Chapter 11: The Great, Terrible and Excellent Beginning

A/N: At least, I think it's chapter 11… I'm losing count! Anyway, I'm back! Thanks to all those who reviewed while I was away, sorry I can't reply to you all, but I shan't keep you waiting any longer.

Dedications and general thanks to-

pau0072- thanks so much for that review, it was both thoughtful and complimentary. I'm glad you liked the song! (Lol, it was the product of about 2 seconds inspiration!) Happy that the speech inspired tears, when I re-read it I came close my self, when I performed it as she would.

(Yeah, I read out parts in characters voices… I like acting and it actually helps make sure they stay in character. Whatever weird writing techniques suit. Ooh, the alliteration…)

Mikee- sorry you weren't happy about George being a teacher and all, but I can't make everyone happy. I wanted him in the story, (couldn't imagine him doing Weasley Wizard Weezes by his lonesome, sadly…) and I was rapidly short of characters eligible and alive!

Lexi02- Great minds think alike! That was totally going to be something that happened! Yep, there's going to be a big memorial, it'll be a dollop of sadness on what will actually be a very good yeah, but it's needed. I'm thinking of the anniversary.

Anyone know the actual date? Anyone want Draco and how do they want him? Control yourself, girls and er, gays? I don't mean like that!

Emily B. Starr- am loving that idea for Hermione's present! Will have to use it- both sweet and very significant. Excellent!

Kates Master- I really like the song too. It actually had exactly the right effect that I wanted it to. If I was at Hogwarts, I'd be one of the first to start clapping!

And Vanessa- my first self-acclaimed fan!

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed! Especially those that commented on my Sorting Hat song! Once more guys, really sorry for spelling errors. Need to borrow a spell-checking quill because I don't even see them…

Finally! The Story!

.o0o.

"The sly thing, he never dropped a word…"

"Can you believe he wouldn't tell us..."

Harry turned to Ron and Ginny. "Wait, you guys didn't know about this?"

Ron gave Harry a disbelieving look and pointed at his jaw, which was practically touching the table, clearly gesturing that this was proof enough that he didn't.

"I mean, George, our George, as the DADA teacher. Our teacher. It's not possible!"

"What possessed McGonagall to ask him?"

"What possessed him to apply?"

"What about the shop?!"

Questions spun around the four of them, revealing no answers. It suddenly occurred to Harry that McGonagall was still talking, and hastily turned their attention back to her.

"- and so with that, I bid you all goodnight. Prefects, if you'd escort the first years to their common rooms, please…"

There was a great amount of noise and movement as students scrambled to their feet and towards the doors, some chatting loudly, others practically asleep on their feet.

"I think I miss being a Prefect." said Ron with an indescribable smug glance at Hermione.

"Haha, very funny Ron." said Ginny coldly, quickly attaching a badge to her robes and hurrying after the herd of children. Harry barely had time to recognise what it was before she had disappeared into the throng.

"Wait, Gin-" but she was gone. Harry turned to Ron. All three of them were dawdling. "She's a prefect?"

"What?" Ron seemed distracted. "Yeah. The girl prefect in her year was killed in the battle. So McGonagall appointed her. Mum's dead proud, what with all the prefects and head boys in our family." He beamed. "I think she's a little disappointed in Fred and-" his voice suddenly stopped as he caught George's eye and looked down in shame and grief. He couldn't seem to bare to say his name. "I can't believe he didn't tell us…"

"Tell you what, little brother?" George appeared an his side, and Harry couldn't quite help but wonder if he'd some how managed to break the anti-apparation charms placed inside the castle.

"Ahh!" Ron jumped back. "Bloody hell, give me a heart attack, will you? I was talking about this job, George."

George smiled gleefully. "What can I say? Old McGonagall needed me. Begged, she did-"

"- I happened to be remarkably short of potential applicants." Professor McGonagall marched passed him. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to speak to these three. Kindly depart to your common room- I mean, your office... George." she said the last word with great indignation, as though she simply could not bring herself to call him 'professor' but wanted to avoid the backchat of calling him Mr Weasley.

George simply beamed. "Hear that, Ron?" He said, strutting passed him, "I've got an office! And I'm on first name basis with the Head. Minerva, I bid you goodnight!" he gave her a comical bow which might have once lost him points for Gryffindor for cheek, and then turned on his heel slowly, knowing she couldn't say anything, muttering something under his breath something which sounded suspiciously like, "This is going to be a great year!"

"This is going to be a terrible year…" murmured Ron dismally, and Hermione patted him unconvincingly on the shoulder, clearly unworried and aware it could be much, much worse.

McGonagall sighed tersely. "Come along, you three. This shan't take long. Just a few things to go over before I let you go to your beds, you must be tired."

