A/N: Hello, everyone!! This is my first story. If i get 5 reviews then I'll continue. PLEASE, tell me what you think. If its horrible, say so! ; ) (but if its OK say that too!!)
Disclaimer!! Nope, not mine
Post HBP Pre DH...
Harry never thought he'd see it again, but there it was, The Hogwarts Express. It's bright red paint gleamed in the sunlight, as if nothing had changed since the last time Harry had seen it. But things had changed. Many things had changed since the schools closing a year before. The Great War against Voldemort and his followers had only ended a few months ago, yet there he was, standing on platform 9 ¾, as if it never took place at all.
It happened on a cloudy August night. The battle lasted for hours but in the end, the Order prevailed against the Death Eaters. Only Voldemort remained, locked in an unforgiving duel against Harry Potter. After Ron destroyed the final Horcrux, he sent a jet of orange light into the air; this was the signal to finish Voldemort off. With one forceful jab, Harry stabbed the Dark Lord through the heart with his wand. He whispered the killing curse softly and looked up into Voldemort's shocked but oddly pleasant red eyes. Something was not right. The green light from Harry's spell flashed behind Voldemort's red eyes momentarily, but he did not die. Voldemort took two steps back and with a smile on his face, whispered something back. Harry stared in disbelief at Voldemort as he fell to his knees and collapsed forward, breaking Harry's wand in two. The body instantly burst into black flames and seemed to burned for what felt like hours. By the time Hermione's comforting hand snapped Harry out of his trance, all that remained of the great Lord Voldemort was black sticky tar. Harry still hadn't told Ron or Hermione what Voldemort's last haunting words were. And now that it was all over, he probably never would.
"We must leave it all in the past now", or at least, that's what McGonagall told him a few weeks ago. "Now, is a time for healing. I will be reopening the school in November. Hogwarts will remain a warm home for those who were lost in the bitter cold."
"Well, she said something like that", Harry told Ron and Hermione as they stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. The trio were greeted with a few stares, some smiles, and an even greater amount of hand shakes and back pats. Harry hadn't seen many of these people since his 6th year at Hogwarts, however he didn't blame them for staying out of the war. Many students had died in the past year. Harry shuddered slightly as a long list, full of the names of the departed, swept across mind. The list disappeared when his two best friends began to push their way through the crowd. The three continued, as though never interrupted, on their search for a empty compartment.
"Awww, that sounds so poetic", Ron said with a grin, referring to McGonagall's kind words and ignoring the stern look Hermione was now giving him. He branded a new moon shaped scar across his cheek from his quest to destroy the last Horcrux. The scar, combined with the extra inch or so he had grown, made him look extremely mysterious and daring. Ron often joked to Harry about their matching cosmic scars, but Harry knew that destroying the last Horcrux had taken a great toll on Ron's body. Ron's hands never quite stopped shaking after that night. That is, unless, it was locked tightly within Hermione's.
"Well I think it's a wonderful idea to reopen the school, even if it is the middle of November. We can finally finish our last year and take our N.E.W.T.s.", Hermione said matter-of-factly. "And now, you guys have a chance to become official aurors", she added as a last thought. Hermione's brown hair, slightly highlighted by the sun, was a bit less bushy than usual. Harry had noticed it change, along with Hermione's face, over the last year. Her face was somewhat thinner than before, giving her a stern look. It suited her well. However ( Harry noted to himself), whenever Hermione smiled, she looked exactly the same as she once did.
Harry chuckled at her last thought. "Yea, I can't wait to become a 'official auror'", he said the last part in a mock deep voice. Hermione giggled. "Its kinda like we're already aurors, isn't it Ron?" Ron shook his head nonchalantly and walked a little ahead of the two, continuing the search. It seemed like Ron had no desire to continue the conversation, so Harry dropped it. The three settled in an empty compartment towards the back of the train like they usually did. Harry sat down and looked out the window at the smiling parents, waving the train away. The atmosphere at Kings Cross was still slightly weary but, Harry could tell that hopes for a safe normal year at Hogwarts were extremely high. Well, higher than they had been in previous years anyway. It was chilly mid November, but the sun was shining brightly. He rested his head against the cool glass and began to search the crowd for Ron's mom.
He spotted her towards the in the back of crowd, blowing kisses their way. The twins, Bill and a very plump Fleur stood next to her. Fleur was wearing a white fur coat and was eight months pregnant (expecting twins). Harry thought that she kind of looked like a big white pigmy puff. He laughed inwardly, letting a smile creep across his face and waved back at them.
