Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. I claim no ownership to anything except original characters.

~HP~

And so it was that come night fall, just as it had for decades before, the Hogwarts Express came to a slow, screeching halt at Hogsmeade Station. Within seconds of the final lurch, students of all ages began to pour out of the compartments, heading for the doors leading out. Harry had asked Ron to keep their box door closed, choosing to wait until the flow of teenagers had died down enough for them to slip out easily. Students poured out onto the platform in a predictably disorderly fashion, housemates and year-mates already bunching together in a flurry of whispers and babble. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked together down the way with Rose following not far behind. As they pushed and maneuvered their way through the crowd, a familiar voice came echoing over the white noise.

"New Firs' years! This way! This way, please! New Firs' years, over here!"

The so-called Golden Trio rushed over to Rubeus Hagrid as he appeared out of the darkness, gigantic lantern in hand. "Hagrid!" Harry called, beaming at the sight of his half-giant friend.

"Harry! An' Ron an' Hermione!" Hagrid raised his arms above more than a few heads, welcoming the greeting. "Glad ter see all of yeh back again."

"It's great to see you, Hagrid," said Hermione with her charming little smile. She didn't really know why she said it; they had only just seen the gamekeeper a week or so before in Diagon Alley, not really enough time to warrant an excited greeting. But it just seemed appropriate for the occasion, and Hagrid didn't miss a single beat otherwise.

"I'll tell yeh," he smiled. "This year ought ter be great, now that we haven't got ol' You-know-who to worry about." Looking past Ron's head, Hagrid noticed the second head of red hair. Almost mistaking it for Ginny, he looked again. "Why, Rose Beckett! Haven't seen yeh in a while. How are yeh?"

"As good as I can be, Hagrid," said Rose from behind Ron and Hermione. Like many students of Hogwarts, Rose was friendly enough with the school's gamekeeper. It was a shame that she was also one of those students who he couldn't help academically. She had taken Care of Magical Creatures for a time. But she dropped the class after their fourth year when it became quite clear that she was just one of those witches whose range of ability only extended to owls and cats.

"Don't any of yeh be shy now. Stop by for tea sometime. Yer all more than welcome." Hagrid looked up behind their heads at the mesmerized little First years, then back down at the bespectacled lad "Hope to see yeh soon, Harry. Alright, only the newest Firs' years, follow me! This way!"

He turned and began back down the platform. Hagrid's massive figure disappeared back into the darkness of the night, the light of his lantern the only thing left to see. The shaking kids, whether in excitement or in apprehension, followed suit into the inky black. Smiles on their faces, Harry and the others made their way off of the platform and into the surrounding wood, heading for the clearing where the school carriages waited for them. Upon reaching their destination, Harry stepped forward. But then he realized that the only footsteps he heard were his own. He turned and saw that his companions had stopped where they stood, their faces all frozen in chilled wonder. Harry followed their eyes and realized what it was. They had caught sight of the Thestral that that was pulling the carriage that was currently being boarded by a group of younger girls.

"What? You know what they are," he said.

"I know," said Ron, his eyebrows arching up. "But that's what they look like?"

"Haven't I tried telling you that?" Harry pointed out. "And you can stop staring like that. You know that they're just about harmless."

"Yes, but that was before we could see them." Ron shook his head.

"I'm with you on that," said Rose from beside him, her voice a bit soft.

The three silently agreed to quickly get over their dumbstruck awe. They stepped into the clearing, Ron gathering Hermione up in one arm, and Rose respectively lagging behind. Both girls seemed to be having trouble with looking away from the Thestral. More familiar voices began to float up from the path behind them. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan seemed to be enthralled in some conversation when they too caught sight of the dark, skeletal horse.

"Bloody hell! That's a Thestral?" said Dean.

"You would have known that if you had read that book," said Harry, prompting him to wrinkle his eyebrows in confusion at his own statement. Had Hermione just possessed him for a second or two? Dean and Seamus turned at the sound of his voice.

"Harry!"

There was a flurry of greetings as the Seventh year Gryffindors came together. It was as though they hadn't gathered in such a way for decades. Dean and Seamus, in particular, thought it appropriate to make a jolly fuss of Hermione and Ron's newfound romance. Ron took it all with pride while Hermione just looked embarrassed, looking to Harry for backup. Harry somehow knew that it would be useless in the end. Rose was glancing around the area, knowing that there were more folks to come. Her three mates knew a bit too well who she was thinking of. After all, as they had come to realize over time, there were only so many that Rose chose to spend her time with.

And sure enough…

"Oh my god, hi!" an excited, high-pitched voice rang out. Lavender Brown half ran, half skipped down the path, and just behind her were the Patil sisters. All the girls stopped by Rose, who flashed a smile in their direction. Harry watched them sporadically, amidst his conversations with his other housemates.

Lavender hadn't changed a bit. She had that same curly blonde hair and that same lively look on her face that suggested she was hopped up on caffeine. She also seemed to be much happier these days. The twins did also, but to Harry, it seemed that Parvati had had taken it upon herself to make a small change. While her sister's dark hair still hung in a long braid, Parvati had cut at least half her length off and it now hung around her shoulders in tousled waves. Rose carefully touched the ends in a gesture of admiration.