The three of them shrugged and trudged after her, all the way up to the headmaster's office. It looked little different from Dumbledore's days, with a few obvious differences. The absence of Fawkes, the presence of a few of McGonagall's personal things, tartan covered seats, and of course, Dumbledore's portrait.

"Oh, hello there, you three!" he waved cheerily. "Good holidays?"

While Hermione and Ron seemed a bit taken aback at having their dead headmaster wave at them, Harry thought nothing of it.

"Quite good, thanks, yeah. First I've never had to see the Dursley's in! Yours?"

"Dismal, Harry, I'm afraid. While I do quite like what Minerva's done with the place, Hogwarts is not quite Hogwarts without the students. And I would so like an acid pop…" Harry noticed an empty jar behind him and chuckled.

"I can see."

McGonagall coughed. "Please, Harry, take a seat."

Harry did. Although Hermione and Ron sat down too, they couldn't seem to take their eyes off the portrait, waving nervously back.

"Mr Weasley, Miss Granger!" there was a slight snap in her tone.

"Sorry, professor."

"Anyway, as you may have realised, you are actually acting as a year 8, meaning, we are sadly short of dormitories."

None of them seemed to have thought of this, and felt a sinking feeling at the thought of the new first years settling into their old beds.

"Are you… going to fit us in with the lower years?" Ron asked miserably.

"No, Mr Weasley, I am not. While Miss Granger might well have fitted, you two wouldn't, and I think, given the fact you are all now more than of age and have had a certain degree of independence over the passed year, that in would actually be unfair."

Harry's heart leapt. "Then what-"

"What exactly, Potter." she smiled stiffly. "Giving these facts –the lack of dormitories and the deserved independence- we have added an extra room onto the Gryffindor common room to serve as bedrooms for you three."

"Together?" Ron glanced at Hermione with an almost hopeful look in his eye, marred by his pretence of shock.

"Of course not, Mr Weasley! There are in fact four new bedrooms, one for yourself and Mr Potter, one for Miss Granger and two for any Gryffindor students that will be returning throughout the year to retake exams and lessons."

It had briefly occurred to Harry that students that had missed a vast percentage of their last year (such as muggle-borns and Dean Thomas, or students whose parents took them out early) might be required to return to take further lessons.

Ron was nothing short of ecstatic. "Nice!"

"Furthermore," McGonagall continued, "I have made the decision to allow you three –as well as any others that may be returning- the independence to roam freely throughout the grounds and castle. You may visit Hogsmeade whenever you wish, though I ask you to inform a teacher of your departure before you do so. I have also –perhaps against my better judgement- arranged with Madam Prince that you have full access to the library, including the restricted section, though you are not to give books to any other student, of course. I did also think of lifting the midnight curfew, but that resulted in a rather grumpy response from the Fat Lady and it occurred to me you'll only find someway to break it somehow anyway. Finally, you are permitted to leave the grounds on occasions that don't mark Christmas or Easter, should you wish, although I wish you to clear it with me firsthand."

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at her as though they couldn't quite believe what they were hearing. It was one thing giving the control over to the students via a school council, it was another treating them like guests in their own school. Harry knew why though, and as if reading his mind, McGonagall said, "Please don't misplace my trust. I know many a rule has been broken with good reason, but we are now happily lacking in such reason. I know you three are quite possibly the most trustworthy students in this school, it would be a shame to prove otherwise."

Harry nodded slowly. The other two hastily followed.

"You may leave now." she told them. "Oh, wait- your badges!" she hurriedly handed Ron and Hermione two gleaming badges with they attached to the front of their robes.

"You're Head Boy and Girl?" Harry's face was a mixture of surprise and understanding. Who else would make a better Head Girl than Hermione? And Ron was actually quite an obvious choice too, after Harry himself. Harry made a promise there and then that he would never, ever tell anyone that McGonagall had offered him the role first.

"I know, eh? Third in the family!" said Ron proudly. "Mum's beside herself with glee."

Hermione simply beamed.

"Excellent- well done!" said Harry with genuine pleasure.

"I'll see you in Transfiguration." McGonagall smiled slightly as the door opened, not quite disguising the quiet note of pride in her voice.

He, Ron and Hermione, made their way towards the Gryffindor Common Room, the Fat Lady's portrait beaming down at them. "So nice to have you back!" she exclaimed, "and Head Boy and Girl, too! Well, well, then, what's the password?"

"Good day," Ron chuckled.

"It is indeed!" said the Fat Lady, swinging open.

Inside, they found the common room mostly deserted apart from a few of the older students chattering in hushed voices, and Ginny reading a copy the Quibbler by the fireplace. She looked up as the three came in.

"Where have you been?" she hissed.

