After the Battle
Author Note: I owe a debt of thanks to many people. To catwork, for insisting that I write this story. To DelusionalReality, for Hermione's unicorn and many other ideas. To Nobody, for canon-compliance nitpicking extraordinaire. To the readers of the earlier versions, for their comments and critiques. And to the wonderful theorists of Portkey, for introducing me to literary alchemy and for their visions of a very different meaning of HBP.
The First Day - Part 2
Harry and Hermione apparated together back to the courtyard of the castle and walked toward the marble staircase. Hermione stopped. "I'm just going along to the hospital wing," she said.
"Why? We just-"
Hermione held up her hand to stop Harry's protest. "Madam Pomfrey agreed to give me an excuse for missing the Feast, but I had to promise to check in with her when I came back from my walk." Hermione smiled and tugged nervously at her scarf, tightening it around her neck.
"Right then. I'll see you back in the Common Room, okay?" Harry asked.
"Yes, in a little bit." Harry watched her make her way down the corridor then he walked to the staircase. Giving rein to the feeling of freedom that surged through his body, he bounded up the stairs two steps at a time. He darted through groups of straggling students and past the clutter of debris remaining from the battle. He heard the noise of celebration well before he reached the portrait hole of the Gryffindor Common Room. At least sixty students were crammed into a space designed to accommodate twenty at most. He saw not just Gryffindors, but Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs too.
Neville was surrounded by a tight group of admiring girls. Seamus and Dean had set up a makeshift bar on a long wooden table. They were serving up butterbeers and firewhiskey that they had found who knows where.
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked Seamus. Seamus' face fell. "He and Ginny left right with their parents right after the Feast. They took Fred home."
"That's right. He told me. I forgot," Harry said.
"Ron told me to say goodbye and that he'd see you at the funeral. We're all planning to go," Seamus said fervently. "And where were you, mate? Professor McGonagall was not happy you weren't there."
Harry was surprised. "Didn't she get my message? I sent my Patronus to the Great Hall. She could hardly miss it."
"Yeah, that was wicked," Seamus said. "All of us in the DA knew it was yours, but everyone else got a big surprise. You should have heard all the whispering and speculation."
"It walked in bold as brass and went all the way up to the head table," Dean chimed in. "But we couldn't hear what it said."
"So what did you think of the unicorn?" Harry asked.
"What unicorn?" said Dean and Seamus.
"Hermione's unicorn. She has a unicorn as a Patronus now. We sent them together. You must have seen it," Harry insisted.
"I dunno where it went then. The stag came on its own, Harry," Dean replied. "But listen, we have to tell you what happened. McGonagall has gone nutters. Everything is turned topsy turvy."
"Everyone is going to change House every year," Seamus explained. "All the Common Rooms will be open to everyone. Even the Ghosts are being sent to different Houses. And get this: Guess who's going to be Head Boy?"
Harry went over all the Sixth year Prefects in his mind. "Rodney Finch-Fletchley?" he suggested. Justin's younger brother seemed like the obvious candidate.
"No, no. Not a Sixth Year. All the Seventh Years are coming back to do the year over again-since we didn't really learn anything, did we? So who d'ya think?" Seamus was grinning manically.
"Well Ron then. He deserves it. Although he did tell me he was planning to go work with George, so-"
"That's right; not Ron. Come on, Harry." Seamus was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.
"I dunno. Draco Malfoy. Ha!" Harry grinned.
Just then Luna joined them, wearing her old Lion hat, which now seemed completely appropriate. "No, Harry," she said. "Draco is going to be a Gryffindor Prefect. Neville is Head Boy-and a new Slytherin."
Shocked, Harry turned to Dean and Seamus for confirmation. They nodded.
"Told `ya McGonagall had gone nutters," Dean said. "It's all about trying to promote unity and cooperation. It'll never work."
"But shouldn't we at least try?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I s'pose," Dean responded doubtfully. "And there are new House passwords too. You'll never guess. One I already said-Hufflepuff is Unity."
"Ravenclaw is Respect," Luna added.
"Slytherin is Reconciliation," Seamus said. "Like that'll ever happen."
"And Gryffindor--What's our new password?" Harry asked, as Neville eased his way through the crowd to reach them.
"Don't worry, Harry, it's easy to remember," Neville said, a huge grin on his face. He had never looked happier or more at ease. "It's Harmony."
"Yes, well, I could do with a little Harmony in my life," Harry said.
"Anyway, what I came to say is that Professor McGonagall needs to talk to you," Neville said. "She told me to ask you to go to her office as soon as you got back."
"All right," Harry replied. "But will you do one thing for me? Ask Hermione to wait for me to come back. She should be getting here any minute now."
"Sure, Harry," Neville said.
~ ~ ~
Harry retraced his steps and reached the Headmaster's office easily, as the students were all celebrating in their common rooms and the corridors were empty except for scattered debris. The gargoyle guarding the spiral staircase had still not been righted, so Harry passed unchallenged up the stairs.
