Chapter 1

Battle of Hogwarts 2nd May 1998. Dust, smoke, pungent smell and blood was everywhere. Finally the war was over. Harry Potter had finally managed to kill Riddle. But in the process he had given out information that muddled everyone. Sun rise did nothing to stable the magical world.

Next was the time for restoration, auditing and going on. So many dead and so many were alive and left alone. The interim minister of magic Kingsley Shacklebolt took over the British wizard world.

So many bodies were trapped and hidden under the debris. The med-wizards and witches from St Mungo's arrived with the fleet of nurses to take care of the injured. Aurors were seen everywhere in the red robes. It was strange to think that with so many aurors the responsibility of the battle was shouldered on school children. So the adults moved around in various capacities and the students went on helping them.

The dead bodies were accumulated in great hall. Lupins were dead and their bodies were kept together with Andromeda Tonks sobbing over them on her knees. Fred Weaseley's body was clutched by his twin. Molly Weaseley was holding on George's shoulder and crying. Arthur stood still with tears flowing down and Bill hold on to him with Charlie. Ron stood on the other side of Fred holding Ginny. Percy stood alone. Fleur stood on the other side of Ginny.

Harry and Hermione stood for a long time, little away from them. Then they were called away to help.

The bodies of the dark wizards were piled up on other side of the hall. Malfoy family was seated in the end a little far from the bodies. Some other dark witches and wizards stupefied and were held up magically. A small group of aurors were guarding them.

Dennis Creevey was on his knees alone with his brother's dead body with a vacant look and some of his classmate sat with him.

Then there was Lavender Brown who was like a blood pool curtsy to Greyback. Parvati was lying by her friends side unconscious. Padma frantically casting all she could think of to stop lavender's bleeding not looking much to her twins.

Neville Longbottom the slayer was nowhere to be found. Instead Neville the leader of Dumbledore's army was trying to take care of everyone. He took all the 3rd and 4th year and assigned them to the senior 5th, 6th and 7th years for rescue work. Dean Thomas was moving block after block of stone which covered Seamus Finnigan with bare hand. Dean had lost his wand and had no time to search. He shouted and Neville rushed to him.

Luna called Hermione to help Padma with Lavender. Together the reduced the blood flow and Hermione wrapped Lavender magically so that her guts would not spill out. Then they levitated Lavender to the makeshift infirmary leaving Padma to finally concentrate on her twin.

At infirmary Lavender was taken over by two senior medics. Luna and Hermione were back to great hall again. Together they moved from one to another.

Hermione had lost count as to how many times they levitated people to the infirmary. She was astonished how good Luna was with sick and injured.

Sometimes latter Susan came running calling after Prof McGonagall. She shouted to the Professor that Prof. Snape was found in the end of the hospital wing on a cot. He was not moving and was very blue. Chief healer Pie had asked for her and for Minister Shacklebolt. Prof. McGonagall told someone to fetch the Minister and for the first time in near fifty years found McGonagall sprinting through the doors. Lucius Malfoy started to stand up but was restrained by the guards. Some senior aurors ran toward the hospital wing.

Augusta Longbottom took over Prof McGonagall in the post war zone.

Harry stood for a moment and then ran after the professor. Neville stood up to see that Hermione was also looking up, though Luna went on checking the body they had found.

They look at each other then Hermione directed Neville towards the junior students, who were moving towards the hospital wing. With a nod she resumes to help Luna and Neville gave over Anthony Goldstein his job. He then hurried over the students and talked them into resuming their post. Strangely every one listened and obeyed.

Aurors retrieved the banished Slytherins from dungeons and magically bound them to seat near the pile of dead bodies. Across them were the stunned death eaters. Many of the students found their parents lying dead in the pile of bodies or were magically stunned. The 7th year students were seating in stony silence where as the lower class students sobbed or cried hysterically.

The morning turned to noon and the patients were shifted to St Mungo's. Magical world had no ambulances. The alternative was the Floo network or Apparition. Hogwarts being a school had only one fireplace linked to Floo network through Headmasters office. So that was a bottle neck.

Then again floo was not safe for patients like Prof. Snape or Lavender, nether was apparition. So the brooms were fetched. Stretchers arrived through floo. Then they waited till sun down to carry patients on stretchers using 4 brooms and a medic to accompany.