For a moment, Harry watched the four girls interact. As chummy as Rose was with Hermione these days, it would have been impossible for her to share a dormitory with Lavender and Parvati and not have some sort of relationship with them. She might have been forced to choose sides at times, but that never stopped Rose from being friendly with her fellow Gryffindor girls. Harry recalled one instance between the two girls, when Hermione had once privately asked Rose what she saw in that blonde airhead. This was back in their sixth year, amidst the whole Ron/Lavender episode. Rose's response, rather bluntly was, "I like who I like." It all made for a very uncomfortable night in Gryffindor tower.

Lavender appeared to be telling Rose some invigorating story when she suddenly looked beyond Rose's head, quite distracted. Justin Finch-Fletchly had walked by. Harry didn't need to assume anything. Lavender was looking at Justin the way she used to look at Ron.

"I'll see you all later," she said, excusing herself. She darted off after Justin. Parvati and Padma also bid Rose goodbye, Padma choosing to join her Ravenclaw housemates while Parvati joined Dean and Seamus as they boarded the next carriage. Harry walked over to Rose, who was still spying on Lavender as she talked with Justin.

"She'll be snogging him in a month," said Rose, a suppressed laugh laced through her words.

"How do you tolerate that?" Harry asked, referring over to Lavender's flirtatious, animated character.

"I've told you before. She's good in small doses." Rose sounded like she didn't want to admit that, but still smiled.

"Hey guys," Neville Longbottom had just approached the little group, getting their attention. Hanging onto his right arm was a whimsically sunny Luna Lovegood. Harry raised his eyebrows; he wouldn't have put those two together in a million years. Neville stepped forward and shook Harry's hand. Harry was impressed with the firm strength Neville had acquired as of late.

"Hey Neville, congratulations," said Rose. "I heard you've been recruited to Minister Shacklebolt's Auror force."

"Yeah, I was," Neville smiled, practically blushing. "I didn't think I deserved it as much as Harry and Ron did."

"Oh, shut up. I was there, you did."

"Well thank you, Rose, for such support." Neville sounded as though he was trying to be sarcastic. Luna smiled at Rose, to which Rose responded with a twitch of her mouth. Unlike her friends, Rose never did quite see eye to eye with Luna. Even there, it seemed uncomfortable between the two girls. Rose stepped back from the group and surprisingly, Harry took a bit of offense to that.

Another carriage came to a halt in the clearing, twigs snapping underneath the wheels. Ron glanced at it and turned to the others. "Hey guys, lets grab this one. We can talk on the way up." He motioned for Hermione to follow him. Luna also followed the couple, gently tugging on Neville's arm. Harry waited for his friends to board the carriage before moving to do so himself. But just before he stepped up to the door, he looked behind him where Rose, still lagging behind, waited for her turn. Her eyes were glued to the haunting creature at the coach's head, looking a bit lost in some unknown thought.

"Hard to ignore, aren't they?" he said, attracting Rose's gaze. She shook her head, tossing locks of red hair back behind her shoulders. "A bit," she said on a sigh. She glanced back at the Thestral.

"Come on," said Harry, stepping out of the way to let Rose on.

~HP~

It was a pleasant sight to see. Carriage after carriage, loaded with children, bouncing and creaking as they made their way up the path that led up to the magnificent fortress that was Hogwarts castle. It was even more pleasant for the older students to look out on the lake and see the little glimmer of lanterns. At that moment, the new First years were getting their first look at the school, probably awestruck at the sight. To think that this might not have happened if events had panned out differently.

Up at the castle, unseen to the eye, the Hogwarts ghosts took great delight in watching the first few carriages pull up to the huge front doors, and the first groups of students step out. The halls were soon filled with young voices. Footsteps echoed off the walls, headed for the Great hall.

From his place at the center of the Head table, Albus Dumbledore watched with witless glee as hundreds of uniformed children poured through the doors, and began taking seats at their house tables. The teachers around him also watched, though some looked less joyful and more like they were nursing a stress headache. The looks on their faces at the sight of their least favorite students back again was something that Dumbledore couldn't help but find amusing.

Harry and Ron settled on a spot down toward the center of the Gryffindor table. Hermione and Rose sat down across from them. The other Seventh year Gryffindors seemed to be crowding around them, and there was probably a reason for that. That is, other than Harry's revamped notoriety. Harry and Hermione had the honor of being named Head Boy and Head Girl. That, of course, meant one of two things. Either you come to find that no one cared, or you suddenly found yourself with an entourage. Both Harry and Hermione had hoped for the former.

They were in the middle of some conversation when Neville, who sat a ways down from Harry, looked up to the Head table. "Merlin, its Professor Lupin!"

This surprised exclamation obviously caught the attention of his companions, causing them to look up to where their teachers sat. Remus Lupin sat two places down from the right side of Dumbledore's chair, a small smile across his face as he conversed with Pomona Sprout and Filius Flitwick.

"What's he doing here?" asked Seamus.

"You don't suppose he's got Defense against the Dark Arts back, do you?" Hermione asked, quite surprised.

"It doesn't shock me," Ron snickered. Hermione looked across the table at Ron and Harry. Both of them had very smug smirks on their faces. Within seconds, a burn of realization shot through her brilliant mind.

