The whole hall was in an uproar now, as they had been for the last half hour, since Harry and Hermione arrived; as soon as Remus Lupin had released him from the bone crushing hug every witch and wizard in the great hall had pounced on him with hugs and shouts of welcome. Harry felt like he was finally, truly, back where he belonged, but of course whenever Harry if feeling so upbeat something always happens to bring him down again.
Harry could see someone hiding just behind the form of Remus, someone who had not yet run forward to shake his hand and join in the now pending celebration. The great hall had now become deadly silent, nobody was moving now and all eyes were on Harry, all the faces holding looks of anticipation for something as they starred from him to the person hiding behind Remus.
"Harry, I'll have to ask you to try to not be so shocked by what….or rather who…..your about to see" Remus spoke very gently to Harry as if he expected him to be unable to handle seeing whoever it was that was hiding from him. Remus slowly, almost cautiously stepped aside to reveal the extremely blond headed wizard that had been hiding from him.
Harry could literally feel the air freezing within his lungs, he sensed as the blood in his veins turned to ice, and his brain simply shut down as his whole body began to tremble with unmistakable fear. "N-n-n-no…….." he managed to gasp, still having trouble breathing from the shock he had received. "It isn't possible….." he said louder now as he took a stumbling step backwards as the blond headed wizard approached with a cocky smirk printed on his face. "You……your dead. I killed you myself………Malfoy" Harry's hand delved into his robes and quickly snatched his wand from the depths of its resting place in his pocket, his wand instantly trained on the obviously still living form of Draco Malfoy.
Draco's smirk widened and he let out a rather amused laugh, certainly to be expected of a Malfoy, but when Harry looked around he could see Remus laughing as well.
"So you finally killed me dear old father aye? Bout time, the old geezer was really getting on my nerves" Draco said with another short spell of laughter, he turned to Remus with something of an impatient look on his face, "Would you explain it to him, I'd rather not have to go through the stupid details anymore".
Remus nodded and gestured for Harry to put away his wand, Harry did so with some reluctance. "Please Harry pull up a seat, or would you rather I tell you on the way up to Gryffindor tower?".
* * *
Nearly an hour later Harry was sitting in his favorite armchair by the fire in Gryffindor tower, Harry had distinctly remembered seeing the Gryffindor tower destroyed and had immediately asked how it was possible for him to be sitting here once more, not that he was complaining of course. There were several spell still lingering around the castle from Dumbledore, one of which instantly repaired any major damage caused by evil wizards; a spell set up by Remus shortly after the battle made it appear to everyone that Hogwarts was a decaying ruin, not even a shadow of its former greatness, but here he sat, once more in the comfort of his true home.
Harry had been shocked to find that the wizard he had killed was not Draco Malfoy, but was actually Draco's father Lucius. After he had been hit by Harry's memory charm he was little more than a pile of moving skin, Draco wanted to give his father some chance of survival; so he transferred all his memories into his fathers mind, and then used a special age reversing potion to make him a teenager once more. It was surprising how much Lucius looked like Draco when he was younger. The real Draco was now a leader in the resistance against voldemort.
Harry simply sat in his favorite armchair and glared at Draco, who was now dozing softly as he starred into the fire. Harry couldn't help but feel an overwhelming hatred toward the young man before him, and yet, it also registered in his mind that Draco was on his side now, there were part of a team, and Harry couldn't overlook such a fact, no matter how much he hated Draco.
Besides he thought My Hatred for Draco is from a past life, a life that no longer exists anymore, a life that is so different from this one now. It suddenly hit Harry just how much things had changed.
It caused him so much pain to have to think of it so deeply; Hogwarts was now a military base instead of a school for young and carefree teenage wizards and witches, Dumbledore was no longer a beacon of light and hope to whom the whole of the wizarding world turn too, and a cold, angering fact hit him, Ron was not going to help him bare this burden, nor any other that he will later face in life.
But he was not alone yet, he still had Hermione with him, and that was a comforting fact. Hermione had stayed long enough to find out about Draco and then had raced up to her old Head Girl dormitory to look around. Harry slowly turned his gaze to meet with the piercing grey eyes of Remus; there was still thousands of questions he wanted to ask but he knew there would be no point, he didn't want answers to most of the questions and the other one's Remus simply wouldn't be able to answer for him.