The arrested populations were also shifted batch by batch to the ministry. Malfoy elders would be shift at the end.

Food was not in short as the elves had gone back to the kitchen. But there was not a place to seat. Tables were broken, unstable. Still people ate. After lunch Weasleys went home. Harry and Hermione stayed back with others. Augusta Longbottom came to the senior group of students while they seat together waiting for lunch. She told them to take the lunch to the fellow Slytherins as the elves were not willing to serve them.

So they took all the junior students. They argued to the Auror incharge for the Slytherin juniors to let them have food. Finally Prof McGonagall's intervention let them seat and eat. But the junior students of the other three groups kept a distance from the Slytherins.

Seniors cleaned out some tables for eating and batch by batch they had their lunch. Not too many students were left. Most of the pure blood and half blood student who were unharmed went home. Rest sat together to eat. Once the junior students finished the 5th & 6th years started. The 7th year students went in search for their professors and other people who came in for the final battle and stayed after.

Rubeus Hagrid marched the giants out of the grounds of Hogwarts and could not be reached. Remaining people were provided with food. The medics were provided food in their make shift work stations. Aurors took turn in seating with the student for food. A separate smaller table was arranged for Weaseleys to have their food in silence. Mrs. Tonks and Mr. Lovegood with Mrs. Longbottom joined them.

Finally Harry and Neville got hold of Prof. McGonagall and Prof. Sprout as well as Prof. Slughorn. When they came they talked to the aurors to let the senior students of Slytherin house to eat. Draco was also called though his parents were not. Senior Malfoys were provided food where they were seating in two chairs. Draco did not move from his parents though Pansy tried. Draco didn't even answer to the loud whisper of Pansy.

Luna with Dean managed to fetch Mr. Filch the caretaker.

Under Prof. McGonagall supervision three tables were joined to make a large almost square table and all waited for food. Prof. McGonagall informed them that the new ministry had requested her to become the interim head of the school which she had accepted. Most of the patients with serious conditions were sent to the hospital. Prof Filius Flitwick was injured by a giant and was under medication. His condition was stable with a hope of almost full recovery. Prof. Trelawney was not that lucky. Though she was stable and would be sent to hospital. Carrow siblings were arrested and were taken off the premises with hope of not coming back. Prof. Sinistra and Prof. Septima Vector had minor injury and were under observation.

Then she took a very deep breath and started about Prof. Snape. Prof. Snape was bitten by that horrid snake Nagini by the order of Voldemort. When she said the name Voldemort aloud most of the students flinched, especially the Slytherin house. Malfoy family shuddered. She went on telling that Prof. Snape had been given bezoar and was magically induced in a static condition using some sort of magical means to reduce the poison from entering blood stream. But Nagini poison was vary very strong and prolonged exposure was fetal. No one knew who saved him and brought him in. The wards of Hogwarts were down. So, Prof Snape was at the time under Coma growing weak. There was no proper facility in Hogwarts and floo or apparition. So they waited till sundown to carry such extreme fragile patients by broom.

When the lunch arrived most of them did not had much of appetite left.

After lunch aurors took Malfoys to the ministry with the last of the death eaters. The Weasleys left for home and so did Mrs Tonks. The dead bodies including Fred, Remus, and Tonks went to the ministry for magical preservation for the future funerals. Mrs. Tonks went to collect little Teddy and their things to shift to Burrow as she was alone and was invited by Molly Weasley. Ron told Harry and Hermione he would come back as soon as possible. They told him to make time for the family. They would drop by Burrow every day. Then after the funeral Ron and Ginny might be back if Mrs Weasley permits. Ginny said that would be better. The dutifully talked to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and said the same to them. Mrs. Weasley was worried about Harry but let it go.

After the final wave of departure still many of the students were left. Ministry officials came and put tracking charm on the death eaters' children and then let them stay. Though Professors as well as Mrs Longbottom and other senior members of Order did not liked and let their displeasure known. It was told that it would be good for the children's own safety.

Mrs Longbottom went home but Neville stayed so did Luna and her father.

The irony of the war was that though the Slytherin house was almost untouched except for Crabbe and few others, they were all parentless either due to death or imprisonment. Most of them were unharmed but alone and nowhere to go.

