Disclaimer: I, unfortuantly, do not own Harry Potter, that amazing honor belongs to J.K Rowling... Enjoy... Write, review, like, follow whatever. Beware I am a first time writer... :)
Chapter 1: The Dawn of a New Era
The sun rose brighter than ever. It shone on the iconic silhouette of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, towers broken, brick falling and all. In the Great Hall, although damaged, had its natural sense of warmth and homeliness it had had 7 years ago when 11 year old Harry Potter walked through the big brass doors.
Images flashed through the mind of the 17 year old Harry Potter 7 years later. The wicked evil laugh of the darkest evil wizard the world had ever seen rang through his ears. The images of the most memorable victory of good played over and over in his head. BAMB! Voldemort was gone. But he couldn't help replaying the vision of Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Fred Weasley lying on the Great Hall floor… dead.
Outside in the real world, the sun was growing over the hills and mountains surrounding the school. Minute by minute the colors of the sky; orange, pink and red, blended together to make a fiery colour against the broken silhouette.
Harry Potter began to stir in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. He vividly remembered the events of the previous night; the death and re-awakening of himself, the death and finishing of Voldemort and then the deaths of the ones he loved; Fred Weasley, Tonks and Lupin, the best Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher Harry had ever had. They kept replaying in his head after he had awoken.
"Harry…Can you hear me? Harry…" Harry heard the soft sweet voice of the youngest of Weasley's. He rubbed his eyes. His vision, although blurred, distinctly recognized the fierce flaming red hair of Ginny Weasley. He reached over to the table beside his bed to grab his glasses, but they weren't there. Suddenly his vision became much clearer; Ginny had placed his glasses on for him. He took a glance at Ginny's face. There were cuts running down the side of her faces, bruises on her forehead and blood dripping from her cheek. He smiled.
"Ginny, you're alright. Where are the others?' Harry sat up bolt right on his bed and looked around at the rest of the of the hospital wing. Most beds were occupied the others were covered to give the owner more privacy. He saw a round face boy also surveying his surrounds. Harry quickly recognized the boy as Neville Longbottom, the once toad-less round boy. Beside Neville, Harry could see long bright blonde hair and suddenly realized that it was Luna Lovegood, the young airy fairy Ravenclaw. Throughout the Hospital Wing Harry saw multiple faces he knew including his Irish roommate Seamus Finnagin and his blonde pale enemy Draco Malfoy.
He quickly looked to find the beds in which his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, would be in. Ginny, sensing what Harry was looking for moved his head to his right where two people stared back at him.
"Harry! You're okay! We've been worried sick… last night… Are you okay?" Hermione squeaked. She jumped out of bed and dashed for him embracing him in the famous Hermione bear hug. Harry just kept smiling. To know that his friends were alright was the only thing that mattered. At last Hermione slowly let go of her friend also smiling. Harry realized that Hermione was scarred too, she had a cut to her lip, also a bruise on her forehead and her clothes were covered in dried blood.
Hermione stepped back as Ron emerged from his bed and walked next to Harry's bed. As Ron walked forward he slid his hand around Hermione's shoulder rubbing them gently trying to comfort her after the horrific events that had occurred.
"Mate, you look better than ever," he joked as smiled at Harry. Harry looked up at Ron, he was also scarred. Ron had a scar running from the top of his forehead to his neck, a mark from his splincing and trickles of blood dripping from his mouth. Overall they looked pretty good seeing how the second Wizarding War had come to an end.
Harry took a minute to survey himself before answering Hermione's question. His arms were scarred and scratched probably from the trip to the forest, he tasted blood trickling from the edge of his lip and there were bruises covering his body.
"I'm surprisingly feeling alright Hermione. There's something I need to tell you guys soon. Not here though. What about you guys? How are you all feeling?" Harry asked quietly careful not to disturb the ones who were sleeping. The others began to seat themselves on Harry's bed. Before Hermione could answer Harry's question Madam Pompfrey had come bustling over to check on Harry, her robes covered in blood and other dried liquids.
