Author's note: Thanks for all the feedback! Again, please read and review! Although I might not agree with everything you say, and I'm not going to tell you what happens next (I've got to keep you reading my work, don't I?), I do like to know what people think. So thanks to everyone who's already reviewed!
Looking around, all Harry saw was anguish. A blinding green light, and Colin Creevey fell, dead. Another light, and Fred Weasley fell as well. Remus Lupin. Nymphadora Tonks Lupin. All his fault, all his fault. He heard them yelling out, and then another type of yelling, although he couldn't figure out what was so different about it. He was in pain, pain for the ones who had died for him. As he watched countless faceless others fall, he felt pain of a different sort, and heard louder yelling. Yet this new pain was different, enough to jar him to his senses…
Harry awoke on the same sofa that he had fallen asleep on the night before. Yet there was no Ginny lying in front of him. Looking up, he saw that she was standing between him and an obviously irate Ron, whose clenched fist was splattered in fresh blood. As he woke up more he became aware to the precise words being yelled about.
"Stop it! He didn't do anything, we didn't do anything, and I'm the one who bloody asked him to stay with me!" Ginny was shouting, her hands on her hips in a fashion reminiscent of Mrs. Weasley.
"Don't feed me that…he did…you did… you two…" Ron was shouting incoherently, and as Harry slid his glasses back on he was able to notice why he hadn't already charged over Ginny: Hermione was behind him, holding onto his robes, pleading with him.
"Ron, they fell asleep, just like we did!" She was shouting, and Harry couldn't take it anymore. He should have seen this coming, and would even have a bit of sympathy for Ron if his nose wasn't issuing warm, sticky red blood like a faucet. Standing up, he drew the attention of the three to him at once.
"Wut duh hell choo do dat for, huh?" He said, noticing now that his nose was definitely broken. "We didn' do anyfink. Hones'. Calm down." He attempted to staunch the blood flow with the blanket he had conjured; he didn't trust himself to perform the nose-correcting spell properly on himself when he couldn't speak well enough.
"Just fell asleep? Hermione listen to yourself! Did his wand create that blanket and pillow without him telling to?" Ron yelled, turning on Hermione. Unnoticed, Ginny bent down in front of Harry, pulled down the blanket from his face, and pulled out her wand. With a small movement she muttered "Episky", and he felt his nose healed. She then busied herself with siphoning the blood away from his face.
"Thanks, Gin." He murmured before standing up and walking to Ron and Hermione. Ginny followed him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Well excuse Harry for having a little courtesy. Maybe he realized that Ginny wouldn't want to spend the night shivering in the cold, hmm?" Hermione was saying, and Harry felt awful. Less than twelve hours before Ron and Hermione had finally gotten together after three nauseating years of waiting, and they were already bickering. Over him, no less.
"Quiet, alright? Ron, just hear me out. I originally intended to leave the blanket and pillow here with Ginny and sleep on that armchair myself, but she called me back over, alright? We didn't do anything, we just fell asleep! Trust me, I died last night and decided to come back and save your asses anyway, so I was just a little too tired to try anything with her last night."
He stopped, listening to the silence that followed his words. Ron had fallen silent, looking abashed. Ginny was looking at him, her face strangely white. She still hadn't heard all of what happened the night before. Hermione was clutched Ron's hand, their squabble seemingly forgotten for the time being.
"S…sorry, mate. I overreacted. Seeing you under that blanket with Ginny…it just struck a chord. I shouldn't of. I'm sorry to you too, Ginny." Ron said, still staring at the carpet. Harry's anger vanished as well.
"It's alright. In your shoes I would have reacted similarly. Come on…let's go get some breakfast before the train leaves, alright?" He said, gesturing out the portrait hole. Ron nodded, clutching Hermione's hand tighter. Harry turned to Ginny, who was still white.
"You…died last night…and came back?" She managed in barely more than a whisper.
