Come Back

Chapter One

Returning Home

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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. The Queen JKR owns everything!

This Story has been redone for post HBP events...Beware of Spoilers!

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Prologue:

After the defeat of Voldemort in Harry's Seventh year, the wizarding world was in disarray. Many more deaths occurred and it was too much for Harry to deal with. Harry left England, leaving all his friends behind. No one knew where he went, he choose not to tell any one. Not even Ron and Hermione knew. Harry does return to Hogwarts for his seventh year, just for the sake of the story.

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The air was crisp, cool and sweet smelling, a freshness he had not felt for over three years. As the cold of the surrounding air met his face he had to pull his hood of his robes up to protect his ears. The train whistled loudly as he dragged his trunk and owl cage off of it.

It seemed like a million years since he last stepped foot onto Hogesmead station. After a quick fleeting glance at Hogwarts castle, he was thinking he should just turn around and get back on the train that was going to London. But just as he started heading for the ticket counter the train speed off, leaving him behind.

"O well." He thought. "I knew I had to come back sometime."

And with a deep sigh, he set off, up the streets of Hogsmead. Everything was so familiar to him, yet so strange at the same time. After the final battle the village had been damaged beyond recovery. The store owners had obviously been working hard at making everything look as it once did. Harry thought they had done a really good job. As he entered the small Inn at the edge of the village he was surprised to see how happy everyone seemed. His last memories of Hogsmead were so dark and down trodden.

Harry walked up to the counter and looked at the Innkeeper, "Do you have anything open?" he asked.

The Innkeeper replied, "We have just the one room. Bit small, but it's yours for 15 Sickles a night."

"I'll take it." Said Harry with as much of a smile he could muster up.

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Harry took his time unpacking his belongings, he didn't own much and if he went slower it felt like he had more. Hedwig was now hooting happily from the top of the dresser, one of the few places she could actually rest on. The Innkeeper wasn't wrong. This was a very tiny room. A small musty bed was pushed haphazardly into the middle of the room. Beside it was a dingy nightstand with a busted lamp, which was issuing a small buzzing sound. The only other item was the old wood dresser with rusty hinges that Harry was now closing with difficulty.

"Well…" he started as he looked around the small room. "Hopefully I won't be here long. This place is depressing."

Wondering what he was going to do first now that he finally made it home to England, he started to pace as much as he could in this room. "I could have a drink at The Three Broomsticks." He thought to himself. "Or have a look around Honeydukes." and with this thought, his heart sank.

The last time he had stepped foot into either of those places he was with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. How could he possibly go there without them?

The only reason for Harry's return was to reunite himself with his lost friends. They were all he could think about over the past three years. He felt horrible at leaving them behind. He knew that he had hurt them by leaving, but at the time he didn't care much. The only thing he was able to do was write a letter saying how much he loved them all, and that one-day he would be back. That day had come at last, and now, he had no idea how to re-enter their world.

He had been thinking about the wonderful moment when we would see them next. He had this wonderful vision of Hermione running and hugging him with tears in her eyes. Ron just standing there grinning, then finally embracing Harry like a brother. Mrs. Weasly would probably be hysterical to see him, and then offer him food. And he would sweep Ginny up in his arms like he did the last time he saw her.

Harry had been so close to asking Ginny to be his again, when life was flipped upside down for him. He watched in horror as most of the death eaters whimpered in pain from the spell he produced. The horrible screech that Voldemort let out as Harry murdered him. The scene of death and destruction had haunted him for far too long. It was time to face his fears and return home.