After the battle of Hogwarts
Chapter 1
"Oi, mate, wake up."
"Waz…wazza matter?"
"Get out of bed now. It's been like twenty hours. They're all waiting on you."
Harry sat up on his bed, looking around sheepishly. Ron was sitting on the bed adjacent to his, eating a cauldron cake. "Where did you find that?" he enquired, grabbing his glasses.
"Common room. The least they can do is let me borrow food, after everything that we've done" he said, munching down the last bite.
"Where is everyone?"
"In the great hall. I got up about an hour ago, and Hermione told me to get you there once you woke up."
"All right, mate. Let me just get a quick washup, I feel filthy."
Fifteen minutes later, they were both walking down the steps towards the hall, and Harry registered all the destruction for the first time. Destruction that was done to his home. Statues thrown across the room and walls broken to create new doorways…and all the people who died.
Fred, Remus, Tonks…even Colin, and he didn't know how many countless others. As they walked into the great hall, he realised that most of the families had gone home. The Weasleys were sitting at the Gryffindor table, all huddled together, mourning the loss of Fred. As they approached them, Molly gasped and ran towards them and hugged them both. She was not crying, and Harry again marvelled at the strength of the Weasley women.
" , I…I should have done something…I couldn't…" he started.
She held both his hands and said, smiling, "Harry, none of this is your fault. None of us blame you, and if you say sorry, I'll hex you."
He looked at them all, and they all returned his smile.
"George…mate…" he began, walking towards the now alone twin.
"No need for an apology, potty. I'll be alright. Fred wouldn't have wanted us to mourn. He's probably planning to light some fireworks in heaven" he said, grinning.
Ron sat next to his brother, and hugged him. He looked about and saw Ginny. She was looking towards him, sadness etched on her face.
"I need to go to Dumbledore's tomb. Still got one last job to complete" he turned away.
He walked out, through the grounds, and towards the marble tomb that lay next to the lake. He stood next to it for a good long while, and then walked away without saying another word, minus one wand in his pocket.
He had glanced Kingsley in the great hall, and knew he was going to need to have a long discussion with, surely, the new Minister for Magic. However, that would have to wait. There was one extremely important person he had to make amends with. Ginny.
They were standing outside the castle, at the entrance to the grounds. The fountain was broken, and the tress were fallen about.
"Gin, I'm sorry. I know that isn't enough, and if you never want to see my face again, I wouldn't hold that against you" he said, his tone begging for forgiveness.
"Harry, you almost gave me a heart attack, when I saw Hagrid carrying you. You almost gave me another one, when I saw that you were still alive" she said.
He was looking straight into her eyes, and he could see the sadness and fury that was now radiating from within her.
"My family thinks I came out here to hex you, since that is probably what Ron wants me to do. But, how can I be mad at you? You left me to keep me safe, and yes, it hurt me. But I always loved you, and I always will."
She was smiling.
He had tears in his eyes, and couldn't bring himself to forgive his own actions.
"Promise me, Harry, that the next time you run off on some mission to the death, you'll take me with you."
He grinned, wiping away his tears.
"I love you, Ginny, and thank you for not hexing me. Though that is what you probably should have done."
She hugged him, and the contact left Harry the happiest he had ever been. She was about to kiss him,
"Oi! I don't wanna see my own sister snogging people in public!" Ron shouted, and they both saw him and Hermione at the doors. They were both laughing as well, and Harry and Ginny walked back towards them, Ron nodded towards him, and said, "If you hurt her again, I'll pound you into oblivion."
"If I hurt her again, I'll let your entire family do that."
He sat down with the Weasleys for some time, but a pat on the shoulder made him turn around. "Kinglsey!" he exclaimed.
He sat down at the table, and said, "Harry, people have reported to me that you mentioned the Elder wand when you fought Voldemort. As Interim Minister, all the departments have been reporting their current situation to me. The Department of Mysteries would like to talk to you about the wand."
Harry opened his mouth, but Kingsley lifted up a hand.
"However, if you were to deny having said any such thing, we could just avoid the whole situation" Kingsley added, with the smallest indication of a grin.
Harry smiled. "Of course, Minister."
"Now, I assume you want to know what happened to the Death Eaters. Most of them have escaped. We acted so foolhardy after Voldemort died, no one even thought about checking on his minions. I've put the entire Ministry to work, harder than ever. Catching all of the death eaters is our number one priority. We are, however, extremely short staffed."
Harry frowned, since he had also completely forgotten about the death eaters.
"Now comes the important part. Harry, it is now common knowledge around the ministry that you wish to be an auror. I would like to offer you, Ron and Hermione auror training, during which, along with training, you will help us round up the eaters."
Harry had expected this. Hermione however, enquired, "But what about our NEWT's? We have nowhere NEAR all the qualifications required to be an auror."
Kingsley smiled. "I know. Which is why I'm giving you a choice. It's totally upto you. You can come to Hogwarts for your seventh year, or continue with auror training. You guys have more experience than the average auror, believe it or not."
Molly had been listening quietly all this time, but once Kingsley mentioned leaving school short, she couldn't hold it in much longer.
"They're still so young, Kingsley! Havent they done enough? More than a year of being on the run, I think they deserve to stay back, and take care of their NEWTs." She looked pleadingly at them.
Ron looked at his mother, and she knew there was no convincing her second youngest son. "I'm gonna do this, Mom. The ministry needs all the help it can get, and we won't turn back now."
Molly then turned to Harry, who replied, "I'm going to finish what I've started. If just killing Voldemort eradicated all evil, I would throw my wand in now. But I'm going to make the wizarding world a safer place for everybody, and that starts with getting rid of the death eaters. They're responsible for killing Remus and Dora, Fred, and all the other friends and family we lost yesterday. We're gonna bring them to justice."
"And here I thought he couldn't get any more Sirius. Gettit?" grinned Ron.
Pin drop silence.
"That was the worst pun I have ever heard, Ronald. You try too hard" Fred commented.
Kingsley turned to Hermione. "So?"
Hermione looked uncomfortable.
Harry and Ron were both grinning at each other.
"No problem, Hermione. You can complete school" Ron was smiling, "You don't have to do this just because we are, and you never wanted to be an auror anyway."
"Thanks, Ronald. I would really prefer to finish school, Minister."
"Of course" he got up, "I'm going to be betting on you getting all Outstandings, Hermione." He walked out the hall, and Harry was happy to see that at last he was looking at a Minister of Magic whom he could rely upon.
