Chapter 6: Reconstruction and reopening
Disclaimer: All characters belongs to J. K. Rowling!
6- Reconstruction and reopening
A few days later Harry arrived at Hogsmeade with Fleur and Bill. He still did not understand how they had convinced him to assist to the reopening of Hogwarts; he still did not feel ready to face the castle or his old friends.
The journey was quick but not pleasant at all. They had to go from Toulon to Paris by apparition, and then from there to an administrative office located in the outskirts of a small English village on the shore of the English Channel. That place had been established as one of the administrative offices on the occasion of the ceremony to be held at Hogwarts, and was packed with wizards and witches waiting to go to Hogsmeade. Luckily it was at the base of extremely solitary grass-covered hills, as their clothes were blatantly flamboyant for Muggle standards. The place was like a station where passengers took the train to their destination. In this case those who didn't know or didn't want to use the apparition method to Hogsmeade had the possibility of arriving by Portkey; Harry was impressed by how many people were going to Hogsmeade. The three of them disapparated a few seconds later.
As he registered his arrival in front of two wizards from the Ministry sitting in the middle of the street on a table covered with papers and record books, Harry looked around and realized that they were at the end of the main street. As he saw the characteristic constructions of the village along the street he was glad to have come, at least for now. He loved Hogsmeade, especially a couple of shops in particular.
It was ten o'clock in the morning, and unlike France the day was cloudy and slightly cold. Bill waited his turn to check in, elegantly dressed in a suit and a dark cloak. Fleur, next to him and holding his hand, looked gorgeous in a blue dress and a coat. Harry, on the other hand, was wearing some jeans and a shirt under his jacket. Once the three of them had finished their formalities, they began to walk down the main street without any hurry.
"So this is the first time you've come to Hogsmeade since Aberforth saved and hide you at Hog´s Head?" Bill asked with some interest.
Harry nodded. He looked to his left and saw the shabby establishment at the bottom of the side street; he decided that later he would come by to visit Dumbledore's brother.
In fact, it was the first time he had returned to Hogwarts since the cemetery ceremony and the "Order of Merlin First Class" awards ceremony for all the fighters of the last battle (alive and dead) two weeks after the tragic and historic event.
"That old fool was brilliant in battle, remembeg?" added Fleur.
"Yes, only Harry could convince him to come out of his confinement and participate, right?" Bill said, touching the boy with his elbow. Harry remembered that he had barely convinced him to help him enter the Castle but perhaps he would have taken part in the battle for himself, as a former member of the original Order.
The boy smiled and changed the subject. "Thank you for joining me. I would not be able to come alone." In reality, he felt he needed company to attend such an occasion, and was deeply grateful that they came there directly from their "honeymoon" in Toulon with him.
"Just because to make suge you will assist and don't run away again," replied Fleur giggling, still holding her husband's arm.
"Yes, can you imagine if they asked us about Harry and we had to tell them that he had escaped again?" added Bill. "Some would kill me so many times they'd get bored!"
As the two laughed, Harry had a ball formed in his stomach.
"They know I was coming? But I didn't answer the owl!"
No one bothered to answer him, and they were still laughing as they passed by Zonko´s, which was closed like all stores. Many people were walking down the street, and practically all were heading in the same direction to Hogwarts. Passing through Honeydukes he tempted himself to sneak into the basement and use the secret passage to the Castle, but he remembered Neville told him that the Carrow´s had closed it.
After a few more minutes of walking and waiting, the three of them joined three other rather young boys in one of the carriages that came and went non-stop to take everyone to the Castle. Two of the boys sitting in front of them looked at Harry with their eyes wide open, and unfortunately for him, Bill noticed that.
"So you're the famous Harry Potter? The one that once broke into the Department of Mysteries and the one that assaulted Gringott´s this year?" Bill asked suddenly looking at Harry and making a colossal effort not to burst out into laughter. Fleur put his fist in her mouth not to laugh.
"Very funny. Really guys, very funny." Harry muttered embarrassed with his face of a strong red color.
The carriage advanced slowly, and while the young boys still couldn't shut their mouths at sharing the journey with him, Harry watched the thestrals pulling the carriage, imagining that because of Voldemort and his followers now everyone would be able to see them. A few minutes later, with a feeling of emptiness in his stomach, he began to spot the astonishing and complicated silhouette of his favorite place, projecting sharply above the grey sky of Hogwarts.