"Harry dear boy, how are you feeling this morning? I am sure you are still tired and sore which I why I suggest you take this potion now before I check your scars and wounds," Madam Pompfrey whispered hurriedly while she began mixing a bright pink liquid with another purple liquid. In an instant it turned to a pale orange colour reflecting the warm tone of the sky outside. Madam Pompfrey shoved the glass into his chest before searching the drawers beside his bed.
Harry took a sip of the potion and gagged. It tasted of boiled toads eyes and dirt. He placed the rest of it on his bedside table and as soon as he put it down Madam Pompfrey was shoving it back into his chest. Harry had no other choice than to drink the horrid beverage. Sip by sip he held his nose and tilted his head back. He felt the long black hairs of his head tickle the back of his neck and suddenly thought, 'What state do I look in?'
It was as though the beauty department deep in boy's heads had turned on and Harry quickly finished the rest of the potion and reached for a mirror behind him. His hair was long, black and tangled in a mess only described as James' hair, his pure green eyes were bloodshot red from the lack of sleep he had had, various scars and scratches ran along his face and the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead that always was closed and set was now opened and filled with blood. He stared at it vividly. He was use to the pain but not the blood.
"Harry, your scar's… bleeding..." Ginny gasped as she brushed his overgrown fringe to get a closer look. She took a closer look. The scar that had been set and clean was forming droplets of blood.
"Is that where… You-Know-Who was?" Hermione asked in a whisper. Harry noticed that her hands were shaking uncontrollably. He looked over her shoulder and found Ron and Ginny go very pale.
"I… I guess. Well it seems logical. Dumbledore said that he was there," Harry replied as Madam Pompfrey started adding remedies to his burns and scratches. The others gasped but ever so quietly. They had been scared for their friend, 'The Chosen One', throughout the past years, and to learn that the most powerful dark wizard had lived in their friends head for the past 16 years was frightful. They kept staring as Madam Pompfrey bandaged and fixed him.
Once Madam Pompfrey had finished checking and fixing Harry, Hermione began answering his question. Madam Pompfrey then turned to Hermione and mixed her up a lime green beverage that she said would help with the cut lip and bruises.
"Ugh! It tastes of rotten fish!" she exclaimed after taking a very small sip.
"You must drink all of it," the matron said to Hermione while she placed a pink cream amongst her bruises. She started to mix the same lime green beverage for the Weasley kids and also started applying the pink cream against their bruises.
"I feel much better than before. Before you woke up I was in so much pain, only muscle pain though," she quickly added as Harry pulled a worried face. She continued;
"Who knew running round the castle at night could be such a strain on muscles?"
"Only you could Hermione," Ginny said tossing her long mane out of her eyes. At this statement, everyone laughed except Hermione.
"What about you Ron? How do you feel?" Harry asked carefully. Harry didn't want to imply how Ron was feeling emotionally, only physically. Harry didn't want to upset him as he came across his first family death Harry knew of last night. He played the vision of Fred, the once always so joke-itive and playful twin, lying motionless, pale and dead.
"Well seeing how we just defeated the darkest wizard of all time," Ron started. Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione butted in.
"Seeing how Harry defeated," she corrected him.
"Nah... We helped remember. What was all that stuff we did before we came back here? What was that? Were we just going on a picnic and decided we were going on a holiday all around Britain?" Ron argued back. At this Hermione went red around the cheeks making her scars more vivid.
"Well anyway, after that and what we went through last night, physically I feel great. I feel as though I could fly," Ron continued.
"But Ron, you can fly. That's what we do as wizards. That's why we have brooms," Ginny kidded at Ron's statement of health.
"Well that is right Ron, and what about you Ginny? How are you feeling," Harry asked the last of his companions. He stared again into her gorgeous blue eyes counting the freckles around them.
"I am fine now, to know you're actually alive for good. I couldn't feel better," she replied in a soft lovable tone though Ron didn't notice. He was too busy tickling Hermione on her waist.
"Well I am glad you are all alright, alive and here with me," Harry said lying back down on his pillow sighing a sigh of relief.
"We'll meet you out the front of the wing doors when you're ready, 'right Harry," Ron explained as he grasped Hermione's hand ever so gently and turned to walk to the doors. Ginny however didn't notice this gesture as she was busy collecting Harry's items around his bed.
