First Day
PS. Good news! Fred isn't dead in this!
As we all know, the war brought disastrous consequences bound to last years and years following its end: death, fear and fractured relationships throughout both families, friend groups and school cohorts. Having to attempt to go back to a normal way of living, facing the fallout of knowing which side each and every one of the people in your life chose in the war. Not only that, but having to spend far more than one second in the proximity of the people who chose the wrong side. Whether out of cowardice, pride, or fear.
Tragically, this was the reality of some of the people returning to Hogwarts following the war. While most of the students, professors, and other personnel did indeed chose the right side (that being that of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, twice), that could not be said of everyone.
Yet, in a time of tumult and change, life at Hogwarts had to go on, and what better witch for it go go on under than Minerva McGonagall. Utterly deserving of the headmistress title, having proven her loyalty and devotion to the school over and over again across the years.
As wizards and witches all across the globe attempt to make sense of the devastation caused by the war, Headmistress McGonagall establishes that Hogwarts need to open its doors to students. Despite being far from the school it once was, both physically and academically, students who were enrolled the last year during the war were welcomed back to continue their education, in some cases to solidify their degrees and receive the true ending to the Hogwarts experience and graduation they deserved. At least as close as possible.
According to Minerva, the school needed to fight to get its spirit back, and plunging traumatized, half-way graduated wizards and witches into the workforce so close following the war sounded irresponsible at best, and dangerous at worst. Hogwarts still had a reputation to uphold, especially now in order to guarantee the next generation of trustworthy wizards and witches, and the wizarding world still needed to be shielded from the ordinary lives of muggles unaware of the catastrophe that had just occurred.
And so, slowly but surely the corridors of the school were starting to fill with students ranging from first years to (last year's) last years. Even though a big part of the battles were carried out on this very castle ground, in these very corridors, the school remained a safe place for many after the war. And soon enough, the spaces were bustling with life, and robes were once again flying through the air as students ran to catch their classes, or perhaps catch a staircase that had shown signs of moving.
While not back to normal, and probably never would be, the school was alive, and academic curiosity was as thriving as ever. And worth to mention, so was mischief.
Anne-Leigh Conway was one of the students whose last year at Hogwarts didn't quite turn out as expected. What she envisioned to be cozy (yet stressful, of course) late nights in the library preparing for exams, and memorable moments with her friends, instead became fighting for her life and saying tearful goodbyes to classmates who gave their life to defeat Voldemort, the one who should indeed be named.
Like many others, she decided to come back to Hogwarts, in the midst of grief, to both properly finish her education, and deal with her feelings and fears together with others who had experienced the same thing as her. It was both heartbreaking and a relief to realise that life indeed goes on; the world keeps spinning and academic and career expectations were still very much present.
Not much had been communicated about the structure of the forthcoming term, but Anne-Leigh was hoping she, and all other students, would be receiving clarification in the great hall soon.
Most people who were here fighting in the battle parted ways sooner or later, leaving the castle in groups to go home to a relative, to return to muggle parents, or, if a wizarding family fought together, to leave together to go home.
A select few decided to stay at Hogwarts. The castle was in ruins, yes, but it was there, still acting a refuge for people who had nowhere else to go. Leigh was one of them. If she really wanted to leave she surely would've found somewhere. But Hogwarts, even in ruins, felt most familiar.
With muggle parents, Leigh found it difficult to stay in contact as uncertainties started brewing in the Wizarding world. It was difficult for her, and others like her, but undoubtedly also difficult for muggle parents who faced the same situation from the opposite end. She knew many students who had been in the same boat, or a similar one, back then. Parents wave off their kids into this wonderfully magical world only to, years later, be faced with the reality that they might die fighting evil in it. Some parents begged their children to return home, pleading with them to "forget the magic!", while others stood steadfast and supported their children to the end.
Leigh's parents belonged to a third category. The closer the danger came to her, the more her family seemed to draw back. It was as if they were avoiding the horrifying thought of loosing her by pulling away and attempting to stop caring for her all-together. Not that she blamed them. As the culmination of the tensions neared, many students made the impossible decision to protect their muggle parents or family members by simply allowing them to...forget. By the time Leigh was faced with that same decision it was almost a relief. The spell, obliviate, slipped past her lips just as easy as an exhale.
So, after the battle she had decided to stay in the castle, watching it be rebuilt slowly but surely. A few other students decided to do the same, and yes, they saw each other every now and then, but that was it. There wasn't a lot to say anymore. Weeks later, and that still held true.
That was, however, not the case with everyone who decided to return. She, and everyone else, received a letter a few weeks ago, welcoming students back to Hogwarts. Today was the first day, and chatter was already heard all throughout the school. People catching up, speaking of the train ride, or munching on some leftover treats bought from the trolley during their journey.
