Prologue

Dark clouds circled the sky like a festering wound, making it almost impossible to see the jagged contour of the castle. A thick storm brooded over the ruins, casting bolts of lightning straight through the center of the grounds. Dementors gathered around the storm and slowly approached the source of the dark magic. Harry had never seen this many dementors in one place – not even in his third year when he and Sirius were attacked along the shore of the Black Lake. There was a weight to this sight, a heavy pressure. Not as if something were being sucked out of the world…but as if something were trying to get in, distorting the pressure in the air and shifting the space in the world.

Chapter One: One Last Boarding

The earsplitting whistle from the train's last blow was still ringing in Harry's ears. He took his seat next to his two best friends on their last ride upon the Hogwarts Express. Through the buzz of the crowd of students, Harry heard a loud bang like the slamming of a large book in a quiet library. He turned around to see Ron and Hermione's faces, wrought with anger and confusion.

"No, Ronald! How many times do I need to explain this? There's nothing you can say or do. It's final," Hermione cried just after slamming the cabin door on her way in.

"I just thought that maybe – Why do you always jump to conclusions!" Ron turned to Harry, "Why does she always jump to conclusions?!"

"Me? I jump to conclusions?! Really?"

"Guys!" Harry interrupted. "Are we seriously going to do this here and now? This is our last ride to Hogwarts. So just...get over yourselves for a moment, and enjoy the ride." Harry quietly cleared his throat after speaking, afraid of how they might react.

"Well she-" Ron bursted out.

Hermione huffed a long sigh, "Harry's right, Ron," she cut in. "This is our last time to Hogwarts. Let's not spend it arguing." Ron gave a small scowl and looked down at his shoes. He and Hermione's relationship had been through a rough patch just after the war. Hermione had broken it off during the summer holiday and they hadn't been the same since. Harry became fed up with their bickering and decided to intervene. He wasn't much of a relationship person...let alone a relationship counselor, but he did the best he could. After all, he did know them better than anyone else.

Ron broke the silence and quickly stood up out of his seat, "...Just gonna go to the toilet... um yeah. I'll be back in a sec," he stuttered awkwardly. This left Harry and Hermione in their small and familiar cabin to talk amongst themselves.

Hermione cleared her throat, "...Neville and Luna seem to be getting along well, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah… great," Harry mumbled with a forced smile.

"Harry, what is it?"

"Nothing. Just feeling sentimental I guess," Harry chortled, "It's stupid."

"No, not at all! I mean, I was just thinking the same thing," Hermione said, her voice sounding thick and her eyes welling up with tears. She turned away, facing the window, but Harry could still see the droplets falling from her lashes in the reflection of the glass. The crystal clear pane also reflected the inside of Hermione's arm, revealing the scar Bellatrix had left from the year before.

Harry rested his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, we've still got one more year left. And don't worry, you'll be back...probably teaching at Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch. It'll be tough, but we'll get through it. And… give Ron some time, will you? He's still mourning." They stayed silent, with Harry's hand still resting on her shoulder. Then, the cabin door slid open and Ron stepped back in. Hermione wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her cardigan.

"What did I miss?" Ron asked, concerned.

"Nothing. We were just talking," Harry explained. There was a pregnant pause.

"Now, you're talking about me behind my back. Nice one, 'Mione," Ron grumbled under his breath. Hermione let out a soft sob, and let her hair fall, creating a curtain against her face. Just as Ron was about to speak again, the cabin door swooshed open once more. This time, it was a tall boy from Gryffindor with hazel eyes and dark hair. It was Neville Longbottom. "Guys, you've got to come see this! C' mon!" He said, his eyes wide. The three friends followed Neville to his cabin and there met Luna Lovegood, Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas. Harry was curious. What could've been urgent enough to have them all gathered 'round the Daily Prophet? The war was over.