Harry Potter and the School for Wizards

Harry walked towards the Hogsmeade station, Hermione a step behind and beside him. They'd agreed to walk there together, but they hardly made a pair. Harry was too occupied thinking about the ghosts of the past to be good company to those with him in the present.

He remembered the first time he had been on the train, seven years before. He alternated between smiles and frowns as he walked, remembering meeting Ron and Hermoine there.

Now, Ron was gone, and Hermione would be riding back on the Express when it left for London. She had only told him last night that she'd be going. She said it sort of off-hand. Pass the pepper, will you Harry? And would you be willing to walk me to the Station tomorrow? I'm going back to London. He had been just about to tell her about how he felt, to ask her about the future. He wished he hadn't waited until the end of the summer to say anything.

He could have cried, then, or begged her to stay, but he hadn't. In years past, he remembered the tantrums he'd thrown over returning to the Dursleys, or when he'd pled to stay with the Weasleys. None of that had done any good, and he didn't have the energy anymore to fight. He'd hoped, briefly, that maybe she would have stayed with him a little longer; he had even resurrected old fantasies, and thought that perhaps she'd thought him more than a friend. But if she was going, he wouldn't ask her to stay. He knew that trying to appeal to her safety would be a waste of time - the last time he'd done that, he had nearly driven her out of Hogwarts trying to prove that she wasn't afraid.

He felt like he was mourning her friendship, though, along with Ron's life, as he walked towards the station. When he'd moved into his little cottage, he'd been the one leaving, and he'd always had the feeling that his friends were still out there, somewhere - he just couldn't talk to them anymore. Hermione leaving wasn't his choice, though - he felt like she was walking out of his life, even though she was just going to London.

Hermione walked up to the ticket counter, and walked back to him. The Express was just pulling into the station.

"Harry, I'll be leaving soon," she said softly, not meeting his eyes.

"I know, Hermione. I...I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. I'll make sure to write, though."

"Please do." Harry hated how his voice sounded - trembling, not quite in control. She must think he hated her - but he couldn't tell her how much he wanted her to stay. If she was leaving...he couldn't ask her not to.

"And you make sure to write, too!" Hermione sounded cheerful, suddenly. He thought it sounded a bit forced, but that might have just been wishful thinking. "I'll want to hear everything that the professors are up to, and how the Quidditch team does."

"'Mione," he barely got her name out, but the whistle was blowing. Behind him, he heard an unfamiliar voice. "First years, over here."

"I have to go now, Harry. Good bye."

He couldn't meet her eyes. "Good-bye, 'Mione. I..." I love you "I'll miss you." She was just going to London - why was this so hard?

She turned and boarded the train. His eyes were misting. He couldn't stand here and watch, so he turned towards the carriages still filling up with students. He needed to get up to Hogwarts himself. He'd sent his things along with Dobby last night, so he felt strangely unencumbered, walking through a memory.

He saw that many of the carriages were already gone, but there was one at the back that looked empty. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now, so he gladly jumped into it, closing the door.

"Harry?"

The soft voice clued him in that he wasn't alone. It was close to the last voice he would have wanted to hear right now, though. "Hi, Ginny. Didn't see you there."

"Story of my life," she muttered, not quite under her breath. He blushed - perhaps she wasn't quite over him. She questioned him, more loudly, "What are you doing here?"

"Can't you guess? I'm the new Dark Arts teacher."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Ginny gushed, and Harry felt his heart lighten. "It will be so good to have a teacher who knows what he's talking about. I mean, how many others have ever done half what you have." Then, she changed the subject. "Harry...how have you been?"

He hadn't met her eyes yet, and still couldn't. "About as well as could be expected, I suppose. And you?"

"Nothing much to say, I guess. Percy's moved back home. Fred and George finally made up with Mom - they're both making her a grandmother, so she's forgiven them completely."

"Will she ever be able to forgive me? Will you?" Harry asked, studying his hands.

"Oh, Harry," she grabbed him, and held him, and he finally let out the sobs that he'd been holding in. He felt tired to his soul, too tired to even feel embarrassed at being held this way by Ron's younger sister.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop, and they heard the sound of someone's tongue clicking against their teeth, followed by a condescending voice that conveyed a virulent sneer. "Miss . . . Weasley, I believe. What on earth do you think you were doing?" It was, of course, Professor Severus Snape. Of course, because Harry couldn't have thought of someone he would have less liked to have seen. He finally looked up, choking back his tears, and looked briefly into Ginny's eyes, before she strode out of the carriage, and faced Snape.

Ginny's eyes had a fire that Harry hadn't seen before - but then, he hadn't actually looked at her eyes during the rest of the carriage ride. Even when she'd turned towards Snape, the fire somehow stayed with him. "I apologize Professor Snape, for your having to have witnessed this display. I was just comforting a friend who's lost almost everything. I assure you that neither of us were doing anything improper."

"I'll be the judge of that. Step out where I can see you, boy."

