"Really, Harry, why exactly are you here?" Ron Weasley shook his orange head.
Harry grinned, "I always thought it'd be cool to be an Auror. You know, like, the real thing."
Ron stared, "So, erm, killing the most powerful dark wizard of all time was like, fake? Blimey, you're madder than I thought. 10 Galleons says you come out of it with top marks."
It was, it seemed, the general opinion of the majority of the wizarding world that Harry was wasting his time going through Auror training. The one part that bothered Harry about all of this was that the entire wizarding world now had an opinion. He had attained new super-stardom, and it was frightening. Harry himself wasn't exactly sure why he was doing, but it had something to do with sitting in Professor McGonagall's office, hearing her defend his career choice against Umbridge's verbal mockery.
It was September 1st. The two friends were at King's Cross station, sitting on a bench on Platform 9¾ , that elusive platform that was so very, very worth finding. The first year Hogwarts students were so excited. Harry sat there and remembered it all, in hazy flashes of sweet memory. He remembered being confused about the platform, asking Ron's mother for directions, Ron sitting in his compartment on the train there, Hermione, Scabbers, Chocolate Frogs and Nicholas Flamel. He remembered the Burrow, the Chamber of Secrets and saving Ginny. Ginny. His beautiful girlfriend. Admittedly, he hadn't seen her in quite some time, but he was certain that she was still beautiful. Remembering Ginny made him remember Hogwarts again, the Whomping Willow and the Honeydukes cellar. He remembered Gillyweed, Dobby, snogging, the Room of Requirement, and the Horcruxes. Voldemort. He remembered that final duel, just a few short months ago, when he had finally killed the Dark Lord. He remembered that it was over.
Harry turned to Ron, "Do you think it'll be like Hogwarts?"
Ron blinked, "What, the Auror Academy? Don't see how it could be, really, but it should be brilliant. The things I've heard, apparently we do training in Egypt!"
Harry was still staring at the first years as they clamoured aboard the gleaming Hogwarts express. It was there, in the pit of his stomach, that familiar gripping feeling that made him want to jump on the train too.
Harry turned back to Ron, "When did you tell Hermione we'd be meeting her?"
Ron glanced at his watch, his lazy expression turning into one of panic, "Bloody hell! I told her we'd be there in ten minutes!"
Ron leaped up off the bench upon which they were sitting, giving Harry a look that seemed to say, "Well, aren't you coming?"
Harry stretched lazily, savouring a few more moments of history, and followed Ron as he took off through the invisible barrier and through the train station. Today was their first day of Auror training, and they were going to be late.
"Feels like second year again, doesn't it?" he called out to Ron.
"Hope you get the Howler this time, mate," Ron shouted back.
Harry grinned in spite of himself. Some things would never change.