One-shot I've been sitting on for a while now. I don't own.
He glanced up at the castle. The towers were piercing the bright blue sky. The walls were strong. It had taken them the better part of a year to rebuild it. Classes had been held in previously unused rooms, and meals had been eaten outside until they had finished the great hall.
It wasn't exactly as he remembered it from his first year, but, it was close enough, and it was finished. That was what mattered. In a few days, they would finish fortifying the wards, and it would return to being the safe haven it had once been.
"Oliver! Catch!" a voice behind him called.
He spun his broom around, and caught to red blur on instinct. He grinned when he saw the Quaffle in his hands. His mind briefly flashed back to simpler days.
"Pick-up match?" the person who had thrown the ball, Angelina, asked.
Oliver looked around at the rest of the builders. They were all just lounging around on their brooms, waiting for his response. Every single one of them had played during their time at Hogwarts. He grinned.
"What better way to break in this Quidditch pitch?" he said.
Every one let out a cheer.
Over and hour later, the entire school was crowded in the rebuilt stadium. Students, villagers, and builders watched as their heroes, teachers, and friends played. First and second years looked around in awe. It was an entirely new experience for them. The older students and graduates were talking about matches they had seen in the past.
Oliver could almost imagine that he was a student again. He could almost imagine that the past few years hadn't happened.
He blocked a shot, and tossed the Quaffle to Angelina, who was almost immediately attacked by Roger Davies and Zacharias Smith. Angelina managed to get a pass to McGonagall, who sent it to Ginny. Ginny pelted it towards the hoop, just past Ron.
There were no beaters on the pitch, but Harry and Charlie Weasley were circling above the chasers. It looked like they were laughing at something.
Suddenly, Harry was diving to the ground. Charlie followed him the next second. They were quickly approaching the ground, but neither of them showed any signs of slowing.
As fast as their descent started, it ended. Both of them pulled up sharply, and rolled off of their brooms and onto the grass.
Everyone in the stadium was watching as they helped each other to their feet, and shook hands. Harry held his fist up. Wings were flapping feebly on either side of his hand.
In that second, Oliver saw the eleven year old who had nearly swallowed the snitch. A tiny boy, thrust in a new world. A world he would have to hold on his shoulders.
The second passed, and he was back to the man he had become; the hero of their world.
People rushed out of the stands to celebrate. Old friends rushed to the front, while the younger students held back. Both teams clapped Harry on the back, and congratulated each other.
From his view from above, Oliver could see the various colors that surrounded the seekers. It was such a change from what it used to be.
Oliver smiled. Everything would be alright. Yes, their world had been shattered. Yes, loved ones had been lost. No, nothing would ever be exactly the same as it had been.
They would move on. They had rebuilt, and physical wounds had healed. Lost loved ones would never be forgotten, but life would go on. Students would keep coming to Hogwarts, and Hogwarts would keep accepting them.
As long as there were first years to teach, and a snitch to catch, Oliver thought, they could keep moving forward.
How was it? It's kinda rough at the end, I think, but I still like it.