Harry Potter and the Curse of Ages

Chapter 1 - The Morning After

It was a new day literally and figuratively. Now what! Harry had simply never given much thought to what he would do when his years of schooling at Hogwarts were over. The truth is that he hadn't even really thought about being alive that long. The question in his mind wasn't so much one of what he would be doing in a couple of weeks or next year - Dumbledore had seen to giving Harry some attractive options about that - rather, he did not know what he would be doing the next day!

All the maneuvering of both Voldemort's forces and those who opposed him had culminated in the largest battle of sorcerers ever, right on the Hogwarts grounds, mostly in the Forbidden Forest. Harry had trained all the defenders of Hogwarts in fighting skills and they had practiced fighting in units out of his sight. They had to do so out of Harry's view since the connection forged when Voldemort first tried to kill him had given each of them full knowledge of what went on in the other's mind. Harry's allies had also used their time out of sight to make many preparations, from setting traps and creating a dragon-ready Floo connection to bring in trained dragons to arranging for other allies to join in when the battle commenced and encircle Voldemort's forces. The advantage of well-disciplined forces was fully on the defender's side and the battle turned into a rout, though not without heavy casualties for both sides.

In the end, though, the victory could only be sealed by Harry facing and defeating Voldemort. He tried it once at the end of the battle and failed, getting Ron Weasley mortally wounded before Voldemort escaped. This turned out for the good, however, as it forced Harry to discover a power within him to heal others, a power he had inherited from his mother, but with his greater power was able to take to a level far beyond what she had ever achieved. The process of healing, powered by caring for the ailing enough for Harry to make those injuries his own so that he could heal them within his own body, had enlightened Harry as to the importance of practicing love for all - including those who are most unlovable. Armed with this new power and outlook, Harry set out to meet Voldemort again and to heal the sickness of his soul. In the struggle that followed, both had a divine intervention which showed them their place amongst all souls: neither more nor less important than any other person. This had been inspiring to Harry, but crushing to Voldemort, who considered himself so much greater than anyone else. Shattered by this knowledge, Voldemort had died. Harry and his friends returned to Hogwarts for a victory celebration like none other.

When the celebration had finally come to an end, Harry started asking around to see what others were doing, at least among those he could ask. The school's remaining population had dropped precipitously. The vast majority of students had left with their parents, or other family for those who like him were orphans, when the celebrations had dwindled. As much as the DA had been enthusiastic in battle, they were as glad as Harry was for the war to finally be over, and they were all more than ready to get to their homes and just be kids again. The school was almost as empty as during typical Christmas breaks. Those that were left were exhausted and simply dragged themselves off to bed for a long sleep. Some didn't even bother making it all the way to their beds: here and there, on divans or chairs or just out on the grounds in the midsummer warmth, were a number of people who just couldn't be bothered making it to bed - Hogwarts elves had gone around to each one and gently placed a pillow beneath their heads and a blanket over them.

Harry had made it to his bed after having capped off the celebration in perfect contentment, holding Ginny in his arms and dancing slowly with her, surrounded by others doing the same with the partners they too loved, until the twilight of the dawn warned of the coming day. Now it was the morning after the celebration and everyone was supposed to leave, whether by the Hogwarts' Express or otherwise.

"Come with us for a while," said Ron, as they packed and sorted their things. "We can just have some fun, and you can help me figure out which way to go now."

"Come with you where?" asked Harry. "Are you going to The Burrow or Grimmauld Place?"

"Oh, right. I don't much even think of my folks living in London. I guess we could go to either one - we know how to fend for ourselves, and besides Winky is at The Burrow."

"I reckon. We could ask Mum anyway," replied Harry, who had only started calling Mr. and Mrs. Weasley the day before, but found that he enjoyed it, even though it was not quite natural yet. "Except ... I was kind of hoping if I'm not here, I would be with Ginny, and I'm not sure Mum and Dad would like it if she and I were sharing a house without one of them around."

"I'd be there, and maybe Hermione as well. Let's go see what the girls want to do."

They went down to the common room and called up the girls' stairwell. Soon they heard Ginny and Hermione coming out of their dorms.

"Back away, Ron," said Harry. Harry took a run at the stairs and bounded up about twelve of them in three great strides before the steps all flattened into a slide, plopping him unceremoniously on the common room floor. He laughed as he laid back. The girls, too, were caught by the stairs' change and came whizzing down the stairs on top of Harry.

"Ha! The stairs don't seem to think I'm anything special," laughed Harry. "I like that!"

"Why should they? You're just another randy boy!" giggled Hermione. As serious as she was about academics, training and careers, she understood there was a time to relax, and there had not been in a long while such a good time as this for it.

"Hooray for that!" said Ginny, snuggling back against Harry, as he wrapped his arms around her, bent down and kissed her.

Hermione got up, and brushed her self off. Still Harry and Ginny snogged.