"You sneaky little gits. You knew he would be here, didn't you?" She pointed an accusing finger at them. Next to her, Rose was looking back and forth between the Head table and the two young men, an amused, crooked smile tugging at her face. Harry shook his head as Ron chuckled, half to himself. They glanced at each other briefly before laughing. "So you did know!" Hermione accused. Rose, also giggling, tugged at Hermione's sleeve in an attempt to get that finger down.

"He told me about three weeks ago," said Harry. "But he asked me not to tell anyone else."

"Oh really? If Remus asked you not to tell others, then why is Ron laughing like he knows something?" Hermione glanced at the person in question with a wrinkled eyebrow.

"You didn't think that Harry would be able to resist the urge to let me in on a good secret, now did you?" Ron flashed his charming smile at her. Hermione didn't seem to be too amused as her response was, "And not tell me as well?"

"Hey, don't blame me." Harry waved a hand at her. "I wanted to tell you too. Your boyfriend stopped me." He couldn't stop himself from speaking with a certain smirk.

Hermione looked at Ron, who offered an apologetic chuckle. "And you find that funny?" she scolded.

"Not as much as I did three weeks ago."

"Good save, Weasley," Seamus laughed from down the table. Harry saw both Hermione and Rose roll their eyes at that. They all looked back up to watch Lupin chat with his old colleagues.

"It wouldn't have surprised me though," said Ron. "I mean, the job's open, and he was the best we had. If I were headmaster, I would hire him again."

"Took the words from my mouth," said Harry.

"He looks like he's doing well for himself," Rose commented, cocking her head to the side. And she was right. In recent weeks, Lupin had been able to obtain a whole new set of robes to replace his old, worn out clothing. In fact, he now looked better than Harry or anyone else there had ever seen him before. The young wizard was relieved; losing Tonks had been terribly rough on the poor man, leaving him to raise their son Teddy on his own. It had also been an incredibly difficult decision to leave the baby boy in the care of Andromeda Tonks while he was away teaching. But it was good to see that Remus was not letting anything like heartache or regret slow him down.

"I'm glad," Hermione smiled. "He deserves it."

"Is he really back to teach?" Rose asked Harry. Harry slowly nodded, though with an assuring smile. "But wouldn't the fact that he's a werewolf matter?" Rose brought a stern hand up, leaning her elbow on the tabletop. "Not to cast any opinion on his character."

"Don't underestimate Dumbledore." Harry arched his eyebrow in a sarcastic gesture. Rose giggled at that.

"Who really cares about that anyway?" asked Hermione.

"A lot of people would probably have a teeny, tiny problem with that," Rose pointed out. "Isn't that technically what drove him away last time?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Harry, shrugging his shoulders like he didn't want to admit it.

"She does have a point," said Ron, nodding to Rose. "That could be why it wasn't mentioned in the Prophet at all."

Hermione shook her head, sighing as she did so. "It's just a shame. I mean, Remus really deserves this. He's a hero."

"So is Snape, but we weren't exactly quiet about that."

"Speaking of Snape," said Ron, unintentionally interrupting Harry. "Wonder where he is." The rest of his companions looked up to the Head table and each went down the line of professors. Oddly, Snape was nowhere to be seen among them.

"That's a bit funny, isn't it?" Rose wrinkled her nose with her comment. Beside her, Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Yes, very peculiar."

"What, does he get some sort of grand entrance as part of his new contract?" Ron couldn't stop himself from laughing at the idea.

"If he does, I don't really see Snape being too fond of that idea."

The loud creaking of the massive doors stopped Harry from going any further. The noise began to die down as Minerva McGonagall walked down the center of the hall, a roll of parchment in her hands. Behind her followed the new batch of students. An interesting fact suddenly became apparent to their older counterparts. Even though all the children were repeating their respective years, Dumbledore had made it clear that he did not want to exclude the young ones that would have been entering that term. They would simply be combined with the already established First years. And therefore, the First year class was going to be huge! Not only that, but it was also going to be a tad bit confusing when you realized that half the kids had a year on the other.

Everyone, Harry and his friends included, watched the Sorting ceremony silently and respectively. They applauded with smiles as each new Gryffindor took their seats at the table. They watched as the more habituated students talked with them, making them feel comfortable. More than a few had flashbacks to eight years before when they were in that place. Harry also couldn't ignore the blissfully pleased looks on the faces of the Heads of House. That is, except for one.

"Hey, look who finally decided to slip in," Harry subtly pointed to the Head table. His friends, as well as the other Seventh years who had overheard, practically whipped her heads in that direction. Sometime during the Sorting, Severus Snape had appeared in a chair which sat between Lupin and what would be McGonagall's place. Unlike many of his colleagues, Snape did not look very happy to be there. His face held a glare of indifference, and it appeared like he was trying very hard to ignore his former classmate beside him. He held himself with a certain dignity, and yet he let his back rest against his chair. It was as though he couldn't present the same pride as in past years. To Harry, it even looked like Snape was tired.

It took roughly forty minutes to sort fifty children amongst the four houses. Once the last new Hufflepuff was sitting down, Dumbledore rose to his feet. He was silent for a moment, allowing time for the students to quiet down again and giving McGonagall a chance to sit down. Only then did he speak.

