Chapter 4

A Final Homecoming

Harry was looking forward to coming back to Hogwarts. He had enjoyed his time at Grimmauld Place, but really wanted to just get going with his life and start working—not just for the Order of the Phoenix, but for the Ministry of Magic. Ever since Sirius had died Grimmauld Place just seemed like a temporary safe-haven that would only protect him so long. Harry knew he had to avenge Sirius's murderer, Bellatrix Lestrange. He knew he ultimately had to kill Voldemort, but he kept on thinking of his godfather and how he had to get his revenge.

Harry had found himself in Buckbeak the hippogriff's room again. He absentmindedly stroked the hippogriff's feathers while sitting on the floor, contemplating. He was alone. His parents gone, his godfather gone, even the Dursleys gone. Harry knew the Order was like his family now, and the Weasleys always thought of him as their brother or son, but it wasn't the same. He didn't belong to anyone. Sighing, he stood up and walked around the room thinking of how Sirius had demolished the whole house of all things reminding him of his family only two years before. He did all that for me and for the Order, Harry thought. He faced his family past just to provide us with a safe place to go… Harry choked back the tears in his eyes. He had only known Sirius for a little over two years, but in that time he had gotten closer to him than he had to anyone else. He wished he could talk to his godfather again, but knew Dumbledore was much too busy than to perform the spell that would bring him back, if only briefly…

"Harry? Could I talk to you for a moment?" came Lupin's kind, fatherly voice from the doorway. Harry nodded. Lupin bowed to Buckbeak then walked over to sit on the bed to pat him on the beak. "I know what you're thinking about." Harry didn't say anything. "You know that you're going to have to face Voldemort by the end of your school year. Therefore you'll also have to face Bellatrix Lestrange." Still, Harry only looked at Lupin. "Sirius and James were the best friends I've ever had, as I've told you countless times. I know both of them seemed like a father figure to you and now they're both gone." Harry knew all this. What was Lupin getting at? "It's been a hard last sixteen years for me. When Sirius told me that James and Lily were dead I was completely astounded. Their lives had been so perfect, but Voldemort took that perfection away from them, and you, forever. I knew James would try and confront him before he got to Lily and you. That's just how your father lived his life—he always worried about others before himself. James never judged me for who I was, as did Sirius. We would have all died for each other."

"But not Wormtail?" Harry said in an oddly high-pitched voice. "I thought he was one of your gang too."

Lupin's face changed from that of love and kindness to that of hatred. "I don't think I can ever forgive Peter for what he's done, but that doesn't mean you have to avenge him too. Listen, Harry, I know how much Sirius meant to you and I can understand your wanting to face Bellatrix Lestrange, but you have to kill Voldemort."

"And leave Sirius's memory in shambles?" Harry practically yelled as he jumped up. "Leave his murderer free to kill as many other people as she wants? Leave her to follow Voldemort and do his will?!"

"Harry, you must understand. The Order will take care of the Death Eaters, you just have to worry about Vol—"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT VOLDEMORT ANYMORE!" Harry was yelling now. "SIRIUS DIED FOR ME AND I'LL DIE FOR HIM IF NECESSARY!"

"I knew this was how you would react," Lupin said, his face remaining calm. "Sirius died over a year ago already and…"

"SO THAT MAKES HIM LESS IMPORTANT, DOES IT? THAT HE ALREADY DIED OVER A YEAR AGO?!"

"Harry, calm down," Lupin said, this time more sharply. Harry obeyed, though reluctantly. "I know you shoulder a huge burden. I know you didn't ask for it, but you have no choice. If you never kill Voldemort, he will come back, this time even worse than before. I know that you know this. Listen, Harry, I care about you and I care about your safety. I know that I can't be a substitute for Sirius, or James, but please just let me try." Harry looked into the man's eyes. He could see pain, he could see exhaustion, and he could see a void that would never be filled. Harry had never thought about how hard his parents' and Sirius's death had been on Lupin. "Please, Harry. Just let me try."

"OK," Harry managed to choke out as Lupin pulled him into a fatherly embrace. Harry couldn't help it as the tears came and he started crying into Lupin's shoulder.

"Stealth. The most important thing an Auror can learn," Moody said as he and Harry stood in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. "You have to use your head or else you've already failed. You have to know what the enemy is thinking, and you have to do something they wouldn't expect of you. Disguises can get you so far, but sometimes you have to actually physically be with the enemy in order to succeed. You have to be quiet, be aware of your surroundings, and work accordingly. I'll stage three conversations from three different people during the morning around number twelve here and you will report to me during lunch what you heard from each of them, to whom I was speaking, and where we were talking. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Training starts now."

So Harry spent the entire four hours before lunch on his toes. He had to keep track of where Moody was at all times without being seen. Whenever Moody caught him in the act, however, the weathered Auror would turn around and give him bits of advice such as, "too loud, Potter" or "I could hear you five minutes ago". By the end Harry was finally getting used to it. During a lunch of cold cut sandwiches he told Moody about all he had overheard with Moody's conversations with Mr. Weasley, Hermione, and Sturgis Podmore.

