Harry never thought he would be so happy to see his aunt and uncle driving up to bring him home, but he had a smile on his lips that just wouldn't go away. By his side was his trunk with all his things; he didn't think he'd be returning, so he packed it all.

He was leaving Smeltings. It had given him two solid months of healing, but now it was Christmas and he was going home.

Dudley was standing off with his friends, talking about what they hoped to get for their presents and saying goodbye. No one stood by Harry, but he'd gotten quite a number of well wishes for his holiday, and all the people who knew he wasn't going to return had already said their goodbyes.

Kenny might have been the most unhappy to see him go, actually. In their dorm just as Harry was about to pull his trunk out behind him, Kenny had hugged Harry tightly and given him a great big, sad smile.

"You'll be okay, Harry," he said, and Harry was pretty sure there was something extra shining in his eyes.

"Cheers," Harry said back, meaning it, because even the bad things weren't so bad anymore.

Kenny still had to pack, so Harry had left him in the dorm and was where he'd been standing since.

There were just two people who hadn't come up to him to say goodbye, but Pete had winked at him from across the room, and that was enough of a cheerful goodbye from him, in Harry's opinion.

There was just one more person left, and there was no way he was going to go into her office again in his lifetime.

"Harry?" Marty said coming up to him. Harry looked over and smiled, because she was walking through the thick snow in her blue high heels, not at all dressed warmly.

"It doesn't look like you have much respect for your life dressed like that, you know," he said.

Marty shook her head disapprovingly at him and pulled him in for a hug.

"Good bye, Harry. I'm going to miss you."

Harry smiled against her curly hair and held her tightly back for a long moment.

"Thanks for everything, Marty."

"You're welcome, Harry."

She pulled back and touched his face lightly, seeming to be looking for something there.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you know. It's hard to say goodbye to some people. Some people…you just want to keep forever."

Harry knew what she meant, but it brought a lump to his throat to think that most of the people he wanted to keep forever were already dead and gone.

"Goodbye," she said again.

Harry nodded, unable to say what he was thinking, and she went back into Smeltings, looking back just once at the door. Harry waved and she went inside, and he never would see her again.

He turned back to the road and kept an eye out for his ride home.