"Welcome all to a new year at Hogwarts!" His voice rang out loud and clear, holding the attention of everyone in the room. There was brief bout of applause, brought on by a few excited students. The headmaster patiently waited for it to fade away again before continuing. "As I have a fair many times in the past, I have a few notices for you before we continue with our evening. Firstly, new students should adhere to the rule that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. Students are reminded that absolutely no magic is to be performed in the halls. And lastly, our caretaker Mr. Filch wishes me to inform you that a new restriction has been placed on a number of new Weasley Bros. products, a list of which has been posted in your common rooms. Now, there are a few changes in staffing for this new term. To begin, I am delighted to welcome Professor Cassandra Wicker."

He gestured to a seat down from his left. A middle-aged witch sat there with idyllic poise as she smiled at Dumbledore. Thick locks of brown hair were pulled back and away from a maturely pretty face and surprisingly bright brown eyes. "She has so graciously accepted the task of teaching our Muggle Studies classes after the tragic loss of our dear Charity Burbage. I'm sure that she will do her best to pick up the pieces and make her class a favorite of students again." Dumbledore encouraged the students to applaud, which they did in a politely courteous manner. Professor Wicker nodded to her students with a modest smile.

"It is also my pleasure to welcome back Professor Lupin." The old wizard found himself interrupted by instant cheering from students, Fifth year and up. But that was probably to be expected. Amused smirks travelled down the table to where Lupin was humbly shaking his head, laughing inwardly. "It seems that he's back by popular demand!" Dumbledore chuckled, making others laugh with him. "Yes, it is truly wonderful to have him here with us again. He has been a tremendous aid to the side of good against Lord Voldemort, and I hope that you join me in wishing him luck in picking up where he left off all those years ago." The applause was thunderous from those who remembered Lupin as the DADA teacher. He gave a little nod of the head, acknowledging the praise.

"Finally," Dumbledore held up his hands. "Our dear friend, Professor Slughorn has decided to return to retirement. But as far as his replacement is concerned, I couldn't have possibly found a better person than this man. After all, he did teach Potions quite successfully for fifteen years. It is my honor and my pleasure to welcome back Professor Snape."

The room was filled with mumbling. Exclamations of the Potions master's name rose up above the chatter. Obviously, some had not been reading the newspaper. However, some chose to remain respectively silent. It wasn't like they could try and protest Dumbledore's choices. That would just get them nowhere. Even an odd number of Slytherins were strangely quiet.

"As many of you now know, Professor Snape was a major part in bringing about Lord Voldemort's downfall. He spent many years working to achieve this, often putting himself in great danger for the cause. I believe that he is a very courageous man for putting himself in such a place. I can even say that he is one of the great heroes to come out of this dark time in our history."

"He sure is laying it on thick, isn't he?" said Rose in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, honestly. For magic's sake, is all that really necessary?" Ron agreed with a quiet snicker.

"But it's true," Hermione corrected. "Every word of that is true."

"Mione, you're my world, but give it up," shrugged Ron.

"Ronald!" His girlfriend hissed. Ron blew her a kiss, making her huff. She turned to Rose. "You know that." Rose shrugged, a bit confused. Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked to Harry. "Surely you see that I'm right, don't you Harry?"

"Perhaps," Harry wrinkled his eyebrows, taking on an expression that was not unlike Rose's at the moment.

"So you admit that he's a hero."

"I do, with reality in mind."

Hermione looked insulted. "You say that like it's a bad thing." And somewhat reluctantly, that was where the brief conflict ended as Dumbledore continued.

"Therefore, in light of these recent days, it is my hope that you welcome him back into our family with respect, appreciation, and gratitude for all that he's done for us." The applause that followed was sparse at first, but it did grow as more accepted the element of truth in the headmaster's speech. A number of Slytherins cheered, overcoming their unease over the appropriateness of latching onto their Head of House.

"I wish all the luck in the world to all new and returning staff members. On a more serious note, I hope that you all understand just how lucky you are to be here tonight. I don't want to credit our victory to good fortune alone, although I will admit that it did have some bearing on how these events played out. Nonetheless, the odds were stacked greatly against us. And if it hadn't been for those brave men and women who fought so hard to save our freedom, I'll have you all know that things could have turned out quite differently. Every one of you has been affected by this war, and a fair few of you saw the true horrors of the battle that took place on these very grounds. You're lucky just to have lived to tell the tale to your grandchildren one day. I began this term as a repeat-term for a reason, other than to give you a much better education than you received last year. My only genuine request for you, as my students, is to make the most of this year. Those in your final year should especially take note. I want you to use this year for what it is; a chance to not only restart your education, but a chance to move on with your lives. We have all been through a lot, but you don't deserve to let Lord Voldemort loom in your minds long after he should have been forgotten. You all are much too young for such a burden. So therefore, let this year at Hogwarts be a year that you'll never forget. Let it be filled with thrills, camaraderie, and memories. And let it be the beginning of the bright future that now waits for you beyond these walls."

The faculty and Seventh years led the way in a nearly full minute long, thunderous applause. It was actually rather funny. They knew that it was a bit absurd, and it wasn't like Dumbledore really wanted such praise. The old wizard waited patiently before raising his index finders, catching the attention of his pupils. "And so with no further ado, let us indulge in our marvelous feast."