"Are there any other surprises for me tonight Lupin, if not I'd much like to go to bed, it's been a hard return to the world of magic". Harry rose from his squashy armchair as he spoke. Remus rose as well and tapped Draco on the shoulder to rouse him from his stupor.
"There are a few introductions I'd like to make but they can wait until tomorrow. You'll be able to relax for some time, our spies tell us that voldemort is currently working on some secret project that he sent his lead general to accomplish. And we're gathering all our forces here to Hogwarts for a meeting, it will be nearly one full year before we see any action against voldemorts forces, so enjoy yourself Harry" He said as he turned to follow Draco from the room but turned at the entrance to look up the stairs leading the Head Boy and Girl room then to Harry once more, "Don't do anything your father wouldn't do…..and that's not very much mind you". Harry smiled brightly and said good night to Remus before heading up to the Head Girl dormitory to speak with Hermione.
Harry slowly made his way up the winding staircase, his eyes constantly shifting their gaze to stare at the doors he passed, his fingers gently running across the smooth wooden doors and over the faded golden letterings that identified the 1st through 7th year doorways. He made his way up the second staircase that lead to the Head Boy and Girl rooms, stopping briefly to peek inside his old room; it struck him at just how unfamiliar the room seemed, it was so neat and clean, much unlike the room he had slept in for the past two years. He quickly shut the door and turned away from it, he knew that if he stayed in there to long he would begin to remember the old times at Hogwarts, and he just couldn't take such painful memories right now.
He sighed and stepped away from the Head Boy door and walked down the hall to the Head Girls room, he knocked twice, out of habit, before walking in. He looked around the dark room, only one lamp was lit over near the bed, he walked over to the ancient four poster and looked down with a grin, Hermione was curled in a ball under the warm blankets with a little smile on her face. Harry shook his head and leaned down, gently kissing her forehead and causing Hermione to stir slightly. He turned from the bed and head back to the door, stepping out into the hallway and quietly pulling the door too behind him.
"I guess our conversation can wait till tomorrow, maybe even later, Remus did say we had at least a year until we had to start worrying about Voldemort" Harry said to himself as he started back down the stairs, as he reached the bottom and was back in the common room he side in a bored and impatient manner, starring out the window and looking down onto the grounds, "What am I going to do for one whole year?!".
Harry knew of course that he would be continuing with is training in the dark arts, he had shrunken several dark magic books and put them with the rest of his gear before he left, but he didn't know if he could manage the training without a guide, without Dumbledore or Sirius. Harry felt a stinging sensation at the back of his eyes and grimaced, the thought of being away from Sirius, his only companion for two years, was jabbing at his heart. Even though he had spent every waking hour studying the dark arts he and Sirius had grown to be the best of friends, Sirius had even said he sometimes forgot that he was Harry and not James.
"No" Harry said solemnly as he continued to stare at the snowy grounds, "I am not my father, I'm not James. I'm just me….Harry". Harry had inquired to Dumbledore once why Sirius had always acted so peculiar while teaching Harry black magic, according to Dumbledore James Potter had actually begun to learn black magic as well, shortly before being killed my Voldemort. Such news had shocked Harry to the core, it explained why he was being pushed so hard to learned as many dark spells as possible, If his father, the great James Potter couldn't defeat Voldemort with black magic, then how could his son.
Harry pushed these thoughts from his mind, thinking so much of his father caused a painful sensation in his chest and it made him wonder why had really come to kill him in the first place; he recalled his second year at hogwarts when Ernie McMillan had said it was because Voldemort didn't was another dark lord around, was the actually it?! Harry had already proven he could use dark arts spells to extreme proportions, did Voldemort fear that Harry would become a great dark wizard than him.
Harry shook his head to clear way the thoughts, he had learned by now it didn't pay to dwell on such ideas, his mission was clear, destroy Voldemort, not take his place. Harry sighed and collapsed on the old squashy couch, quickly falling into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
* * *
"Harry, come on Harry wake up" Harry groaned loudly and rolled over on the couch, a mistake on his behalf since it sent him rolling off the side and smashing to the floor.