"Kinda, I mean…it's not like I arose from the dead. I just didn't wholly die." He said, not feeling like explaining the whole Deathly Hallows concept to her in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room. Nor did he want to explain about the Horcruxes, along with his own unintentional involvement in that.
"But you said you came back…like you had a choice." She said, staring up at him.
"I did. And I chose to come back, because I couldn't leave everyone here," he whispered back, hardly aware that Ron and Hermione were still watching him.
"But then…I could have lost you. Last night there was a point I thought I had lost both you and Fred. I guess I came closer to that than I thought…" She said, her voice wavering. Groaning at the thought of her distress, Harry pulled her into a tight hug. As he held her, his thoughts whirred. He was on the same level as Fred with her, whom he knew was one of Ginny's favorite brothers. It made him wonder… did she still think of him as a boyfriend, or did she think of him as another brother? Well…if what she told him at Dumbledore's funeral was true…she had never thought of him as a brother. And last night… he sincerely doubted she would act that way with a brother… but then again, no brother would kiss her like he had…
"Ginny…listen to me. I'm alright, I'm here. Voldemort's dead. I'll explain everything when we get to the Burrow, I just can't here. Do you understand?" He asked, stepping back so he could see her, his hands still on her shoulders, hers on his back. With a swift glance he saw Hermione leading Ron out the portrait hole, hand in hand. He then looked down at Ginny, and their eyes locked.
"Of course. We better follow before Ron thinks you're raping me or something." She said, rolling her eyes. Harry gave a soft laugh-like noise, and agreed. Ginny removed her hands from his back and slid her arm around his. Not holding hands…or does this count as the same thing? Harry thought, mentally cursing whatever caused girls' minds to be so different than those of males.
They stepped together out of the portrait hole, and made their way to the grand staircase. Looking over, they saw that Ron and Hermione barely had a head start ahead of them. Harry and Ginny caught up with them easily, and the four entered the Entrance Hall together. Yet right as they were about to enter the Great Hall, Harry noticed a piece of parchment posted on the wall. He pointed it out to Ginny, and the two walked over to it, Ron and Hermione following. Up close, Harry could read exactly what it said, although he slightly wished he hadn't seen it.
Confirmed Dead
Remus Lupin
Nymphadora Tonks Lupin
Fred Weasley
Colin Creevey
Ernie Macmillan
Argus Filch
List will be added to as needed
"Ernie… and Filch…those are the only ones we didn't know about." Harry said, closing his eyes. They still didn't have all the names, and he had a feeling that some of the bodies that had been in the Great Hall last night had been too mangled to identify. But where were they now? As the group walked into the Great Hall, they were relieved to note that the bodies were not there. The Hall was empty compared to how Harry always thought of it; it more resembled Hogwarts at Christmas, only without the festivities. There was only one table set up, and the rest of the hall was filled with the belongings of the many students that had been evacuated. The possessions of those who had stayed were being stacked in the Entrance Hall, as a minor way of sorting them. Breakfast was a sullen affair, with few attempts at conversation, none of which lasted long. Finally, Professor Sprout walked into the Hall.
"Students, the train is here. Don't worry about the baggage; we'll get it, as always. The carriages were damaged last night, though. So you'll have to walk down to Hogsmeade." She said, and stood aside as the students made their way out to the train. There they found a group of underage students, who apparently hadn't been picked up by their parents the night before.
Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione found a compartment to themselves. Yet before the train had even departed, they found themselves joined by Luna and Dean Thomas. Luna was warmly greeted by the group, and Dean was acknowledged soundly as well. Personally, Harry nodded greetings to Dean and then put a casual arm on the back of the bench seat- behind Ginny's head. It was silly, really. Harry didn't even know what to think of himself and Ginny as a pair. Ginny, however, seemed to notice, and gave him a coy little smile.
"Jealous?" She breathed in his ear. The sensation made him squirm a little bit, but he met her gaze.
