Chapter 1: One Year Later
A scrawny young man appeared from nowhere just outside of the Hog's Head. He paused for a moment to look at the place, his long emerald green robes flowing around him. Taking a breath and closing his eyes for a moment, he pushed open the door and approached the bar. A scruffy looking old man was standing behind it, wiping a dirty glass with an even dirtier towel. For a moment, the man in emerald robes smiled. It was several years ago that he remembered a bushy haired teenage girl relaying the advice from Professor Flitwick that they bring their own glasses when visiting this particular pub.
The old man behind the counter did not say a word of greeting but merely gave his new guest a curt nod that indicated he was ready for the customer's order.
"firewhisky," said the newcomer as he took a stool near the old man. As the barman sat the glass in front of his customer, he finally spoke.
"Been a year already, Mr. Potter?" he said with a crackle in his voice.
Harry did not respond, but simply nodded. It seemed like just yesterday that he had appeared in the same spot he had appeared only moments ago to be met by the screeching of protective enchantments and the onslaught of deatheaters, who were eager to capture the object of their master's greatest wish. The man behind the bar had saved his life that day through an act of some of the quickest thinking Harry had seen. Though Aberforth was nothing like his brother, Albus Dumbledore, the braver that the latter man possessed seemed to reside in the former's veins as well.
Aberforth spoke again, "Headed up to the castle for the memorial?"
Again, Harry only nodded.
"The reconstruction seems to be coming along well." Aberforth continued, in an uncharacteristic attempt to make conversation. "The Gryffindor tower is almost complete reassembled, so the students should be able to move back in there next term, and about half of the corridors that were destroyed have been rebuilt. Even many of the secret passageways out of the school have been unblocked, judging the amount of students I see in the town when they aren't supposed to be."
Harry looked up at the man behind the counter. It was easy to understand what he was trying to do, but Harry didn't want to talk right now. He had come in here, instead of the Three Broomsticks, to be left alone. He downed the rest of his drink and stood, reaching into his sack for some gold. Aberforth shook his head and refused the sickles Harry had offered him.
"This one, on this day, is on me, Mr. Potter." he said, with a glisten in his eye reminiscent of his brother's.
Harry returned the gold to his sack, nodded in thanks, and returned to the bright street outside. He looked down at the gold watch on his wrist. It had several nicks and dents in it, and he had been told many times he ought to have it replaced. Harry would never replace this watch, however, because it had been given with a love he had rarely felt. Each time he looked at it, it tugged at his heart reminding him that love still existed in the world.
According to the watch, he had about an hour before he was expected at the castle. He didn't want to arrive too early, because he didn't want the torture of having to make conversation with people who were looking at him with the eyes of someone looking at an old man who was about to die. He walked up the quiet street taking each step carefully.
As he rounded the corner onto the main pass through the town, he couldn't help but smile. There, where Zonko's had been during his days at this school, stood The Fred Weasley Joke Shoppe: a of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes store. It had apparently just opened for business as it was covered in everlasting balloons with a large sign with the glittering words Grand Opening scribbled across it in what Harry recognized as George's handwriting.
Harry made a mental note to visit the store once his mood improved. He had a feeling that his mental state would bring down the entire atmosphere of the joke shop at the moment. Taking another step, he continued his trek to the castle. As he turned another corner, his old home came into view. He could see, even at this distance, that much of the building was still in ruins, but Aberforth had been right- it had improved.
For several minutes, Harry just stood on the spot and stared up at massive castle that had been his home for six years. Take yet another deep breath, he walked the rest of the way towards the castle gates. For a moment, he wondered who would greet him there, but as he came closer to the gates a smile stretched across his face. From this distance, he could just make out the shape of a petite young girl with flaming red hair. His paced quickened some as he approached Ginny.
When he reached the gates, she tapped them with her wand and they swung open. Her face was covered with the most beautiful smile Harry had ever seen. It had not really occurred to him that he would be seeing Ginny today. With her finishing her last year at Hogwarts and him starting at the Auror Academy, they had not seen much of each other over the past year. Harry pulled her into a tight embrace and gave her a passionate kiss.
His spirits seemed to lift dramatically as they walked up the path to the school hand in hand. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick met them at the door to the castle. They were wearing their nicest dress robes and each had an emerald green ribbon pinned over their hearts. Harry had never been sure who had started the tradition of wearing ribbons that matched Harry's eye color to commemorate those who had fought and been lost in the final battle against Voldemort, but it had caught on quickly.
"Good afternoon, Professors" Harry said politely.
"Good afternoon, Harry. How was your journey?" replied professor McGonagall.
"Uneventful, the best kind."
As they entered to castle, a momentary shock hit Harry hard in the chest. This was the first time he had been in this castle since the memorial ceremony after the Battle of Hogwarts. His heart tugged in his chest as he remembered the ceremony. Ginny seemed to sense what he was feeling, because she gripped his hand tighter and moved closer to him.
The suits of army and the statues all had ribbons magically attached to their chests, and the residents of the paintings brandished the same ribbons over their hearts.
After a few minutes, Harry realized where they were being led. They had were heading to the Headmaster's, or rather the Headmistress's, offices. They reached the gargoyle that guarded the entrance and she muttered "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." The gargoyle bowed and jumped aside, allowing them to enter.
