A/N: This is a fem! Harry fic I've been wanting to explore for a while. So just a fair warning right off the bat if you don't care for that. I've kept her name as Harry which will be short for Harriet.

Also, if you've been following Of Protagonists, I haven't abandoned that fic. I'm still working on it. I'm just a little blocked on it right now!

Enjoy!

"So you'll be attending Hogwarts in the fall too then, Harry?"

Harry nearly choked on her drink due to the question that was presented to her by Mrs. Weasley. She wasn't sure why, but whenever the question was posed to her it always took her by surprise. Almost as though people were questioning her place in the world, and where she would go from here. Of course she would return to Hogwarts, she told herself when she was the first to ask, for it was her home.

Wasn't it?

"Yes," she replied once she regained her composure. "I'm looking forward to going back."

Am I really?

She wasn't sure honestly.

Harry found herself surrounded by the Weasley's as she had been for a majority of her life now. Mrs. Weasley had insisted on having a birthday celebration for her at the Burrow and Harry, who had little in the way of argument to prove that Mrs. Weasley shouldn't go through so such trouble, was the happiest she had been the past few months celebrating her 18th birthday with the closest thing she had to a family. Although, Harry felt and was sure the others did as well, that the loss of those who were not in the room (one who could no longer be with them, the other who had chosen not to be there as he was not ready for such celebratory events just yet) did bring the atmosphere down a level or two.

"George would have loved to be here, dear. He's just- he's just.."

"Not ready. Really, Mrs. Weasley, it's alright. I understand." And Harry did. How do you expect one to go on after practically losing a part of themselves? Her heart broke for George. "I'm just so happy to be with you all. Truly."

Mrs. Weasley smiled a teary thanks to her and gripped her shoulder the way, Harry assumed, a mother would do so. Surprising herself and, perhaps Mrs. Weasley, Harry reached up to the hand on her shoulder and gripped it back tightly.

"Such a sweet girl. You've always been an honorary Weasley to me, Harry. I hope one day one of my boys will make it official."

Harry flushed at this. Ron, who was to her left, snorted which cause some of the chicken stuffed into his mouth to spew out.

"I'll tell Charlie to get right on that, mum!"

Harry elbowed him but grinned nonetheless.

"You're such a tosser," said Harry.

"But you love me," retorted Ron.

"I do! Although perhaps not in the way your mother would hope. The way that would lead to me becoming a Weasley. But perhaps in a way that Hermione would appreciate. Sisterly affection and all that."

It was Ron's turn to flush and elbow Harry back.

"Shut up, Harry."

Ron still didn't appreciate the teasing over Hermione even though the two were a couple. Or at least snogging. Hermione was currently with her parents who had regained their memories back and were not happy with their daughter. She was chained to them for the whole summer until school started.

School was just around the corner now and the trio would once again be reunited. It felt strange, Harry thought, for them to be apart after the journey they had been on together.

But she wondered, with all they had been through in just the passing months, if they would ever fall into an easy group dynamic again.

Harry had hardly paid attention during the sorting. Headmistress McGonagall (which still didn't sound natural to Harry after referring to her as Professor for all those years) had ushered her and the rest of the students that had been in her year previously, to a table of their own.

"Why are we not with Gryffindor?" hissed Harry to Hermione who was sitting next to her.

"Honestly Harry," whispered Hermione while rolling her eyes. "I'm sure if you listen McGonagall will tell us after the sorting."

"This is throwing me off," grumbled Harry.

All she was met with was a shush from Hermione and an eager nod of agreeance from Ron.

Peering around her Harry took in the students that had chosen, like her, to return to Hogwarts. Most were familiar to her. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Hannah Abbott, Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil, and (shockingly to Harry) Draco Malfoy had returned. The latter looked uncomfortable being the only Slytherin at the table. Harry wondered, given that it was a dawning of a new age so to speak and he had spared her life when she was captured, if perhaps that they should bury their wands and make up. Just as she was thinking this, however, Malfoy peered up at her having felt eyes on him and glared. Harry crossed her eyes at him childishly. She would start tomorrow with her attempt of befriending him.

"Harry! The speech is starting. Stop tormenting Malfoy," chidded Hermione.

Harry started. She had missed the whole sorting and now McGonagall was taking her place in front of the school as Dumbledore had done for years before her. Harry felt a pang of sadness thinking of her former Headmaster. How is it possible to feel that someone, who had clearly lived a long and full life, could be gone so soon? She wasn't able to process this further, though, because McGonagall had begun to speak.

"Welcome, some of you for the first time and some of you who are returning, to Hogwarts."

The crowd around the Great Hall grew quiet.

"Those of you who are returning may notice that Hogwarts, like many of you, has changed. It has been broken. And while we have worked tirelessly to repair and rebuild what we can those scar may forever show. Some of you, may find this relatable."

Harry swallowed. This time, reaching not for her visible scar on her forehead, but the one that was clothed with her robes on her chest. The killing curse that had struck her heart had left a similar, but uglier mark, on her.

"Scars, however visible or not, tell a story. The scars that cover Hogwarts tell a story of a structure that would not crumble under battle thanks to those within its very walls. Many of you returning fought alongside each other to defend this castle and, thanks to you, Hogwarts still stands to welcome us home."