"You got snippy with Cho." He reminded her in the same volume, watching her turn slightly pink in the face. Looking over at where Hermione and Ron were holding hands, Harry saw that Ron was looking flustered at their whispered exchange. Deciding to nip this in the bud, he leaned over Ginny so that he could see Luna, who was sitting beside her.
"So, Luna, since I haven't seen you all year, what did you get on your O.W.L.s?" He asked casually. Hermione and Ron both turned toward her, obviously interested in what classes Luna had done well in.
"Well, I managed an E in Defense Against the Dark Arts, mostly thanks to you, Harry. I received an O in Care of Magical Creatures, an A in Divination, an A in Charms, and an A in Transfiguration. I was a little disappointed, but it's alright. I'm not even sure if I'm going back next year." She said matter-of-factly.
"Why not?" Hermione asked, apparently appalled at the idea of Luna dropping out. Ron gave her a look that very clearly said "Here we go", but Hermione chose to ignore it. Harry turned attentively towards Luna, and in this action saw that this was also news to Ginny.
"Oh, because I already know what I'm going to do. I'm going to travel, documenting animals such as Crumple-horned Snorkaks. Daddy's going to pay me for writing articles on my finds. If all goes well I can also sell them to other newspapers. I really don't need N.E.W.T.s for that type of thing, and since the system has been corrupted by goblins hoping to decrease the intelligence level of wizards and witches, I don't think I want to take the tests." She said slowly and dreamily. Harry and Ron exchanged looks of pure amusement, Hermione rolled her eyes, and Ginny just smiled and nodded. Dean, however, had a puzzled look. Before Harry could even finish thinking "Oh no…", Dean had asked the question.
"Goblins infiltrated the N.E.W.T. system? Are you serious?" He asked, and Harry heard Ron groan slightly. Harry glanced out the window, they had started moving. He could just make out the edge of Hogsmeade village, where wizards and witches were outside, waving wands, apparently attempting to raise the protection the Death Eaters had placed on the village.
"Oh yes. Daddy uncovered it four years ago. They're working on the O.W.L. system now, but it's harder to crack because of the polliwotters." Luna said, and she and Dean started in a conversation on the topic. Dean, it appeared, did not doubt Luna's ideas as much as Harry did.
"So are you three coming back to retake your seventh year?" Ginny asked as Luna and Dean became even further engrossed in discussion. Hermione, who was sitting between Ron and Dean, was glad for the distraction.
"Well, I'm planning on it. I've given some thought, and I want to enter the Ministry as part of the Magical Law Department. It's about time someone with a fair sense of the law was in there. So of course I'll need top N.E.W.T.s to enter the ministry." She said, the old glint back in her eye that had to do with studying. Ron seemed to notice it, too. He got this soft look on his face, and it was all Harry could do not to laugh. He caught Ginny's eye instead, and saw that she was in the same predicament as he. "What about you two?" Hermione continued, and Harry exchanged bewildered looks at Ron.
"I dunno," he said after a moment's silence. "Ron and I wanted to become Aurors, but I dunno. Still up for it, mate?" Harry asked Ron. Ron didn't seem to need time to think.
"I am if you are!" He said, looking from Harry to Hermione. "Trio still together then?"
"I guess it's settled." Said Harry, smiling. The thought was a happy one: another year at Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione. Not to mention, the part of his brain closest to the red headed girl beaming up at him said, Ginny.
"Excellent. We'll rock the entry exams, especially you." Ron said, and Harry nodded. Then a thought struck Harry that he hadn't thought of before.
"What are you planning on doing after you graduate, Ginny?" He asked, having no idea in the slightest. He could picture her as an auror, or helping out George at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, or—
"I'm thinking of going into Journalism." She said.
"JOURNALISM?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione all asked at once, all obviously surprised.
"Yep," Ginny said as though she had just declared the sky to be blue. "Someone needs to put an ounce of truth in a credible newspaper. I'm thinking of working at the shop with George until I can raise enough money, and then opening a new newspaper." She said, positively glowing about being able to tell this to them. Harry was under the impression that she had held this idea for some time.
