Headmistress Mcgonagall was sitting in her large oval office contemplating the term that was due to start the next next day. In the three months since the war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters ended the castle had been patched up but still showed the signs of the war. The floor of the Great Hall was stained red with blood that Filtch could not fully remove. The walls held more cracks than beforel, but they were ready. The staff hadn't rested in ensuring the school would be fit to be reopened.

Following the ruling of the Wizengamot, Minister Shakelbot had flooed to Hogwarts to speak with Minerva regarding the effect the law would have on the students. During the first week of school, all of those who fell under the jurestiction of the law would submit to blood testing in the hospital wing for herritage and compatability. They would also have to sit the questionnaire that would be used to determin the matches.

September 1st came and the students returning to Hogwarts for the NEWT level classes were few and far between as so many had died during the war. Platform 9 and 3/4 was not as busy as it had been in years gone by, nor was it filled with the sound of laughter and gossip. The first year students joining the Hogwarts Express for the first time could feel the sadness and tension from the older students, most of whom were morning friends and family and were dreading returning to the castle where the Carrows had tortured them and made them turn a wand on their friends.

Harry and Hermione stuck together as they entered the crimson train, for the first time since their first year they were not rushed as without Ron and the other Weasleys they were not leaving at the last minute."It doesn't feel right going back without him" Harry said what Hermione had been thinking. They had been as thick as thieves since thw incident with the troll in their first year. They had done so much together, they survived Dumbledore's traps guarding the Philosophers stone, they survived the Basilisk in the chamber of secrets, they survived hundreds of dementors and much much more. Yet now the golden trio was a duo. Broken.

The journey to Hogwarts was a quiet one for Harry Potter. Hermione curled up and opened up her Charms text book. They were joined by an unusually quiet Luna. After her ordeal at Malfoy Manor, and the death of her father she had never been the same. She was still quirky but her smile whilst she chatted didn't quiet reach her eyes.

It was the first time that Harry hadn't been accosted on the train by Malfoy and his goons. Crabbe had died in the fiendfyre in the room of hidden things when Ravenclaws diadem was destroyed. Goyle wasn't the same without his best friend. He, Malfoy and the returning members of slytherin house kept to themselves. Their side had lost the war and they were not looking forward to what came next. They had lost their family influences and knew that many would blame them for the deaths of their friends and families. Draco Malfoy especially felt that the blame would be directed at him, and he felt guilty for his part in the war. He hated himself for letting Death Eaters into the castle. He hated himself for following the Carrows orders and tortuting the first and second years in detention. He hated how he had watched and done nothing whilst his crazed aunt crutio and carve into the bossy little know it all that had bested him in classes for years. He hated himself.