Affected
Disclaimer: Oh, come now, surely you all know the drill? Queen Joe owns the mansion, I'm just playing in the grounds.
They had all been affected by the war: for some, it was the shock of having to grow up so fast in one year and in a way that no one should ever have to; for others, it was the horror of losing friends that they had grown up with; and for others still, it was simply the relief of knowing that Voldemort was really, truly gone.
The "Golden Trio" as they had been dubbed by the Daily Prophet were obviously the most focussed on, but surprisingly (or not, depending on how you looked at it) they were not the worst affected. Ron still had a large, loving family all of whom would die for each other, and he had Hermione; Hermione had her own mission of returning her parents' memories, and she had Ron; Harry... well, Harry was Harry. He had grown up with the terrible threat of the Dark Lord hanging over his head and now that that threat was gone, he was free. Free to live his life in a way that had simply not been possible before. And, of course, they all had each other.
If you wanted a truer picture of the war, you had to look deeper: at the people who were there and fought but then faded into the shadows after. Look at Padma Patil who lost her twin and still feels as if there is a void that can't ever be filled in her mind, even now when she is married and has twins of her own. Look at Ernie Macmillan, who married his childhood sweetheart Susan Bones, both of whom bear matching scars on their arms from where they had had Sectumsempra used on them during their final year at Hogwarts. Look at Oliver Wood who barely knew the Creevey brothers, yet risked his life to save theirs and still failed. He still has nightmares about his failure. And finally, look at Luna Lovegood, still madly cheerful and searching for the Crumple Horned Snorkack. It took her a good five years to stop weeping at night at the horrors she had faced while Voldemort's reign was at its peak.
Even the strongest are affected by war; in fact, it is because one is affected that they are strong. It proves they are still human, that they are alive.
Reviews very much appreciated. See, this is the first part of a series I'm gonna try and do. Harry Potter alphabet fic, you see, and I just uploaded this to see what the general reaction would be. Also, I need to actually complete all the letters... So far, I only have like 8 done. I'll get it all done eventually, just need some inspiration is all.