A massive variety of food appeared on the plates that adorned the tables. The students immediately helped themselves to their meals, some choosing to take a second helping before they had even started on their first. Conversation was slow to begin, people more interested in their food than each other. But the incoherent babble got increasingly louder as conversations arose about such things as families, summer holidays, and new relationships. The latter was a topic of much interest amongst the seventh years at the center of the table.

"So Ron and Hermione," Parvati grinned from her seat, several places away from the Golden trio. "You two finally made it official. How long has it been, a few weeks?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business," Hermione smiled an embarrassed smile, practically mincing the roast chicken in front of her.

"Not that it really matters," Ron laughed under his breath. He shoveled a forkful of his Cornish pasty into his mouth. He only stopped chewing when Lavender's voice echoed down the table "Oh, so proud of our relationships, are we?"

Hermione's face scrunched up in annoyance and quiet fury. This was the one part about returning to school that she dreaded the most. She and Lavender never got along before, they certainly couldn't stand each other when Lavender was dating Ron, and they never would agree on anything in the future. But if there was one thing that Lavender was really good at, it was sticking her nose in people's business. Hermione didn't need to be as smart as she was to know that Lavender was not going to stay quiet about her and Ron, and in reality, there was no way to stop it without someone getting hurt.

However…

"Lavender, hush!" Rose stuck her fork straight into her shepherd's pie and pointed at the blonde. "Don't make me come over there."

"But Rose –," Lavender tried to complain, but Rose stopped her. "He'll shut up too." She quickly turned to Ron. "Ron, shut up. Now Lavender, be civil."

"I will if she is." Both Rose and Hermione were flabbergasted by such a comment. The boys laughed as Hermione turned to Harry for aid. Harry, having nearly choked on a piece of beef, was hiding his laughter in his hand. Then Rose started laughing. "Forgive me, I must have missed something. I didn't see or hear anything that could remotely be considered an attack on your character."

"Well…for further emphasis." Lavender seemed particularly confident in that statement, prompting a nod from Parvati.

"Very well," Rose picked up her fork again. "Now, everybody relax. No need for bickering when people are trying to eat." She licked the bits of mashed potatoes off of the prongs.

"But that's what makes them so adorable!" Seamus chuckled, elbowing Ron in the side. Dean also joined in the merriment, as did Neville. Harry shook his head, though he couldn't quite tell if it was out of his sheer amusement or disappointment. Hermione's cheeks flushed a bright red.

"Hey guys!" Rose arched her eyebrow, staring straight at the two friends. Her voice took on a tone that was calm and collected, but with something foreboding buried far beneath. "Gossip behind someone's back is one thing. But public humiliation is another. And either way, I don't want to get involved because the results would not be pretty."

The group was suddenly quiet, eyes flashing between a smug Ron, a blushing Hermione, and a subtly intimidating Rose. "Oh lighten up, Rose," said Harry, cutting the tension around them.

For some time after, the conversation stayed on the topic of new love. More than a few wanted to get details from Neville, who occasionally glanced to where Luna was sitting not so far away at the Ravenclaw table. Ginny Weasley also came up a few times, much to Harry's chagrin. But then Hermione spoke up again.

"He looks dreadful, don't you think? Snape, I mean."

"Well, he's not the loveliest of blokes to begin with," said Ron, reaching for a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She briefly glanced up in the direction of the head table. "No, I mean he looks very off color. His face looks paler than before, and he seems weak."

"Really Hermione," Harry jumped in. "I imagine that it's hard to look good after what happened to him."

"It's been a couple of months though," said Rose, also looking up at Snape. "I agree with Hermione. He looks like he almost died."

"He doesn't look very happy either," said Neville, dragging down the mood of their group. Ron chuckled under his breath. "Like that's a surprise."

"I'm sorry that I have to ask this," said Dean. "But how in the name of magic did he survive?"

Neville nodded his head at the question. "Yeah, I've been wondering that too."

"Me too, and I was there," said Ron. "Nobody should be able to survive being bitten in the neck by a snake that size. I mean there was blood all over the –,"

"Too graphic, Ron," Harry curtly told him, definitely not wanting to revisit those particular memories. "People are eating here."

"Right, sorry." Ron scraped up a mouthful of carrots. "But still, he bled out pretty quickly. And if it wasn't the bite, then the snake's venom should have done it. I heard that it was supposed to stop your blood from clotting. What the hell happened?"

"Hermione, didn't you go up to the hospital wing for a while after the fighting was over?" asked Rose, easing her head back around. Hermione nodded at her. "Were you up there when they brought Snape in?"

Again, Hermione nodded, playing with her food as she sank into those unpleasant reveries. She hadn't been any less shocked when Harry came rushing into the medical ward, pulling her out of the way of the rapidly passing stretcher, or when she heard those healers shouting about reviving what should have been a dead body. "I only caught glimpses of what they were doing, but it was incredible how they brought him back, that he was still alive. The most that they could conclude was that he did lose a lot of blood, and he slipped into a deep coma because of it. He seemed to hang on just long enough for them to save him. How or why, they didn't have a clue."

"I wonder if it was something he did," said Harry.

"Well, he did say in our very first lesson that he could stopper death," Neville said in a dubious tone. "Maybe he's finally done it."

"We won't know until he talks." Harry glanced at the poorly-looking Potions master.

