AN: Hello! This is my first Harry Potter Fanfic ever and I really hope all of you lovely readers enjoy it. I know I've had fun writing it. I do not own Harry Potter, its characters, spells, creatures, etc. I truly hope you like reading this and reviews are always welcome.
Pain and longing. Love and despair. Anger and grief. So many emotions were passing through the wizarding world. He-who-must-not-be-named was finally gone for good and it spread a flood of emotions throughout every household that held a witch or wizard. The one feeling that stood out the most was hope. Hope that the way things were would go back to normal. Hope that days filled with darkness and death would be put to light. Harry Potter had helped them all to gain their feelings of indescribable hope. The fiasco at Hogwarts made everyone realize one thing or another. When everyone settled down from all of the fighting and had time to bury their dead, Harry stood in front of his fellow witches and wizards as other great leaders had before him.
"I know this is a hard time for all of us right now. The losses we have endured haven't even had long enough to sink in. I just wanted you all to know that this battle was won because of all of you. You helped make this," He had motioned to the crowd standing in front of him, "possible. Voldemort would still be here if it weren't for the efforts of all of you brave people. I know that I speak for everyone when I say that this day will never be forgotten. We've all lost loved ones but their death was not in vain. There is nothing we can do for the people who weren't able to be here for this victory except for cherish what we now have. The love we all share for each other, this school, and the entire wizarding world won't go unnoticed. People will know for ages the sacrifice that was made for them to be safe these past few years. Our love is the reason that we could pull through. Our love is what drove Voldemort and his followers into the ground. Keep that love close to you. It will be more powerful than any spell."
The crowd had cheered, cried, and stared shocked at the Chosen One. It was only expected that people who had seen so much death wouldn't exactly feel like cheering at the moment. Later on they would hear those words again and smile at the truth. At the same time it would tug at their hearts with a sadness that only war can bring. It hadn't been long before Harry's little speech had been broadcast in every wizarding house. It was a sense of inspiration for the people and it made them remember that good things do still exist. For the first week they would broadcast Harry's presentation at the same time each night. Some families would gather in their living room just to hear that speech one more time to make sure that it had really happened.
Harry was once again all of the gossip that was whispered from one ear to another. Rita Skeeter especially took the chance to rope Harry in for an interview. Every time Harry saw the Daily Prophet headline he would look at it with scorn. "Magnificent Golden Boy Survives the Dark Lord." That's what the headline read but if anyone cared to actually read the article they'd find out it had nothing to do with Harry defeating Voldemort. She had actually taken interviews from girls at Hogwarts asking them what they thought of Harry. She surprisingly managed to twist those interviews and make it seem like every girl at Hogwarts was in love with the Boy Who Lived. Harry, to be honest, wasn't flummoxed by it. He had realized that stuff like that would happen and that he should just ignore it. Ginny hadn't liked that article one bit and complained about it every other day for a whole month after it was taken out of the Daily Prophet.
Everyone at Hogwarts didn't have time to fuss over gossip. Hogwarts was in total shambles and even with magic they all knew it would take some back bone to fix the place up. Volunteers had stayed at Hogwarts that whole summer to help get it ready for school that September. Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione, and Luna were some of the few that stayed. Most of the Gryffindor house had stayed while almost none of the Slytherins spent their summer there. Since most of the Slytherins parents had been Death Eaters or friends to Death Eaters, they couldn't really afford to leave home. Even without the Slytherins there it wasn't too hard to get the place back in order. They had Hogwarts put back together in a jiffy. It was only the halfway point of summer when Headmistress McGonagall announced that they could all go back home and enjoy the remainder of their dog days.
Harry had been rather upset to hear that the next morning they were heading back to Kings Cross Station to go back to their homes. He no longer really had a place to call his own. The Dursleys had left and were long gone. Besides, he knew that he didn't want to have to rely on Uncle Vernon or his Aunt Petunia to take care of him any more. It's not like they would have taken him back. They had too many "bad memories" with that boy that they didn't want to relive. Harry couldn't care less if they wanted him back or not because he knew for sure that he would never go back to live with that family. There was only two places that he knew he could consider living at. The Weasleys immediately came to mind but he knew that he couldn't do that. He had already caused that family pain and he didn't want them seeing his face everyday to bring back the remnants of their suffering. had been kind enough to offer him a room at their house but Harry had to politely refuse. Ginny had been kind of upset that he had chose not to stay but she understood. No, the only place that Harry knew he could stay was at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It had been where Sirius lived and it felt only right that he should live there too. He knew it would be kind of empty but at least Kreacher would be there to keep him company. However enticing that thought may have been, it was better having someone there than being all alone.
