Disclaimer- I do not own the Harry Potter series

"Harry, did Bellatrix do that to you?" she asked tentatively. Instead of answering Harry turned away ignoring the fact that she had guessed exactly what had been bothering him.

"Just leave it be, Hermione, I'm fine," Harry said ignoring the question completely. Hermione, though, had other things in mind.

"Harry, you are avoiding the question. Did Bellatrix do that to you?" she asked again. Harry didn't want to tell them that it had been Bellatrix, that he was deathly afraid that somehow she would come back and do it to him again. His nightmare last night proved to him that, that night would forever haunt him, how he was going to get his friends to understand that, he didn't know. Harry just thought it would be best if they didn't know the full extent of what happened in the woods, he didn't want them to be burdened with it. It was him that had walked out there and sacrificed himself; it was his burden to bear. It was his memory he must be reminded of every time he looked at the scars. He didn't want them to have to deal with that and he would try with the best of his ability to make sure they didn't.

"Harry, what happened in the forest?" Ginny now asked, though not knowing that she was just rephrasing the same question.

"Mate, you are going to have to tell us sometime. People are going to want to know what we were doing this whole time. How you actually defeated...Voldemort," Ron said for the first time. This got Harry's attention; it wasn't everyday someone new started saying his name.

"Ron?" Harry questioned.

"I thought it was about time I started saying his name seeing as that he's dead now," Ron explained. Harry contemplated that but Hermione wasn't about to let the question drop, she needed to know what had happened to her best friend. She needed to know what it was that had him so terrified so then she would know how to comfort him. When Hermione didn't know something it made her extremely curious and off to the library she went, but this was different. This was her best friend and there was no book on him...yet, but that was beside the point. No book would help her now and she needed the information and she would get it.

"Harry, I know this is hard for you but... I need to know what happened in the Forbidden Forest," she said ending his contemplation.

"Hermione, maybe it's not for you to know," He said glaring angrily at her. "Maybe I don't want to tell you! Maybe it's just that horrible that I don't want to invoke that kind of pain upon you guys! I don't want my best friends to hear about something that practically broke me! I don't want to live that again..."

His rant left them in silence. Nobody knew what to say to the troubled boy, who would? Obviously something dreadful had happened to him and he didn't want to relive it again. He didn't want them to hear about his weakest moment life, though they would probably think it was his strongest.

"Harry, you can't keep this pent up inside of you. You are going to have to let it out eventually and talking about it will help you deal with it. We are your friends, Harry, we won't think anything different of you," Hermione explained in a calm voice reaching out to him but when she did he flinched away. She drew her hand back slowly, hurt.

"Hermione, I'll deal with it how I deal with it."

Hermione couldn't reply for a little first year boy approached where they were congregated. He looked scared to be there, and when he looked at Harry and noticed that Harry was looking at him he quickly flinched away, it explained why.

"Hello," Harry said softly in a much kinder tone then what he had been using before.

"Oh, um...Mr. Harry Potter sir, I was sent here to tell you that the minister will be seeing you shortly, but if you are well enough to walk to the headmasters office you can meet him there, then I am to send the message," the young boy said.

"Tell him I'll be there, I would take anything as an excuse to get out of this bed," Harry said already starting to stand up.

"Harry, shouldn't you ask Madam Pomfrey before you just go marching off? She is going to be worried sick if she comes back and finds your bed empty," Hermione tried to reason with him but before Harry could respond with equally kind words Ginny spoke up.

"I'll tell her so then Harry will be gone before she can drag him back in." Hermione, by her expression, obviously didn't like the idea but agreed to it anyways after seeing her friends pleading expression.

"Gosh sometimes I think she's worse than Mum," Ron murmured under his breath to Harry when helping him stand up, but it seemed Hermione had heard him too and whacked him upside the head.

"Well, someone has to be responsible," she said in defense.

The two boys laughed playfully at her. Harry was a little wobbly on his feet when Ron stepped away but when he offered a helping hand harry declined.