"Good, Potter, very good. I'm impressed with your progress. You can have the rest of the day off."

Before Harry knew it, he was on the train to go to Hogwarts for his final year there. He, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny (who had been named a prefect the year before) all staked out a compartment for themselves, Neville, and Luna Lovegood, and went to the front of the train where the prefects had gathered. A conductor told them what to do. "Who are the Head Boy and Girl this year?" he asked, looking around at the students. Hermione and Harry tentatively raised their hands. "Good, good. You two will receive further instruction when we arrive at the school, but for now please split into groups and patrol the compartments every so often to make sure no students are misbehaving. Is that understood?"

A murmured "yes" resonated through the compartment. "OK, good. Enjoy the ride!"

As Harry walked with Hermione and Ron back to their compartment, they met up with none other than Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. "Perfect little Potter, Head Boy. You've always been Dumbledore's favorite student," he snarled. Then he turned to Hermione. "A Mudblood as Head Girl," he scuffed. "You would think Dumbledore favors Gryffindor, wouldn't you? Surely this is as low as Hogwarts has ever gotten…" Pansy Parkinson shrieked with glee but just then Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan jumped out of the nearest compartment. They had bulked up over the summer.

"All right there, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny?" Seamus called.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Thanks, Seamus. Did you have a good summer?"

"Oh yeah. Mum and Dad took me to Greece this summer!" he replied excitedly.

Hermione practically squeaked with excitement. "Ohh, what a great opportunity! What did you all see?"

Malfoy and Pansy took the time to sneak away, eying Seamus and Dean with wary eyes. Harry realized that Malfoy's bulky cronies Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle weren't in sight. After a rather long chat with Seamus and Dean the foursome made their way back to the compartment.

"What kept you?" Luna asked dreamily as she looked up from her latest edition of The Quibbler. Neville was sitting across from her looking out the window with glazed eyes. Harry thought this was odd behavior, even for Neville, but thought nothing of it.

"Ran into some friends," Ginny replied, sitting down next to her.

"Exploding Snap, anyone?" Ron asked, extracting a card deck from his pocket. They all agreed, but took breaks in between games when Hermione insisted they patrol the corridors.

After the twelfth game of Exploding Snap, Harry saw Hogwarts Castle's lights twinkling in the distance. He smiled sadly as he thought, Home, for the final time. Hermione nudged Harry so they could get out of their compartment quickly. "The Head Boy and Girl and prefects have to help the conductors get the students off," she said quietly. He nodded, took his trunk and Hedwig in her cage out into the hallway to get to the doors as the train started slowing down. Hermione grabbed Crookshanks and her trunk too, as did Ron and Ginny. They put their things off to the side so they could help.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny!" came a booming voice over the tops of the students who had already gotten off the train.

"Hi Hagrid!" Harry called, making his way towards his towering friend as Hermione ushered the first years towards Hagrid.

"Head boy, eh, Harry? Good for yeh!" Hagrid exclaimed as he clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Knew yeh had it in you!" Harry's knees buckled, but he still beamed up at Hagrid.

"Oi! Harry! A little help, please?" Ron called irritably.

"Right. First years, this way!"

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, may I have a word with you, please?" Professor McGonagall asked as they entered the Great Hall. "In my office, quickly now." Hermione and Harry left Ron, Ginny, and Neville as they approached the Great Hall and followed Professor McGonagall. "I am thrilled to receive word that you two are both Head Boy and Girl," she said. Hermione tried not to look too pleased at this comment. "However, these two positions require many hours outside school time. It can become quite an overwhelming task." Hermione straightened in her chair. Harry knew this was to show McGonagall that she was willing for the job. "I want you two to promise me something: that you will keep up with your grades and any extra activities outside of your studies, in addition to your new positions." She turned to Harry. "This means Quidditch, Potter. If you fail to complete your Head Boy duties in addition to your Quidditch captain duties, we will be looking for a new Seeker." McGonagall looked grim.

"You mean I don't even have a choice in which one I continue with?" Harry burst out.

"No. Your Head Boy duties come first. So just be sure to keep up with everything and you'll be fine. I don't mean to put any pressure on you or anything, but it is essential that you balance everything—especially if you still want to become an Auror, Potter. And a teacher." McGonagall turned to Hermione. Harry hadn't realized that he had never even asked Hermione what she was going to do after Hogwarts. The strict professor stood up and quickly ushered them out of the room. "That's all for now, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter. I shall inform you of any upcoming tasks. Now go along to the feast." She turned left as they turned right to get to the Great Hall. Harry knew she was going to collect the first years after their trip across the lake.

Harry and Hermione walked in silence for a couple moments until Harry broke it. "So you're going to teach here after school?" he asked, looking at Hermione.

She grinned. "Yes. I think it fits me pretty well, and this way I can stay in the Wizarding world most of the time instead of heading back to the Muggle world. Besides, I couldn't find anything else that really interested me."

"I think you'll be brilliant, Professor Granger," Harry said, a grin crossing his face.

Hermione chuckled. "Thanks. Let's hope so."