CH.1- Life After Death
A/N: I'll admit, it's been a while. I took a hiatus to catch up on schoolwork, travel, get sleep, etc. I also decided to do some work to develop a style, and actually plan this story. So now, instead of blindly pounding out words onto a page, I can actually tell a story w/ meaning. Anyhow, I'm back and writing.
Light glittered in through the cracked window of Harry Potter's Gryffindor dorm, dragging him slowly back to the world of the living. It would be the second time he'd made the journey in the past 24 hours. He sat up in bed, stretching his damaged body. He felt strange awaking. He felt good. His body was shot to pieces, covered in cuts, scrapes, bruises, burns, contusions, you name it. But in his head, the storm that had haunted him for his entire life, its dark clouds obscuring his view of the future, allowing him only the vision of an evil man with the face of a snake. But that man was dead. Harry's future was finally his own, the vista of his psyche a clear summer sky.
Harry rose from bed and grabbed a shirt from the bedpost, pulling it over his head. Once his shoes were on and his belt fastened, he was off to breakfast. He was famished, because, as it turns out, dying and coming back to life was a taxing experience. He limped his way through the wreckage of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall. The Hall was divided into two camps, mourners and celebrators. Those who had lost loved ones sat in quiet huddles. The red-headed Weasley bunch made up the largest group of mourners. Harry found his two best and oldest friends in the group, Hermione wrapped in Ron's arms, both with tears running down their faces. He smiled sadly at the two, happy that even though so much had been lost, some had been gained. This did not, however, quell the rising feeling of guilt, the oh so familiar twinge of "these people died because I wasn't good enough." Harry suddenly wanted nothing more than to be alone.
Harry took a seat in an unoccupied area of the Gryffindor table, grabbing a plate and shoveling down food. The taste was lost on him, but his body craved the fuel. After he was finished eating, he picked himself up and made his way towards the door before he was intercepted by Neville, who had Luna attached to his arm.
"Harry, hey," Neville looked happy, or as happy as one could in the middle of a battlefield.
"Sup," Harry was not in a mood for conversation.
"Alright, listen. I just wanted to say thank you, for everyone," Neville placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry twisted away and began to walk quickly towards the door, nausea growing. He began to run; he wanted to be far away from everything, where he wouldn't hurt anyone. But a single cord tied him to his current life, an impervious cable fixed to his heart, its other end tied to a certain red-headed witch. The same witch whose heart he had broken. Who had no reason to ever take him back. As if his body and his mind were conspiring against his heart, Harry found himself staring out over the lake; he had made his way to the spot where he had spent his time with Ginny, during the happiest time of his life. He collapsed against the tree, and tears began to stream down his face. He cried for himself at first, but soon the tears flowed for Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Colin, Fred, and the others who now lay cold. He was consumed by grief until a hand rested on his shoulder. When he dried his eyes, he saw the sun beginning to set. George Weasley was looking down at him, a surprisingly happy look on his face.
"Hello, George," Harry was fighting back a sob.
"Come on, leaky faucet, I've got something to talk to you about," George had a serious look on his face. Harry was confused. He hoped it wasn't going to be about Ginny. George led Harry down into the bowels of Hogwarts, guiding him ever deeper, until they arrived in a small dungeon classroom. George opened the door and ushered Harry inside. Harry looked around, trying to discern the meaning of the visit, when a cold rush about knocked him off his feet. When he looked down, there was a semi-transparent head jutting out from his torso. It was a very familiar head too.
"Boogity boogity boo!" Ghost Fred shouted, sticking out his tongue. Harry blinked, failing to comprehend.
"How are you, I mean, what?" Harry stammered.
"Well I couldn't just leave my poor, helpless twin all on his own, now could I?" Fred was grinning, as was George.
"Wow. I don't know what to say. Does your family know?"
"Yeah, they had kinda the same reaction."
"Jesus, well, I guess it's good to still have you around," Harry was still dumbfounded. He stumbled out of the classroom. He felt the need for food again, but he wasn't going to brave the Great Hall again. He made his way to the kitchens instead.
After a hearty meal, Harry felt drowsy. He began to make his way back to the Common Room. He was walking through the shadowed corridors when he plowed head first into an oncoming person. He looked up ", I'm so sorry, excuse me," He apologized. Ginny just stared him in the face. He saw who it was and tried to make a quick retreat, but she grabbed his arm. He turned around and looked her in the eyes. She had a soft fire in her eyes, and Harry began to sink into them. Realizing his actions, he snapped away, pushing her away. He refused to hurt her anymore. He fled, making his way to the headmaster's office. McGonagall refused to occupy the office until it had been repaired and her new position made official, which meant that, for now, it was empty. Harry sat back in the huge headmaster's chair, and soon he fell asleep.
In his dreamscape, the familiar nightmares began to arise, but now, he found strength inside him, and whatever his internal demons threw at him, he overcame. Voldemort raised his wand over Ginny's beaten form, but now Harry wasn't a statue, he raised his own wand and a bolt of golden light smashed Voldemort away, his body evaporating to dust. Harry awoke for the first time in years not drenched in cold sweat or in a state of panic. He smiled. Today Harry moved home to Grimmauld Place for some peace and quiet, some R&R. He had a month alone before he begrudgingly allowed Ron, and potentially Hermione, into his home. But for now, it was breakfast time. Harry arrived in the Great Hall as everyone else was beginning to eat. Much to his embarrassment, the entire congregation rose to their feet, cheering and clapping. Harry knew he was turning red as he made his way to sit between his two best friends. Thankfully, McGonagall came to his rescue, tapping on her orange juice glass, the chimes magically amplified over the hall, causing silence. "Ladies and Gentlemen, today is the day we begin to reverse the damage that our previous staff," she said this with a severe disdain ", have wrecked upon these hallowed halls." There rose a great cheer from the audience ", today we must begin to rebuild!" Harry's heart soared at the thought of his first real home being returned to glory, but he knew that, for a while anyways, he would not be here to help. The rest of the Headmistress' speech reverberated through the hall, but Harry was cast into his own thoughts. As the rest of the survivors began to file back to their dorms, Harry stood up, turned on the spot and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N: First chapter done! I'll try to write a chapter a week, but we'll see what happens. Thanks for reading, and, as always, anything you recognize belongs to JKR. 'Till next time.
