Harry Potter Eight
Extract from 'the final year: Harry Potter's last days at Hogwarts' by Tilda Matthews.
Of Course, Harry Potter is world famous. His life is packed full of adventure and interest. But there still isn't a solid account of what happened straight after the vanquishing of the Dark Lord in what should have been his Seventh Year. Harry is famously media shy and I couldn't obtain an interview with him. There are very few facts. We know Harry decided to get his NEWT degree before pursuing a career. But Hogwarts was damaged and without a headmaster. The wizarding world was still reeling from the Dark Lord's reign of terror. Obviously the school wanted to get running as fast as possible after the fall of the Dark Lord and came up with a way to do that…
The Summer Holidays a few months after the fall of Voldemort.
"I can't believe it!" shouted Ron, spraying toast over his plate. He was holding a letter from the ministry.
"What is it? Did we get the Job?" said Harry, trying to peer at the letter in Ron's hands. Harry never left the Weasly's house now he no longer lived with the Dursley's.
"Listen," said Ron, "We regret to inform you that we cannot give you a place in the Auror Squad as you do not have the necessary qualifications. We expect five outstanding NEWTs blah blah blah. They can't do this! We defeated Voldemort! Surely that counts for something?"
"I've told you time and time again Ron," said Mr Weasly, bemused,"You're not going to get in to the Auror squad without some proper qualifications. They have to obey the rules, or anyone could get in."
"Come on, Ron. We don't even have to do 25% of the DADA course because you have to do practical work in a real life situation. I think we already got a couple of 'outstandings' last year!" said Harry.
He was disappointed, but he would see Ginny the whole year, and Hogwarts still felt like his true home.
"And you know the worst part," said Ron, refusing to cheer up, "We have to help rebuild the school!"
"Just like everyone else going to Hogwarts." tutted Mrs Weasly. "Honestly Ron, If you think you're going to get out of doing you're doing your NEWTs, you're deluded."
Grumbling, Ron got up. "Want to play chess Harry, or some Quiddich?"
Harry went slightly red.
"I, er, thought I might just spend the whole day with Ginny, if that's okay with you?"
"Oh. Sure. Yeah. That's fine." said Ron, failing to sound indifferent.
"Why don't you go and see Hermione, Ron?" said Mrs Weasly. "Since after the fall, you two haven't really seen much of each other."
Ron looked unhappy.
"Can't. Her parents took her on a big holiday all around Europe. She's in Romania or something."
Well, why don't we resume the discussions then?" said Mr Weasly, rubbing his hands, "What are we going to do with the ministry reward?"
"One thousand galleons!" said Ron, as though he still couldn't quite believe it. Chuckling, Harry slipped away.
And so the first few weeks of the holiday slipped by. Every time Harry started having fun he thought of Fred, Lupin or Tonks, or of poor Colin Creevy. He craved something to do, to take his mind off things. And it arrived: they were due to go and help in the rebuilding of Hogwarts.
"It'll be weird going to Hogwarts with no robes or books." Said Ginny, sitting on her trunk, which was a little less full than usual.
She and Harry were sitting in her bright little room on the top floor. "It's just like going on holiday."
"Yeah," said Harry, "do you think there's a lot of serious damage?"
"I don't think so, Voldemort and the death eaters were attacking us, no the building." She said.
"Maybe. But there were a couple of giants, they were smashing up loads of stuff." Harry said, thinking back to that fateful night. It was still fresh in his memory after only… what was it…a month now. It had all passed in a blur.
"I spose so." Said Ginny, as Ron burst into the room.
"Mum wants everyone downstairs. You need to get your trunk from my room, Harry. "Is there a floor powder link?" asked Ginny.
"Yeah. Mum said they could afford to be laxer about security with Voldemort gone." said Ron. "You know they've got a goblin to give us lessons in magical building techniques? It's going to be torture.
"Oh god" groaned Harry, moving out of Ginny's tiny room. He saw Mrs Weasly striding up the stairs.
"What are you three doing? Everyone else is ready!" Mrs Weasly called, looking slightly harassed.
"We're coming." Ginny shouted. "Get a move on, Harry."
Harry appeared on the landing, lugging his trunk, and they marched down the stairs.
"You know," said Harry, "after this year, there'll be no more Weaslys at Hogwarts."
"Oh yeah. I'd really like to say we went out with a bang, but this years looking to be a bit boring." Said Ron, as he plonked his trunk by the fireplace.
"Yeah. It's just our exams. Every other year something's always happened, I've always had a goal. It's weird with no Voldemort. It feels like a part of me is gone."
Mrs Weasly looked anxious.
"Er, are we ready then?" she looked at Ginny, Harry and Ron. "Good luck. I hope they don't work you too hard. You need a rest before going back to school. Well, see you in three weeks. Mr and Mrs Weasly hugged them all and stood back from the fire place. First Ginny, and then Ron stepped in, shouting out their destinations.
"Goodbye." He said, and threw in the floo powder. As the flames changed their colour, he felt welling excitement. After a over twelve months, he was finally going home, for what he supposed was an 'eighth' year. He grinned, stepped into the fire, and shouted "Hogwarts!"