Disclaimer: Everything Harry Potter is disclaimed. It all belongs to JK Rowling, last I checked.

Alright guys, if you're wondering why you are seeing the entire remainder of the story up - well, I was keeping five chapters ahead, but 11 is the last one, so when I wrote it, I just decided to post them all and not delay. Not the best way to rack up reviews, but it's certainly refreshing to finish a story so fast.

and-chaos-reigned - Great to hear from you again! You've only got five chapters to go...Thanks for everything you said.

suckr4romance - I looked at your profile, and suddenly realized that your name wasn't just familiar because you had read some of Year Six (which I don't blame you much for not finishing, I don't like it any more these days for the most part), but because I had read 'Hermione's Exasperation', your (mostly) co-authored fic with Buck. Creepily enough, I'm also about the same age as you, and used to live in LA as well. As to how long this fic will be, well now you know. It's nice to write a shorter fic.

dancerrdw - Thanks for your compliments! Great seeing your reviews every update.

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Ron's Take

Hogwarts

One Week Before Re-opening

The Gate

I looked in wonder up at the majestic castle which I hadn't been to for such a long time, and felt a recognizable warmth swell up at me. While I had always had a home at the Burrow, unlike Harry, who didn't exactly feel welcome at Privet Drive, I had taken to Hogwarts very deeply in the six years I went there. It became a second home to me. I glanced over Hermione, who was wearing a similarly goofily happy look.

"Well," I said. "Shall we?"

I went in and Hermione followed, pushing open the massive doors of Hogwarts and walking to the Great Hall. Hogwarts may have looked the same from the outside, and it did look mostly the same from the inside, but it was a lot dustier than it ever used to be, and felt a little less lively due to the lack of bustling kids around.

"I suppose that Filch has left," I muttered to Hermione, who seemed a little surprised at the appearance of the school as well.

"That's correct," McGonagall said, approaching us from the other Entrance to the Great Hall. "Argus decided to retire after many years of cleaning."

I looked around. "I don't think I've ever appreciated him quite so much."

Hermione grinned but quickly restrained it since it was a rather flippant remark for me to make right in front of McGonagall. The Professor's face was blank, though.

"I'm sure you remember all your Cleaning spells? The elementary ones do the trick most of the time." McGonagall left us to do the work.

"And what's she going to do?" I said to Hermione as soon as McGonagall was out of earshot. "Twiddle her thumbs?" Hermione gave me a reproachful look.

"I'm sure she's just going to clean somewhere else. Come on, let's get started. Scourgify!" Hermione waved her wand, leaving a relatively clean. I groaned as I brought out my wand.

"Scourgify!"

"Scourgify!"

"Scourgify!"

After a solid five minutes of doing this we had made some progress, although some parts were so dusty that they required multiple Cleaning Spells of variable types to get rid of all of it. I finally decided to liven things up a bit.

"I don't suppose a little music would hurt, would it?" Not waiting for Hermione's approval, I quickly conjured a radio, and tried to find a station. "Warbeck? Why is she always on? Hmm...ah, this is good. Always liked the Beatles."

"The Beatles?" Hermione said. "They were Muggles - how do you know about them?"

"Muggles? The Beatles?" I said incredulously. "No way! Best wizard band in history."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Hermione and I went back to cleaning in amiable silence, humming the infectious songs under our breath.

Hermione's Take

Hogwarts

Re-opening Day

The Great Hall

I drummed my fingers on the staff table nervously, anticipating seeing all of my students for the first years. Slowly, non-first year students that used to go to Hogwarts shuffled in and went into their Houses. However, this year, it wouldn't just be first years being sorted, but any new student, which spanned virtually every year and probably consisted of well over half the student body. For the most part, this meant that everybody's dinner would be served a little later than typical. McGonagall had promised everybody that she would leave the speech until after the feast, though, as Dumbledore traditionally did before.

"Alrigh', Hermione? Ron?" Hagrid grunted as he squeezed in next to me. We had been overjoyed to see Hagrid looking healthy and much the same when we had run into him last week while going through our cleaning job.00

"Fine, thanks," Ron responded. "Although I'm bloody hungry."

"Ron!" I reproached. "You'll need to set an example for your students. So no swearing, and try to be neat while you eat." Ron looked disgruntled.

"I suppose so, although I don't think all the students are going to be looking to me for ultimate guidance, Hermione."

"Yeh'll be surprised then, Ron. Teachers have a big effect on students, whether the students want it or not. Besides," Hagrid continued, smiling slightly. "You'll want to be a good teacher anyway, eh? Don' want ter be like Lockhart, eh?"

Ron looked speechless for a moment at the reference to Lockhart. "Lockhart! I feel insulted that you even dared to mention me along with that moronic, bumbling, idiotic fraud!"

Hagrid and I laughed at Ron's indictment of his former teacher.

"Although now that I remember, Hagrid," Ron said, as a sly grin started to form on his face, "Lockhart was a big favorite with some students. Eh, Hermione?"