Harry had not been in the office since McGonagall had taken over as Headmistress. He was surprised to see how similar it looked compared to how it had looked when Dumbledore had been Headmaster.
What he had been most anxious to see, however, was the large painting behind her desk of the most recent Headmaster of Hogwarts, Severus Snape. He looked down on the room with his classic sneer, but Harry smiled back at him. More than anything, he wished he had had a chance to thank the man in that painting before he died.
Harry and Ginny took their seats in front of the Headmistress's desk. Flitwick had dismissed himself and went to the great hall to address the students waiting there. McGonagall sat behind her desk and smiled.
"So, Harry, how is life at the Academy?" She asked.
"It's going well. I had a little trouble keeping up with the academics at first, but yet again it has come in handy to have a friend like Hermione." He responded.
"And how is Hermione?"
"She is doing very well. She is studying harder than ever at St Mungo's. You'd think she had a time turner again, she stays so busy."
"Well, I am confident that she will do just fine. Now, it is time we headed to the Great Hall. The students are all anxious to hear from you."
She stood and led Harry and Ginny out of the office and toward the great room with the enchanted ceiling that Harry had found so amazing his first day at Hogwarts. He could hear the students chatting excitedly to each other as he stepped into the entrance Hall. The moment he opened the door, however, it was as if a silencing charm had been placed on the student body. No one spoke, but they all turned to watch Harry walk to the podium set up in the place where the sorting hat had stood each year for centuries.
Ginny gave Harry's hand one last squeeze then turned to take her seat at the Gryffindor table as Harry continued is march to the front of the room. When he reached the podium, he turned and looked out at the students of Hogwarts. They were all looking up at him eagerly awaiting his words of wisdom. For a moment he froze. He had tried to prepare a speech for this day, but he had not been able to find the words he needed. In the words of Fred Weasley he was making it up as he went along.
"I'd like every person who was here in this room a year ago today, preparing to fight, to stand."
Students all across the hall were slowly coming to their feet. Harry was impressed when, without his prodding, those who remained sitting began to clap and cheer. He waited for the uproar to run its coarse before he spoke again.
"Each of these people are braver than we can ever imagine. Faced with the choice of evacuating to safety and staying to fight, they chose to risk their lives and fight. They deserve honor and respect, for they are greater warriors than most."
The great hall filled with cheering again. Harry raised his hands to silence them before he went on.
"Please be seated." He told those who were standing. "We have had much to celebrate over this past year. Voldemort," he was impressed that very few people flinched at the sound of the name anymore, "defeated, his death eaters on the run, and hope restored. There is, however, much to grieve as well. Those who stood only moments ago were not the only warriors in that battle one year ago. They are not the only ones who deserve our honor, or respect. Many died that day, and many died in the war that had been raging for many years previous. It is impossible to know exactly how many were killed in the war, but we will forever pay their respects. It is for that reason that I am here today. I am here today to honor those mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends who were lost to the greatest wizarding war in history. They gave their lives for the good of wizard-kind, and they will not be forgotten. Many of you will have noticed a new addition to the Hogwarts grounds that those of us who are old know so well, and those of you who are new comers to Hogwarts will come to know as home. We have erected a grand monument to honor those who fell in the war. I invited you to visit it to pay your respect to the warriors that many of you never knew, but that you owe great thanks to."
With that last sentiment, Harry left the podium and exited the great hall. He did not want to endure the whispering, the sad looks, or the furtive glances. He left the great hall, but did not leave the castle. Instead he let his feet carry him along the familiar path to his home.
When he reached the portrait of the fat lady he realized he had a problem. He didn't know the password. Was there even a password? The tower wasn't quite finished, was it? His problem didn't last long, however. As soon as the fat lady saw him, she swung open.
"You, Harry Potter, are always welcome within my tower." She said.
Harry thanked her and entered the tower and hardly made it passed the threshold before he collapsed. He sat on all fours in the tower that had been his first home. He let loose the tears that he had been holding back all day. The memories of the last time he had come to this castle were flowing through him like an uncontrollable river and he couldn't hold back anymore.
He didn't even notice when the portrait hole swung open again. Ginny had followed him out of the hall and kneeled to put her hand around his shoulders. He leaned into her. She was crying too. Harry did not know how long they stayed there in the empty common room, but he eventually noticed that the sky outside had darkened.
He looked down at Ginny. She had fallen asleep in his arms. Harry hated to disturb her, but they couldn't stay here all night. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She stirred and looked up at him with a smile.
"Guess you need to be going." She said carefully masking her sadness.
Harry smiled back at her and replied, "Yeah, I can't stay much longer. I'm sure you should be in your room by now, and I left Teddy with Andromeda."
They stood and Harry walked her to the temporary Gryffindor dormitories. He gave her a deep, passionate kiss before saying goodbye and turning to leave. She entered her dormitory with a small, sad sigh.
It pained Harry's heart as he left the grounds. Leaving her behind was unbelievably hard. His only comfort was that she would soon be taking her N.E.W.T.S and then she would be done at Hogwarts.
He turned back towards the castle just outside the gates. He took a small square box from his pocket and opened it.
"Soon." He said to himself as he opened the box. It contained a small ring emblazoned with the Gryffindor and a small diamond in the center. "Very soon."
He replaced the box in the inside pocket of his robes, turned on the spot, and disappeared.