The rest of his summer spent at Grimmauld Place wasn't as lonely as one would think though. Sure he had Kreacher and the portrait of Waldburga Black to keep him company and mutter at him as he walked by, but the isolation kind of comforted him. It gave him time to thumb through his thoughts and pick at his own brain. It gave him time to think about the war and process all the deaths in his own way. He really didn't like it when Hermione or Ginny would come over and coo at him, telling him to just let all of his emotions out. Why can't girls just understand that guys aren't as out going with their feelings as girls are? Ron would come over sometimes, without Hermione, and they would just sit there staring at the coffee table. After an hour or so they would just stand up, have a man hug, and then Ron would go back home, the both of them feeling a little better than before. Harry always liked brooding on his sentiments better when he was alone. Most days he would just sit home, going over the events of the past few years.
There were some days that it took all that he had to get out of bed. The pictures on his nightstand were usually what helped him actually get up. One of the pictures was of Dumbledore's Army they had taken right before they were released for Christmas break in their fifth year. Another one was the one of his parents he had always had. Those two pictures reminded him that he had something to get out of bed for. The most important thing that he learned from all of this is that love is a force not to be reckoned with. So each day he thought of all the love there was in this sad world instead of all of the bad things. He realized that the horrible events of the world outweigh all the compassion, but he strength of the endearment of people, he discerned, was so much more overwhelming than all the awful things the world had to offer. The thought that love truly conquered all made him feel better all the time.
It was just another normal day in late August and once again Harry had managed to oversleep. He grumbled as a searing light pierced through his eyelids, making him roll over onto his side. "Master, the sun has already rose high above the House of Black." Kreacher's croaked voice called to Harry somewhere to his right. Harry slowly peeled his eyes open to glance over at the house-elf.
"It's noon? Kreacher I've asked you before to wake me up before noon, not at it." Harry mumbled as he pushed the comforter off of himself, sat up, and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"Kreacher can get very forgetful, Master." Kreacher spat out the word master as if putting that word in his mouth had a bad flavor on his taste buds. Harry thought in the back of his mind that Kreacher woke him up late everyday on purpose. Harry knew Kreacher didn't like having to work for Harry. He despised the way Harry went about doing things and he especially hated it when he brought Hermione over. Harry would sometimes hear him mumbling about how much Mistress Black would have disapproved of what the once great House of Black was being used for. Despite Kreacher's antics, Harry tried to be as polite to him as he could. Kreacher was no where near as foul as he had been when Harry first moved in so Harry kept up the niceties and Kreacher tried his best to not complain.
"Kreacher, could you please make me some breakfast?" Harry asked while rubbing his eyes. He heard a snap and then a pop. When he opened his eyes, Kreacher was no longer standing there, having already apparated to the kitchen. Harry sighed and stood up, stretching. You could hear the soft cracks of his back popping as he raised his arms in the air. He let out a breath and headed to his closet. Harry didn't have a luxurious closet as one might think a famous person should have. No, he had his few shirts, his couple pairs of pants, and his two pairs of shoes. Harry slipped off his pajamas, all except his boxers, and slipped on a crimson red, slim fit V-neck along with a pair of denim jeans. He quickly slipped some shoes on and made his way out of the room. The tread down the stairs was as tedious as it was every morning until he finally reached the bottom of the steps. He turned a corner and then walked down another hall to find himself in the dining room slash kitchen area. There was already a plate of eggs and bacon, accompanied by a cup of coffee, waiting for him on the table. Harry sat down wearily, picking up his fork, already anticipating the delectable looking meal. Just as he went to take a bite of his eggs, he heard a distinct tapping sound coming from the other side of the room. He looked up to see that the was a brown and black mass tapping on his window. Harry got up and crossed the room opening up the window to let his Bengal Eagle Owl into the room. "Hello Rasul." Harry spoke softly to the owl, as it flew to the table with a screech. He went to the owl and took the two pieces of parchment it held in its claws. One object was the Daily Prophet, which he threw to the side, and the other was a yellowish envelope addressed to:
Mr. H. Potter
12 Grimmauld Place
Borough of Islington
London
Harry had been too busy looking at the envelope to notice that Rasul was pecking at his fingers. Harry smiled, setting the envelope down and going to the counter. He reached into a bowl an pulled out a little owl treat, handing it to Rasul. The owl ate it gratefully and then flew back out the window. Harry went back over to the table and sat back in his seat. "Accio wand." He muttered, a second later his wand was resting his hand. Harry set the letter down and with a wave of his wand the seam to the envelope ripped open as if someone had taken an invisible letter opener to it. He set his wand on the table and picked up the envelope, reaching inside to pull the parchment in its confines. He instantly noticed the stamp of the Hogwarts crescent stamped delicately on the front of the letter. Harry smiled gently and flipped the rest of the paper open.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to once again attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for an eighth year. The decision is yours if you wish to come back and attend Hogwarts. If you choose to do so you will find a list of all necessary books and equipment you will need enclosed in this letter. We hope to see you at our fine establishment for one more year. The term will begin on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts
Harry felt the flutter in his chest that made him feel like a kid seeing a toy he wanted really bad. He was extremely glad that he was getting to go back to Hogwarts, even if it was just for one more year. There was still so much for him to learn and he hadn't even gotten to go to any classes last year. That whole time Hermione, Ron, and himself were looking for the horcruxes and running from Death Eaters. So it was a nice relief to know that they would get to finish their last year and get their degrees. Harry set the letter down and started scooping his eggs into his mouth with his fork. Once he was done, he took a sip of his coffee and sifted through the letter, looking for the paper that had his list of school supplies on it. He picked it up and looked at it while nibbling on a piece of bacon. A lot of the stuff he would need was the usual books and other stuff he needed from previous years. They were basically just the advanced versions of things he would have needed when he was a first year. Harry knew this meant a trip to Diagon Alley, which to him actually sounded like a much needed escape from the house.