Hastily, they filled her in on what McGonagall had told them. "Really?" her face branded with disbelief. "No way! She's no Dumbledore but I'm certainly going to like her being Head. Seriously?"

"New there had to be some benefits to repeating a year with you." Ron joked, looking around for the new door. He located it squeezed in beside two tapestries. "Coming to have a look, Gin?"

The door revealed a square room, smaller but not at all dissimilar to the rest of the common room, with two red sofas, a couple of armchairs, a fireplace and heavily covered walls draped in warm tapestries. There were two doors on either side, and Hermione was thrilled to discover that they had shiny golden plates with their names on. "It's even got me down as Head Girl!" She squeaked.

Harry laughed. "As long as it hasn't got me as The Boy Who Lived Twice, I'm happy."

"Look at this!" exclaimed Ron, sitting down one of the sofas and admiring his surroundings. "This is nice, this is. They know how to treat their heroes…"

Everyone else in the room groaned.

Suddenly, the door next to Harry and Ron's room clicked open, and a familiar round face peered round the corner.

There was a quadruple gasp. "Neville!"

"Hey guys!" he beamed, "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Wha- what are you-?" Harry started, "You didn't miss your last year."

But Hermione's keen eyes had discovered Neville's plaque. "You're the Herbology Assistant?" it was more of a polite exclamation than a question.

"Yeah, I stayed around after you guys all left, see, helped clear up and set the changes for next year… McGonagall even asked my opinion on some of the new rules! My Gran's so proud… Anyway, Professor Sprout damaged her hand in the battle, so she needed for my help setting things up, we thought it might where off, but... Well, she's thinking about retiring in a few years anyway, so she eventually asked if I wanted to stay on permenantly, as her assistant- so I can pick up the job, if I still want it, when she leaves!"

"That's excellent, Neville." Harry smiled, genuinely pleased to have him back for another year.

"Yeah, it is. I was offered a room outside Gryffindor, since I don't technically belong to a house anymore, but McGonagall told me, 'if you want it to be your house, it will always be your house!' and told me you guys were coming back this year, so I could share a… whatever this is…with you. Get to go to Hogsmeade whenever I want to, though, trips home…"

"Well," said Ginny cheerfully, "I daresay Luna will be happy to have us all back."

"Yeah, Dumbledore's Army!" Cheered Neville.

"DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!" the four of them echoed, laughing as if they'd just been hit by a very powerful Cheering Charm.

Harry's smile could not quite display quite how happy he was at that moment in time, surrounded by friends, in a school that was his home, in a safe and blissfully happy environment. Something told him that with members like Neville, Dumbledore's Army would live on forever, passed time and age. It was already noted on Harry's Chocolate Frog Card, 'Co-founder of Dumbledore's army' so he hoped it had already been entered into a history book somewhere. If it hadn't, he figured Hermione would probably write the whole book one day, along with A Revised History of Hogwarts, and Liberty for House Elves.

Chuckling to himself, Harry yawned. "Well, I'm beat." He announced. "Coming to bed, Ron?"

"Yeah, in a bit…" he looked at Hermione.

"Yeah, me too…" Harry looked at Ginny.

Neville, understanding what was going on, tottered back into his room. Harry and Ron caught each other looking at Ginny and Hermione, and suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment.

"Er…" they both turned their backs on one another, causing Hermione and Ginny to shake their heads, and kissed them quickly goodnight, although Ginny's lips lingered on Harry's a while longer.

"I'll see you in the morning," she whispered, and slowly closed the door on her way out.

"Harry!"

"What?"

Ron shook his head, fighting the urge to say something. "Never mind…"

Hermione suppressed a giggle. "There-there Ron." She whispered, and then, too close for Harry to hear, "better get used to it."

It took Ron five minutes to join Harry in his room, which Harry thought was a bit excessive giving the time they'd spent on the train and worried slightly (but only slightly) about the shared rooms. Ron joined him with a silly grin on his face, and threw himself down on the spare four-poster bed.

"This," he said triumphantly, "is going to be an excellent school year!"

.o0o.

A/N: AND- CUT!! I'll hurry with the next chapter as soon as I can- which includes George's first DADA lesson… I think we all know it will be unforgettable- any ideas what topic he'll be teaching though? Still got to make one up. He might do a rather humorous lesson on the 'difference between a wolf and a werewolf, and when not to be scared' I love George!

Those HP nuts or those who have re-read the epilogue too many times to be called healthy (no, I'm not one of them…) may note Ron's line, "George, our George, as the DADA teacher. Our teacher" is very similar to James' line 'Our Teddy…' because Ginny mentions he's a lot like Ron. I think it's so cute Harry has a son the miniature of his best friend!

Ten reviews please… I think that's going to be a standard amount from now on. They make me so happy! Arigato Xxx