The First Day

'What's different?' Molly asked on the morning of September first, while the family gathered around the table for breakfast.

'We're not trying to get at least six children packed and out the door in time to make the train,' Arthur piped up. He smiled at Ginny fondly. 'Just one.' He winked at Molly and made a slashing motion in the air with his index finger, as if he were crossing a day off a calendar. 'Been looking forward to this moment for seventeen years.'

'Are you saying you've been waiting to get rid of me?' Ginny huffed in mock-outrage.

'That's exactly what he's saying,' George replied around a mouthful of sausage.

Harry snorted into his juice as he made a show of looking around the table. 'That's that's been a successful plan,' he scoffed.

'They've only been counting the days to this moment since Bill was born,' Ron added, breaking a scone in half. 'So it's not just you.'

'That's not true,' Molly objected. 'It's just so different without all the rushing around.' Her voice caught and she took a hasty sip of her tea to cover it. 'We'll be able to make it to the platform in plenty of time.'

'How are we getting there?' Ginny asked.

'We'll Apparate to King's Cross,' Arthur said. 'One of us will take your trunk, another will take Ariel, and someone will Side-Along you.'

'Are you and Mum going to cry?' Ginny asked warily, spreading marmalade on her toast.

'Of course not,' Molly said. 'We'll be too busy popping open a bottle of champagne to celebrate that we're done with all this,' she added tartly, but the shaky smile gave away how she truly felt about this moment.

'I'll cry, Gin,' said George. 'If it'll make you feel better.'

'Oh, please. Don't.' Ginny's face wrinkled in distaste. 'Let's just keep it to a firm handshake, shall we?' She picked up her orange juice. 'No need to get all emotional about it. It's just the last year of school.' She drained the glass and pushed her chair away from the table. 'I'll just go make sure I've got everything packed.' Ginny carried her half-empty plate to the sink and set it inside.

She went to the scullery to fetch Ariel's cage and coaxed the small tawny owl into it with a few Owl Treats, then climbed the stairs up to her room. She checked her desk for quills and parchment, tucked the Muggle novel she had been reading into her schoolbag, and picked up her Quidditch captain's badge from the top of her bureau and slid it into one of the pockets of the bag. She opened her trunk and made sure a uniform was on the top so she could change on the train later. 'Gin?'

Ginny turned around, letting the lid of the trunk fall closed. 'I've got plenty of clean knickers, Mum,' she said lightly.

Molly shook her head and slipped into the room, closing the door softly behind her. She gently hugged Ginny. 'I'm very proud of you.' She tucked a few strands of Ginny's hair behind her ear. 'You grew up when I wasn't looking.'

'Happens to everybody,' Ginny said, in an attempt to be flippant.

Molly cupped Ginny's face in her hands. 'Enjoy this. Don't neglect your studies, of course,' she added, 'but you've got so many options to choose from, Gin. And in the end, whatever it is that you choose to do after you finish school, do something that makes you happy. Not something that you think will make your father or me happy. Or Harry.'

Ginny's eyes flew upward. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Nothing sinister, I promise you,' Molly said gently. 'Just do what you want to do with your life, without thinking that you have to please other people. Whether it's playing professionally - and yes, I do know what Gwenog Jones has offered; she's written a few times - or joining up with Ron and George, or doing something completely different.'

Ginny fiddled with the clasp on her bag. 'Why are you telling me this?'

Molly kissed Ginny's forehead before answering. 'Because, Ginevra, you are my daughter, and you won't be happy doing something you don't like.' Molly smiled tremulously at Ginny and ran a hand over Ginny's hair before she left the room.

*****

Ginny took her trunk from Arthur and lugged it onto the train. For once, they were so early; she had her pick of compartments. She chose one halfway down the train and with her father's help, hefted it up onto the rack overhead, tossing her schoolbag onto one of the seats. Molly passed the cage containing Ariel through the compartment door, and Ginny slid the cage on the rack next to her trunk, wedging securely so it wouldn't fall.

She looked around the compartment. She was the only Weasley on the train. She couldn't really count last year, when she had been on the train without any of her brothers. Last year had been so far from normal, it might as well have been in a different time zone, much less a different country. Ginny would have liked to pretend those months at school had never happened. Sometimes, it was like they had happened to someone else, because while Ginny recognized the person in the mirror, she wasn't quite sure she recognized the person that lived inside her head.

