Hello everyone!

Chapter three here. Basically, they're trying to move on with life. I always figured that they would still have too much momentum and wouldn't be able to just stop right away, you know? They'd keep steamrolling and trying to get more done.

I'm sorry that the update took so long. And I apologize to all my reviewers as well. I didn't get a chance to do anything until a few days ago, and then I figured replying would be silly because you would have forgotten what you even wrote. But anyhow, thanks so much to my reviewers, DukeBrymin, XAPY-TZINY-IIOZEINTON-NOAT, Snape1918, LemonLime165, Ang922, callmefall, UndercoverHufflepuff, hoeoverbros, SiriusObession, and PottedLilies. Thank you!

I hope you enjoy :)

*****hhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I was lying in bed, hoping that the day would never start. Honestly, I don't know why it's so bloody hard to get up in the morning. I mean, I should have things to look forward to now.

Right?

I groaned and rolled over. Life after Voldemort was not all it was cracked up to be, honestly. Especially since I never considered that I would actually get around to it. I mean, what realistic teenager thinks, 'Hey, there's a powerful, blood-crazed lunatic who wants me dead, but I'm going to finish him and then live to tell the tale?'

No realistic teenager, that's who.

And besides that, I knew who I was when Voldemort was around. Sad, isn't it, that my life was defined by who I couldn't be. I couldn't be a normal boy, I had to be the 'boy who lived.' Well, I'm still alive, but I don't know what to do with it anymore. I honestly think that any chance I may have had for living was gone with that bloody prophecy made eighteen bloody years ago.

There was a knock at the door.

I didn't bother answering.

Ginny came in a moment later, carrying a tray. She set the tray on my bed-table as she perched on my bed.

"You can't stay in here forever, Harry."

I avoided her eyes.

"I brought you breakfast, I figured a Hogwarts breakfast would be the thing to tempt you out of bed."

I was quiet for a moment.

So was she.

"Thanks, Gin," I finally muttered, still avoiding her gaze.

"I don't want a thank you. I want you to get out of that bed."

I sighed and turned away. "Sorry, Gin."

"I don't want a sorry, either."

We were quiet again. I wasn't hungry, but I started thinking that I should eat my breakfast just so that I wouldn't be ungrateful. She did take the trouble to bring it for me, after all.

I sighed and rolled over, sitting up and reaching for the tray. Ginny snorted.

"You're not so weak and depressed that I need to feed it to you, then?"

I flushed, guilty and embarrassed. "Thanks for this, Gin, really."

"I already told you I don't want a thank you," she said, getting up and moving toward the door. "Get your lazy, ungrateful arse out of that bed and do something useful. And if you think I'm being a right git, just wait until McGonagall gets a hold of you. She's riled enough that you can't be bothered to move on with your life."

"She's riled that I can't be bothered to move on with my life?" I asked, slightly confused as to why she'd care.

"Well, she says it's because you didn't show up to help her as planned. I'm riled that you can't be bothered to move on with your life." Suddenly her tone was much softer, sadder, really. "If you don't get a move on soon, you might not have a life to get on with, anyway."

She slipped out the door and didn't look back.

I pushed my breakfast away. Even the tiny bit of appetite I had was gone.

Vanishing the whole mess, I got out of bed and pulled on the new trousers that Hermione left at the foot of my bed yesterday.

So suppose I don't know what my purpose is anymore. That doesn't mean I can't find a new one, right? Or at least wander aimlessly without wasting away in bed, in the meantime.

Or maybe I can take one small purpose at a time. For instance, at this moment, I think my purpose is supposed to be rebuilding Hogwarts with McGonagall.

*****hhhhhhhhhhhh

"Mr. Potter."

Oh, I'm in trouble.

She turned to face me fully. "I expected you here yesterday."

"I'm sorry, professor, but—"

"I don't want to hear any buts, Potter," she told me sternly, shaking her head. Then her expression softened just the tiniest bit. "Harry."

"Yes, professor?" I asked, wondering why she called me by my first name. I've never had a professor call me by my first name before.

"You're Harry Potter," she stated simply.