"I'm fine just a little wobbly," harry said proving his point that he was fine when he started walking towards the door before his friends even realized what was happening. "You coming?" he called back to them.

They stood in front of the stone gargoyle leading to the headmasters, now headmistresses, and office.

"You wouldn't happen to know the password, would you, mate?" Ron asked of Harry. Who stood in front of the gargoyle remembering the last time he had stood there. Severus Snape had just died and he was going to view his memories. It felt like decades ago, when in reality it had just been a few days.

"I'm sure if we ask it nicely it will let us in," Harry said confidently while approaching the gargoyle. "Will you let us in to see the minister; we have a meeting with him?" The gargoyle stood as still as a statue that it was supposed to be, and refused to move.

"Well that didn't work," Ron said, stating the obvious.

"It worked the last time" Harry said sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Maybe we can find that first year again and have he tell us the password?" Hermione said reasonably.

"No that will take too long. I can usually guess it. It's usually some kind of sweet lemon drops, every flavor beans, chocolate frogs, raspberry jelly, treacle tart, jello..." the list went on and on and when Harry ran out of sweets he switched to important people of the war. "Albus Percival Wilfred Brian Dumbledore!" He shouted as his last hope and at the last syllable of Dumbledore the gargoyle slid aside and admitted them.

"That took way to long," Ron said marveling at the easy password.

"Oh shut it, Ron," Harry called behind him already mounting the moving staircase.

The escalator-like staircase brought them to the door of the office and Harry tentatively raised a hand to knock. A soft 'come in' welcomed them and he slid open the door.

Inside the office not much had changed since the last time Harry had been there and actually been able to take in his surroundings. It still contained the strange objects of swirling, twirling, and magical things that Harry had no idea what they did. The various portraits of previous headmaster and headmistresses filled the walls and all were readily awake. Books filled the walls and the pensive still sat where Harry had left it a few days previous.

"Hello, Harry, Hermione, Ron," the temporary minister, Kingsley said from behind the headmistress's desk, nodding to each in turn.

"Hey, Kingsley," Ron called

"Hello," Hermione and Harry followed. Kinglsey gestured to three seats that he had just conjured in front of him and they took a seat. They sat in silence awhile, contemplating, before Kingsley actually spoke.

"Do you know why I have called you here today?" he asked.

"I would suspect to ask what we have been doing these past few months," Hermione said.

"Right you are, as always, Hermione. There are also other reasons as well." He took a pause and a sip of water before continuing. "Yes, I would like to know what you kids have been doing these past few months, as many others would also but I also want you opinions on a few things too. One thing would be the idea of a memorial service for all those who died, in the previous and now completed war."

"Yes," Harry said without even skipping a beat. He couldn't have thought of anything better.

"I'm not sure what it will be exactly yet, but I'm sure a select few artisans will do a fine job. We can discuss this in further detail at a later time. Another thing would be you three telling your story and how Harry did defeat Voldemort. I would like that you tell me, the order, and trusted members first so then when we tell the public we have some idea what their reactions will be and if we should edit it some, maybe leave a few things out so we don't have another Dark Lord on our hands," Kinglsey said in his deep tenor voice.

"I don't know if I could tell it twice," Harry said quietly looking down at his twiddling thumbs in his lap. He didn't want to admit that but it was true and it was better now than never.

"Harry, that's okay one of us could," Hermione said reassuringly.

"You shouldn't have to. If anyone should tell this it should be me and I need to clear a few things up. I'll try my best but I'm not promising anything."

"That's okay, maybe it will be easier to tell after you've already told it once," Hermione suggested.

"Maybe..."

"Well, I'll give you some time to think about that, Harry but I have one other question. What do you want to do with Voldemorts body?"

Authors Note- I'm planning to have the story told in the 15th chapter and if not then, then the next. So it's coming soon just try to be patient. Anyways thank you for the reviews and hope you guys liked it