After a fair few conspicuous seconds more, Ron pointedly cleared his throat.

Hermione laughed again. "Yeah, you two, get a room."

Ginny hopped up and gave Harry a hand. "Great idea! Harry, let's go to yours since you can't use the stairs to mine."

Ron stepped into the doorway and stared at them.

Harry grinned at him. "You can stand there now, Ron, but next school year Ginny and I will both be here at Hogwarts and you won't - AND I'll have private quarters."

"Besides I'm just a few weeks from being an adult, Ronald," said Ginny.

"Aren't there school rules about teachers and students? Oh, I give up - just show a little discretion, okay. I'm still the big brother," sighed Ron.

"And it's sweet," said Ginny, patting his cheek, "and remember that I'm still the little sister who can put a world of hurt on big brothers who overstep their bounds."

Hermione stepped in. "You boys called us. I don't think this is what you had in mind."

"Oh, yeah!" said Ron. "We were talking and realized we don't really know where to go. End of term has always meant the Burrow for Ginny and me and Surrey for Harry. I invited him to come with us, but we don't really know if we should go to The Burrow or London."

"Or someplace else," added Harry tantalizingly.

"Ooh, have you got something in mind?" asked Ginny.

"Well, not for today, but I figure I've earned a holiday - if I can figure out how to do it - and I certainly can afford it. I can take us all."

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" squealed Ginny, then getting more serious. "Ooh, if Mum wouldn't raise too much of a ruckus."

"Well, it sounds like fun, Harry, ..." said Hermione with a reluctance that demanded a further inquiry.

"But what, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"I'd feel kind of odd going as your guest, like I'd be beholden."

Harry laughed. "You goose. I'm the one beholden to you for all the help and friendship you've given me over the years. Besides, having time with you and Ginny and Ron without school or work or a war to worry about would be the best present I could ever give myself. Sirius left me a pile of gold, and I'm sure he would want me to spend some of it unwinding from all this."

"Indeed I would," said the portrait Sirius, smiling from the frame of the picture he had gone to when Harry and Ron had gone downstairs. "Harry is sorely in need of learning to have fun."

"Well, that sounds fine," said Ron, "but that will take some planning. Where are we going right now? And are we even going to take the Hogwarts Express?"

"Well, there'll hardly be anyone on it," said Ginny. "I doubt if there are twenty Gryffindors left. Most parents took their kids with them after the party."

"I've checked with the other houses, too," said Hermione. "They're just as sparse."

"Well, we're all rated to apparate with our things," said Ron. "Oh, but not pets - but Harry can take Crookshanks and the owls can meet us. If we took the train back to London, we'd still have to apparate anyway, so let's not bother with it. But where are we going?"

"My parents expect me," said Hermione. "They're still brimming with questions about what I've been up to here besides arithmancy and potions. Actually I'm sure their heads are quite reeling. I'm afraid they heard some stories that left more questions than answers."

"I could come, too," said Ron hopefully.

Hermione cocked her head at him. "Maybe in a few days, Ron. I think having you with me might raise even more questions."

"What!?" said Ron peevishly. "You're embarrassed of me around your folks."

She stroked his cheek. "No, Ron, not at all; I'd just be uncomfortable being affectionate with you around my parents, but I couldn't resist you if you were there."

"Ooh, she's good," said Ginny to Harry. "How'd an only child learn to do like that?"

"Ahh, she's a natural. She's had Ron and I wrapped around her finger since first year."

Hermione glared at him, fists on her hips. "Hardly. You two were a handful to manage."

"Then you don't deny you tried to manage us," said Harry, arching his eyebrows.

"Well, not manage exactly."

"Hold on, now," said Ron. "I don't think I like the idea of being controlled."

Harry and Ginny both laughed.

"Of course you don't, Ron," said Ginny sarcastically. "That's why you've fallen for Hermione!"

"Hey, are you calling me controlling?" asked Hermione.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, no! Of course not. Seriously, Hermione, you don't do it in a bad way. You actually listen to Ron, but you do tend to direct things quite a bit."

"Really? I hadn't seen myself that way."

"There you go, Hermione. Instead of getting mad at being called controlling, you give it some thought. That's why it's not too hard to deal with - you're willing to consider things," said Ginny. "You set the initial plan but you listen to other ideas. It's why you were a great Head Girl."

"Was I really?"

"Oh, don't listen to her," said Ron. "That sort of compliment is how she always manipulated us brothers."

"OH! So you're saying I wasn't a good Head Girl, Ron?"

"I didn't say that, I just meant that Ginny, ... oh, bloody hell, how did I get into this?"

"Back to the subject," said Harry, saving Ron, "of where to go. As I think about it, I reckon I'd better spend at least a few days here, getting situated for the fall so everything will be ready if I can take that holiday. I also know I've got to get some training for being a teacher, so any plans I make have to work around that."