"Ow!" Harry sat up, rubbing his shoulder, and looked up to see Hermione starring at him and trying to suppress a fit of laughter.
"Remus says to meet him over at the quidditch pitch, said he has another introduction or two for us" Hermione turned away and quickly slipped through the portrait hole, Harry could hear her laughing on the other side now. He smiled too and rose to his feet, dusting himself off before rushing after Hermione.
As they left the castle and started down path to the quidditch field Harry looked back and noticed the castle was no longer in shambles, but was just as he had remembered it when he had gone to school, the grounds as well, where the snow didn't cover it, was once more covered in rich, thick green grass.
"Remus told me that only members of the resistance can see the castle for what it really is now, he put our names down on the list of members last night so to us the castle and grounds are as they should be, but to anybody not in the order Hogwarts is just an old ruin". Hermione explained as they reached the field, Harry suddenly had a longing for his old broom as he looked up at the still standing goal posts, but as he looked to the field he was completely stunned. The quidditch field had been converted to what appeared to be a giant training and obstacle course.
"What is this?" Harry asked at loud, Remus heard Harry's shocked voice and walked over.
"Its the training course that we put all our members through, and no im not expecting either of you to go through it, I know both of your are qualified, I just had you meet me down here since I have to spend all day here anyway training some new cadets". Remus motioned for them to follow him as he stalked off back toward the start of the course, as the approached the fairly large crowd at the starting line Harry noticed a head full of bright, silvery flowing hair that seemed very familiar.
"Now then, before I start the new cadets training for the day I'd like for you to meet someone Harry" Remus tapped the silver haired man on the shoulder and he turn around, Harry found himself starring into a pair of oh so familiar eyes, "Harry I'd like for you to meet……." Remus was cut off from his introduction, and by none other than Harry.
"Dumbledore……….Aberforth Dumbledore I presume?" Harry said with a sly grin as he raised his hand.
"My Brother was right about you young master Potter," said Aberforth as he slapped his hand to Harry's with a vivid hand shake, "You are indeed, most brilliant".
"Have you heard from your brother lately?" Harry asked in a rather hopeful voice.
Aberforth frowned however and shook his head, "I'm afraid not lad, I haven't heard from brother in nearly two years, he contacted me shortly after the battle here and told me he would be working on a special project for sometime, I haven't heard from him since then."
"Oh" Harry tried to sound disappointed by this news, he actually felt somewhat guilty, he had been the special project and the reason why the two brothers hadn't spoken in two years.
"Well, that's about it as far as resistance introductions go" Remus said with a slightly amused tone, "why don't you and Hermione head back to the castle, Dobby still working in the kitchen and im sure he'd be delighted to see you again Harry".
Harry nodded and he and Hermione turned and started back toward the castle.
"What do you think he meant by that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Meant by what?" Harry asked in his bored and faraway tone.
"You know what I mean Harry, the way Professor Lupin said that we were done with resistance introductions, do you think there's some one else we're going to meet that's not in the resistance?"
Harry quirked an eyebrow at this question, it had struck him as odd the way Remus had said it they were done with meeting people, Harry just shook his head in an 'I don't know' fashion and pushed open the door to the entrance hall, trying to recall the path down to the kitchen. "I'm sure we're going to be meeting quite a few people Hermione but im not to concerned about that just so long as we arent meeting voldemorts army at the front gates"
Harry stopped infront of the portrait of the giant fruit bowl and tickled the pair, the portrait swung open and he was immediately knocked over by what seemed to be a speeding tea cozy that was screaming in a high pitched voice; "Harry Potter sir, you is come back to Hogwarts, oh Happy Day!!".
"Hi Dobby, can we get a snack please" Hermione asked as he watched a sobbing Dobby squeezing Harry in a hug.
A/N……..I know I said I would have this chapter up a long time ago and im really really really really really really really sorry about it, my computer has been severely messed up, but I got it fixed AGAIN, hopefully it stays fixed this time. Well please review, I mean it review, don't just read, also review, click the little space a few inches down from this point and write how you like the chapter, please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please review. Can you tell that I want reviews?