At the gates
Hogwarts. Once Harry Potter had arrived at the magical school as a 11-year-old with only hope and wonderment. And now suddenly in the blink of an eye - or a lifetime later, depending on where you were when the war raged, here they were again. Harry and his best friends, Hermione and Ron. Standing in front of the gates. The war had been won. Voldemort defeated. And in the aftermath of it all, the wizarding world was still healing.
Where once this castle had felt like home, it now felt eerie to be on the gates. The fires, the curses, the fallen, all seared in memory.
When the letters had come in, asking the previous seventh years if they wanted to come back to school to complete their education and appear for their NEWTs, all three of them has taken a while to decide whether they should, whether they could.
Harry had found it the easiest to decide, as even with the horrors of the Battle of Hogwarts, it had always been his safe space. He hadn’t yet decided where to actually live, having bunked with Ron most of the time, and returning gave him some time to figure out what he really wanted to do and where he wanted to go. The fact that Ginny would be back for her final year didn’t hurt either.
Hermione had gone back and forth with the decision. She could prepare for the exams anywhere she wanted. It was her parent’s predicament that made her opt to come back. She too had no home to go to.
Ron had struggled with the idea of returning the most. He was still mourning the loss of Fred and after their year of hiding he had found comfort at home. The Burrow was emptier now. A few months after the war had ended Bill and Fleur had gone back to Shell cottage, Charlie was in Romania again, and Percy was still working for the ministry, staying at his apartment in London. George, who had understandably been the most affected by his twins passing, had stayed locked in his room all summer, till one day he suddenly announced he was leaving for a while, to travel the world as he and Fred had always planned. With only Ron and Ginny left at home, Mrs. Weasley had pampered her children and doted on them more than ever. Ginny having always been independent, had counted down the days till she would be leaving for her final year, but Ron had not wanted to leave at all. He appreciated more than ever the security and comfort his home provided, the three warm home-cooked meals Mrs. Weasley made, the love and support that filled his home even on the worst days. Defeating the Dark Lord had elevated him to a celebrity overnight and the world was his for the taking. All he had to do was ask. Already a few quidditch teams had offered him the role of ‘reserve keeper’ and the daily prophet had even coined the term “The heart of gold” to depict his unwavering loyalty. It was only after everyone had decided to come back and Ginny had in the most uncharacteristically Ginny way hugged Ron tight and told him she wanted her big brother around for her final year, that he had given in and sent out his affirmatory owl to the school.
So here they were – The boy who lived, the brightest witch of her age, and the boy with the heart of gold. Together just the same but changed forevermore. It was time to go to school, one last time.