Ginny got up from under his bed as Ron and Hermione left. She looked cautiously around; making sure her older brother wasn't looking. Slowly she bent down beside him, looked him in the eyes and kissed him.
It felt like hours before they broke apart, but in reality were only a few minutes. As they broke apart Ron and Hermione, hand-in-hand walked through the hospital wing doors once again to check where Harry and Ginny could be. Ron stared at the sight of his ginger sister lying against his best friend. He and Hermione gasped. They knew there was something between harry and Ginny at the end of their 6th year but they then heard it was broken off before the horcrux hunt so that Ginny was safe.
"Don't worry Hermione, I don't mind. I'm actually glad she's with Harry compared to all the other guys she dated in the last few years," Ron said to Hermione who was staring up at him.
"You trust him don't you? I do."
Ron nodded. He looked back at his friend who bent back to return a kiss to Ginny. Ron thought to himself, 'they really are perfect together.'
"What would they say about us?" Hermione asked worriedly as Ginny leant down once again to kiss Harry.
"I'm not sure. I mean we've been bickering for years, we've hated each other and then we've been best of friends. But I do love you Hermione, don't ever forget that," he replied leaning into Hermione to look into her eyes.
"I love you too Ronald Billius Weasley," Hermione looked back at Ron and before she knew it they too were returning each other's favors with passionate, but not intimate kisses.
By the time Ginny had kissed Harry, a lot of the patrons had awoken but time hadn't flown that quickly. Harry estimated that they had spent a reasonable 5 minutes glued to each other's lips.
"Come on Harry, I suppose we should start going down to the Great Hall. The cleaning and rebuilding will start soon," Ginny suggested. They both started to get up of the bed and realized that Hermione and Ron were standing at the doors of the wing snogging.
"I can't believe it," Ginny gasped staring at her older brother.
"What?! You didn't know… They snogged in front of me, during the battle mind you, only a few hours ago," Harry said surprised. Although his two best friends could win the bickering award of the century, they were perfect for each other. For what Ron lacked in responsibility and knowledge, Hermione made up for that. For what Hermione lacked in fun and athletic ability, Ron made up for. 'Opposites really do attract,' Harry thought to himself.
Ginny rose of the bed, Harry followed. He grasped her hand ever so gently and felt the smoothest of it. He missed this the most, the soft smooth skin of Ginny Weasley. She placed her head on his shoulder. He smelt her hair; the rose scent of her conditioner was still blossoming. He grasped her hand ever so tightly and led her towards the Ron and Hermione snog sesh.
"Right there Ron," Harry whispered into his visible ear as they reached the newly formed couple. Ron suddenly jumped and realizing where he was, brushed his lips. He stuttered a bit before he spoke, but he didn't, it was Hermione.
"Ah... Um… we should probably get going. They are probably waiting for us in the Great Hall," Hermione said, obviously embarrassed by the fact that they had been caught snogging each other's faces off.
"Don't worry 'bout it Hermione, its time you show of your love to each other. It's about time, don't you reckon Ginny?" Harry asked grinning broadly. Ginny nodded also sharing the same broad grin her boyfriend wore.
"Shove of it Harry," Ron exclaimed pushing harry in the shoulder but ever so brotherly. Light blood was smeared over his lips obviously from Hermione's cut lip.
Unexpectedly a tap was felt on Harry's right shoulder. Wand in hand he turned abruptly face-to-face with a pale blonde man.
"Harry, I forgot to mention. Thank you for everything. ; For saving the world and my Family. I don't think I could have done what you have done," Draco said, this time not in his usually sneer but a caring way. He started to walk out he doors. Before he left, he turned to face Ron, "I agree with Harry, it's about time," and with that he left.
"I guess war changes people for the better," Hermione suggested surprised from their ex-enemies acts of kindness.
"Well look at it this way Hermione, seeing what he went through in sixth year, trying to kill Dumbledore and that, I think he realized that he wasn't on the side his parents were on. Look at the meeting we had in Malfoy Manor, he knew it was me when I had that stunning jinx put on me," at this statement he turned to look at Hermione who again blushed a bright pink. He continued," he really saved us. He could have told Bellatrix it was me but he didn't." The strength Malfoy did have astounded Harry. He was actually one of the good guys all along.