As if I needed reminding of the fact. I already know that everyone expects that I'm a demigod. But she just continued.

"I have to remind myself, every now and again, that you are Harry. I taught your father, you know. I went to school with your grandfather. You look so like them," she said softly, with an almost sad wistfulness, "sometimes an old woman forgets."

"Professor—"

She held up a hand to stop me, indicating that she wasn't finished.

"I was heartbroken, Harry, the first time you walked into my classroom. I suppose I was hoping for a reincarnation of your father's lighthearted wit."

I sputtered for a moment before I fell silent again, not knowing what to say. She was quiet for a moment before she continued again.

"You are Harry Potter. You have endured far more than many wizards twice and thrice your age. Even when you walked into my classroom that first day, it was already plain that you were twice the man your father was." She cracked a smile, "And that is an immense compliment, Harry, for I knew your father very well."

"Why are you telling me this professor?" I asked, not in the mood to be emotionally affected.

"You have proved yourself time and again to be stronger than you ever knew. You have charted unknown waters before, you can do so again."

"Ginny got you, did she?" I asked ruefully.

McGonagall smiled. "She was quite upset. I told her that under no circumstances was she to bring the wrath of the Chosen One down upon me."

I snorted sarcastically.

"My point, Harry," she said, and I only just grasped why she was using my first name, "is that you were strong enough to lead your last life, and you are strong enough to lead your new one. Do you understand me?"

I nodded slowly, allowing it all to click into place. Surely, if I was enough to lead a crazy life, then I should be enough to lead a calm one. I hope.

"Very good," she said briskly as my nod turned more certain. She returned to her normal, business-like tone. "Now, as you did not deign to attend our meeting yesterday, we shall have to make double progress today…"

*****hhhhhhhhhh

"Ron, you're not really going away again, are you?" I asked him pointlessly. I already knew the answer, after all. He wasn't about to leave Hermione when she had to do something like this.

"Gin, you know I'm going to go."

"I know, but at least tell Mum first. You know, give her the traditional two week's notice before you two pack up and go."

Ron shook his head. "Charlie's already gone back to Romania, permanently, Gin. Mum can handle me going to Australia for a month or so. I mean, it'll be like I'm on holiday."

I snorted. "You will be on holiday. You won't have to deal with anything that's happening here, anyway."

He gave me a wounded look.

And I realized he was right to feel that way.

"Sorry," I murmured, blushing at my mistake. "That was unfair."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably, carefully looking away. "Well, either way, I have to go with. I'm not going to leave her by herself. And you can handle Mum, she'll be alright."

"Yeah," I muttered, wondering if he'd completely ignored Mum's recent state or if he was just being foolishly optimistic.

"You know," he said, "just keep her busy, you know? She always reasoned best when she was working."

"Yeah," I laughed humorlessly, "maybe the house elves will let her help in the kitchen."

Ron cracked a smile. "Yeah, she seems pretty lost when she's not cooking, doesn't she."

"When are you off?"

"Next week," he said quickly, as though he was expecting the question. "You know, after she gets a chance to do some research."

I rolled my eyes slightly as she shared a laugh. Hermione wouldn't be Hermione if she didn't have her nose in a book.

We stood there for a moment, and I wondered vaguely what it would be like this time.

Ron leaving, I mean.

He was always my favorite brother. Only a year older than me, just as uncoordinated as I was when we were little, had the same freckles everywhere. And he always had time to play with me. I don't know if it was actually because he liked playing with me or if he was just wary of the twins' pranks, but he always had time to play with me. I even got him to a couple of tea parties back in the day.

So when he left for Hogwarts, I was scared because I was alone for the first time. My best friend was gone.

When he left Hogwarts, to go out and fight Voldemort, I was scared because I didn't know if he would come back.

But now that there's nothing to fear, I wonder how it will feel.

******hhhhhhhhhhh

"The entirety of the Astronomy Tower must be rebuilt. It is simply impossible to renovate it as is."

"I noticed that," I told her, looking up from the blueprints she was showing me. "I wanted to do something there as a tribute, you know? Since that was the only part of the castle that was truly destroyed, and since…Professor Dumbledore…um, died there…"

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, I think that's an excellent idea, Harry. Any ideas for the monument?"