Harry put the letters back in the envelope and shoved it in his jeans pocket. He grabbed his wand, waving it so his dirty dishes floated gently to the sink. He turned around and grabbed his jacked off of the coat rack right next to the door frame and headed out of the room. He walked right across the hall into his living room and made his way the fireplace. He slipped his jacket on and put his wand in his pocket, making sure it was safe. Harry grabbed some floo powder out of a vase by his fireplace and stepped in. "The Burrow." He said clearly as he threw the powder to the ground. The air around him spun frantically, making his stomach drop. He didn't think he would ever get used to transportation in the wizarding world. Once the residue of travel cleared from his vision, he looked out into the living room of the Weasleys'. He was greeted with the sight of Ron and Hermione laying on the couch snogging passionately. Harry stepped out of their fireplace and stood there awkwardly. After a moment or so of Harry standing there and neither Ron nor Hermione coming up for air, Harry decided to clear his throat. Hermione jumped off of Ron and scooted to the whole other side of the couch in about two seconds flat. Ron kind of just laid there with a dumbstruck look on his face that showed that he wasn't quite sure what had just happened.
"H-Harry! What a pleasant surprise!" Hermione stuttered, her face as red as the Sorcerer's Stone.
"I could say the same thing. Although it wasn't pleasant for me." Harry muttered and then chuckled. "So have you gotten your letters from Hogwarts?" He asked, changing the subject quickly.
Ron sat up as he came out of his daze and looked up at Harry. He motioned for Harry to take a seat, which is exactly what Harry did.
"No, mate we haven't. We were expecting them sometime this week though." Ron said, sliding a glance at Hermione who suppressed a giggle.
"Oh, well I already got my-" Harry started but was cut off by a loud bang. They all jumped, looking around the room startled.
Ron sighed and stood up, heading over to one of the windows. "It's just Errol. Looks like he's brought the mail. Bloody bird." Ron opened the window and reached out to pick up the ancient owl off of the ground. He laid the pile of feathers on the arm chair and the bird fluffed its feathers. Harry noticed the owl was losing some feathers and thought to himself how that bird was probably about ready to retire. Hermione tutted in concern and reached out to pet the old bird comfortingly. The owl cooed while Hermione was petting it. Ron reached down and pulled the mail it was carrying from it's talons. "Well what do you know. Here's our letters right here. Blimey that was quick." Ron set the letters beside Errol and then picked him up, putting him gently on the desk that sat beside the window. The bird helped itself to a bowl of treats that were there just for that purpose. Ron rolled his eyes and took his seat next to Harry.
Hermione leaned over and grabbed the letters off of the arm chair. "Here's yours Ron. Oh they sent mine here too. The others are for George and Ginny." She said giving Ron his and placing the two extra on the seat beside her. Footsteps could be heard thundering down the stairs. Before Harry knew it, he was being crushed in a hug filled with the smell of lavender. Red hair was everywhere and Harry had to reach up to get some out of his mouth.
"Hello, Ginny." Harry replied to the bear hug with a small smile on his face. He realized Ginny's hug hadn't produced the same reaction as it might have a few months ago. He decided to push that thought to the back of his mind as he hugged Ginny back. Ginny pulled away and plopped down right next to Harry.
"Hi, Harry. It's nice to see you." Ginny said with a wink. "Ooh, what's that you've got there?" This time her words were directed to Ron and Hermione. Hermione grabbed Ginny's letter and reached across the two boys to hand It to her. "Oh goody. I was wondering when these were going to get here." Ginny said with a smile, placing a hand on Harry's thigh. Harry gulped, becoming more worried about why Ginny's playfulness was no longer arousing the same emotions as it used to. Harry didn't have much time to think about it because another set of footsteps could be heard coming down the stair as George made his way into the room.
"Hello Harry." George looked at Harry then to Ron. "Oi, what you got there, mate?" He asked with sheer curiostity.
"They're our Hogwarts letters. You got one too." Ron reached over Hermione to pick up George's letter to hand it to him.
"That's mighty nice of them to ask me to come back. I think I might just take that offer. I bloody didn't learn anything the year that awful Umbridge woman worked there so It'd be nice to have a more fulfilled feeling to my education." George winked at the lot of them and took his letter. "So, who's up for a trip to Diagon Alley?"
AN: I recommend looking up a picture of Harry's new owl, Rasul. In my opinion it is a very beautiful and majestic looking bird. Also I though I'd let anyone who cares know that I'm not sure when I'll post chapters. I'll try to post once or twice a week but I'll never be for sure.
