New Light

"I've had enough trouble for a lifetime"

Harry wasn't quite sure how he got back to the Gryffindor Tower, for as soon as he left the Headmaster's office it became a blur of exhaustion and stumbling. The next thing he knew he was staring at the dim roof of his old four poster bed. His curtains were drawn and he could not hear a thing coming from outside them. Harry peaked through the curtains to find the remaining four beds filled with people, Harry was not sure who was there but he was too tired to care at this exact moment. As he sat on his bed he tried to focus his mind on what had taken place in the last 24 hours, but he was having trouble keeping his mind focused on anything other than the fact that exhaustion was catching up with him again. And once again The Boy Who Lived (Twice) fell into a deep sleep.

Harry could not tell for how long he had been asleep for this time but it was definitely at least 16/17 hours, as the low dim morning light had turned to the pitch blackness of night. As Harry tired to move he felt his body be hit by all the tiredness and pain that comes with breaking into a bank, fighting in a battle, being hit with multiple Cruciatus curses and technically being killed at one point. Every muscle in his body cried out in pain at the slightest movement. But as the feelings in his body came back so did the clarity of his thoughts and almost immediately Harry was flooded of images of Fred, Lupin and Tonks, which were soon followed by pictures of Sirius, Dumbledore and finally his parents. Harry's body began to numb as the pain in his heart smothered his being. The painful cries of The Chosen One, The Saviour of the Wizarding World went unheard. Unnoticed. How long the dry heaving and wailing went on for he was not sure but darkness once again came for Harry as he was dragged back into the painful abyss of reliving the deaths of people so close to him.

The next time Harry woke he heard the mutterings of people only a few feet away. This time Harry felt all the pain and the aches hit him immediately and couldn't help but let out a strangled groan.

He didn't really want to be dragged back to reality quite yet, still exhausted from watching his friends die over and over in his nightmares, but he knew he had no choice. As soon as the groan left his lips the muttering outside his bunk stopped and a second later a head was thrust through the curtains. Hermione. Of course it was.

"Oh Harry you're finally awake!!"

All of a sudden Harry's body screamed in pain as Hermione threw herself on his prone body. Harry tried his best to hide his reaction, but something half way between a grunt and a scream came from his blood caked lips.

"Harry, are you okay? What's wrong? Where does it hurt? Ohh Merlin, I'll go get Madame Pomfrey!"

"Hermione maybe we should give him some space he's been out for nearly 48 hours. He probably doesn't even know his own name at the minute."

As the curtain was pulled back Harry was shocked to see Neville standing infront of him. He had expected to find Ron arguing with Hermione but instead found the only other person that could have been the chosen one. He looked so much bigger and stronger than Harry could ever remember. But Harry also see the sorrow and loss in his eyes.

Before anyone could say anything else, Harry, doing his best to ignore the piercing pain all over his body, got out of the bed. Hermione, slightly shocked, stumbled back out of the way.

Now standing, Harry looked at Hermione and smiled. He could see the tiredness in her eyes but he knew she was keeping herself busy to ignore the sorrow she was feeling, so he said nothing. They would talk when she was ready.

Turning to the boy he had never thought much of in his first 5 years of school, and seeing the man in front of him that had helped protect all the students during the year while Harry was away, the man who fought the Carrows alongside Ginny, the man that had fought so bravely in the battle, the man who had helped defeat Voldemort by killing Nagini and destroying the last horcrux. Harry felt pure respect and admiration for the man before him.

Harry walked straight up and hugged him. Neville, shocked, didn't know what to do but eventually returned the hug.

"Thank you Neville"

Harry then released Neville and, without giving the two shocked occupants of the room any chance to speak, made for the bathroom door and called back;

"I think I need a shower..

..Don't wait for me, I'll come down to the common room when I'm ready."