his grimy face. He walked over to embrace the pair of them, though his heart sank. He knew what they were going to say.

"Mate." Ron started. "We're all heading to the Burrow. Did you-"

"No."

His answer seemed to surprise them both, but Ron, surprisingly, nodded in understanding. He had expected Hermione to grasp what he was on about, but Ron knew him better.

"We understand. Just contact us if you need anything, okay?"

Harry nodded, giving them both a smile as they left him be. He then turned to gaze back out of the view, but he had a new hope in his heart. This could be a new beginning. A fresh start. He'd be able to start anew.

Or, perhaps not.