Much thanks to go out to Sop12345d for being a outstanding beta.
A sunrise was a beautiful thing, but a sunset always held a far more mystical feel to it. Watching the sun disappear over the horizon and closing the day was something that could be truly magical. It was a sight that young Harry Potter was often found watching.
He enjoyed sitting by the lake and seeing the remaining light of day shimmer over the surface of the water. It was a beautiful sight and an image he hoped he'd be able to continue to see in the future. A future which, at this moment in time, was hanging on a knife's edge. The whole world was scared and it seemed to be on his shoulders to fix it and all he wanted was to be allowed to sit and watch the sun rise and set.
He knew that come this time next year, everything will be different. He didn't know how many people would be dead, what the world would look like, but he knew that whatever happened, he would have to be right in the middle of it. He had to be standing on the front lines and facing the oncoming storm.
There was a rustle from behind him and he turned quickly, wand in hand, to see who had found him out. Standing there was Professor McGonagall, looking much less frightening that she does during daylight hours. He was expecting a telling off, but was mildly surprised when she spoke.
"Mr. Potter, I really wish that you would tell someone that you were going to be leaving the castle," she said as she stepped closer. She hovered over his shoulder as he turned back towards the lake. The last of the sun just starting to dip out of view.
"Sorry, Professor. I really wasn't going to be out very long, but I got distracted," he explained. The truth was the only way he could ever answer his beloved Professor. She may have scared many students, but to Harry, she did what she had to do to earn respect and many a student adored her for her no-nonsense attitude.
"I understand that can happen, when facing a sunset I have occasionally found myself pulled away from troubling thoughts to marvel at its beauty," she begun, her hands lacing together in front of her. Totally at ease. "With the impending war, a simple sunset is a sight many will take for granted. I personally find hope in the way the light dims and fades off into darkness, only to return and become stronger and brighter as time passes," McGonagall says and Harry doesn't take his eyes off the sunset until it has completely disappeared. When it's gone, he turns to his Professor, standing up. The pair of them watch the darkness enfold around them and then they head back inside, taking the familiar route back up to the common room.
McGonagall stops Harry with a hand on his arm before he has a chance to walk through the portrait hall. "Don't go losing hope, Mr. Potter. The sun will keep on rising after every fall and so should you," she says before turning and walking back towards her own rooms as Harry heads for his bed. A spark inside him alights once more.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Comments much appreciated.