"Maybe some people just have a strong will to live," Rose suggested. Harry briefly looked at her out of the corner of a green eye before looking back up to the head table. "Yeah, maybe."

Not many noticed the caught the slight dip in Harry's tone, Rose included. But Hermione picked up on it immediately. Rose was pretty off-target with her statement, and Harry knew that better than anyone. But a simple agreement like that seemed to speak louder than anything else he could have told the relatively naïve Beckett girl. "You know, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves, the way you all talk about Snape."

"You just don't give up, do you?" said Rose, rather amused by Hermione's need to make a point.

"Well, you guys shouldn't talk so lowly about him. You especially, Harry"

"For the umpteenth time, Mione," said Harry. "Snape was a brave man for doing the things he did. But Ron made it pretty clear on the train. We, by no means, have to like him for what he is. And if I'm honest, I don't think I can."

"Harry's right," Rose added. "People don't really change that easily. Not to mention that perceptions are harder to break, your boyfriend and his best mate as my examples."

"Whose side are you on, Rose?" asked Harry with an uneasy laugh.

"Who said I had to take sides?" Rose smiled. "But anyway, I read the editorials over the summer. It was as though there was a debate going on among the people. Half are like you and the other half are like Ron and Harry."

"Just to reiterate, I do respect him." Harry held a hand out to the ginger girl.

"Then you should treat him as such," Hermione quietly scolded. But Harry was quick to respond. "To quote Lavender, I will if he does."

The response from the Gryffindors was a bit absurd, even getting the attention of students on either side of the table. Harry and Ron looked across to the Slytherin table, where they quickly picked out a rather dismal looking Draco Malfoy. His face held his familiar scowl, yet it seemed like it was suppressing some depressing thought. He stared down with them for a moment before rolling his eyes and turning to talk to Pansy Parkinson, who was resting her head on his left shoulder.

"Now Harry," Hermione chewed out, bringing his attention back. Ron stopped his girlfriend by folding down her index finger into her fist, and completely covering her hand with his. "Let me show you what we've been trying to tell you." He turned to the others. "From what you know of recent events, how many of you believe that Snape is a respectable bloke?"

Knives, forks, spoons, and fingers went up and hovered above plates of half-eaten meals. Ron nodded, as did Hermione, Harry, and Rose. He then continued. "Now, how many of you think that means he's going to suddenly start acting like a pleasant human being, stop taking ludicrous amounts of house points, or – dare I say it – smile?" It took some time, but many of those fingers and utensils fell back down, only Lavender and Parvati remaining. Then Ron turned back to Hermione. "See?"

"Had it ever occurred to you that everyone's a bit biased." Hermione was suspicious, a distinct curve in her eyebrow.

"It's in the realm of possibility," said Harry.

"Can I just say something?" Rose asked, resting a hand on Hermione's arm. She pointed up to where Snape sat. "Does that look like a happy man to you?" Hermione looked at the pale, weary Potions master and couldn't do anything but reluctantly shake her head. Rose sighed. "I don't want to say that you're wrong, because I don't think you are. I just want you to be prepared for the possibility that Ron is right."

"Are you ready for that?" Seamus asked from beside Ron. "If Snape wakes up tomorrow and decides that he hates us, would you take that abuse lying down?"

"I didn't say that," Rose verified. "I just think we should keep an open mind."

"Easier said than done, Beckett," said Ron, who once again began to indulge in his meal.

~HP~

The night wore on, many of the castle's inhabitants oblivious to the time. But still, the time did eventually come when the students started off for their dormitories in a thundering herd. Harry and Hermione soon discovered that there was a group of other Gryffindors following them as they made their way up the stairs. This group only got bigger with every floor of the castle. Harry even thought that by the time they reached Gryffindor Tower, they had half of the whole house behind them. Thankfully, many of the kids decided that it was late enough and made for their rooms, leaving their oldest housemates to settle down in the common room.

Ron and Hermione had claimed the sofa, though the only evidence of their romance was Ron's arm around the bushy-haired brunette. Hermione kicked up her feet and tucked them close to her body as she leaned into the embrace. Beside her, Rose relaxed into the cushions with crossed legs and a pleasantly limp form. Harry sat in the chair next to the fireplace; sinking into it so that he could rest his head on its back. Down on the floor were Seamus and Dean, whereas Neville had pulled a chair over from the table in the corner. That was where Lavender and Parvati now sat, listening from a distance.

Conversations from dinner rose up again, quiet laughter filling the space. Comments and other nonsense travelled back and forth across the room. This continued for about an hour before Seamus got up off the floor and disappeared up the stairs. His companions were a bit confused, but concluded that he had merely decided to head up to bed. Dean was about to get up to follow when Seamus reentered the room. He carried a bottle of Fire Whiskey in one hand and a set of six shot glasses in the other. The Irishman set down the glasses on the table, brought forth his wand, and conjured up another three glasses. Then he popped the top off of the bottle.

"I've been saving this for a special occasion." He poured a generous amount of the smoking liquor into each glass. After replacing the cork, he waved his wand. The glasses slowly floated across the room, stopping in front of each person. They took hold of the whiskey as Seamus poured a glass for himself and raised it up.

"Here's to the first night of the rest of our lives."