She slipped off the train, back to the platform and ran smack into Neville. 'Neville!' she exclaimed in genuine pleasure. 'Are you going back?'

Neville shook his head. 'No. The only N.E.W.T. I cared about was Herbology and Professor McGonagall managed to get one of the Ministry examiners to let me take it last month.' He gestured toward a familiar person. 'Hannah's going back, though. I came to help her bring her things to the train. Her father couldn't come with her today and she can't Apparate yet.'

'When did you and Hannah become such good friends?' Ginny asked slyly.

Neville blushed. 'She's just a friend,' he insisted. 'I helped her study for Herbology sixth year before she had to leave.'

'Hey, Neville!' Ron shouted, loping across the platform, like the giddy schoolboy he could still be sometimes. He pounded Neville on the back in greeting, making the smaller boy stagger a little.

'Hi, Ron,' Neville choked, as he gasped for breath.

'Nev...' Harry came to stand next to Ginny. 'How are you?' he asked.

'I'm all right. You?'

Harry shrugged. 'Better than before,' he said simply, unwilling to say more on the crowded platform.

Neville nodded. 'Listen, I have to get to work. The greenhouse that supplies St. Mungo's let me have the morning to help Hannah get here. Would you two like to get together Saturday?'

'Sure,' Ron said gratefully. 'Be a nice change of pace. All it's been is work and home every day.' He glanced over at his shoulder at George. 'Can George come?' he asked quietly. 'He could do with a night out.'

'Yeah, sure. Leaky Cauldron at eight all right?' Neville asked.

'That's fine,' Harry said.

'I'll see you then.' Neville quickly walked to the Apparition point on the platform and Disapparated.

Harry rubbed the scar on his forehead, slightly puzzled. It was as inert as the rest of the flesh on his body. For some reason it bothered him, as used as he was to the constant itching, burning, tingling, or stabbing pains for seven years. He shook his head fingers tracing over the scar, as Ginny said her goodbyes to Ron and George in turn, promising to bring back matching Hogwarts toilet seats for everyone at Christmas, then she tugged at his hand until he followed her behind one of the enormous pillars, concealing them slightly from everyone else. 'So...' she began.

'So...?' Harry smoothed a few strands of Ginny's hair that had come loose from her neat ponytail. 'I'll write,' he promised. 'They'll get tired of seeing me at the post office.'

'You don't have to write that much,' Ginny snorted. 'Just enough to let me know you haven't dropped off the face of the earth.'

'If you say so,' Harry said, grinning a little, as he bent to kiss Ginny.

'And you'll come visit Hogsmeade weekends, and Quidditch games?' she murmured.

Harry swallowed heavily. He knew that would come up, but he'd hoped it would come up later. 'Yeah,' he said thickly.

Ginny didn't miss the slight hitch in Harry's voice. She knew how difficult it would be for him to come up to the school. 'You don't have to,' she said quickly.

Harry sighed. 'I wouldn't miss watching you lead the team for anything,' he told her. 'I want to. It'll be a nice change to be there for something good,' he added.

'We'll see about that. Who knows who I'm going to get this year? They might be all rubbish. I might have to play Seeker again because nobody else even comes close to you,' Ginny grumbled.

'It'll be all right,' Harry said, tilting her face up, so he could kiss her. They only broke apart when the train's whistle blew, signaling its eminent departure. 'Better go,' he murmured. 'Before you get left behind.'

Ginny darted around the pillar, trying to smooth her disordered hair. Harry ambled after her, glancing at Ron and George. Before either of them could comment, Harry smirked at them. 'Shut up. I won't get to see her again until the first Hogsmeade weekend next month.'

'I said nothing,' said George.

Ginny scrambled onto the train and into her compartment, throwing the window open, and leaning out, waving to Molly, Arthur, George, Ron, and Harry. Harry began to walk along the edge of the platform, running as the train gathered speed, waving at Ginny. He came to a stop at the end of the platform, his fingertips tracing the scar. It was then he realized that it wasn't merely numb, like he'd thought most of the summer. It didn't hurt at all. It was nothing more than another scar, like the others on his body. It really is over... he thought.

