Chapter One: Home Again
"Quite honestly, I've had enough trouble for a lifetime." Harry said the words with a firm resolution. Turning, he led the way out of the headmaster's study. With one hand on the door, he glanced back at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore to briefly exclaim, "Forgive me, Professor, but I'm just going to disturb your tomb one last time. Then, you can finally rest peacefully there!"
"Not a problem, my dear boy!" replied the portrait, still smiling affectionately at the three of them.
Grinning back, Harry turned to the other two, "Coming? One last time."
"Course, wouldn't have it any other way!" Ron replied.
The three of them made their way out of the office and onto the moving stairway. Traipsing slowly through the battle torn castle, succumbing gradually by the leaden sensations of both tiredness and loss but breathing in the heady scent of victory which acted as a much-needed stimulant. Passing the stone gargoyle at the bottom of the staircase, Harry resumed the conversation arm-in-arm with his two best friends. People were starting to mill around the grounds now, but the vast majority were seemingly still recovering in the Great Hall. The injured were being collected and taken up to the Infirmary after being first seen to in the hall by Madam Pomfrey.
"Of course, you know what this means?" Harry asked the other two.
"What's that?" Ron and Hermione enquired.
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you two are going to be as famous as me any time soon. That's if you're not already!"
"A life of blissful anonymity is out of the question then?" beseeched Hermione, amused.
"Not unless you decide otherwise. But, you know, people are going to be asking us a lot of questions about our little adventure and how we did it. Found out the way to finally rid ourselves of Voldemort." It was tremendous to finally say the name without fear.
"'Spect so," confirmed Ron. "But if that's the price of victory…hey, d'you reckon they'll put us on the Chocolate Frog cards. 'Cos if so, I reckon I could put up with a bit of fame then."
The other two laughed heartily at that.
"Maybe," Harry replied, "but I just wanted to let you two know that I wouldn't have been able to do any of it without you both." Now Harry stopped to look at them properly. They had reached as far as the vegetable patch. He placed a hand on Ron's shoulder and touched Hermione's face affectionately. "I would never have got through it all. Would have died several times if you hadn't been there to save my skin. It's only right they recognize your part in the victory. So, if a bit of fame comes your way, it's just reward."
Both beaming at him, Hermione's eyes were glistening with tears.
"Don't mention it, mate! Glad we could help." Ron beamed widely.
"The power the Dark Lord knows not," Harry continued. "Part of the prophecy that I reckon meant you two. The power of friends, the power of love. Dumbledore did teach me something about the incalculable power of certain acts. My mother's sacrifice… your choice to accompany me on the quest to destroy Horcruxes. Ever wondered how I can cast such a strong Patronus? It's because I usually think of you two before doing it; that's the power of Ron and Hermione." They started to walk again down towards the lake where the Giant Squid had seemingly put in a tentative appearance. "You chose to come with me when you could have stayed behind, stayed safe (as I would have preferred). But you didn't. You came. I can't tell you how much that means to me. It puts you on the same pedestal as my mother's sacrifice in my eyes, and that is pretty high. Thank-you!"
Choked with emotion, Harry couldn't go on. Hermione was crying silently now as Ron spoke,
"Steady mate, don't want to overdo it!"
Laughing shakily, and before they knew it Harry had grabbed them into a warm embrace taking comfort in the arms of his closest friends. They had been through so much together since facing that mountain troll in their first year and knew very firmly that there was now an unshakeable bond between the three of them that could never be broken. Harry loved them both, but somehow didn't quite know how to say it. It didn't matter, however, as they seemed to understand. That's how it was between friends such as this. An unbreakable bond of fellowship, something Lord Voldemort had never appreciated nor ever understood. Finally, after who knew how long, they broke apart but Harry kept his arms wrapped around their shoulders. Hermione's arms round his waist and Ron's around his shoulders. The grounds were still quiet, but not unsettlingly so. It was the calm after the storm, a peaceful tranquillity. The sort that can induce contentedness, but for the irrepressible feeling of grief and loss. The sun was still rising, glistening the waters of the lake as it came into view. The white marble tomb shimmered in the morning sunlight. Harry knew now that, though he may be gone, Albus Dumbledore was happy and at peace and he was about to do the very thing he knew was right. To lay the Elder Wand to rest with its last true master, the master who even in death continued to fight evil and conquer Lord Voldemort. It was his plan and his mission that illuminated Harry's path to ensure not only the final victory but also Harry's eventual survival. The doubts and misgivings that had plagued Harry Potter in recent months about his late mentor were dispelled. Everything was now clear. Harry parted from the other two to approach the beautiful tomb. Like Dobby's grave, it could hardly have been a more idyllic location now that he saw it in the dawn sunlight and without the grief brought on by the funeral. Harry slipped open the lid of the tomb slightly so that only a glint of white wrappings were visible and placed the wand in his hand. He had no real desire to look at the body longer than he had to, and as the wand emitted bright golden sparks at its return to its last master (even though he was deceased), he slipped the tomb closed again before uttering "Reparo" to undo Voldemort's damage of some nights ago. There was still a slight seam where it had been broken open, but Harry knew that McGonagall could do it better. He turned back to Ron and Hermione, who had been holding hands as they watched him putting the wand back.
"Now, I think I've got to get some rest before I fall down right here. How about you?"
"Yeah, I think we'll be joining you up in the dormitories, mate, but I'll just see the family first. Let them know." Ron answered first.
"Sure. I'd like to see them too later. Let them know I'm thinking about them, won't you?" Suddenly, the loss of Fred pierced Harry like a shard of ice again. "Hermione, have you still got the trinkets that were the Horcruxes?"
"Yes, they're still in my bag." Hermione said.
"Good, because I think we should give them back to the school. I don't know whether they'll be able to repair the damage, but we can explain everything to the teachers. At least they can be returned to where they belong. Can you two do it with me, though? We can finally fill in the rest of the Order about what we were actually doing on our year out. What do you say?"
"Course we will, Harry!" Hermione replied.
"We'll be there!" Ron said.
"Thanks again! I'll see you when I wake up…in about a week!"
"Sleep well!" They exclaimed. "You've earned it!" There was such tenderness in this last remark; it took Harry's breath away momentarily.
Harry trundled back up to Gryffindor Tower, as Ron and Hermione walked together into the Great Hall. He watched them as long as he could with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. He didn't think he could ever be parted from them. Their company had been an inexpressible comfort through those hard times keeping him going on that long and winding road. Sure they had argued, but their friendship was strong enough to survive such petty quarrels. Harry finally understood (if he hadn't until now) just how much richer his life had been and will always be for knowing Ron and Hermione. Walking drowsily up through the rubble and blood-spattered corridors, he vaguely made out the shouts of greetings and salutations from voices of people he could not make out. He waved a weary hand in acknowledgement but his thoughts were solely focussed upon the four-poster bed in Gryffindor Tower. Finally, he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who smiled broadly at him letting him enter without a password before flopping, fully-clothed, into bed. Having removed his trademark specs and outdoor cloak, he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but not before he had thought of Ginny and the future they could now share together.