hello everyone, this is my AU version of what would've happened if Harry went back to Hogwarts for his 7th year. I've done this for an English Project. Keep an open mind, no flames please

"talking"

Thoughts/memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I am not making any money off of this. If I did own HP and was JK i'd not be studying for exams right now, and i'd be at Harry Potter World living at Hogwarts.

Harry stared hard down at his clasped hands. He was only half listening to McGonagall's welcome speech. He was sure that it was beautifully written and spoke in depth about the tragedies of the previous year. It would probably help him to move on... stop him from dwelling on the past if he listened to her talk. He just could not muster the willpower to pay attention and especially not to look up.

If he looked up he would see the new teachers replacing those who had perished in protecting Hogwarts, the gaps in the house tables left by students who will never come back. The minimal, if any damage to the infrastructure left from stray spells, the frown lines on McGonagall's ageing face making him remember the concentration and the intensity as she fought for her life, or the dark bags under Ginny's eyes reminding him of many sleepless nights reliving the horrors of May 2nd. If Harry saw any one of these, he'd smell the blood that permeated the air, hear the yelling of the fighting and the dying, feel the cold and despair that came from the Dementors.

Unexpectedly, Harry felt an elbow digging into his ribs. He feet splashed in blood as he made his way across the Great Hall, tending to his aching ribs. 'Must've caught a curse there during my last fight.' He continued to... Harry was brought back to the present by a soft, small hand slipping into his own, grasping it reassuringly. "Harry?" whispered Ginny softly. Glancing up Harry realised that both Ron and Hermione were also looking at him with concern. Ginny stared at him, tearing up when she saw the look of pain and confusion on her boyfriend's face. She knew he had gone back there, she always knew. Whenever Harry woke up from a nightmare Ginny was immediately by his side. Her quiet but powerful presence calmed Harry enough for him to face his friends.

He brought his head up to look at his two best friends. Ron had started growing a bit of a beard this year, making him look older than his 17-½ years. Ron's face was still as freckly as ever, but his once bright blue eyes were distant. The periwinkle eyes were replaced with a deep blue, like the sea on a dark day: cold, sad, but vast and wise. The death of his brother had hit him hard. He no longer looking at the world with youthful innocence but with a harsh reality. The only time those sapphire regained their old gleam was when Ron looked at Hermione. Hermione hadn't changed much. Her brown hair was neatly parted and made into two braids that fell on her robed shoulders. On her chest gleamed a shiny silver badge proclaiming her as Head Girl. Harry dropped his gaze to his own chest, where an identical silver badge stuck out like a star in the night sky on his black robes. I should have never accepted the position of Head Boy…I can't solve my own problems, let alone anyone else's. Thought Harry, thinking of his reoccurring nightmares.

Dinner had appeared sometime during the evening Harry noticed with surprise. He hadn't even realised that McGonagall had finished speaking and had made the food appear. Looking around, he saw that many people were already taking seconds. Harry reluctantly took a small scoop of shepherd's pie. He'd lost weight over the summer, finding himself nauseated every time he tried to force himself to eat.

Feeling Ginny's all seeing eyes staring at him, he took up his fork and brought some of the warm potatoes up onto it. A warm buttery scent wafted towards Harry, taunting him. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep anything more than toast down. Still…feeling the pressures of his friends to eat he made a show of it: pretending to eat, but then using his wand to non-verbally vanish it from his fork. To make it look realistic, he left some of it on his plate. He couldn't just go from starving himself to enjoying a Hogwarts' Opening Feast in just 24 hours. Fiddling with the beef, harry waited for his the feast to end. By the time the last of the plates had vanished, Harry's shepherd's pie was little more than a pile of grey, disgusting mush.

"Prefects would you now escort your House back to their dormitories. After you have done so I wish for all Prefects to return to the Great Hall for a discussion about the coming year." Announced Professor McGonagall.

Harry slowly stood up. He somehow gained a slight limp after the Final Battle, a souvenir of a fight he can't remember. It was hardly noticeable, but just so that it sometimes pained him to stand up quickly. Along with Hermione, Ron and Ginny, he began to lead the first years out of the Hall.

" Oi! Half-pints! See the guy with the messy hair? Let me give you some advice... If you want to sleep tonight, you'd better not loose him. NOW GET MOVIN'!" bellowed Ron as he got the eleven-year-olds walking.

Ron had been named the seventh year prefect and Ginny the sixth so they were helping Harry and Hermione herd Gryffindor to the seventh floor. Harry and Hermione led the pack. Hermione was dutifully explaining how the stairways moved and the portraits would help you if you got lost while Harry was grumpily trudging up the stairs. He hadn't slept at all the previous night. Not that he thought that he'd sleep any better at Hogwarts. He just didn't want to have to face people.

Ah great. I still have that meeting to go to after this! Harry thought annoyedly. The sooner we get this over with the sooner I can go hole myself up and not have to put up this façade. Finally after 7 flights they reached the fat lady.

"This, first years, is the Fat Lady. She's the portrait of Gryffindor House. She guards the entrance to our dormitories." Said Hermione. "If you want to enter the portrait hole all you have to do is…"

"Dumbledore's Army." Cut in Harry, trying to speed up the process. "The password is Dumbledore's Army."

Dumbledore was leaning against the railing of the Astronomy Tower, begging "Please Severus". Snape strode forward, wand out, not even hesitating as he calmly said the fatal words. "Avada ked…"

"…Harry? HARRY!" yelled Ginny. "Are you okay? You kinda blanked out there for a second."

"I'm fine." Harry said tersely. "Just wondering why that's the password."

"Well Dumbledore has been revered as almost a God since his death." Said Ginny, half-serious, half jokingly. "To be honest, why not have it as a password? He deserves to be remembered, and so do the members of his Army."

Unsatisfied, Harry climbed into the portrait hole. Leaving Ginny to scramble after him. Once inside the common room Harry realised that Hermione had shown the first years to their dormitories while he had been talking to Ginny. Ron and Hermione were sharing an armchair by the fire, Hermione in the seat and Ron perched on the arm, waiting for Ginny and Harry.

"There you are! Ron and I have already shown the first years their rooms and we've been waiting for you here ever since." Stated Hermione.

"Ya we were beginning to think you two had snuck off somewhere to…you know…" and with that Ron made a disgusted face. Laughing, as well as blushing, at his best friend's antics, Harry felt his spirit lift.

"Common then you two. Let's go see what McGonagall has to say to only us prefects." Said Harry somewhat cheerfully.