Ron and George walked up to him. George slung an arm over Harry's shoulders. 'She'll be all right,' he said.

Harry traced lightly over the scar a few times, feeling some of the tension that seemed to live permanently within him dissipate. 'I know...' He let a slow, wondrous smile spread over his face.

*****

Hannah peered through the window into the darkness. 'We must be close,' she said, a palm flattened against the window. 'It feels colder.'

Ginny stood up and clambered up to stand on the seat to reach her trunk. 'Better change.' She snaked a hand inside and pulled out the uniform she'd placed there within for easy reach. Luna flicked her wand at the door, and the window in it clouded over until it was opaque. She repeated the motion at the outside window, giving them complete privacy. 'Nice trick,' Ginny said admiringly.

'Keeps Blibbering Humdingers from watching you,' Luna said casually.

'Whatever it does, I'm just over the moon that I don't have to fight twenty other girls for a lavatory to change,' Hannah said fervently. She tugged her jumper over her head. 'Are you scared?' she asked in a low voice. 'Not of schoolwork, but...' She bit her lip, as she buttoned her skirt.

'Of what you might remember?' Ginny finished.

'Yes...' Hannah nodded, and perched on the edge of her seat to don the tights the uniform skirt demanded.

Ginny finished buttoning her shirt and picked up her jumper. 'Some,' she admitted. 'And about what's changed...' she added.

'Change isn't necessarily bad,' Luna said, muffled in her jumper. 'Change can be good. Change can make us think about things differently or do things in a way we hadn't thought we could do before.' Her head popped through the opening of her jumper, wispy hair awry.

Ginny shoved her feet into her shoes and bundled up the jeans and shirt she had worn to the platform, and stuffed them into her trunk. 'I suppose.' She pulled her cloak out and let the lid of the trunk fall with an audible thump. She traced the rampant lion on the front of the cloak. 'I wonder who's going to be Head of Gryffindor,' she mused. 'I can't see McGonagall continuing to do that and be the Headmistress.'

'Who do you think they got to teach Defense?' Hannah mused.

'Stubby Boardman,' Luna said mistily. 'Daddy got an interview with him for the Quibbler last week.' Ginny and Hannah bit their lips to keep from snickering.

'Maybe they got someone good, since the position's not cursed anymore,' Ginny suggested. The train slowed to a stop, the screeching of the brakes echoing around the compartment. The girls swung their cloaks over their shoulders and made their way into the corridor. Ginny noticed a glint of silver on the front of Luna's. She leaned closer to examine the badge pinned to it. 'Luna!' she exclaimed. 'When were you going to tell us you were Head Girl?'

Luna glanced down at the small badge emblazoned with an "HG". 'Oh, right,' she said dreamily. She grinned at Hannah and Ginny. 'I'm Head Girl this year.'

'That's brilliant!' Hannah said warmly.

'Thank you,' Luna said modestly, a pleased flush creeping over her cheeks. They climbed into a waiting carriage, and began the ride to the castle. 'I wonder what's for pudding.'

Ginny held her breath as the castle came into view. The last time she'd seen it was the Tuesday after the battle. While some hasty cosmetic repairs had been done to the exterior of the castle before the memorial service, she knew from Charlie and Bill's conversation during her birthday party that it was going to be a while before everything was back to normal. As the carriage passed through the gates, Ginny could tell that walls had been repaired. She could see the places in the walls that had been patched with glaringly clean new brickwork. Shattered windows had been replaced and the courtyard had new stone benches. Even the covered bridge's intricate arches gleamed from their recent restoration. 'I don't think I've ever seen so...' Ginny searched for the right word. 'Clean...' Hogwarts had always had a patina of age that suited the castle.

'Doesn't quite look right,' Hannah breathed.

The carriage lurched to a halt, and the three girls stepped into the courtyard, and walked inside, their eyes swiveling around, as they examined the Great Hall for signs of significant change. The four tables were sitting serenely under thousands of floating candles, House banners fluttering from the walls. The ceiling was still charmed to look like the sky. Over the flickering candles, Ginny could see the starry expanse of the ceiling. For some reason, it strangely relieved her that the ceiling was still functioning.

It was something that was normal.