A welcome feast was supposed to be held in the great hall, and as she made her way in that direction it hit her how strange it felt to have the school once again bustling with life. Even if Hogwarts was re-opening its doors, she knew that it would never be the same.
The corridors, which had once been surreal and magical as she attended Hogwarts in her little bubble, were now ruined and breached by reality. The grey stone seemed more grey than usual, and the courtyard was smaller than she remembered. The magical world she had lived in so blissfully as a child was now a mere memory as she had been thrust into the real world, with no way to get back into the bubble.
Shaking herself of the thoughts, she made her way into the great hall and was met with a bustling crowd of witches and wizards across all years. Her eyes traced the long rows of students, the candles floating above their heads, and the empty bowls and plates scattered across the wooden tables, waiting to be filled with delicious food.
At the far end of the room was the professors' table. Her eyes caught Minerva McGonagall, surrounded by both familiar and new faces. Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now that was something to brag about.
Before Leigh could think any further, the sound of her name being called reached her. With furrowed brows she looked around to spot the source of the voice, only to find herself being caught in a hug before she had the opportunity to get to the bottom of the mystery.
"Lizzie!" The familiar voice exclaimed into her hair as she hugged her even closer. "I'm so so happy to see you!"
Nova Collins, Leigh's closest friend and her first friend at Hogwarts, held her tight, and Leigh found herself relaxing slightly in the arms of her friend. Ever since meeting on the train from King's Cross that first day they had been joined at the hip.
They hadn't seen each other since the battle, parting ways as Nova followed her family back to their home, while Leigh decided to stay at Hogwarts. She was offered to come with and stay with her friend's family for a while, but decided against it.
When they pulled away Nova was still grasping her shoulders and holding her at arms length. "I've missed you to death!"
Leigh smiled, pulling her friend in for another tight hug. "I've missed you too," she exhaled in a soft laugh, squeezing Nova a last time before pulling apart. "How've you been? You have to tell me everything! How's Sophie?"
Nova laughed, "She's great. Excited - she can't wait for next year". Sophie was Nova's younger sister, set to start her first year at Hogwarts next year. For a while her parents weren't sure how things would turn out, but thankfully good prevailed and Sophie was set out to enter the great hall about exactly this time next year.
Nova pulled Leigh by the sleeve with her towards the Gryffindor table, continuing to talk about her family and their time following the war as she did so. Soon enough Leigh spotted the arrangement of faces which made up Nova's company, and she smiled as she nodded her hellos.
She was sat down beside Neville Longbottom, recently renowned hero, as Nova continued to explain her current situation, Leigh listening patiently like the good friend she was.
Neville acknowledged her arrival with a small wave and accompanying smile, prompting Leigh to do the same in his direction. Having grown up around the boy, as they were in the same year, she was pleased to see him standing (or rather, at the moment, sitting) tall. As the years passed he seemed to get more confident, and both by being an important member of Dumbledore's Army, and by participating in the final battle and slaying Nagini, the snake who was home to one of Voldemort's horocruxes, Neville had truly solidified himself as one of the most respected and bravest Gryffindors to be seen.
With a bit longer hair than last time she saw him, and a slight stubble cladding his face, Leigh was happy to say he looked healthy.
Further up the table sat Hermione Granger together with Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, and Leigh found herself smiling slightly at the scene. All three of them safe and sound, laughing at something Ron said, Hermione's hand in his on top of the table.
Leigh knew that Hermione was set to return to Hogwarts to complete her N.E.W.T's, but wasn't aware Harry and Ron would do the same. The last thing she heard about the two was that they were working together with the ministry to round up the remaining death eaters. Having done that the last couple of months, she assumed they had been convinced by Hermione to return just to complete their education. Not that Harry really needed the grades. Putting "the boy who lived (twice)" on his CV would surely make any recruiter swoon.
"–I told her that's the way the sport goes, and when I tell you she was livid! She knew football and tennis, but she just couldn't believe her ears when we talked about how many different muggle sports just consist of them running around throwing balls with their hands. It was hilarious, but as mum said after a while, with so many variations of one sport, no one can say they're not imaginative!" Nova laughed, and Leigh gave a slight chuckle in return. She loved her friend, she really did, and Nova's family was hilarious. But she realized that maybe it would take longer than she thought to to go back to being as social as she was before.
Nova seemed to notice she had been talking for a while, not that Leigh minded, and decided to focus the next question on her friend with a smile. "How was your time here at the castle?"
Leigh turned her eyes down to the table as she answered. "Yeah, it's been good. Had some time to–"
Before she was able to explain further, a silence spread out across the hall as Headmistress McGonagall neared the podium in front of them. Thank god.
Leigh gazed up at the Headmistress with profound respect. With Minerva McGonagall in charge of Hogwarts, maybe this final year could be alright after all.