***HP***
He had spent so many months trying to forget about this place and convincing himself that he would not go back to Hogwarts (at least for a long time) that he thought it was not real to be on the grounds, amazed by the castle as if it were the first time. A castle that had given him so many good and pleasant moments and yet he could only remember the bloody images of the battle, the acromantulas and the giants terrorizing everyone and the curses crossing the dark night from all sides.
A single letter was enough to subdue his trembling will. That and a few minutes of constant insistence from Bill and Fleur. They had promised to escort him and not leave him alone, knowing that he had distanced himself from some of his best friends and that his still fresh memories would torture him.
As they walked through the entrance after getting out of the carriage, he stared absorbed at the façade in front of the castle; Bill put a hand on his shoulder, apparently worried about him.
"Are you all right?"
Harry barely nodded. Now he could see the damage that had not yet been repaired, especially on the side of the castle facing the entrance. He could see a partially destroyed section of it with huge visible holes, perhaps the part where Fred were killed. Gryffindor's tower seemed intact but as they approached he noticed traces of curses and a couple of sectors that seemed to be in reconstruction. He knew that the damage from certain dark curses would not been repaired.
He took his eyes off the castle with a knot in his throat that wouldn't let him breathe, and tried to calm himself by turning his mind blank. Already close of Hagrid's cabin (another place he would like to visit later) he looked forward and noticed a crowd in the front gardens overlooking the oak doors of the main entrance, the same place they had chosen for the ceremony where the survivals of the battle (and the death ones too) received condecorations and the Order of Merlin, First Class, about two months ago.
"We are almost there, Hagy, everything's fine!" The blonde girl encouraged him. Harry replied with a trembling smile; Fleur had no idea what he would have to go through, but he still put his hands in his pockets and sighed. The girl put an arm over his shoulder for support, which Harry replied with an umconfortable look; it made him feel like he was a suffering patient who couldn't walk alone.
"All right! Sogy!" Fleur said, withdrawing his arm and pretending to be offended.
"Don't you dare, love. Harry is a very proud boy, he never allows himself to be spoiled" replied Bill smiling, provoking a grin in the girl and a smile on Harry's face.
A couple of minutes later they were close enough to distinguish the assistants much better. There were a huge number of people there, many, many more than the previous time. Many of them were sitting in the multiple chairs, all of them arranged near the main entrance and facing the other side where a small platform was raised. In addition Harry could see a large number of people standing around the chairs and all over the terrain, walking or just talking with others.
Suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling to him.
"Harry! I was waiting for you!
"Oliver! Good to see you." said Harry as they hugged and patted each other on the back.
"Hello Bill!"
"How are you Oliver?" This is Fleur, my fiancée, you remember her, don't you?"
"I...yes of course." He greeted the girl shaking hands.
Oliver needed more than a couple of seconds to recover himself from the part-veela influence, he turned to Harry again.
"So Harry, you came! Well, many said you wouldn't come."
"Oh yeah?" he replied annoyed. "To tell you the truth, Bill and Fleur convinced me."
"Excellent, because I want to introduce you two friends who came with me."
"I..." Tried to say Harry a little surprised, but was interrupted by Bill, who was leaving with Fleur towards the crowd.
"See you Harry! We'll be around!"
"Come, they must be in the entrance hall." They left to walk to the entrance at a fast pace.
"Tell me Oliver, are you still at Puddlemere United?"
"Yes, I'm still the keeper, although I don't have many years left in the starting line-up." he replied. Harry imagined what he meant. Oliver would be about twenty two years old now and although he was still very young Quidditch was a sport that could be violent and many of the players could not stand many years in the starting teams. He still remembered the case of Philip Stookbridge a few years ago, who was considered a star with only nineteen years in his team Ballycastle Bats. He spent a month at St. Mungo´s because a bludger broke his head, and he had to stop playing because he couldn´t recover his memory.
As they approached the oak doors, Harry passed through many people who continued to stop and chat with each other. He began to feel uncomfortable noticing that some people were noticing him and mumbled, and even greeted him two or three times. He looked down with a slightly flushed face and hurried along following Oliver.
"Some things will never change." He thought as he walked up the marble stairs and through the entrance.