It was a constant in the rapidly changing world around her.

For Ginny, it was a sign that perhaps - just this once - things might be peaceful in a school year.

She bid farewell to Hannah and Luna, and took her place at the Gryffindor table, trying to avoid Romilda Vane, who had done nothing but give Ginny looks of pure loathing since she started dating Harry her fifth year. Ginny waited patiently as the other students filed in, chatting with each other, their voices hushed more than usual. A few minutes after they were seated, Hagrid led the first years into the Great Hall. Ginny recognized several of them from their forays into the shop the days she had worked there. She waved at a few of them reassuringly. They smiled back with tight, nervous smiles as they waited for Flitwick to set the tall stool down in the front of the room. He stood back a bit, smiling warmly at the first years, as he unrolled a scroll. 'Adams, Timothy!' he called out. The impossibly small boy hesitantly approached the stool, face paper-white under his dark blonde fringe. Flitwick dropped the Sorting Hat on top of his head and in a moment, it shouted, 'Ravenclaw!'

Ginny applauded with the others, her eyes wandering up to the staff table. There were two new faces sitting there, one man, one woman. They had to be the new teachers. She nudged Demelza sitting next to her. 'You know them?' she asked, gesturing with her chin.

Demelza shook her head. 'Nope.' She gazed at them thoughtfully. 'Wonder which one will teach what.' She turned her attention to Ginny. 'When are tryouts?'

'Go right for the important stuff, eh?' Ginny chuckled. 'In a couple of weeks. I'll put it on the notice board.'

'Excellent.' Demelza grinned.

The last first year went to join the others at Hufflepuff's table and McGonagall stepped up to the podium. 'Welcome back to Hogwarts,' she said briskly. 'Before we begin dinner, I'd like to introduce our new Transfiguration professor, Callie Trentham. She will also take over as the Head of Gryffindor House.' A woman with dark hair and bright blue eyes waved genially to the students. 'And this,' McGonagall continued, indicated the man on her other side, 'is Michael Carter, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Carter comes to us from the Salem Institute, St. Louis from the United States on the recommendation of the Minister.' A few students, who could still remember Dolores Umbridge, and Cornelius Fudge's attempts to control Hogwarts, drew their breath in sharply. McGonagall's lips twitched. 'Let me assure you, in no way has the Minister had any influence at all in my decision to hire Professor Carter,' she added dryly.

Ginny caught Luna's eye at the Ravenclaw table and they both grinned in satisfaction.

*****

Harry stood next to the camp bed and packed his schoolbag with all the books, journals, and magazines Shacklebolt had sent to him over the summer, along with the notebooks he'd filled with his notes. He buckled the clasp, somewhat amused to see his hands shaking. 'Ready?' Arthur asked, leaning against the doorway.

'Yeah,' Harry said nervously. He started to leave the attic, but Arthur stopped him gently.

'Son, don't you think you'll need your wand?'

Harry flushed and turned on his heel, snatching his wand from under the pillow. 'Probably,' he mumbled. He slid it into his pocket and followed Arthur down the stairs.

'See you at dinner, Molly,' Arthur said, leaning down to kiss Molly's cheek.

'Don't be late,' she admonished. 'I've got a lovely dinner planned for Harry's first day.' She gently squeezed Harry's cold hand. 'Have a good day, dear.'

Harry nodded numbly. 'Thanks, Molly.' He walked next to Arthur as they picked their way through the dew-wet grass to the Apparition point.

'Don't try to learn everybody's name today,' Arthur said casually. 'You won't remember them. Worry about it when you're not so overwhelmed with information being thrown at your head. Learn the layout of the floor and where the loos are.'

Harry laughed shakily. 'The important stuff, eh?'

Arthur snorted. 'It is when you've had lunch with your Head and haven't a clue where the nearest loo is.'

'What is today going to be like?' Harry asked.

'Oh, they'll register your wand. Issue you a department badge. Like this.' Arthur pointed to a small, Knut-sized silver badge pinned to the front of his robes. 'It'll have your name and department on it.' He climbed over the stone wall. 'Make you fill out reams of paperwork.'

'Even more than what I had to do with Percy last week?'

