This is my first fanfic, hope you like it.
Reviews are very welcome. I would like to hear it if I made any grammar mistakes.
WARNING: this is slash, meaning boy x boy relationship.
Oh, and I don't own harry potter.
It was the 31 of august, five years after the battle for Hogwarts and Harry's triumph over Voldemort. This was the first reunion for former students and a celebration of the fact that the castle was finally returned to its full glory.
The house tables in the Great Hall had been replaced by dozens of high cocktail tables to make room for the hundreds of guests. It seemed that most of the British wizarding community had come to witness the official reopening of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
Harry stood just inside the hall and was greeting people left and right, shaking hands and smiling. All the while answering questions from the reporters.
He had been in a spotlight from the moment he had apperated at the gates to the school grounds. Of course, he hadn't expected anything else, he had pretty much been in a constant spotlight for the past five years.
At first hardly a day went by in which he didn't appear in a newspaper headline. Now, the media attention had died down a bit, he only appeared in the paper about once a week. Harry had gotten used to it but he still didn't like it.
And then it didn't help that he had been made head-auror only two days ago. He had managed to escape the reporters so far but here he didn't stand a chance.
To make matters worse, Ron and Hermoine couldn't be here. Hermoine was eight months pregnant with their first child and things weren't going very smoothly, she had been kept under observation at St. Mungo's for the last week and wouldn't be released until the baby was born. She had told Ron to go but he flatly refused to leave her side.
The very worst part though, was that Harry was expected to give a speech. He hated speaking in public, everyone expected him to say something brilliant and he wasn't a very brilliant speaker at all. He had no idea what he was going to say, he hadn't had time to sit down and think about it properly what with becoming head-auror and one of his best friends being in the hospital and all.
At that moment professor McGonagall stepped up to the raised platform and addressed the great hall.
"Welcome back former students, old friends and great defenders of Hogwarts. I am Indeed glad you all came to see with your own eyes that the castle you all fiercely defended 5 years ago has now been restored to its original state. Most of you have helped with the repairs and restorations and a daunting task it was. Some of you argued that we should leave a part of the castle destroyed as a reminder of the battle and the lives it has cost." The headmistress paused here for a moment and swallowed hard.
"I know that some of you were very angry when the school board decided against this. But we did agree that there should be a tangible and constant reminder of what we won that faithful day. So I would like you all to follow me outside." She said, and with no further ado stepped down from the platform and made her way to the entrance to the great hall, parting the crowd as she did so.
When McGonagall spotted Harry, she made a beeline for him.
"Harry, I'm so glad you could come. When I heard that Ron and Hermione couldn't make it, I tried to change the date but it was too late." She said as she shook his hand.
"It's good to see you again professor. I know Ron and Hermione wish they could be here and meet everyone but it really wasn't an option." Harry replied as they started to lead the party out into the grounds. "They asked me to pass on their love to you and to congratulate you on restoring Hogwarts, when Hermoine feels better they will certainly want to see it with their own eyes."
"They, like you, will always be welcome at Hogwarts." The headmistress said warmly.
"I will pass that on to them." Harry said and smiled.
They had reached a large structure covered in an even larger white cloth, right next to another raised platform. McGonagall reached up to pat Harry on the shoulder before climbing the three steps to the platform and waited there for all the witches and wizards to gather before her. Harry stood before the structure he guessed was a statue of some sort, where the professor had left him. As the people slowly gathered behind him, he heard them whisper and mutter his name.
"So that's Harry potter, never seen him in real live before."
"Is Potter's hair always that messy?"
"...wonder where the rest of the trio is."
After a minute or so, professor McGonagall cleared her throat and everyone fell silent at once. "Well then." She said. "Without further ado I present to you: Lost in victory!" and with a flick of her wand, the white cloth shot into the air and exploded like fireworks.
Before Harry stood a statue of himself, Hermione and Ron on either side of him. All three statues had their wands in their right hands pointing straight up at the sky, in addition Harry's likeness held the sword of Gryffindor at his side.
Behind them stood the castle as it had looked at the end of the battle, half destroyed. The whole thing was chiselled from white marble, except, Harry noticed at closer inspection, a few objects laying at his marble feet. A large snake (its head separated from its body,) a ring with a crack in the middle of the stone, a book with a large hole in it, a cup - broken in two, and a locket, laying open and both windows cracked. The horcruxes were made of black marble.
The memorial stood on a foot-high stone circle and at its front stood a large golden plaque with the words 'Lost in victory' carved into them. Below that followed a list of names of those who died defending Hogwarts. Harry was reading them when someone touched his shoulder.
"Harry, I think it's time for your speech." A familiar voice whispered close to his ear.
"Oh, yes, of course, thanks Luna." He said distractedly and squeezed her hand before walking up to the platform. He coughed nervously and muttered "Sonorus" while pointing his wand at his throat. Then he just talked, later he wouldn't remember exactly what he had said. He spoke of the people who had died, and how he thought each and every one of the people who had fought, living or dead deserved their own statue.
As he babbled away, he noticed a tall figure with white blonde hair at the very back of the crowd, Harry recognised him at once: Draco Malfoy.
This was actually supposed to be a oneshot but I felt it would be a bit of a long chapter so I broke it into pieces. The next chapter should be up pretty soon, probably later tonight. Thank you for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it ;) JH