Chapter 1
She didn’t know why she came back. It had been four months since the war.
Four months since she had nearly died.
Four months since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named killed the Boy Who Lived.
Four months since Harry Potter came back from the dead and defeated Voldemort.
Four long, sharp, painful months since so many people were killed, families were broken apart, and lives were forever changed. She had lived, Harry, Ron, their friends had lived, but at what cost?
Voldemort and Bellatrix were dead, but so were Hedwig, Dobby, Moody. Remus and Tonks too, leaving little Teddy an orphan before his life could really start. So many other lives were snuffed out, and those left alive were feeling the aftermath of their losses.
Not surprisingly, Platform 9 ¾ wasn’t busy with students. Many had decided not to return to Hogwarts after the war, either going to another school or being pulled from the magical world completely. It was understandable; many parents fearing for the safety of their children, others going as far as choosing to blend in with the muggles to escape their past. She had chosen to return to Hogwarts, but a painful feeling sat low in her heart, telling her that her eighth year would not be an easy one. She would be returning to a ghost, a shell of what Hogwarts used to be, with some of her friends there, but with many of them missing. Harry and Ron had come back, so she wasn’t alone.
But oh, how she felt it.
Hermione Granger was the Golden Girl, the wisest witch of their age, but felt horrifically and utterly alone.
“Hermione, over here!”
Turning behind her, Hermione could see her best friend waving wildly over to her. Harry hadn’t changed much from an outsider's perspective, but she could see the deep lines beneath his spectacled eyes, a shadow of stubble peppering his jaw, his hair more unruly than ever. He was the same boy she met on the train so long ago, but now he was grown. More responsible, more cautious, more confident.
And still her greatest friend.
She yelped in surprise as Harry lifted her off the ground, hugging her as if he hadn’t seen her in forever. After a war, nearly dying, and running away to Australia, it really did feel like it had been forever since they had seen each other. “Hermione, I’m so happy you made it.”
Squeezing her friend back just as strong, Hermione shook her head, snorting.
“Can you really imagine me not going to Hogwarts? Especially as I’ll be Head Girl this year?”
“Fair point, that is a very fair point.”
Placing her back down on the platform, Harry adjusted his glasses, reaching down for her suitcase. She began to follow him as they made their way down the platform to the train, where they would finally be returning to Hogwarts, the closest thing they had to a home. Both orphans, one literally and one technically, as she had yet been able to restore her parents’ memories.
Holding back a small hiccup of tears at the thought of her parents, Hermione held onto Harry’s free arm, relaxing more as he grabbed her hand and led her onto the train.
Slowly, the two friends made their way down the train cars, quietly greeting friends as they moved to an empty carriage. Hermione cleared her throat, gaining Harry’s attention.
“Any word from Ron? Is he coming back, too?”
A confused look formed on Harry’s face, his forehead scrunching as he replied. “Yeah, he’s coming back. Didn’t he tell you in his letters?”
Hermione looked down in embarrassment, choosing to focus on a speck on her shoes. “I, um, well I haven’t exactly read all of them. I was in Australia, and… after the war, I needed space. Needed to clear my head, you know?”
Harry nodded in understanding. “I get that, Gin and I needed a little space too. Just going slow, is all.” Hermione nodded in response, feeling reassured at her closest friend’s words. She brought her eyes back up to meet his, only to see him staring over her shoulder. Turning around, she could hear his voice before she could see him.
“Hey, Harry. Hey ‘Mione.”
“Ron.”