"Look, there they are." Oliver said. Two wizards were chatting with Professor McGonagall; when Minerva saw Harry, she opened her eyes behind her classic square glasses and smiled like never before.
"Harry! You've come!" She said, hugging the boy.
"How are you, professor?" Harry replied, smiling at a demonstration of such unusual affection in her.
"Fine, please meet Benjy Williams and Duncan Leroh." They both nodded to Harry. "Benjy was a Ravenclaw before your first year, and Duncan is Irish. I think I remember Oliver telling me you have business to discuss, right?"
The actual headmistress of the magical school seemed to be quite anxious.
"That's right. We came here to talk to a couple of Hogwarts students, especially Harry." Said Benjy.
"In that case, I leave and let you talk to Harry. The ceremony will begin soon so please don´t take it so long. And Harry, after you´re done, I want to have a word with you. Look for me in my office."
After Professor McGonagall retired, Oliver began to speak.
"Well, this is the Harry Potter I told you about. He was a seeker on the Gryffindor team since his first year."
Harry didn't know what that was all about, it seemed to him that those two people wanted to meet him but it seemed too much. He looked at the door and noticed that the crowd had taken up almost every seat in the front gardens.
"He's caught the Snitch in every game he's played but two. I must say that some dementors and a skull broken by a bludger were good excuses!" Oliver kept talking. The other two nodded in slight admiration. Harry lost his patience, if there was one thing he didn't need by then was a fan club.
He looked at the door again and his heart stopped as he saw Hermione passing by. It seemed that she was alone, and suddenly he felt an urgent need to run and talk to her. He felt butterflies in her stomach, and her hands began to sweat. Would she be waiting for him to come? No, he didn't believe it. He was a little disappointed when he remembered that she had not sent him a letter, although perhaps she had no way of knowing his French address.
Harry was torn between staying and continuing to listen to Oliver and his two friends or running out and looking for her. He would try to apologize to her, it was something he had been wanting to do for more than three months.
"It's Hermione. It's like your sister, she'll forgive you." Harry thought while he barely heard the other three. "But why am I so nervous...it's just Hermione, my best friend."
"Harry! Hey! Are you okay?"
The boy looked at Oliver again, back to reality. His friend's face reflected a certain exasperation, a gesture typical of him.
"Sorry, what..."
"If you want to assist to the try-outs for the team, Harry!" It was interrupted by an impatient Oliver.
Harry opened the eyes of surprise, and looked at Benjy and Duncan. Only now he realized that they both wore a blue sweater with a pair of intertwined golden reeds.
"I... sorry?" Harry swallowed saliva and for a few moments forgot to run and catch his friend.
Oliver opened his eyes and smiled nervously as he told the other two. "Excuse him, he's never like that, I swear."
"You're from the Puddlemere United?" Harry replied barely containing his euphoria.
"That's right." Duncan smiled. "We want you to assist to the try-outs next week for the Seeker reserve position."
"So? Do you accept?" Asked Oliver, still with the exasperation marked on his face.
"Of course, I'll be there!" Rarely had he felt as happy and proud as he did at that moment. He'd thought of playing professional Quidditch a couple of times while in France, but playing for Puddlemere United even as a reserve was unbelievable. It was the oldest team in England, and one of the most important. Now he was a little embarrassed to have thought they just wanted to meet him.
"Wonderful! We are going to sit down, after the end of the ceremony please coordinate with Oliver to go together next Monday. Goodbye Harry" Benjy said, and then the three of them went to the gardens; Oliver winked at him, now satisfied.
Harry stood there, alone and unable to believe that he would do a try-out for the Puddlemere that coming Monday, in only two days. He thought about looking for Hermione but surely she would already be with Ron. He didn't know what to think about his friends or how they would react to seeing him after so many fights and so much nonsense between them. However, he remembered that McGonagall wanted to talk to him so he shrugged and headed to the Director's office.
***HP***
Half an hour later, the joy at the news of his try-out had almost vanished. He had met Professor McGonagall halfway so as they were walking back she told Harry that there would be a small ceremony where Paul Ligier would name all those who had contributed with funds to the reconstruction of Hogwarts. Then Kingsley Shacklebolt would hand over special mentions where the Minister, Arthur Weasley and Harry himself would give a short speech to the audience present. And finally McGonagall herself would close the ceremony with the symbolic reopening of Hogwarts and a tour for all around the restored areas of the castle.
