In the days passing after the war's end, it became hard for Harry to accept that it was really over. To him, the death of Voldemort didn't seem to count for much happiness; the joy that should have brought was tainted by the unbearable grief that came from the death of countless people. Harry half-wished that the hadn't happened and that Voldemort was still alive, because that would mean that Remus and Tonks, Fred, Colin, and all those fallen would also still be alive.
"Cheer up, Harry," Hermione said indignantly. Then she caught sight of George in the corner, looking thoroughly depressed. Her face fell.
"You're the one to talk," Harry muttered back.
"No, Hermione, you're right," piped up Ginny. She was curled up next to Harry on the loveseat. "We've got to get out of this gloom. Come on, let's go do something fun," she said. Her wild, fiery mood spread through the gloomy common room like wildfire.
Ron jumped up from the other sofa, where he was sitting with Hermione.
"You know what? I reckon you're right," he said.
"Yeah, but how lovely it'll be, an afternoon stroll by the lake where there's still rubble and dead bodies strewn everywhere," George said by the window. "Besides, Fr—"
He choked up, still unable to mention his twin's name. "—his funeral is tonight.
He was right; they had indeed remained at Hogwarts to help clean up. There was still blood to scrub off the stone floors, rubble to help clean up, and bodies to remove. And tonight there was a mass funeral; Tonks, Lupin. Colin, Fred and many others would be buried today, laid to rest next to Dumbledore.
"So what? Who cares? They're gone, we've got to keep living," Hermione said wisely. "What would Lupin tell you, Harry? He'd be aghast that you aren't out there having fun! And George, if Fred saw you like this he'd tell you to stop being a baby and go invent a new flavor for your Skiving Snackboxes."
And they knew Hermione was right.
"I'll go get my Invisibility Cloak, and we'll go out to the Hog's Head and have a few words with Aberforth." said Harry. "I don't feel much like talking to anyone else."
By "anyone" he meant reporters that had been clamoring at the gates for a chance to talk to Harry; he hadn't had one peaceful moment.
He ran up to his dormitory to grab the Cloak. He realized it wasn't on his bed where he'd left it. He checked his trunk; it wasn't there, either. He checked everywhere, a panic starting to rise in his chest: under his bed, where there were plenty of dust bunnies; the leather pouch Hagrid had gotten him; Hermione's beaded bag, which was on the windowsill.
It wasn't anywhere to be found.
Harry had never lost his Invisibility Cloak before. Ever. In fact, for the past two years he'd kept it on him at all times. It couldn't be a coincidence that it was gone.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," he whimpered as he checked the leather pouch for the two snapped pieces of wood called the Elder wand.
It wasn't there.
"Ron! Hermione!" he shouted. The rushed into the dorm, followed closely by George and Ginny. "The Elder Wand and the Cloak are gone. Someone's trying to get the Hallows.