I could feel my face flush and gritted my teeth as Hagrid and Ron roared with laughter. I even thought I heard Flitwick, who was sitting two seats away, chuckling under his breath. There wasn't really much I could do about it, though, but I was thankfully saved by Professor Slughorn - perhaps looking even more decadent, round, and grey than he used to - enter.

"Hello, Ron m'boy! No one sitting here, is there?" Slughorn took the seat next to Ron without waiting for Ron to answer.

"Well - er, no, I suppose not," Ron replied, looking mildly disgruntled. He had never liked Slughorn, particularly since he hadn't been invited into the 'Slug Club' like Harry, Ginny, and I had been. I could sympathize with him, though. It was never nice having a teacher play favorites, much less specifically picking your best friends, and not even being able to remember your name. Slughorn, though, had perhaps made one of his few mistakes when failing to invite Ron into the Slug Club, as Ron was probably the second most influential and famous wizard in the world. Slughorn had seemed to realize that when he had failed to ingratiate himself with Ron, he had missed the boat big-time, and had lately been irritating Ron by trying to get on Ron's good side - almost like a belated invitation to the Slug Club. Ron, though, was more than smart enough to see through Slughorn's ploys, and wasn't pleased at all when Slughorn kept annoying him.

Ron and Slughorn's jilted and somewhat one-sided conversation was cut short when McGonagall entered, leading the numerous first-years and other unsorted students in a long line, in pairs. McGonagall then took out a sheet of parchment, much longer than usual, and started at the first name.

"Absey, Jacob!"

A young, squirrelly-looking first year with curly black hair scurried up and put the Sorting Hat, which had already been on the chair, onto his somewhat undersized head. A moment's deliberation was taken...

"Hufflepuff!" Cheers from the Hufflepuff table as Absey made his way excitedly over to them.

"Acten, Sarah!"

"Slytherin!"

"Addon, Thomas!"

"Slytherin!"

"Aftmore, Andy!"

"Gryffindor!"

And so it went. The sheer number of unsorted students was sheerly surprising, even with McGonagall's warning. I could hear her voice beginning to quieten slightly, getting a little more hoarse as time went on.

"Hartman, Susan!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Christ," Ron muttered to me. "Does the line ever end? I'm really getting hungry now."

I nodded in agreement. Although I had eaten a little before the Sorting, I hadn't intended it to have to last me this long.

"Triskan, Woody!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Triman, Valerie!"

"Hufflepuff!"

McGonagall's voice was getting distinctly hoarse by now, although the Sorting Hat seemed much the same as before, and, if anything, a tad bored.

"Quinan, Amy!"

"Slytherin!"

"Quint, Gregory!"

"Ravenclaw!"

The tables slowly filled up, and even seemed to expand imperceptibly to accomadate for the new students. Finally, McGonagall finished. I looked around, waiting anxiously for the food to come. McGonagall said something rather perfunctory before collapsing in her chair, causing a huge, lavish Hogwarts feast undoubtedly prepared by house elves fill the many plates. I dug in voraciously, ravenous after all this time, as was everybody else, as there was comparatively little talking and much more eating. Eventually, as everybody began to slow down after the initial gluttonous display, talking slowly started to fill up the Great Hall, from a low murmur to finally the sound of hundreds of students and teachers conversing in normal (or louder) tones. Ron, thankfully, was eating with more neatness than he ever had when he stayed here as a student. Finally, after what seemed like a short time but was undoubtedly much longer, McGonagall stood up. The Great Hall quieted with comic quickness.

"I would like to welcome," McGonagall started, her voice now regained for the most part. "Every new student who has come here to Hogwarts for the first time! I am sure you will enjoy the years you will spend here. As returning students will be able to see, we have many new Professors," McGonagall gestured to either side, "who I am sure you will acquaint yourself with in class. To all students, old and new, remember - The Forbidden Forest is absolutely off limits! Also, there is a long and extensive list of all items that are notallowed in school, including a blanket ban on anything from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, unless approved by a teacher!" Ron and I smiled as we heard a collective groan issue from the student population. Fred and George's business had grown exponentially since the war, despite the fact that they had already been booming. They now actually had two stores, one in Diagon Alley, and another in Hogsmeade, where they were hoping to test out new products on the student population. Fred and George's creativity and skill with spells after all these years simply refused to run out, and it seemed the two were full of endlessly inventive and funny things to create, and were usually able to execute it with admirable aplomb.

"Now," McGonagall said. "I'm sure we are all tired and full after the feast. Your Head of House will lead you to your dormitories. Good night!" Due to the relative lack of returning students, it was decided that there would be no prefects for the beginning part of the year, until some students had managed to distinguish themselves and could earn the badge. Ron sat, conversing enjoyably with Hagrid, who we hadn't seen for a few months.

"Ron!"

Ron turned around. "Yes?"

"You're the Head of Gryffindor House!"

"Oh - damn - thanks Hermione!" Ron left quickly. "Alright Gryffindors, follow me!" Ron roared loudly. The mass got up quickly and followed behind him. I sighed as I went upstairs and prepared myself for what would hopefully be a long and restful sleep. This would be an interesting year.