'Mmm-hmmm. Since you'll be part of MLE, they'll have you fill out information that goes on file in St. Mungo's, things like who's allowed to see you in case you're hurt, who to notify you if you're hurt or dead.' Arthur glanced sideways at Harry, as he gulped audibly. 'Just a precaution, mind,' Arthur said easily. 'Fill out your information so you can be paid properly. You have the option of having them deposit it into your Gringotts account. They'll get you familiarized with the department, the way it works.' Arthur stopped walking. 'Normally, they'd ease you into it,' he began.

'I've already got an assignment,' Harry said shortly.

Arthur nodded. 'This isn't quite normal,' he allowed.

Harry shook his head. 'No, it's not.' He took his wand from his pocket and turned, Disapparating.

*****

Harry perched on a chair in a small, windowless room in the Ministry and handed his wand across the table to the Ministry official, who laid it on a scale like the one at the visitor's entrance. 'Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches,' the official said, tearing off the strip of parchment that spooled out from the base of the scale, and fixing it to the file with a Sticking charm. 'Here you go.' He handed the wand back to Harry, who slid it protectively into his pocket. 'So, here are your forms for St. Mungo's, Gringotts, and the Ministry.'

Harry sighed and took the quill the official handed him, and began to patiently fill out the information they wanted to have. His name. Current address. Medical history - that one took a depressingly long time. He gave the Weasleys, Hermione, and Hagrid permission to visit him in St. Mungo's. In the event he was incapacitated, Arthur or Molly had the right to make medical decisions for him. He held the quill poised over the line that asked who the Ministry should notify in the event of his death. His chest felt tight as he wrote down the names, "Arthur and Molly Weasley".

'You'll want to duplicate that one,' the official said. Harry restrained himself from heaving a larger sigh and tapped the parchment with his wand, making another copy appear next to it. He pulled the form for Gringotts to him, and authorized the Ministry to deposit his salary into his vault.

As he read the form, Harry's eyes widened. 'S-s-s-seven hundred Galleons?' he stammered. 'A month?'

'Yes. To start with. As you gain more seniority, your monthly salary will increase.'

'This can't be right,' Harry argued.

'The Minister felt it prudent to start you off with the normal trainee salary, even though you are a full Auror.'

Harry glanced up at the official. 'Do you think I'm angling for more money?' he asked neutrally.

The official shifted uncomfortably under Harry's gaze. 'No,' he conceded. 'But the Minister...'

'I know what the Minister said,' Harry interrupted. 'I asked him to treat me just like anyone else.' Harry scrawled his signature at the bottom of the page. 'And that includes the salary. I just wasn't aware it was so much.' Not like I really need it...

'Of course,' the official murmured.

Harry let the tip of his wand hover over the parchment. 'Shall I duplicate this one, too?' The official nodded mutely and Harry tapped the parchment, and pushed it aside. The shortest one was his paperwork for the Ministry. It was just his contract, stating that he, Harry James Potter, would work for the Ministry of Magic, as a member of the Auror Department, for a period of no less than three years. It, too, was similar to the contract given to trainees. Harry had filled out the bulk of the paperwork the Ministry required the previous week under Percy's watchful eye.

The official took the contract, glanced over it and added his signature under Harry's as a witness. The official took out a small, silver circle and tapped it with his wand. He slid it across the table to Harry. Harry picked it up and examined it closely. "H.J. Potter" arced across the top, while "Auror" curved along the bottom. It was small enough to pin to the collar of his shirt. The official held out his hand. 'Welcome to the Ministry, Mr. Potter.'

Harry took his hand, and shook it. 'Thanks.' He rose from the chair and picked up his schoolbag, walking uncertainly into the Atrium. It looked oddly bare, since the fountain that had been damaged his fifth year hadn't been replaced, and the horrible statue Riddle had erected last autumn had been demolished mere days after the battle.

'Harry!' Shacklebolt crossed the Atrium. 'Perfect timing. I was just about to come see what was taking so long.'

'My medical history takes a rather long time to fill out,' Harry said ruefully. 'It's a little difficult to explain the episode with Gilderoy Lockhart when he removed the bones from my arm.' Shacklebolt gave Harry a questioning look. 'I'll explain some other time.'

'Ready to go up and get settled?'

Harry took a deep breath. 'As ready as I'll ever be.'