"Monument?"

"Well, I say monument for lack of a better term, but I mean any general remembrance that we could put in the tower."

"Right, right," I said, my brain whirring into action. What kind of monument could we possibly come up with? "Er…"

"No need to have something concrete at the moment, Harry, simply come up with some ideas for our next meeting," she said, smoothing over my confusion. "We have more than enough material to work on for the next week. All of it will have to be rebuilt brick by brick, after all, it was torn apart with dark curses and creatures."

"Curses could do this damage?" I asked, shocked. I thought the castle was magically protected.

"In the amounts that we had that night, yes, they could. And that's aside from the fact that the giants and acromantulas broke the castle physically, weakening the wards that were set against wandfire."

I shook my head. "How could this happen to Hogwarts?"

McGonagall sighed and patted my shoulder. "Well, Harry, we cannot wonder why. We can only fix it."

*****hhhhhhhhhh

"Ginny, I really don't think—"

"Harry, just shut up."

"But Gin—"

"No, Harry. We are going down to the Great Hall. You will eat. Then, we will come back up to the common room. Understood?"

"Gi—"

"Understood?"

He grunted in acceptance.

"Good," I told him, taking his arm and flashing an encouraging smile. "Now let's go get some of that roast you're so fond of. It's been a while since you had roast, hasn't it?" I asked, purpose trying to bait him. Maybe reminders of the food he's missing will make him more willing.

"Months," he groaned, and his grip on my arm tightened. "Do they still make the thick gravy?"

I nodded with a big smile. "They make boatloads of it."

"Well, I suppose there's worse places to be than the Great Hall…"

"True," I teased, "You could be in the middle of the Ministry."

"Or, Merlin forbid, the Daily Prophet."

I giggled. "Rita doesn't write there anymore, you know."

"I know. I hate the rest of them just as much for allowing the Ministry to censor them though."

I sighed. "Well, the past is past. Personally, I'm hoping Hermione goes into law and closes all the loopholes in that category."

"That's actually a fantastic idea."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely, yeah," he said, squeezing my hand. "And she'll get around to house elves too."

I giggled. "I'm sure she would."

Suddenly we were right outside the Great Hall. I heard him take a deep breath.

"You'll be fine, Harry," I assured him.

He nodded. "Well, at least they all love me now. I've walked in to worse, I suppose."

I gave him an encouraging smile and opened the door, slipping in and pulling him behind me.

No one even noticed. Everyone was busy eating their dinner, and the idea that Harry Potter might suddenly deign to come to the Great Hall was far from their minds.

"See?" I whispered to him, "It's fine."

He nodded, the green tinge fading slowly from his face.

"Harry! Hey, HARRY!"

Damn.

I don't care if that was unladylike, I only thought it, after all.

Every head turned in the direction that Seamus Finnigan waved, and soon several people across the hall had stood to see.

Then Professor McGonagall broke the silence by clearing her throat very loudly and turning to Flitwick beside her, "I do believe that the charms classroom should be in order by the end of the month…"

Soon everyone went back to their dinner, and Harry and I had no choice but to go sit by Seamus, who I really could have done without at that moment.

"So, Harry," Seamus said, too loudly, as we sat opposite him, "How've ya been, mate?"

"Erm, alright, I guess. How've you been, Seamus?"

"Fantastic! Voldemort's gone, and now I've got me best mate back!" He said, thumping Dean Thomas on the back.

Dean grinned at me. I squirmed slightly. I knew that grin. It meant he was imagining a broom closet, and I didn't appreciate it.

Harry didn't seem to either, so he changed the subject.

"So why are you sitting at the Hufflepuff table?"

"Aw, no one sits by house table anymore, at least not now, but I think the kids will once school starts again. Isn't that what McGonagall said, Dean?"

"Yeah, reckon so," Dean nodded, still grinning manically at me. Bloody git. He ran off with Parvati just two days after Harry and I got together in fifth year.

