Forever in Your Eyes

Chapter 2

"Stop the world, I wanna get off."

~icon at www.iconator.com

Harry Potter sat on a cold, stone-carved railing of one of Hogwarts numerous balconies. He wasn't afraid of the fact that any movement he made could send hapless Harry tumbling to his death. On the contrary, he enjoyed chancing fate- teetering on the edge and waiting for someone to either push him off or pull him back. Harry reached behind him and grabbed the butterbeer that he had bought earlier from Hogsmeade from the table. Opening it along the side of the balcony in a '50s muggle fashion, he quickly gulped down the drink, enjoying the cool, calming effect it had as it ran down his throat and through his body.

With the bottle still half full, yet half empty too, Harry relaxed against the balcony and let his mind wander. The wind picked up and it sent a chill through his spine that made him shiver. He inhaled the fresh smell of herbs that came from the greenhouses and his hair blew all about him, making him resemble a strange peacock with black feathers. Pulling on a muggle sweatshirt of Dudley's that he hadn't felt like parting with, he looked around at the castle that loomed up above him.

How much he loved Hogwarts. Through good times and bad, it had been his real home and the memories of his past there still haunted the castle. When his seventh year had ended, he had vowed to return to visit often. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord had had other plans. Rallying support from all that was evil, he had attacked muggle tourist areas and thousands had been killed. Harry was kept busy chasing after him. Finally, in an epic battle that will certainly go down in history and will be the topic of numerous bards to come, Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, defeated the evil wizard that had gripped the world with fear for so long. No one is quite sure how the boy did it. Witnesses report that there was a flash of light and when all had cleared, they saw Harry standing over the dead body of the murderer of his parents, his wand in hand.

Times afterwards had also been rough. Countless had died in what is now known as the Battle of the Dark Mark. Harry attended hundreds of funerals, including those of Neville Longbottom, Minerva McGonagall and Arthur Weasley. It was a sad time for all and none felt like rejoicing over their victory. When the mourning periods had ended, Harry had hoped to be able to retreat form the world for a while in a quite country home where he could live his days undisturbed. I wish that I could say he did exactly that, but a story must be told in truth, not 'what if's. Instead of being able to "hide away", Harry was called to be a witness for the prosecution of Voldermort's Death Eaters and other followers. That in itself took over four years.

By the time things had died down a bit, Harry was 25 and seeking to get away from the world. Through pure coincidence, and perhaps fate, he met his old headmaster in a small pub near London. Dumbledore was still the same as Harry remembered him, with his half-moon spectacles, silvery-gray beard and twinkling eyes. Sitting down for a bottle of butterbeer with a hint of firewhiskey, he had told Dumbledore of his predicament and desire to escape. He didn't want to live in that world anymore. Harry couldn't stand the people shaking his hand all the time, girls swooning and cooing at him, the numerous job offers from almost everyone imaginable. He wanted out. Dumbledore had just sat there listening to Harry rant on and on. With a smile on his face, he announced that he had the perfect solution- Harry should come and teach at Hogwarts.

Harry was rendered speechless. The headmaster explained that they were in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and he thought Harry would be the best choice. Harry pondered the offer for a while and finally decided to accept it. However, it should be noted that he was extremely hesitant. Though he had missed Hogwarts terribly, there were some memories there that he did not want unleash again. Somethings should remain in the past, and only the past.

His drink finished, Harry closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Yes, it had been two years since that offer and he had enjoyed teaching at the school for magic. At first students had gawked at him, whispering frantically and ecstatically, but they eventually grew accustomed to it and were able to truly pay attention to the lesson instead of their new professor. Harry was considered rather handsome. His hair still had its unruly quality and his eyes did not shine as much as they used to but with his newly acquired wizard contacts and now muscle-toned body he soon had girls of all ages swooning in the aisles- or should I say, the corridors.

During his free time, Harry had explored the school, reliving the happy times of his life there with his friends Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and the rest of the Gryffindor clan. They had been like a second family to him and he enjoyed visiting Gryffindor Tower, Hogsmeade, the Shrieking Shack, the secret pathways and even the Divination classroom, laughing all the while as he remembered the fun and happy-go-lucky times he had shared with them. However, he made a specific point to avoid the dungeons, the Astronomy Tower and certain other places. It was not that he did not want to see Professor Snape (A/N: though they are still on bad terms- always were, always will be) or accidentally intrude on a couple. It more the fact that there were "ghosts" he did not wish to encounter. As I said before, somethings are not meant to be relived.

It was true. Harry had wanted to stay clear of those memories. Although those too had been fun and happy, they would bring more pain than joy. But on nights like these, when the the tropical scent of coconuts hung in the air (A/N: Prof. Sprout was experimenting with new kinds of plants that year) and the stars signaled the beginning of a new school year, Harry couldn't help but let those memories resurface. Just as the wind carried the autumn leaves up from the ground into a swirling twist, so the raven haired professor was carried back in time to his fateful seventh year- the year his life changed forever.