A/N: This is just a simple one-shot I wrote when I was bored, but I hope you enjoy it! It takes place three weeks after the story finishes (but before the epilogue). Reviews would be welcome and appreciated!
The Boy Who Lived Twice
Sunlight shone in through the window, illuminating each and every corner of the kitchen of The Burrow, from Crookshanks lying lazily on top of a bookcase to the self-washing dishes in the sink. But although the day outside was so warm and inviting, and the kitchen itself so homely and friendly, silence reigned as the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione ate their breakfast.
It was unintentional, yet there was very little they could do to stop it. The death of Fred had pained the Weasley family mercilessly over the last three weeks, with Mrs. Weasley bursting into tears at various moments and George rarely speaking to anyone, and hardly ever leaving his room. Hermione and Harry tried valiantly to cheer Ron and Ginny up, but they felt the strains of Fred's sudden death as well, and so most attempts were short and hopeless.
But suddenly the icy silence was broken.
'Oooh look Ron, it's Pig!' Hermione beamed, over-reacting immensely in the need for conversation, but Ron barely looked up from his egg on toast. She bustled over to the window and opened it for the tiny Pigwidgeon to fly in, the latest issue of the Daily Prophet clasped in his talons, the weight of it pulling him down.
'Any news, Hermione?' Mr. Weasley asked, also trying to sound as if he truly cared. Harry noticed that Mr. Weasley had certainly looked worse for wear recently, his skin a greyish white and his bald patch increasing.
'Umm…apparently Fudge has been reinstated for Minister Of Magic,' Hermione told them, scanning the front page.
'What? That's ridiculous!' Harry exclaimed, the beginnings of fury bubbling in him. 'That man refused to believe Voldemort was back! He let Dolores Umbridge into Hogwarts and put the whole wizarding world in danger!! How can he ever be trusted again?'
'Now that's a little unfair, Harry,' Percy began,' I know Mr. Fudge made many mistakes…' he paused and then added with a slight blush, 'I did as well. But perhaps we should give him a second chance… I was lucky enough to get one.' Mrs. Weasley smiled lovingly at her son, her eyes brimming with tears.
'Exactly. Besides, many people only remember what they want to remember Harry,' Hermione said, looking up from the Prophet with a concerned expression. 'I know he's probably not the best choice for Minister, but please don't get too worked up about it.' She smiled kindly, 'and as for Voldemort… well, we don't need to worry about him anymore, do we?'
Harry smiled, and relief washed through him. It was so hard to believe that he was free of Voldemort at last, that he would never have to worry about another horrifying insight into his mind, another battle, another taste of near-death…
'Ooooh! Hogwarts is beginning to be rebuilt!!' Hermione said excitedly as she flicked to the third page.
'Really?' Ron asked, surprising Hermione so much she stuck her elbow into her sausage.
'Umm… yes,' she replied, beaming, and pushed her plate aside. 'Look, there's a whole article on it here…'
'Let me see?' Ginny said, and before long her, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Percy were all poring over the Prophet.
'I don't know what you're getting so excited about,' George said grumpily, ' who in their right mind would want to go back to school? Oh, I forgot, you lot are all barmy as bats aren't you?'
The whole table looked up, shocked. It was the most George had said in weeks. He smiled sheepishly and Ginny laughed, rushing over to hug her brother. Soon everyone was laughing… George had just lifted the sullen mood.
'Who's going to be the new head then?' Mrs. Weasley asked as she gathered up the dishes with her wand, adding them to the growing pile in the sink.
'Apparently they're getting someone new in… doesn't say who,' Ron answered, still reading the article.
'Hmm… I would've thought it would be McGonagall,' Mr. Weasley chipped in.
'Oh no, it's always good to have a fresh face, that's exactly what Hogwarts needs, bring some good memories to the school,' Mrs. Weasley argued.
'Oh look!!! They've made a statue of us!!!' Hermione said excitedly, practically jumping up and down in her seat, pointing at a black and white photo to the right of the article.