In fact, it was Hermione who originally would give the speech on Harry's behalf. But as he finally went to Hogwarts, the professor begged him to give it. She told him that she knew he didn't like to express himself in public but that he had to be courageous because many would want to hear or see him. If it weren't for the Puddlemere Harry would be repentant to be there. He hated speaking in public, especially in front of some who persecuted him or whipped him tirelessly since the end of the war.
Harry crossed the entrance hall and went out into the field just as Ligier began his speech. He couldn't see the people sitting on the chairs because many were standing facing the stage, blocking his vision, so he approached the crowd who were standing and looked for some space to observe.
The number of chairs that Harry could see were countless, and they were arranged in such a way that they formed a sort of semicircle around the front of the platform, which was a few meters to his left. Looking to the right he could see lots of people sitting among the standing people. If he also took into account the large number of people standing on the sides and behind the sea of chairs, his estimate was about two hundred people. That made his guts disappear, leaving a huge hole inside him.
"Harry," whispered someone behind him, feeling a hand on his shoulder. As he turned around, a tall redhead in a dragon-skin jacket gave him a contagious smile.
"George!" Harry said in a low, cheerful voice.
"What's up, Harry? Bill finally found you!" He whispered again as they shook hands with joy. He smiled, Harry didn't remember seeing him like since the end of the war. Time was definitely helping him recuperate from the death of his twin brother.
At that moment Ligier named the people who had contributed for the rebuilding of Hogwarts. And before he could answer George he heard his full name and a little ovation.
"Damn it, Harry! Main shareholder of Weasley´s Wizard Wheezes and now also of Hogwarts! Are you diversifying?"
Harry was surprised, as he did not remembered the amount of his contribution a few days before leaving England. He had made it on Gringott´s in a special account opened by the School Board, taking advantage of his visit to the bank to withdraw funds from his account to go to France, an appreciable amount of Galleons. He still remembered the disgusted faces of some of the bank goblins when they saw him there again.
"I didn't remember. I didn't want to tell anyone."
After Ligier finished, there was applause and then more as Shacklebolt went to the stage. Harry was getting more and more nervous. What was he going to talk about? If it were up to him, he'd just say thank you for the honorable mention and get off as soon as possible, but McGonagall would transform him into a dirty hog.
George saw his friend swallow too much saliva and asked him if he was attracted to the Minister, who at the time was giving his part of the speech.
"I see you've recovered your humour. McGonagall told me I had to give a speech after your father's."
George laughed.
"A speech? You? I've got to see that!"
Harry closed his eyes and snorted.
"Here." the redhead whispered, handing him a yellow tablet. "I gave one to my father, he doesn't like public speaking either."
Harry looked at her suspiciously. "Don't be stupid, it's our new development and we call it "dare-it". It calms the nerves and anxiety of those who have trouble proposing to a girl, but it works just fine on these occasions.
At that moment the Minister was giving some award or mention to Mr. Weasley, who cleared his throat and began his speech. Harry was extremely nervous, and swallowed the tablet without hesitation.
"Well done Harry! You'll see that it works quickly enough, but don't abuse because as a contraindication it can loosen your tongue a little and make you say things you don't want to say!" George said as he patted his back and went to the back with a girl.
"And now you tell me!" He bark at him, but the twin could no longer hear him.
Immediately he felt his nerves vanishing, and, more relieved, he looked among the crowd of people sitting to see if he recognized any of his friends. He could distinguish Neville and his grandmother (thanks to her giant and ridiculous hat) by the front area, Delmeza and a couple of Ravenclaw by the middle and in the back, his friend the semi-giant Hagrid standing out from all. And nothing more since it was very difficult to locate someone among the small spaces left by the people standing in front of him.
A few minutes later people applauded Arthur's speech warmly and after a brief introduction Shacklebolt named Harry, inviting him up on stage.
He had to make his way through the people who looked at him and greeted him, and as he walked to the stage he shuddered at the loud, long applause of the presents. Despite George's tablet, he blushed so much that he thought his face would explode; Bill was right, the displays of affection made him feel very uncomfortable.
He heard some screaming his name (he recognized Mrs. Weasley's voice and Seamus´s as well) as he passed between the congratulations of McGonagall and the other professors of Hogwarts. He climbed onto the platform and was immediately saluted by the Minister and three other officials behind him.
