Headlines

May 3rd 1998

'Golden Trio defeats Dark Lord'

"Seriously?" muttered a tired Harry potter, it was just a single day after the battle of Hogwarts and everybody was suffering deeply. Harry had spent the night at the burrow with the Weasleys and Hermione. Harry had gotten very little sleep after Voldemort's death, it had taken a whole day to gather the dead, treat the wounded and apprehend as many death eaters as possible. When the family had arrived back at the Weasley's family home, missing a beloved member, everyone had gone to bed. Sleep evaded Harry, many had thanked and congratulated him yet he'd never felt so empty. Everything he had strived for had been achieved yet he had no idea where to go from here, the guilt of the deaths of all those who had stood with him was wrecking him. Mrs Weasley's sobbing had echoed throughout the house which is why Harry now sat in the kitchen reading the Daily prophet in the early hours of the morning.

Harry wanted a normal life, now that there was no dark lord and the aurors were standing the remaining death eaters in front of the wizengamot, there wasn't anything Harry felt he needed to do. Flicking through the paper he found that the wizarding society was reforming straight from the dark lords crippling grip, muggleborns were being reintroduced and prisoners freed. Most interesting of all was what the reformed ministry were planning to do with Hogwarts, planning a structural rebuild for the next school term so that life could get back to normal as soon as possible.

Just as Harry was finishing the article on the school he heard somebody enter the kitchen, turning to see a fragile and heartbroken looking Ginny, hair scraped back and wearing scruffy, old pyjamas. Harry stood and walked towards her, pulling her into a soft embrace. He felt his shoulder grow damp from the silent, salty tears escaping from Ginny. The loss of her brother and witnessing Harry's apparent reincarnation had really deeply affected her, as you would expect. Gently brushing the hair out of Ginny's eyes, he led her down to the kitchen table and fixed her some breakfast. Knowing it was probably unlikely that anybody else would be waking soon; he sat and silently ate with Ginny.

The silence hung in the air and neither knew how to, nor were willing to break it.

"I…I can't lie to you Harry." Stuttered a distraught Ginny, "while you were away with Ron and Hermione, I thought I wasn't ever going to see you again, things got so bad Harry. I'm so, so sorry." The tears came back, this time wracking Ginny's small form; she was looking everywhere except into his eyes "Please forgive me Harry, I...I slept with somebody, I cheated"

Harry was devastated, completely speechless. The whole time he was hunting those damn horcruxes, risking his life, he was spurred on by the thoughts of getting back to Ginny, being reunited with the one person that genuinely loved him. He knew Hermione and Ron loved him but his heart didn't skip a beat when he saw them. It was all for nothing, he couldn't believe it. Why would she do this to him?

After a while Harry spoke "Who was it?" he managed to choke out.

"It doesn't matter, not any more. Do you forgive me? I'll give you time Harry, you can be with somebody else, you don't have to be with me knowing. Merlin, Harry I'm sorry."

Silently, Harry walked from the kitchen, the only thing on his mind was not letting Ginny see him so vulnerable, and everybody always saw him while he was at his lowest. He just wanted to be away from drama somewhere he wasn't 'Harry Potter, The boy-who-lived'; he wished that he could get away.

How could Ginny do this to him? With her he was actually a part of the Weasley family, he felt as though he belonged but now he couldn't stay around here, knowing he wasn't going to be a permanent fixture. His heart faltered, he didn't even know where he was anymore. What was he doing with his life?

Harry made his way back to the burrow, knowing he shouldn't add to the stress of the Weasley's, they were going through enough and a runaway would just heighten their misery. Entering back through the kitchen, he found all the Weasley's gathered there. He locked eyes with Hermione and she gave him a slow, sad smile. Mrs Weasley was organizing breakfast, looking weak but attempting to keep everything together, Harry's heart lurched and the guilt he felt, yet again resurfaced.

Breakfast was a silent affair in the Burrow that day, which was the only time anybody could recall. Harry had already ate, yet he sat with them at the table that day and scanned each face, Molly's pain was evident, as much as she tried to hide it, and nobody could help her. Arthur spent breakfast much the same as Harry, hardly touching any food and slowly making eye contact with each person gathered in the room, providing what was meant to be a reassuring smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. George ate nothing, after a while resting his head on the table disrupting everybody from their own sorrow when his wounded cries echoed throughout the house. At first nobody reacted, each desperately thinking of a comforting gesture, completely understanding there was no magic in the world that could give him what he wanted. Then Mrs Weasley dashed forward, tears swimming in her own eyes, leading him from the room. Everybody saw his face, had to witness the heart-wrenching sight of George mid-breakdown.

"Okay, I've got to go to the ministry I'd appreciate it if Harry, Ron and Hermione would come with me" said Arthur, taking charge "Bill and Fleur, please stay here with your mother and George, we'll be back soon."

The golden trio escorted by Mr Weasley flooed to the ministry, it was packed but they managed to get through the crowd easy enough as the people realised that they had been joined by the Harry Potter. The friends walked to the elevator, giving slight recognition to those calling at them. Arthur managed to get them straight to Kingley's office, the newly appointed minister of magic.

Harry with his mind clouded by the thoughts of Ginny and the new path of his life, opened the office door.

"Harry?" somebody said, making the entire residence of the room turn to him, looking up Harry realised that it seemed he had walked in on a meeting between what was left of the order.

"Uh, yes, I'm sorry, I'll wait outside."

"Don't be silly, Boy, get in here" ushered Headmistress McGonagall. Harry, followed by Hermione and Ron took a seat at the large table that had been conjured, in the centre of the office.

"As you all know, Hogwarts withstood a brutal attack and will need a lot of repairs, the ministry are hoping to do a complete restructure, fixing it to what it was before with a few differences. It shall be the same Hogwarts we have all known and love for a great deal of years. The problem, however is funding. We were just discussing the next step to raise money. Any suggestions?"

"A victory party?" announced Ron.

"You see we were already thinking along those lines, we want to do a memorial for the fallen, though, you see, it isn't right to charge for that."

"Have a Ball, host it at the ministry, and reward those who stood for justice. Give praise and reassurance of what is to come. No dancing, but lots to drink"

Ron's last suggestion was disregarded with a slight smirk. "Good idea, Ron, we will have a victory and justice ball, any objections?" Nobody responded negatively to Kingsley "Sorted then. I have an important speech to give right now as minister and need to go, goodbye and well done Harry." He left the room after sending Harry a wink and broadly smiling at the contents of the office.

The room slowly became full of hushed whispers as the small crowd starting exiting.

"So, that went well, but why did we come here Mr Weasley?"

"Oh, just for the meeting although I did think it was to go on longer but they seem to of gotten everything figured out. It's great that Hogwarts will be back. Merlin, there's Andromeda, better be off." Arthur said, answering Hermione before he rushed off to one woman that had unfortunately lost a lot.

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione said, with a sad look on her face.

"It will get better I hope." Harry replied.

The crowd all parted again but this time not for the trio of friends, the group looked up to see an unexpected face in the crowd hovering two men in death eaters robe above him. In his arms was the peaceful body of his mother and on his face a piercing look of vengeance, sorrow and loss. Tear tracks could be seen where dirt had washed away, on the boy who wouldn't dare go out in public with a hair out of place.

Draco Malfoy was approached by aurors who took his prisoners and then his mother, the only person in his life that had ever truly shown him love. Once his hands were empty, he looked lost, scanning the crowd he came to face Harry.

Neither boy turned away.