AFTER THE WAR: RISE OF THE DARK LADY

CHAPTER 1

THE AFTERMATH

"That wand is more trouble than it's worth," said Harry. "And quite honestly, I've had enough trouble to last a lifetime."

Ron and Hermione chuckled wryly at his rather large understatement. They walked out of the office, closing the door behind them, and rode the revolving staircase down. Reaching the bottom, Harry carefully stepped back over the damaged and overturned gargoyles.

"C'mon, lend us a hand?" groaned one.

"Or at least a wand!" muttered the other, with some difficulty, given that he was lying face first on the ground, causing the words to be muffled by the stone.

Hermione waved her wand with a murmured spell, and the gargoyles righted themselves, lifting off the floor and settling back on their pedestals as the bits and pieces that had gotten chipped or blasted off during the Battle Reformed and then reattached themselves to their bodies.

"Thank you very much, Miss!" sighed the first gratefully.

"Indeed, thank you!" added the first, before asking inquiringly. "Tell me, do you know when Professor McGonagall will be shifting her things here? We want her to get the new password and such for us."

The trio shook their heads and said that they didn't, but that they would let her know that she should speak with the gargoyles. The gargoyles thanked them again, and they departed.

"So, where to now, mate?" asked Ron, as they turned a corner."Back to the party downstairs?"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "Not for me, I am going to Gryffindor Tower, and I am going to ask Kreacher to bring me a sandwich."

"Are you sure, Harry?" asked Hermione gently.

"Yeah, I'm sure all right. I'll even ask the Fat Lady not to let anyone other than us in for right now." Harry replied firmly. "Unless you lot are going downstairs, in which case I will tell her to let you two in anytime."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances behind him. Hermione raised her eyebrows at Ron, who nodded in return. Hermione smiled at him in return.

"Ron and I will stay with you, Harry. Always." she answered Harry, who grinned in response.

Reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, the three of them stopped.

"Is it true? Is He-Who-Must-Not-Named truly gone, this time for good?" she asked hesitantly.

They nodded solemnly, and she whooped for joy and then immediately started to cry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other for a moment, thoroughly bewildered, then Harry asked tentatively:

"Umm, excuse me? Glad you're happy, but...eh... could we get inside please?"

Still sobbing, though now into a handkerchief that she had pulled from the folds of her dress, the Fat Lady nodded. Her frame swung forward, revealing the familiar sight of the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry clambered through first, and stood inside the room that was so familiar and yet utterly alien. As Ron helped Hermione through, Harry slowly walked over to one of the big, squishy armchairs in front of the hearth. He sank into its luxurious, cushioned depths and had to stifle a moan of pleasure. Ron and Hermione came over and curled up together on the couch next to his chair, holding hands, Hermione's head resting on Ron's shoulder.

Harry sat and watched them for a moment, grinning, pleased that they had finally gotten around to expressing their feelings, even if it had taken a a war and more-or-less guaranteed suicide mission to do it. Turning to the dimly glowing fireplace, Harry raised his repaired wand, and murmured "Incendio!" Immediately, the fire burned larger, and hotter, filling the room with warmth and light. Harry ran his fingers lightly over his wand, delighting at his ability to use it once more. He hadn't felt complete without it. Smiling contentedly, Harry abruptly remembered his desire for a sandwich. He sat up.

"Kreacher?" he called quietly. With a crack, the house elf Apparated before him. Seeing Harry, Kreacher bowed low with a smile that revealed the gaps in his teeth. As he straightened up, Harry saw that he had a gash on his forehead and a bloody lip, accompanied by several bruises. Harry leaned forward, instantly concerned.

"What happened to you, Kreacher? Are you all right?"

Kreacher gave a croaking laugh and waved one small hand dismissively.

"This? This is nothing, Master Harry. I just got a bit overzealous during the Battle. Got myself separated from the other house-elves during our attack, and a fleeing Death Eater ran right into me. That's the bloody lip. As for the gash, while I fell I managed to cut myself on my own knives." Kreacher replied, and laughed again, causing Regulus's locket to bounce on his chest a little.

While he had been speaking, Ron and Hermione had gotten off of the couch, and joined them. Crouching down, Hermione drew her wand and muttered a complex-sounding incantation. Kreacher's split lip healed and the gash vanished as new, healthy skin grew over it. Satisfied, Hermione rocked back on her heels.

"It was very brave of you to lead the house elves into the Battle, Kreacher, but you all could have been killed! Shouldn't you have stayed in the kitchens?" she asked, looking concerned as she gave him a quick once over, searching for more wounds to heal.

"Thank you for healing me, Miss" replied Kreacher with deep bows to her and Ron. "However, it was not as brave as what Master Harry or Master Regulus did. We house elves owed it to ourselves and to them to do our part and help stop the Dark Lord. We could not stand idly by ad just watch." He shook his head firmly, bat-like ears flapping. "Besides, we all knew that Master Harry had tried to turn himself in, to save the defenders of Hogwarts, and hearing of his death and then to have the Dark Lord lie about it, saying he was fleeing...well, most of us lost our tempers."

"Eh...thanks, Kreacher." said Harry, feeling awkward after Kreacher's comment of his bravery and the anger his apparent death had aroused. "Listen, if you are feeling up to it, do you think that you could bring up some butterbeers and a few sandwiches?"

"Of course, Master Harry. I will bring up plenty straight away, no doubt you are all starving." Kreacher replied, before vanishing with a crack.