As the evening approached, in the ruined castle the Professors grew weary and so did the remaining aurors. Just after 3 in the afternoon everyone settled down and students after a sleepless night were in the verge of slumber. A portion of great hall was cleared and people grouped up and talked in whispers or slept off. The remaining members of Dumbledore's army grouped together and talked. Mostly asking Harry and Hermione what happened with all whom, how, when, where etc. Dean and Harry mostly talked. Hermione contributed with more academic parts and Luna lay down with her head on Hermione's lap.

Suddenly Prof. McGonagall came up to them told help for the night was coming in. First came in Mrs. Longbottom with a team of people. They waited for the rest to come in. Another group came in by portkey with minister himself accompanying them.

The second group came from abroad and was held back in the ministry for clearance. It was almost 4 in the evening and the group didn't wait to finish the introduction. They told all the students to be brought in the great hall. Then Prof. McGonagall and the other professors magically enlarged the hall as only the professors can do it in Hogwarts. The hospital wing was brought to the hall. The first unisex lavatory of Hogwarts was transfigurated from rubbles.

Then all the adults stood together and started incantation. A base dome of protection was formed and then layer after layer was added on it. Hermione noticed some of the layers and wand in hand started helping. Some of the aurors and visitors gave her curious look. The professors gave her proud nod. The place was not symmetric in nature and walls were having very ancient magic but were broken unevenly. So some people went in to mend the discontinuity between the dome and the wall. Harry and Luna and Neville with the help of Hermione joined in.

It was 7 in the evening when all were done and the elves started fire in different location. No one adult or child was left out of the dome.

So they sat together and chatted away catching up with introductions. Harry was requested to tell about their expedition. Harry trying to give the detail started from Bill Weasley's marriage. He went on and on from 1st August 1997 to the fateful night of battle. The children listened in awe hanging to Harry's every word.

An hour into the story suddenly loud sound of apparition and Susan, Padma and some other were standing outside of the dome with two adults in Healers green dress. A guest went with Mrs. Longbottom, Prof McGonagall to make a door in the dome. The outsiders came in and the aurors checked them. The healers were in there night shift for Hogwarts patients. Padma told that they were coming straight from the hospital and yes they would stay and won't go home. They had all got written permission from their parents and smiled to Harry and Hermione. Susan said that there were too many patients from different location but most of the patients were stabilizing. She took out a list to give the headmistress. Lavender was critical and Prof Snape was still not responding.

The elves wanted to serve the dinner, soup and bread. The giants had destroyed the food storage and only these could be salvaged. So they finished their food and resumed their recounting from forest of Dean. Upon hearing Hermione's blue beaded bag her juniors asked if she still had it. Of course it was fastened to the belt loop of her jeans.

They were captured when they were moving and Harry had accidentally triggered the Taboo Curse. The bag was somehow gone unnoticed in Malfoy Manor. So she unfastened it and with Luna's help took out the tent which was on the top. Being magical children the students were not supposed to be surprised, but all of them watch her like muggle children watching magic show.

The adults were also very surprised too. Afterwards with the help of Dean Harry and Neville finally it could again be packed inside the bad. Then finally Harry reached the episode in Malfoy Manor. After that how Dobby died helping them escape. At that point most of the children were crying even some of the smaller Slytherin kids. Then Harry came up and rolled Hermione's sleeve and shown the carving MUDBLOOD.

Even the teachers were very sad and the visitors looked disturbed. The minister looked very uncomfortable. No one knew what to say. Only a small girl from 2nd year Hufflepuff asked in a small voice that was Hermione tortured because she was the muggle born? No one knew how to answer.

Then suddenly Hagrid appeared with a group of very small children, all in the age group of 6 to 8 years. There were 9 children all in very dirty and muddy dress. Hagrid explained that they were bitten in the last full moon by Greyback so that they could be unleashed upon the muggles and muggle born population after the dark victory. 11th would be the next full moon. Not knowing what to do with them he brought them along.

What a day! After a stunned silence Headmistress told the aurors to check them for curses. After that the healers got them and at the end elves provided them food. They were seated by the fire in the corner where they fell asleep slowly.

It was almost 10 at night and minister went back to the ministry. He said that the ministry would be open 24 hours for next 5 days. The aurors made groups of adults and young adults for night vigilance. Every group had 2 hours to round. Hoping and fearing all settled down for the night.