"Well you'll be great at that; you definitely have had a crash course on what not to write." Harry said, smiling down on her. As surprising as the idea was at first, Harry could definitely see where Ginny was coming from.
Harry looked out the window; they were passing villages in the countryside now. Harry saw attempts at reconstruction everywhere. There were wizards and witches attempting to build back a bridge that Harry hazard guessed had been stepped on by a giant. A few seconds later he could see a witch cleaning up a building that appeared to have been ransacked by Death Eaters. A while later he saw a wizard administrating chocolate to children, a dementor being chased away by a seal patronus.
Around lunch time, Neville showed up at the compartment door. Harry, who was taking up about as much room as humanly possible (arms both outstretched, legs out in the middle of the compartment, hips barely on the seat), sat up to make room.
"Has the trolley been by yet?" Neville asked, leaning against the doorframe. Five of the six in the compartment shook their heads, Luna was busy looking through her bag for some Yuppidy leaves to show to Dean.
"She comes up from the back, and we're near the front. Are you sitting in front or behind us?" Hermione asked, leaning over Ron in the process. Ron, Harry noticed, quickly became very interested in the luggage racks over their heads.
"We're sitting in the old prefect's compartment… she wanted some privacy. Prying questions, you know." Neville said, giving a quick glance behind him. Harry saw a figure moving behind Neville, but had no idea who it could be.
"'We'…'she'…who's with you, Neville?" Asked Ron with an incredulous look, his mind obviously having jumped in a direction that Harry's was heading…
"Hannah. She's pretty upset, she and Ernie were such good friends, you know," Neville informed them before he stepped out of view for a second.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances before Harry caught Neville reentering through the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Hannah Abbott behind him looking crestfallen, tear tracks snaking down her face. Her hair wasn't in her signature pigtails that she had worn the whole seven years Harry had known her, but instead tied in a single ponytail, as though she had not wished to bother with it. She was wearing a wrinkled tee shirt and equally wrinkly jeans; clearly her mind was on other things. Hermione leapt up out of her seat, traded with Ron, and motioned Hannah to sit on her other side. Hannah obliged, and Harry scooted closer to Ginny (which he thought, might not be the safest choice) and moved his head to indicate that Neville should sit. Neville plopped down next to Harry, looking at ease in the compartment.
"How have you all been? Oh hey Luna, didn't see you back there!" Neville said, apparently attempting to draw attention away from where Hermione had an arm around Hannah, trying to console her a bit.
"Oh yes, I was looking for Yuppidy leaves." Luna said, holding up a little green thing that reminded Harry of a bird's beak. Neville just nodded his head, as though this were normal for him. Leaves reminded Harry of Neville's main talent: Herbology. Was Neville returning? There was one way to find out…
"Coming back, Neville?" Harry asked him; putting his legs back out into the middle of the compartment. There was no need for clarification; Neville nodded his answer before scratching the back of his head.
"Absolutely. And then I'm going to travel for a few years, you know-study magical herbs in their native habitat. Then maybe I'll come back to Hogwarts and teach." Neville said, and Harry didn't doubt that it would come true for him someday. Neville seemed to have a gift with plants. "What about you, Hannah? Coming back for N.E.W.T.s?" He asked the blonde girl, and to Harry's surprise she shook her head.
"I…I'm taking over my father's business. He owns a quill shop in the Hollow." She said, smiling sadly. "Besides, after the flock of birds in O.W.L.s, no thank you." Hannah appeared relieved that the attention was away from her predicament about Ernie, and Harry could definitely relate. Yet something in her last sentence clicked in his mind, but before Harry was completely there, Hermione had asked the question.
"'The Hollow', as in Godric's Hollow?" She asked, leaning out a little towards the isle.