He heard voices through the slightly open door.
"But surely something can be done, Horace," Professor McGonagall said anxiously.� "No one else has suffered from, from..."
"The poultice may yet bring amelioration, Minerva," Slughorn replied.� "And I am continuing to search through the Slytherin archive for an antidote.� But we must find out what potion was on the knife."
"Carry on then.� Go.� But keep me informed.� Night or day, makes no difference."
Slughorn inclined his head in a slight nod, then turned and walked toward the door, where he saw Harry waiting.
"Harry, my boy. Splendid, splendid what you did. You must come by later-would tomorrow morning suit?-and tell me exactly how you did it." Slughorn clasped Harry's right hand tightly and slapped him on the back. But Harry could tell his jollity was forced. The Head of Slytherin House walked on to the staircase as fast as his overstuffed body could carry him.
"Please come in, Harry. Take a seat, would you?" All the chairs were covered in books and papers awaiting return to their proper places. Harry scooped up an armful of scrolls and parchments from a stout oak chair and sat down. "Lemon drop? I saved a few after Professor Dumbledore…died." McGonagall fumbled in the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a handful of the sour candy. Harry noticed that the portrait of Albus Dumbledore was empty again.
"No thanks," Harry replied, anxious to know why McGonagall had summoned him.
"Everything is going to change now at Hogwarts, Harry," she stated firmly. "We have been divided too long. Lord Voldemort was able to prey on those divisions in his rise to power. We must not let that happen again." She looked behind her at the portraits of Hogwarts' four Founders, pausing an extra moment on Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor."
"I know," Harry said. "Dean told me. It's going to be hard, but it's the right thing to do."
"And Hogwarts is just the beginning. The Ministry of Magic must be overturned completely. Kingsley is calling a meeting of all the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix and a few like-minded people from Rufus Scrimageour's staff and the old Wizengamot to reconstitute the government-and write new laws. It is time for equality among the peoples and creatures of the Wizarding World. Our society will be rebuilt. There will be a new statue in the Ministry of Magic, one where wizard and witch and house elf and goblin and centaur work together-and house elves are no longer enslaved. Hermione Granger was right, Harry."
"She usually is," Harry said with a smile.
"And in time I believe you will play your own part in rebuilding our world, Harry," Professor McGonagall looked at him very earnestly through her square glasses, then looked down to rifle through some papers on her desk.
"Have you thought about what you will do now?" she asked.
"I dunno." Harry replied honestly. "I haven't really thought about it. I suppose it depends on what Hermione does-and Ron, of course. Although Ron is probably going to go work with George."
"I see. Well then this is what I propose. You don't need to give me an answer now, but promise me you'll think about it." She looked searchingly at Harry.
"As you know there are a number of vacancies in the Hogwarts staff due to the… recent unpleasantness. I expect you have no interest in a full-time teaching post but there is a special position for which you are supremely qualified. Many of your fellow Seventh Years are returning next year to receive proper instruction and take their NEWTs. Whether or not you are one of them, would you consider teaching a class in Defense Against the Dark Arts for just this group of students? It would probably be quite similar to the clandestine course you organized in Fifth Year, although this time I could promise you a proper classroom-and no disruptions."
Harry was dumbstruck. Returning to Hogwarts, taking classes again, teaching again-his heart yearned for a return to familiar routine and, for the first time, a normal life. But he hesitated: perhaps there was something else he should do.
"I am honored-staggered really-by your offer. And I promise I will think about it, carefully," Harry replied. "I want to do whatever I can to help make the changes Professor Dumbledore spoke of so often."
~ ~ ~
Harry walked slowly back to the Common Room with a host of new questions swirling in his head. Did he want to become a teacher again, at least for a year? Or was his heart still set on becoming on Auror? What was Hermione going to do?
A few stragglers were still singing unrecognizable versions of the school song when he reached the Common Room. Seamus was making desultory efforts to pick up empty bottles while Dean tried to capture a few stray phoenix streamers that were circling their heads.
"Hi guys," Harry said. "Cool party. I'm sorry I missed most of it. Has Hermione come back? Did she go up to sleep already?"
"Hi Harry," Seamus replied, pulling out an empty bottle from under the sofa cushion. "No. She's not been here."
"Parvati gave me a message for you from her, though," Dean said, handing Harry a small folded square of paper.
"Thanks," Harry said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. He walked up the stairs, plopped down on his bed and drew the hangings before opening the note. It was short and not at all reassuring.
Madam Pomfrey insists on keeping me here overnight, "for observation," she says. It's silly, really, but I expect the infirmary will be quieter than Gryffindor Tower, so I didn't protest too hard. I'll see you at breakfast.
Love from Hermione.
Harry had barely read the note once before he decided he was not going to wait until morning. He had to find out what was going on now.
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