Harry slowly stepped out of the carriage, facing down at Snape. His eyes were red, but the tears were already starting to dry. "Hello, Professor Snape."

"Well, Potter, this is a surprise. Couldn't stay away?"

"Not really, Professor. Good to see you again."

Snape seemed unsettled - whether by Harry's appearance or his lack of venom, he wasn't sure. "Well, get on with you - we should be there to oversee the Sorting. And, Miss Weasley, ten points from Gryffindor for talking back."

Ginny grabbed Harry's upper arm, and tugged him towards the stairs. "I'm sorry, Harry - I hope I haven't made you late."

"No, Ginny, I'm sure I'll be fine. Any Ginny...thanks." They separated, and went towards the hall for the sorting.

~*~*~

The Sorting Hat had just started its song as they filtered in, Harry striding towards the head table. He tried to ignore the gasps from students who recognized him, and from Professor Trelawney, who was amazed that he was still alive.

There was a large crop of students this year, some of them older than usual. Many parents hadn't sent their students last year, especially those that weren't pureblood. In fact, last year's Slytherin crop had been three times as big as the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws combined. At least the Gryffindors had been numerous last year, if not as much so as the Slytherins. Students who were brave enough for that house weren't the sort to stay home and sweat out the war, if they could convince their parents to let them do otherwise.

It was no surprise that this year's students largely ended up in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, especially those that had been admitted at twelve instead of eleven. It was surprising how few the Hat placed in Slytherin. Harry wondered - Is that because their families can't show their faces in public, or because there are more people asking the hat to go anywhere but Slytherin?

The Hat was almost finished - it was already on the letter V. "Van Hoek, Falco"..."SLYTHERIN"

"Weston, Roland"...."GRYFFINDOR"

And the list was done. Harry had clapped politely for every name, but his applause was forced for the last few. The Van Hoek boy reminded him of another young student - a Slytherin who had left Hogwarts in disgrace, and would not be returning. One that had always had the same sour look on his face as Falco did right now, although he would always have insisted that he was the "right kind" of wizard. Valdemort was dead, but Harry had no illusion that there was an end to all Dark Wizards.

The Headmaster stood. "Before we eat, I have a few announcements to make. First, the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students, unless escorted by a Hogwarts professor." Harry saw a twinkle in his direction. "Second, Mister Filch, our caretaker..." Argus Filch sneered towards the students " has asked me to mention that there will be no magic in the corridors between classes. He has also requested that all products manufactured by Weasley Wizard Wheezes be added to the already lengthy list of banned items." There was a loud booing from the Gryffindor table. "I have not agreed to this addition, but I will ask you to limit such items to members of your own house, in your own common rooms."

"There have been a few changes to the Hogwarts staff. First, Professor Trelawney has officially tendered her retirement, which I've accepted, at the end of this year. Firenze, who has been teaching the advanced classes in Divination, will then take over all classes in the subject. Please take advantage of this last year with the Professor." Only one more year to get better grades through creative writing, then.

"Second, in the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts..." a thunderous applause erupted from the students, drowning out the rest of the statement. While Harry wasn't surprised to see that the Gryffindors were the most enthusiastic, he was gratified to see that even most of the Slytherins were joining in. Only a few were expressing their disdain - somehow, Harry wasn't surprised that Falco was one of them.

The Headmaster waited calmly for the applause to die down. "Third, many students have been requesting a more exacting Muggle Studies course curriculum, with a special emphasis on practical interaction with Muggles. Former Hogwarts student Alicia Spinnet, who has spent the last two years living among Muggles, will be joining the staff. She will be conducting field trips among them throughout the year - those of you who are at least fifth year, and who would like to attend, please ensure that your guardians have returned the proper permissions forms."

There was some scattered applause at this announcement, and Harry felt bad for Alicia. Volunteering to lead field trips among the Muggles seemed much more demanding than teaching Dark Arts from a book. He tried to make up for the lack of applause by clapping louder himself, and whistling. Alicia smiled in his direction, but Snape scowled - he wasn't sure why, but felt that it was probably the only way that Snape knew to show that he noticed Harry.

"I have only a few other words to say before we eat. Bandersnatch, walrus, and traal." And, with that, the Headmaster sat, and started to dig into his food. Harry followed his example, while trying to maintain polite conversation with McGonagall and Vector on either side of him.

He had hoped that being back at Hogwarts would be just like being home again, but there were just too many ghosts. The only thing that had stayed constant was the one thing he could have done without - the eyes of many of the students were on him, glaring at the Boy Who Lived.

Harry didn't remember much more of that night. He excused himself as soon as he could, and stumbled up to his quarters, where he collapsed onto his bed.

When he'd left Hogwarts last year, he'd left home - but he'd always expected that it would be there for him. Now, he knew that it was truly gone. Home wasn't a place - it was where his heart was, with Ron and Hermoine. He'd never be home again.