"Welcome Harry" said the Minister to the public loudly and clearly because of the sonorus enchantment. Harry stood next to him at the front of the stage, and for the first time he watched the immense number of people looking at him. The pill George gave him reduced considerably his nerves, but he still felt uneasy.
"As I was telling you, Harry Potter and his friends risked everything to fight against the darkest era in history. Without their contribution and determination, who knows what our lives would have been like. His victory in the final duel against Voldemort put an end to that darkness and insanity that were destroying our whole magical community."
Harry could practically hear the silence of the audience, absorbed in Kingsley's speech. Suddenly, a shivering sensation ran through his body as he located Hermione, sitting between Ginny and Ron in the front row almost below him. His soul mate looked at him with such intensity that he felt his legs bending, and she seemed deeply surprised to see him there, and... something else that Harry could not recognize. Ron was also surprised, although when he looked at him, the redhead turned quickly his gaze towards the Minister.
"Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is now a man. He started to control his life with courage and bravery, stoically bearing countless attacks and calumnies, and passed through the difficulties that life has placed in front of him with effort but determination."
Harry smiled shyly.
"Harry, you received the Order of Merlin First Class a few months ago. It's a special, traditional and historical distinction, but this mention we give you today is ours and created especially for you."
As the Minister handed him a rectangular silver plaque, people applauded loudly but he started to feel real bad about it; he couldn´t accept that on his own, there were so many people involved in the final battle…
After a few seconds, he gain courage and began to speak. "Thank you. Thank you all for this mention and for giving me your affection." he said out loud, and instantly everyone was silent. "I'll be brief because as some of you know, I'm not good at this." Harry swallowed and looked again at Hermione, Ginny and Luna, who were smiling at him.
"It´s true, I have contributed to the fall of Voldemort's reign of terror... although we must call him Tom Riddle, his real name and which he gave up because of his Muggle origin. Yes, his father was Muggle." he clarified before the incredulous murmur of the majority. "But without the help and company of my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and without the courage and determination of the members of the Order, the DA, the staff, the students, the neighbors of Hogsmeade and the elves, none of this would have been possible."
A brief applause and some whistles (possibly from Ron's brothers) interrupted him, and then continued.
"For many months Ron and Hermione have sacrificed everything to be by my side, even their parents. They knew that they could be killed and that they would have to suffer dangers they couldn't imagine because Tom Riddle and his followers were searching for me. But they stood by my side."
Harry took a breath. He had wet eyes and a lump in his throat. He looked at Ron and saw him sad, and Ginny embraced Hermione, both with glassy eyes.
Harry closed his eyes and a couple of seconds later continued.
"I still can't believe there are so many absent today. Children and parents, friends who have died for no reason other than the insanity of our enemies. The absence of those I loved the most and of others I hardly knew, like everyone else, hurts me enormously. Few families in the magical community have not been affected by barbarism and madness, and even some of them have been completely destroyed."
Harry looked up. The silence was generalized.
"Their deaths are irremediable. But they must be remembered forever so that those losses were not in vain. Albus Dumbledore once told me: you have to fight, fight again, and fight again... for only then you can keep evil at bay, even if you never eradicate it. I hope that we have learned the lesson, and that the Ministry will not repeat the same errors of the past."
People literally stood and began to applaud him. Harry's eyes were already dry, but when he got off the stage McGonagall hugged him in tears as Professor Flitwick and Madame Pomfrey congratulated him. Once he got rid of them Mrs. Weasley appeared out of nowhere and hugged him as only she knew how to do. She was tearing and babbling his name, and noticed that Ginny appeared and hugged them both also with tears in her eyes as well.
Harry thanked with his head or shaking his hand within lots of people who were getting closer to congratulate him, but he looked for a particular person, and after a few seconds he found her. She was staring at him, with a very shy smile and her look denoted sadness but relief from seeing him.
Harry smiled, and when she smiled back at him all those around who were greeting him ceased to exist and the noises and sounds were silenced. Hermione still had her eyes wet, and yet she was beautiful and perfect. Suddenly she started walking and wrapped him in the most wonderful and warmest hug he had ever received. Harry smiled internally and hugged her intensely, and was fascinated to feel an unmistakable sense of home that wasn't the Castle.