He downed his whiskey with one good tilt of his head. The same was so for the others, Dean being the first one to set his glass down onto a nearby table. Harry sighed against the strong taste, slowly shaking his head, while Rose reacted with a quick little, "Woo!" Ron offered to finish off Hermione's, though she did eventually man up and gulped it down. Behind them, Parvati and Lavender were slow to drink.

"What, girls? No courage?" Dean laughed, prompting the others to look behind them.

"You know we don't drink," said Parvati. Lavender also nodded, turning to Seamus. "Surely we've told you that. We must have said it a hundred times."

"Don't we all?" said Harry with a certain shake of his head.

"Come on girls," Rose turned to face them. "Just this once, for camaraderie's sake."

Hermione surprised them by also shifting her gaze to the two friends and saying, "You can't get drunk off one shot."

Lavender looked at her with an expression that betrayed her thoughts, and that was, 'Damn you Granger!' Both of the glasses soon lay empty in Seamus's hand. The quiet merriment only lasted another thirty minutes before the little group began venturing up to bed, one by one. The last ones left were Ron, Hermione, and Rose, all still taking up the sofa.

Ron looked to the clock as he yawned. "I guess I should go to bed. I told Harry I was right behind him." Hermione looked a bit disappointed, but she still smiled and leaned in for a kiss. However, she stopped herself and looked over her shoulder at Rose, who sat there with eagerly raised eyebrows. "Do you mind?" Hermione asked. Rose smugly turned her head away, giving Hermione her brief romantic moment with Ron. He then disappeared up into the dormitories.

"I think he's got the right idea," said Rose as she stretched out her legs and stood up.

"I agree," Hermione said. She got to her feet, yawning widely. Naturally, this made Rose turn her head and yawn. She blinked it away as Hermione walked to the stairs. "Come on," she urged Rose.

The two girls slowly made their way up the staircase, Hermione leading the way the entire time. Up and up they went, passing the doors of others girls' rooms. They even bypassed the door that bore the sign reading Seventh Years. They finally came to a stop at the door at the top of the tower. Hermione jiggled the door handle a little before it clicked down and she pushed the door open.

The room was small in comparison to the other dormitories. It only had two full-sized canopy beds, already made up in the same crimson red curtains and dressings as the others below. A nightstand sat beside either bed. They were only separated by the width of the window that looked out over the lake and the surrounding mountains. Beside the door was a vanity of dark wood, and an oval shaped, delicately carved mirror rested on its surface. Across the room was a large, handsome dresser. Two trunks rested in front of the beds.

"Say," Rose said, surprised. "Not bad being Head Girl, is it Mione?"

"Not bad at all." Hermione giggled as she walked into the room and flopped down onto what would be her bed. Rose approached the other bed, letting herself fall onto her backside. She gently hopped where she sat, testing out the quality of the bed. Her blue eyes widened. "Good lord, the mattresses are softer up here."

"Thank you Hermione for sharing your private room with me." Hermione half-mocked with a laugh. Rose rolled her eyes. "I was getting to that. But yes, thank you. I feel lucky that you chose me."

"You're lucky that I chose to have a roommate at all. I could have had the room all to myself." Hermione swiped her hand through the air.

"But you couldn't be outdone by Head-Boy-wonder." Rose sneered. Like Hermione, Harry had been given the option of having a roommate, a privilege that came along with their private rooms. However, it took an idiot to not realize that Ron had his foot in the door before Harry himself was aware of this. Then again, Harry might have even begged for it.

"It's not that," said Hermione. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't like being alone."

"Not to mention that your tolerance of me is far superior to that of Lavender and Parvati," Rose teased.

"I don't hate them. They're just annoying."

"Alright, whatever you say." Rose eyed the dresser. "You take the top two drawers, and I'll take the bottom two?"

"Works for me," Hermione agreed with a nod. Both of them got up and walked to the end of their beds. Rose quickly went to work with taking things out of her trunk and setting them down in the drawer. Hermione, meanwhile, had taken to sorting out her clothes and other belongings on her bed as she waited for Rose to finish.

"What did your parents think when you told them that you were Head Girl?" asked Rose, all but tossing her bras and knickers into her drawer.

"I don't think they could have been more excited," said Hermione. "How many times did my dad tell me about how proud he was?"

"You don't say." Rose sounded almost skeptical amidst her surprise. "The genius that you are, they probably knew it was coming."

"I don't know if you could say that," Hermione blushed. "But you know what? I didn't mind the fuss."

"You almost make me jealous of such praise."

"Why? Don't you get any from your family?" Hermione turned to Rose, confused.

"It's not that I don't get any, it's just not to the extent that you do. My mum's just one of those Muggles who isn't really interested in what goes on here."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "See, I find that surprising."

Rose shook her head. "It's nothing new, Hermione. You look like you think she doesn't love me."

"I certainly hope that she does." Hermione tugged at the sleeve of one of her shirts. Rose laughed as she pushed the first of her drawers closed and went to work on the other. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course, she does. She's just trying to be respectful of my alternative lifestyle."

The girls were quiet for some time, more focused on their unpacking, until Rose looked back to Hermione. "Say Hermione, why did you choose me to room with you?"

"I already told you," Hermione didn't look, instead choosing to continue sorting. "I didn't want to be by myself up here and you and I are the most compatible of us girls."