"Well, I'll be back later then", Hermione said, standing up, "Head Girl duties to attend too". She tried to say the last bit without smiling, but failed. Everyone knew how excited she was to receive the position, even if she had expect it since her first year. However, that still hadn't stopped her from worrying poor Ron and Harry half to death before the owl carrying her Head Girl badge came two weeks earlier. As she walked out of the compartment, Luna and Neville walked in smiling. Luna did a long wave that seemed directed towards the two boys although she was looking dreamily at the space in-between them. Harry still hadn't figured out why she did things like that. As he stared at her he noticed that she looked quite different then she normally did. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun with her wand stuck through the side to keep it in place. Her radish earrings were replaced with pumpkin ones and her trademark necklace was replaced with a necklace made out of twisted, knotted, and braided……..hmmm, what was that?
"It's unicorn hair", she volunteered the information to the boys after they didn't return her wave. "Hagrid made it for me. After I saved his life in the forest."
Harry blinked and Ron rolled his eyes.
"Hia Harry, Hia Ron", Neville broke the awkward silence. "How have you been then?" Harry thought that this question was funny, seeing how they had just seen Neville and Luna the day before, at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley made a delicious going-away feast for Ron and his friends. It was the most joyful Harry had seen her in months. They all exchanged their normal greetings as the train slowly began to pick up speed.
"Well I couldn't have done it without your help", Luna said, smiling deeply and sincerely at Ron. The food trolley had just left when Luna decided to retell the story of her and Ron's heroic rescue of the garden gnomes that took place day before. The sky was beginning to darken and the lights flickered on throughout the train. Ron went red in response to Luna's continuous gaze, but he didn't look away. The silence was broken by a loud sneeze delivered by Neville. "You know what they say about sneezes don't you……", Luna began, still looking at Ron. Harry could only imagine how uncomfortable Ron felt when she did things like this. The thought made him laugh a bit.
"Oh Harry", Ron said, as Luna drew in a deep breath to start what was sure to be a long story. "Didn't you say Hermione wanted a Chocolate frog from the trolley?", Ron said, obviously trying to find a reason to leave the compartment and break his eye lock with Luna. "I'll go get it", he added awkwardly, while rising to his feet.
"Oh, yea," Harry said, purposely ignoring Ron's attempt to leave, "I'll get it." Harry sprang up and walked out of the compartment. He looked back just in time to see Ron's look of outrage and disgust. Harry did nothing to mask his laughter as he ran to catch up with the trolley. He was running so quickly that he had no time to react when a red blur stepped out of the prefects compartment and he collided with a soft but grounded body. Their heads butted and he fell backward on the floor clutching the side of his forehead.
"Owww, watch where you're going next time", said a voice that Harry recognized. He looked up to see Ginny massaging the back of her head. Damnit, said a voice in his head as he struggled to stand up. After dinner at the Burrow he was hoping he wouldn't have to see Ginny for a while, but just his luck, he bumps right into her.
"Oh, I'm sorry", Harry said smiling, however he didn't expect her to smile back. The War had taken a great toll on Ginny. Her once long vibrant red hair was now dull and chopped off at the shoulders. Grey circles rested permanently beneath her eyes from numerous nights of sleep depravation. She visited her father almost every day in St. Mungo's for a whole month, till her mother made her stop. Mr. Weasley was in a deep a coma with a slim chance of recovery. Harry knew she resented him a little for bringing Arthur along in that particular battle. She had begged him not to but Harry needed all of the Order to help fight. Harry still felt guilty for all of the injures and deaths that occurred that night.
She shot daggers at him at first but responded softer than he expected. "I'll forgive you this time, but if I catch you running through the train again I might have to be a git like Percy and subtract points from Gryffindor." Was that a smile trying to emerge through those pale pink lips? Harry couldn't tell. However, he heeded the new Prefects warning and turned around, walking back to his compartment empty handed.
Harry entered compartment to find Hermione back and in a heated debate with Luna about the true whereabouts of Michael McGoingsten and whether his disappearance did or did not involve Purple Winged Merkers. Even if Harry didn't want to admit it, he was truly happy to be back at school and with his friends. Yes, fighting alongside aurors was exciting but nothing is better than this. My last year, Harry thought inwardly, lets hope it goes smooth. However, a smooth year in the life of Harry Potter is almost impossible. Especially with Voldemort's final secret standing in his way.