"Okay, Harry, that makes sense, and you know you're more than welcome to come be with us any time at all," said Ginny. "Well, Ron, how about London for you and me until we can work out plans for the rest of the summer with these two?"

Ron nodded. "That'll do. I'll be well-situated to look into quidditch teams."

"Quidditch!?" said Hermione. "After all we've been through this year, you're going to look into quidditch?"

"Well, we'll see. McGonagall said I'd probably have a good shot, especially with the notoriety from the War. She said they might take me as a reserve keeper, probably second- or third-string to start, or because I'm tall and starting to fill out, they might want to try training me as a beater," said Ron. "It would give me time to work on making connections through the wizarding world and developing other magical skills I might need for a career after quidditch. Besides, I couldn't even get considered for auror school for a few years yet."

"Wow, Ron," Hermione replied, hugging him from the side, "that's not badly thought out. I can see that a sports career before becoming an auror or starting a business or whatever else you might choose makes sense that way. I hadn't really thought about it much before. It got Ludo Bagman into the Ministry, though, didn't it?"

"I hope I'll be able to do better afterwards than that git did!"

"Learn not to make others' mistakes," cautioned Hermione.

"Aah, that's the Hermione we all know," teased Ginny, collecting a playful scowl from Hermione.

"And love!" added Ron, earning a gasp from Hermione, to which he returned a grin.

"Any notion who you'd play for?" asked Harry.

"Well, anyone, really, but you know I've always been big on the Chudley Cannons."

"Oh? Really!?" said Harry, rolling his eyes again. "Well, keep me informed. I'm looking into quidditch as well - pretty much the same reasons."

"Any chance you two could play on the same team?" asked Hermione. "It certainly would make attending the games and knowing who to cheer for easier."

"We'll see," said Harry with a wink. "We don't know that there's a team with an opening for both another seeker and another keeper."

Ginny shoved him playfully. "Yeah, like there's a team in Britain that wouldn't make room for the two of you."

"Maybe, Ginny, but we wouldn't want to make the team just because we're known," said Harry.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Harry," said Hermione. "Fame gets your foot in the door: ability will get you playing time. Just don't get anxious if you don't get to start all the games, thinking it's just because you're a display piece. Remember that you'll be a rookie, so there'll be a much more experienced seeker, or two or three, on the squad."

"Okay, good point. Don't let fame be either a crutch or a disability. How about you, Hermione? What are you going to be doing?"

"Oh, well, you know ..." she said, trailing off.

Ginny laughed. "She's going to be Hermione, that's what. She applied for the advanced training programs for both healer and the Department of Mysteries - said she had to keep her options open. Well, she got accepted to both, with full fellowships."

"Well, I'm ashamed to say I didn't know that, but I've had quite a bit on my mind these past few months. So which are you going to do, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"Didncha hear Ginny, Harry?" said Ron, with a laugh. "She's going to be Hermione: she's taking both. The schedules are compatible, so she'll double up."

Hermione blushed. "Well, they're both such fascinating programs."

Harry grinned. "Someday, Granger, instead of sending kids to school, they'll just unload your knowledge into a pensieve and then throw the students right on in."

Sirius guffawed from the frame he was in, earning a fierce glare from Hermione.

"Well, if that's settled, then we'd better get moving," said Ginny. "We're supposed to be out of the dorms one way or another by lunch. And we wouldn't want to upset the house elves."

"Sure," said Harry. "I've already got most of my things in my trunk for the elves to move. So, Ginny, if you're packed, do you, ahh, want to help me get my other things to my new quarters?"

"I'll help," offered Ron.

"Oh, erm, sure, Ron."

"Ron!" scolded Hermione. "He doesn't really need help. He was trying to get off with Ginny for a good-bye."

Ron grinned. "I know that. As brother and best friend, it's my job to be an obstruction. Besides, I want to see what kind of digs he'll have next year."

"Oh, alright, we'll all go - just don't be surprised if one of the doors gets 'stuck' for a while," said Harry. "Besides, I really could use a hand - I have several things I want to see to personally, and I didn't want anyone else but me to handle Sirius's portrait, even the house elves."

"Thanks, Harry," said Sirius. "That means a lot to me."

"Oh, Harry," said Ginny, with a start. "Erm ... is he going to be - there ... all the time?"

"I like that!" said Ron brightly. "Sirius! You are now an adoptive big brother. I'll expect reports."

"Ha! Nothing doing, Weasley," said Sirius. "I'll be out of sight when Harry needs me gone. I'm taking no chances on being consigned to a wardrobe."

"That really won't be necessary, Sirius. I have an office adjoining my residential suite. You'll be there. I'm past being comforted having you hanging over my bed."

"I'm sure it would be quite the contrary at this point," said Sirius with a smirk.

"Well, if we all have our plans set, let's get going," said Hermione.