Harry looked, and to his horror saw what must have been a twelve foot white marble statue of himself, brandishing his wand with a triumphant look on his face, leading a team of people behind him. But his statue team made him smile, for they were so like the people they were a tribute to. Ron and Hermione stood immediately to his right and left, smiling joyfully and sending sparks into the air from their marble wands, and then there was Hagrid, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn, Trelawney and Sprout, Neville, Luna, and the rest of the DA, Ginny, George and (Harry's heart gave a jolt) Fred Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, Colin Creevey… and many other people Harry recognised as students of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
And on the stone plinth on which this enormous statue stood, a message was engraved:
In recognition of Harry Potter,
The Boy Who Lived,
And the hundreds of students and teachers who helped save this school from the forces of the dark arts and contributed to the destruction of
Lord Voldemort.
Also, in commemoration and memoriam of Hogwarts Headmaster Severus Snape, who was faithful to the end, and the many other souls who lost their lives that day. You will be in our minds forever and always.
They all stopped reading about the same time.
'Wow,' was all Ron could croak, and Harry was surprised to find a small lump in his own throat.
'I don't think they could have done better if they tried,' Hermione squeaked, wiping her eye.
Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ginny's beautiful face smiling down at him.
'Oh, I dunno,' she said with a cheeky smile on her face,' I think Harry's much more handsome in real life than in marble.'
Harry laughed and pulled Ginny onto his lap, wrapping his arm around her.
'Oh perrlease,' said Ron, miming being sick, but he tried to drag Hermione onto his lap as well, though she beat him away with an impatient hand as she flicked towards the back of the Prophet.
Seeing Harry and Ginny so close together, the Weasleys seemed to feel they needed some privacy, with Mrs Weasley muttering something about de-gnoming the garden and George offering to help her, Percy saying something about job applications and Mr Weasley casually leaving the room as well, but not before smiling kindly at Harry and Ginny and murmuring something about 'young love'.
However, Harry seemed to be the only one who noticed all this, and smiled awkwardly.
'Do you think they'll let us take our NEWTs once Hogwarts has been reopened?' Hermione asked them, trying to sound casual, but Harry could see this had been bothering her.
'Why would we need them?' said Ron incredulously, 'our best mate is Harry Potter, defeater of You-Know-Who, the Boy Who Lived – twice! – who could ever ask for a better qualification than that?'
'Hmmm…' Hermione muttered, looking disapproving.
'He's right Hermione,' Ginny added, 'Harry's even more famous than he was before all this happened. No-one's going to refuse us a job.'
Ginny smiled at Harry, and he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to kiss her, to hold her and never let go, like his heart was going to burst…
And Harry noticed that Ron was looking at Hermione in exactly the same way…
'Umm, Hermione,' Ron began awkwardly, running a hand through his hair, ' come on, there's ummm… something Mum needed us to clean up for her in the living room…'
'Oh, the Cornish pixies aren't back are they? You know what happened last time…' Hermione interrupted.
'No, it's not them, it's just – er – just follow me,' he said, taking her hand and leading her into the living room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
'So, Mr. Potter, how does it feel to be the saviour of the wizarding world, and, more importantly, a statue?' Ginny asked Harry as soon as Ron and Hermione had left the room, doing a very good impersonation of Rita Skeeter.
Harry laughed. He had had very little chance to talk to Ginny since the battle of Hogwarts, for they had both been keeping busy to keep their minds off the grief of losing George, Lupin and Tonks. Now he revelled in being alone with her, and she seemed to feel the same way.
'I could ask you the same question Miss Weasley,' he replied, his voice deepening naturally as he looked into her warm brown eyes.
Her smile faltered, and soon their lips were pressed against each others, their breathing becoming shallow, and Harry felt as if he was dancing on air…
'Yes Ron, I will!!!!'
Hermione's cry from the living room brought Harry back to reality, and he and Ginny's lips were forced to part as Hermione burst into the kitchen, beaming from ear to ear, tugging a very red-faced Ron behind her, also looking like he was the happiest person in the world…
'What is it?' Harry asked, a little icier than intended, but he so longed to kiss Ginny again…
'Oh it's wonderful!!!' Hermione exclaimed, 'Ronald and I are engaged!!!'