"And there's a pretty little bird sittin' a little ways down," Seamus added, nodding his head down the table at a couple of blondes.

Harry cleared his throat, staring Dean down. "No one's sitting at the Slytherin table, though."

"Yeah, well," Dean said, suddenly diverting his attention to Harry, "no one wants to sit there, do they? I mean, there are even a couple of Slytherins around and they won't sit there."

Harry snorted.

I gave him that. All they've ever done is cause him grief, after all.

"Well, boys, it's been nice seeing you," I said, taking advantage of the fact that Harry hadn't loaded his plate yet, "but Mum is waving us over, so we have to go."

Then I pulled him up and we headed over the what was formerly the Gryffindor table.

"Thanks," Harry, murmured quietly. I could tell he was still fuming about Dean.

I laughed quietly at the stupidity of it. Who would have thought that Harry Potter would be jealous of another bloke? "You're welcome."

"It's not funny."

"Yeah, it is."

He let out an angry breath. "No, it's not."

I groaned. "Harry, I finally got you out of your dorm, can we not argue over a bloody git like Dean Thomas?"

"Ginevra! That is not ladylike language."

"Sorry, Mum," I groaned. Of course she would have heard.

"Really, Ginny," she said disapprovingly. Then, as was her custom, she turned to Harry and instantly became infinitely more amiable. "Harry, dear! It's so nice to see you out and about, but you need to eat. You look absolutely peaky."

And, as anyone would guess, the rest of dinner passed with Mum trying to get Harry to eat third helpings of roast and Yorkshire pudding.

*****hhhhhhhhhhhh

"So McGonagall told you to come up with ideas for a monument?" Ron asked, scratching his neck as he flopped onto a couch.

"Yeah," I told them, "Any ideas?"

They all just looked at each other.

"Well, maybe you could put up a plaque—"

I shook my head. "It merits more than a plaque."

"Do you have the entire Astronomy Tower?" Hermione asked.

"Reckon so, why?"

"Well, maybe you could write the story in runes, you know?"

"Why would you do it in runes?" Ginny asked, "Just do it in English."

"But the runes will look nicer and more decorative," Hermione argued.

"But hardly anyone will be able to read it," Ginny said, "There's no point to that."

They went on for a few minutes, and Ron and I shared a few exasperated glances before I cut in. "Actually, I was thinking of commemorating all the people who died, you know, write a name on every brick."

"A name on every brick?" Ginny asked. Ron just looked confused.

Hermione was nodding already. "Oh, that is a good idea." Then she turned to Ginny and Ron to explain, "Lots of muggles do that. You can donate money to have a brick in honor of a family member."

They still looked confused.

"Why would you want a brick in honor of a family member?" Ginny asked.

"And why would you make them pay for it?" Ron asked, slightly angry at the idea.

"Well we won't have anyone pay, Ron," I said quickly, "But the idea is that the stone is immortal. You've immortalized the memory of the deceased."

Ron looked slightly mollified.

"Don't stop at just the people who died this time around," Ginny suddenly said.

"What?"

"Do the ones who died before, too," she clarified, "Your parents, Harry, and their generation. You should do everyone who died fighting Voldemort."

I nodded, touched by the idea.

"I think that would be wonderful," Hermione said softly, nodding. "Maybe we could even put the dates of birth and death, you know, so that everyone knows that they died fighting him."

"Naw," Ron said, "That would be too depressing. But maybe the verses on their gravestones…what are those things called?'

"Epitaphs?" Hermione said ironically, "How are those not depressing?"

"They're not!" He defended, "They're meant to be uplifting and good memories!"

"Alright," I said, trying to stop a fight before it ended in snogging—there was more than one reason why I wasn't coming out of my room very often. "We can work out details later, but let's keep thinking about other ideas, first. It'll be nice to have options."

They all nodded in agreement, so Hermione conjured some parchment and a quill, and we set to work.

****hhhhhhhhhh

I hope you liked it! Please review :)

And I'm hoping for suggestions for a monument. I know I want to do one, but I'm having a creative block on what it should be. The only stipulation I have is that it's definitely going to be on or in the Astronomy Tower.