Harry suddenly felt choked up but judging from the sniffling coming from Hermione beside her she wasn't the only one.

"I thank you. From the bottom of my heart I thank you."

Applause rang out around the Great Hall and some of the older students began a chorus of Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something new! McGonagall smiled and,after a moment, raised her hands to shush the crowd.

"Those of you who are returning to finish your education as 8th years, we welcome you back especially, and applaud you for facing the challenge. However, due to overcrowding you will no longer be residing with your previous houses and instead a separate residence and common room have been set up for your use on the first floor-"

"We have to all room together?"

"Ronald! Hush! You're being childish!"

Harry agreed with Ron's distraught over the situation but didn't voice so since she was the one within elbow reach of Hermione.

"The quarters has been set up so two suites share a bathroom and I will allow you to make the adult decision to chose your own same gender roommate. But if you cannot act like adults-"

"Well that's not too bad," whispered Hermione.

"Yeah guess not," replied Harry. "What do you say, Hermione? Want to shack up with me?"

"Honestly, Harry!"

Harry chose to ignore the rest of the speech after McGonagall said they would no longer be allowed to play on the Quidditch team.

Harry hadn't told anyone, but she had been unable to sleep since the events of the past few months. Whenever she did sleep she had nightmares and felt even more unrested. Even though she had the Weasleys and Hermione she felt alone in this. She wasn't quite sure how she was functioning but she had managed to go a whole summer without a decent night's sleep. And her return to Hogwarts didn't seem to hinder her new routine at all.

Harry heaved a sigh and glanced around her new dorm room. When McGonagall had said that they 8th years would be residing on the first floor she didn't imagine in her wildest dreams that they had redone Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as their dorm. Myrtle, instead of wailing over the destruction of her "home," had taken great joy in the changes and had deemed herself their official house ghost. It seemed, for lack of a better term, to lift her spirits.

"Isn't this great, Harry?" Myrtle had cooed floating around her. "We can be roommates. Great girl friends by the end of this."

Harry didn't share Myrtle's hopes.

Not feeling inclined to being cooped up and quite in a small room while Hermione slept peacefully on her side, Harry grabbed a coat and decided to venture out. Thankful for her invisibility cloak, as it guided a safe passage not only through the castle but away from Myrtle, Harry decided to venture down the tunnel that lead to Hogsmeade.

After all she was, as McGonagall had put it, an adult now. And like a normal adult, a drink after a long day sounded refreshing. Although, Harry was certain adults didn't need to sneak into a tunnel and out of the cellar at Honeydukes which is currently what she found herself doing.

Oh well, she thought.

The walk to the Hog's Head was a lot farther after Neville's Nan had destroyed the tunnel that had been hidden in Hogwarts that lead to the bar, but Harry was thankful for the walk. It was a nice night and she had time to kill before dawn and the first day of classes.

"Ah, young Miss Potter." Aberforth barely glanced up from the glass he was filling for a patron. It was something Harry liked about Aberforth. He didn't gawk at her. In fact, sometimes he acted like her presence was annoying to him. That was endearing to her. "Shouldn't you be in school? I didn't think I would see you as often anymore."

Harry closed the door behind her. She had picked up, what Aberforth had claimed, was a bad habit. She only had a drink or two a night so she could only assume the bad habit was visiting him nightly. He wasn't one for company but that was alright by Harry. She was only there for the drinks. And if she could get him to open up about his brother and sister (as he would on occasion when he himself had a few drinks), well, that was an added bonus.

"Sorry Aberforth," she smirked taking a seat at the bar.

His only response was sliding her a Firewhiskey. Harry could never get used to the burning sensation down her throat with the first sip.

"You know," she began and then took another sip. Aberforth was turned from her but she knew he was listening. He always was. "We aren't allowed back in our old dorms anymore."

Aberforth turned at this and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? So what have they done with you?"

"Get this, you know the bathroom that Moaning Myrtle used to haunt. Oh wait, you probably attended Hogwarts before that…"

Aberforth rolled his eyes.

"I know of Myrtle, girl."

"Okay, okay!" Harry apologized holding up her hands. "Anyway, they redid her whole bathroom into dorms for us and now she's our self proclaimed house ghost."

Aberforth snorted at this. Whether he were to admit it or not he found it amusing.

"She's under the impression that the two of us will be besties after all this."

"Good. Maybe you'll stop bothering me."

Harry took another drink and grimaced at the burning sensation.

She was about to respond with a clever, Firewhiskey infused, retort when the door to the Hog's Head slammed open. The suddenness of it all cause Harry to choke on her drink.

This is becoming a bad habit, she thought to herself.

When she came to she noticed Aberforth was glaring at the door. She didn't know if this meant peril or anything because Aberforth was just the type to glare no matter who entered it seemed.

"Alright, Aberforth." The voice was slurred but Harry, recognizing it, whipped around immediately. "Rosmerta cut me off. Don't let me down."

Standing before her was a very drunk George Weasley.

He was squinting at her and Harry was sure his vision was swimming and he was trying to make out how many or who was in front of him. She saw his eyes widen with realization after a moment.

"Oh shite," said George swaying. "Hi Harry."

And then he fell to the floor.