Prologue
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada kedavra!"
Red light met green and the soulless one dropped to the cold ground.
Voldemort had finally fallen.
Afterwards, in the brilliant glow of the golden sun, the living cried and hugged and smiled, exalting the 'Chosen One' and their survival through the War. Later, the dead were mourned, buried, and memorialized, and glorious speeches were made to commemorate their bravery and their valiant efforts to stop the evil that was threatening to spread throughout the wizarding world.
Gradually, wizards and witches started repairing their homes and patching up their lives, and students were invited back to attend Hogwarts in the autumn, as the damage done to the castle wasn't particularly extensive. The three young heroes of the War, fondly called the 'Golden Trio', were part of these returning students, and were accompanied by some of their surviving schoolmates to make up the first, and hopefully the last, 'Eighth years'.
The War had hurt so many people, some irreparably, but its end was a chance for a fresh start, an opportunity to correct former mistakes and to, most importantly, forgive, and move on with life. It was a chance for redemption, new discoveries, and, interestingly enough, falling.
In love, that is.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series or any of the characters portrayed in this story. (The disclaimer applies for the entire story.)