"Well yes! My family's lived there for ages. Is it true that the snake that Neville killed attacked you while you were there?" Hannah asked, and Harry nodded. He didn't want to go into it, and was happy at the distraction of the food cart. Harry smiled at the witch and watched as Hermione pulled Harry's money out of the beaded bag, which she still had with her. Neville started to stand up to buy something, but Harry caught him by his shoulder and pushed him back down.
"On me." Harry said, taking his money from Hermione and buying most of what was on the cart. Saddling back in with levitated amounts of candy and assorted other junk food, he sat down on his seat while Hermione conjured a table. Lowering the food down on the table, he gestured for everyone to eat. There were a few seconds of silence as everyone appreciated the food in their mouths, and then the silence was broken by Neville.
"So, Hannah, what's this about a flock of birds during O.W.L.s?" Neville asked, and Hannah blushed. It was well known that Neville was one of the clumsiest Wizards ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts, so Harry couldn't see why she was so ashamed of her story. As the two divulged into a side story and Luna and Dean continued theirs, Harry realized just how many people were sitting in the compartment.
"We've never been able to fit this many up here before, have we?" Harry asked, remembering when it was hard for them to fit five.
"We're closer to the front. We usually sit closer to the back, where there are smaller compartments. They get bigger as you go up, the prefect's carriage is designed to hold twenty six." Hermione ranted off, and again Harry saw Ron give her a look. An elbow in the rib told him that Ginny had seen it also, and Harry grinned at her.
"So what's the plan once we reach King's Cross?" He asked, attempting to break up what was going on in front of him and Ginny. He heard a muffled snort from next to him, and figured that his plan was probably as transparent as his glasses. However, it did seem to work in distracting Ron and Hermione.
"Well, we've got to head to the Burrow for the, you know." Ron said, gulping. Hermione's face went stiff, and Harry saw her squeeze Ron's hand a bit. Before this little side-play could continue, however, Ginny interrupted.
"Well he knows that! He means how the hell are we going to get there since Mum and Dad are at the Burrow and won't be coming to King's Cross." She said, crossing her arms.
"Well, I thought it was obvious, we're apparating. I'm taking Ron so he doesn't splinch himself again. Harry, since she hasn't passed her test either and you can do a pretty good job of apparating, you're taking Ginny. The protective spells have been lifted off the Burrow, but still head for the fields in case they've been replaced." She said quickly.
"Why don't we just apparate off the train, then?" Ron asked. Hermione sighed, giving him the old exasperated look. This made Harry grin, some things never changed.
"Hogwarts, a History, Ron! I swear I'm going to get you to read it one of these days. The train has the same protective enchantments as the castle."
"Aw, you wouldn't like me as much if I changed and started reading; that's your thing." He said, putting an arm around her and pulling her sideways, Hermione blushing.
"I vote we jump." Ginny whispered in Harry's ear, and he couldn't help laughing.
"Why should we leave our comfort just for them? I vote we throw them." He whispered back, and to his delight she was overcome by giggles. As she shook, some of her hair fanned out across his shoulder. Harry noticed that it was slightly darker than Ron's, yet still unmistakably Weasley red.
"But in this state they won't have the brains to even cushion their fall, even Hermione! They'll just plummet!" She said, her brown eyes sparkling in the light of the carriage.
"What a shame, but I don't think we should jump." Harry said, a note of mock seriousness in his tone.
"Oh, why not? She asked, batting her eyelashes in false innocence."
"Because of the press stories! 'Potter jumps from train in apparent suicide attempt'… it won't look too good on my track record!" He joked, and watched her laugh again.
The rest of the train ride passed in such fashion, with Harry and Ginny laughing and joking while Ron and Hermione were in their own little world. When the train arrived, the four removed themselves to the muggle parking lot. Making sure that there were no muggles around, they apparated in pairs to the field outside the Burrow. Harry and Ginny arrived twenty feet in front of Ron and Hermione, and together the four of them walked up to the Burrow, home at last.
