Harry climbed the decrepit staircases of Hogwarts, the tiredness in his limbs turning his bones to cold stone. Ron and Hermione had offered to accompany him to Gryffindor tower, but he had declined, preferring to spend some time alone to reflect on what had just occurred - the moment in history he had caused. Voldemort was dead and he, Harry, had killed him. The horror and fear he had caused over his past half a century, stripped from him in an instant, his power and glory ripped from him showing the world who he truly was. A man as scared of death as any mortal man who craved immortality, a power none can truly posses.

Harry paused in the corridor, just before the portrait of the Fat Lady as the full scope of the situation fell upon him. Voldemort was dead. No more worrying about who was behind every corner; no more fearing to walk down a street; no more having to worry about whether or not he would live to the next day. Finally, he was free to live. He could live! He could find happiness without worrying about it being destroyed; he could openly love someone without the fear of them being used. He had something he hadn't had before, something he'd wanted. He had a future before him that only he could decide where it went.

What did it matter if he slept for three days, sleeping away this weariness? He had that time. He finally had it.

He approached the Fat Lady's portrait. Aside from a few chunks of missing wall around it and a few tears, it was fine. She was there, looking all hot and bothered, Harry assumed because of the state of her portrait.

"Password?" she asked, her eyebrow raised slightly and a hint of a smirk.

"Er..." Harry rooted to the spot, suddenly aware that he did not, in fact, know the password. "I've been...er... away."

The Fat Lady laughed and swung forward to Harry's utter astonishment.

"I know dear, I watched you on the way up. Congratulations! I hear you ended You-Know-Who. Very brave!"

Harry fidgeted but merely smiled and climbed through the hole. It didn't look as though anything had changed in the common room, aside from the notice board, which had several old notice's that had someone become so dishevelled they were impossible to read, and some had ended up in the fire, the blacked burnt scraps visible at the edge of the grate. Harry smiled to himself and climbed up to his bed, ready for a good night and a day's sleep.

"Harry!"

Harry opened his eyes and instantly regretted it. The sun was shining in from the opposite window almost directly in his eyes. He figured it must have been late in the morning . Ron, Hermione and Neville were by his bedside table, each looking as though they'd been awake for hours. Ron and Hermione were holding hands and Neville was holding a letter. Harry reached for his glasses while Neville handed him the letter.

"It's from Hestia Jones."

"Hestia...oh!" Harry stared at the envelope, wondering whether or not to open it. He looked at Ron and Hermione. Ron shrugged, but Hermione said, "Open it Harry. You'll want to know eventually."

Harry very much doubted this, but opened it anyway, read it and crumpled it into a ball.

"Well, the Dursley's are alright." He said, standing up, not entirely sure what he felt about that. "Though I don't know about Hestia and Diggle, they may need time to recover." Ron laughed.

"C'mon mate, let's go to the common room. Kreacher is bringing you up some food."

Harry's stomach grumbled appreciatively at the thought. He followed the three downstairs. Despite how many Gryffindor students had fought in the battle, the common room looked deserted. He mentioned this to Ron.

"Most of them left yesterday - went home to recover. They'll be back in August though, helping to fix all this." Ron looked out of the window as below the cobblestones were fighting one another to try get back into place. "Though we shouldn't have to do much - the castle is enchanted, it should fix itself over time."

"How did you know that?" Hermione asked, looking suspicious. Ron's ears turned red.

"Well, you kept quoting 'Hogwarts: A History' so I read Bills copy at his place, to, erm..."

Hermione looked dumbfounded. Harry and Neville shared a look and immediately changed the conversation.

"Some parents whose kids stayed have found a place in Hogsmeade to stay. The teachers have been in the Great Hall whenever they have been awake, planning for several different things and co-ordinating with Kingsley Shacklebolt." Neville studied Harry momentarily before saying, "I reckon you're getting off lightly right now, but give it time. No doubt you'll have interviews coming up in a few days; the whole Wizarding world will want to know what happened."

Harry grimaced and sat down heavily in the large armchair by the fire, Ron and Hermione took the sofa. Neville remained standing, with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm going down to the Entrance Hall, McGonagall needs volunteers to help clean out the Carrow's study." He clapped Harry on the back and waved at the other two. As he disappeared out of the portrait hole, a loud crack emanated from the room as Kreacher appeared before them, bowing low, with a silver tray balance precariously in his hands.

"Morning Master Harry," he said, whipping off the lid to the platter to reveal a full English breakfast for 3 with tea. "I trust you slept well?"

"Very well thanks Kreacher," Harry said, taking a plate and a mug."How are you – and the other house elves?"

Kreacher was handing Ron and Hermione their food and his ears quivered slightly. "Everyone is good, but Hogwarts is so damaged. We don't know if we'll be able to get it ready in time for next term."

"We'll be helping." Hermione declared, as though this was yet another SPEW assignment they should take on board, though this time Harry and Ron did not protest.

"Absolutely!" Ron cried, before ripping one of his sausages in half and devouring it in one swallow. Hermione looked at him half in revulsion and half admiration. Harry already had a full spoon of beans in his mouth but he nodded to show he too would help. Kreacher smiled and tended to the fire while they ate, silence save for the sound of chewing and the odd drinking of tea. When Harry had cleaned his plate Kreacher turned to him.

"Can Kreacher get you anything else Master Harry?"

"Thanks Kreacher but I'm good," he handed him his empty plate, only just registering how hungry he must have been. Ron and Hermione handed Kreacher their plates. Kreacher stacked them on the tray and bowed.

"Just tell me if you need anything Master," he said and with another bow to the three of them and a genuine smile of warmth, he disappeared with another loud CRACK!

Ron turned to Harry.

"Now what mate?" he asked, but it was Hermione who replied.

"My parents!" she said, her voice carefully controlled. Harry and Ron shared a momentarily puzzled look, until they remembered.

"Australia!" Ron said, putting his arm around her. "Blimey! Well, we'll go get them. We can track them down. After traipsing all over England looking for Horcruxes it'll be nice to go to Australia and find people!"

Hermione began crying into his shoulder. Ron threw Harry a desperate look, but he had nothing to offer. Ron stroked her hair. "It'll be alright Hermione, watch. You'll see. We'll go to Australia now and..."

"Now?" repeated Hermione and Harry, both in very different tones.

"But I don't even know where they could be!"

"I don't have a passport!"

"Passport?" echoed Ron, he muttered it again and then shook his head, muttering something about Muggles. "We'll Apparate. You still have the bag right Hermione?" She nodded weakly. "And Harry do you think you could ask Kreacher to get us some food to go?"

"I guess..."

"Great, we'll leave in an hour."