Candles
It was the little things that reminded Harry that the war was over. That he had won. That he had survived it. It was the way the wind shifted the autumn turning leaves, the gentle hooting of Ron’s owl, the way the sky turned eerie but not quite dark just after the sun set.
Harry entered the Great Hall with all of the other returning students crowded around him. He basked in how invisible it made him, how his classmates shielded him from the younger students who just wanted one look at the chosen one.
The Great Hall looked nearly the same as it had before the war had torn it apart. It was still lined with the four house tables and the staff table at the head. The only remarkable change was the hundred or so candles that floated five meters above their heads. Harry squinted at the nearest one and his heart lurched. The candle’s flame glowed a deep scarlet to match its red wax, and there, emblazoned on the side, Harry could just make out two elegant, golden letters; FW. A little cluster of other candles had gathered nearby. JP. LE. RL. SB. All with the same coloring as the first. Harry’s heart lurched in his chest as he understood their meaning, what- who they signified.
Around him, his classmates had elected to ignore their designated house tables in favor of sitting with their friends. He was pleased to find Luna seated beside him. Harry idly wondered if he should be concerned that he couldn’t remember moving to this seat. He shrugged it off though as Professor McGonagall called for attention.
The Hall went quiet instantly as everyone offered McGonagall their undivided attention. “First, as always, I would like to offer a warm welcome to our new students.” She gestured to the little first years who stood off to the side in a flock, their expressions both excited and timid. “The recent events have brought on a lot of in-depth reflections of the way this school is organized, and has brought to light many major problems with said organization. So, in the coming months and years, I- along with the rest of the staff and the prefects- will be working to change this school for the better. That brings me into the second announcement of the night. As a result of the war, we have done some major restaffing.” McGonagall droned on, introducing all of the new teachers, and Harry knew he should pay attention. But he just couldn’t stop looking at those candles floating around them.
Only when the feast appeared before him did Harry wrench his gaze away from the flickering flames above.