"Is that so?" Rose cocked her eyebrow. "What about Ginny?"

Hermione was rather caught off guard by such a simple question. It took a minute or two for her to formulate an answer. "Yes, Ginny is one of my dearest friends."

"So if she were here right now, she would be me?" Again, Hermione struggled with the appropriateness of the question. Rose's voice came again. "Be honest, I don't mind."

Hermione sighed. "Alright, yes. I was going to ask Ginny before I found out she was taking the year off. But it's not like I don't like you."

Rose waved it off. "I know that. I always sort of thought that that was the truth."

"I don't mean any harm by it. I do consider you a good friend. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't." Hermione turned to face Rose, who stood up after putting away her last pair of socks. She tapped the lid of her trunk so that it closed with a loud 'thunk'. She then walked over to her bed and spun around as she fell back onto it. "That's comforting to know."

"I should say so." Hermione pulled open her drawers and put away each carefully arranged pile, one by one. "After what we've been through, it helps to still have companionship."

Rose sighed, slowly closing her eyes. "Don't I know it?"

Hermione's heart suddenly started to sink. She knew that this was bound to come up at some point. Rose had sounded fine enough, but it was like Hermione to know better than that. She wouldn't dare admit that there was another reason why Rose stuck out amongst the crowd of potential roomies. Rose had returned to school with baggage, as did many others along with them. But it was baggage that had struck a nerve in Hermione's sensitive soul.

"It's a bit sad that your friends aren't here anymore. I mean, you were closer to them than anyone in this tower." Hermione sat down on the edge of her friend's bed as Rose sat up to look at her.

"I can't really lie to you, Hermione. I did seriously consider not coming back because of that."

"Well it's good that you did," said Hermione. "You know you're better off with a few N.E. ."

Rose's eyes wandered off, a twitchy smile tugging at her mouth. "I love how that's the first thing that comes to your mind. Never mind good times without a dark lord. We've got to focus on those exams."

Hermione tried to smile at this cheek. "You know how important they are."

"I do, but personally, I'm not worrying about them until the spring."

"What became of Jonny and Natasha? No one else seems to know," Hermione asked, cautious of her choice of words. Jonny and Natasha were two of Rose's now-absent friends. Since their second or third year, it was pretty common knowledge that where ever Rose was, the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw were not far away. But rather unfortunately, not many had heard from them since early May.

"Jonny wrote to me and told me that he's had enough of living around here, said that the war destroyed his view of our world. He took off for America. I think he's living in New York now. And Natasha's finishing up her education with a private tutor. She says that her family is making plans to move to Russia in January. Her dad's got a job with the Russian Ministry. I think that's where she'll end up eventually." Rose looked to the floor, suddenly seeming rather down.

Hermione shook her head. "Alright, if that's what works for them."

"To each, his own," Rose still didn't look up. "But it still amazes me that I could man up and show my face here and they couldn't."

"I'm surprised that they didn't consider how you would fare without them." Hermione wrinkled her eyebrows. "It just seems selfish of them to run off suddenly and leave you to fend for yourself, especially considering how –,"

"They did what they had to do," Rose interrupted. "It wouldn't have done much good if they both made themselves miserable by coming back to Hogwarts for my sake."

"I know, but –,"

"I want them to be happy. And if leaving Britain is what does it for them, then so be it. Besides, they both sent their love, wished me luck in the future. They promised to send owl posts every now and then."

Hermione waited patiently, anticipating another interruption. When Rose finished dancing around what Hermione was trying to say, the latter said, "I just don't think it was fair to you. They know what's happened as well as you and I do. You could have really used their support."

Rose met Hermione's gaze. "I got through the summer without them. I can get through the rest of my life without them."

"In those letters you sent me over the summer, it sounded like you were only just getting by."

"One day at a time," Rose looked away again, her voice getting softer. "I just took it one day at a time."

Hermione leaned over and got a look at Rose's face. There was a twinge of sympathy in her heart. Frowning, she rested a gentle hand on Rose's shoulder. "I know I've already told you this, but I am really sorry about your –,"

"I know you are," said Rose. "But I don't really want to talk about it. Okay?"

"Alright, I respect that." Hermione went back over to the dresser and opened it to find her pajamas. Rose, who had already set hers aside, went straight to stripping off her uniform and replacing it with the light, soft t-shirt and pants. She got into bed as Hermione finished dressing. As she turned out her covers, Hermione looked back to Rose. "I hope you know that if you ever need to talk to someone, there's always me. No one is allowed in here without my permission. You can't get more private than that."

"I think you know enough, Hermione." Rose relaxed into her pillows. "But thanks."

"Goodnight then," said Hermione as she rested her head down. Rose turned over so that her back was to her friend. "Goodnight," she yawned.

It took mere minutes for both girls to fall into a coma-like sleep. But then again, it shouldn't have too been hard in the first place. They both had been through a lot, everyone had. But no matter what horrors they had seen in their short lives, there was an overwhelming sense of peace all through the castle.

They were back at Hogwarts. They were back where they belonged.

~HP~

I know, this story has a very long beginning. I'm not particularly proud of this chapter, but there wasn't much else I could do to it while keeping with the vision I've had planned out. Trust me, it gets better.

Reviews are welcome!