Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Dean and Seamus were meeting up to celebrate Neville's engagement to Hannah Abott. Ginny was still in Quidditch practice with her team the Hollyhead Harpies for the upcoming Quidditch season, Hermione was absolutely buried in paperwork for another case in which a house elf was being abused by his master, Ron couldn't leave the shop till it closed at around 7 in the evening, 6 if the business was slow (business was never slow), Neville was already in Hogwarts since he worked there as a Herbology teacher and lived above the Leaky Cauldron with Hannah, Luna was out of the country and her Portkey wasn't scheduled to arrive till dark for camouflage, Dean was also at Quidditch practice for his team Puddlemere United and Seamus was currently still working with George on a new line of firecrackers and wouldn't be out till even later than Ron. But Harry was absolutely adamant on getting there early. He wanted to have a quick look around the campus, visit Hagrid maybe. So at 12 in the afternoon, right after lunch and kissing Ginny goodbye he Apparated to an alley way near King's Cross station. He strolled casually to the wall between Platform 9 and Platform 10. This was where he first saw Ginny way back when she was still a blushing little girl. When the Hogwarts Express arrived he boarded and headed straight through to the second to the last compartment. The same one where he and Ron first met. Where Hermione knocked on their door asking if they had seen Neville's toad, Trevor. They never did see him again after the war. He remembered everything with perfect clarity. The first Chocolate Frog card he had, Dumbledore. That awful spell Fred and George had Ron try to make his rat, who turned out to be Peter Pettigrew, yellow.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow.
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He chuckled to himself. Many amazing school years had begun in this train. He peeked outside and saw a trail of clouds covering the sun and remembered him and Ron with the flying Ford Anglia. The train slowed at a station in Hogsmeade in front of the first place he could ever call home. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
He entered the gates, opened by Argus Filch, still the caretaker of the castle, recalling that time in second year when Snape had to let him and Ron in himself. One of the many, many times when he had almost been expelled. A small carriage with one thestral waited for him. He looked at it for a while, he never could forget how it felt to ride it through the skies to the Ministry in his fifth year. He never really took a liking to them then but now he found their unpleasant appearance rather endearing. "Well, come on boy! Hurry along." Filch said. He never did took a shine to Harry unlike most of the other teachers. "Yes, Argus." he said, chuckling once again. "Argus? That's Mr. Filch to you Potter." Filch said. He got onto the carriage, chuckling still, further irritating Filch. His chuckles were silenced when he saw the majesty of the Black Lake where he could just catch a glimpse of the Giant Squid's tentacle slip under. He remembered the Second Task in the Triwizard Tournament. He had to save Ron and he would've saved Hermione too, except, Krum had already gotten there. It was too late to ask Filch to stop when he saw the white tomb. He could almost hear Hermione saying "Well, Harry, you do have a saving people thing." He entered straight into the Great Hall, looking around and remembering Weasley's Wizarding Whizbangs and the OWL's and then one of the most painful memories he had came back. The war. Bodies, lying everywhere. Fred was dead with a smile on his face because he heard Percy joke for once, Tonks who had just given birth to Teddy Lupin still holding hands with Lupin. Dead. Collin Creevey, a boy who just wanted to help. Dead. Lavender Brown attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Died a couple of days later. Severus Snape. Dead. All because of him. He turned away, pretending to have an itch in his eye to wipe a tear away. He, instead walked back outside to the Quidditch pitch and borrowed a broom from the broom shed. An old Firebolt he had donated not long ago. He flew, around the goal posts searching for a snitch that was not there. As if he was so used to doing it, he just couldn't help himself. He went down to the Room of Requirement to the DA's old room, the place where he had his first kiss. Where he saw Ginny after months apart, he was so torn between wanting her to never leave his side and wanting her to steer clear of the battle. Of course he made the obvious decision of choosing to keep her safe. Although he remembered her being pretty useful even from a distance. What with her terrific aim and talent at spell casting.
He went back out into the grounds a bit too overwhelmed by the nostalgia of it all. He took as many shortcuts as he could to avoid being seen. "Professor McGonagall." he greeted McGonagall.
"Mr. Potter! You must be here to celebrate Professor Longbottom's engagement." she said, hugging Harry.
"Actually, I am. How did you-" she cut him off.
"Know? I keep track of all my excellent students Mr. Potter. What brings you in the castle?"
"Just reminiscing." Harry said.
"Ah, yes. I do recall my first stroll around Hogwarts after graduating. I found it quite...entrancing."
"Well, yeah. I'm off to Hagrid's now Professor, erm, I mean Headmistress. Don't hesitate to write if Hogwarts ever needs anything." Harry said.
"Of course." she said as Harry walked away.
"And Mr. Potter?" she hesitated.
"Yeah?"
"In behalf of Hogwarts and—myself I'd just like to thank you. You saved all of us." she looked at him.
"Thank you Professor." he nodded, unsure how to approach the situation but filled with gratitude that someone he looked up to for guidance had thanked him.
He walked toward Hagrid's hut, restored after it had caught fire in the Battle. He knocked at Hagrid's door, hoping he didn't have a class or some errand and sure enough-
"'Arry, m'boy." Hagrid greeted him with a bone crushing hug. Talking to Hagrid made him feel like a child again. Hagrid who introduced him to the Wizarding World. Hagrid who bought him his first birthday cake. Hagrid who was often misjudged and wrongly accused as Harry so often was as well. Hagrid who carried his barely alive body, crying during the war. He immediately accepted the offer of his infamous rock cakes and bland tea. As Hagrid put the kettle in the fire an image of Norbert's, or rather Norberta's, egg hatching flashed into his mind. The afternoon wore on with a promise from Hagrid that he would visit soon and when Harry glanced out to the castle he saw the Astronomy Tower. The sun had almost vanished from the sky, he didn't have much time left. "Go 'head. Plenty o' time ter catch up." Hagrid said, knowing exactly what Harry was thinking.
There it was the White Tomb. He remembered a particular conversation he had with Dumbledore back then. He asked about what would happen to Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel.
"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."
For a second Harry wondered whether the moments he had in limbo between life and death was imagined or not. He guessed the latter. As a solitary tear streaked down his cheek he said "I hope you're having a hell of an adventure." conjured up some flowers, placed it on Dumbledore's grave and left.
"Harry, you're early!" Neville greeted him as he passed the greenhouses. He was just packing up the last of the earmuffs from a previous lesson.
"Yeah, I wanted to see the grounds for a bit. Hasn't changed that much. Have you just given a Mandrake lesson?" he asked.
"Harry, you know Hogwarts never changes, unless you count the time during the war and Umbridge's rule, it's us who changes. And, yes I have been teaching them to re-pot Mandrakes. If you ever tell Teddy Lupin that I fainted in that lesson I will hex you." Neville joked.
"I won't tell him." he said.
And they walked away laughing as two friends do.
The night ended with lots of butterbeer and a drunk Neville. As the rest of them caught up Harry sat quietly, smiling to himself.
"You alright, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny, I may want to be a teacher." he said.