The Hogwarts Mental Institution || Harry Potter AU || ✔️

Welcome to Hogwarts I

Harry awkwardly made his way around the happy people, but he couldn't help but smile as well. Voldemort was gone for good. Dead. And there was no more responsibility on Harry's shoulder. No more stupid prophecies.

Okay, so Harry didn't just smile; he beamed. He absolutely beamed.

"Cheers, Harry!" The occasional person would call out, lifting their glass. Harry would beam back, lifting his glass in return.

Some people would make conversation with him and he'd politely respond, though his eye continued to scan the room for that one perfect person. That one beautiful, perfect, red-headed—

"Ginny!" Harry said, his eyes finally landing on her. She was stunning, wearing a simple light blue dress with long sleeves and a dark blue flower in her hair. "I found you."

"Well, this is my home," Ginny said, gesturing to the lavishly embellished space that Molly  Weasley had spent quite some time making look perfect. It worked.

"Right," Harry said, casually rocking back and forth on his heels. "You look beautiful and uh... your dress looks nice," he added when he had nothing else to say. Despite her having been his girlfriend for a while now, Harry still couldn't stop the spread of the blush blooming on his face.

Ginny grimaced, picking at the fabric. "Ugh. I hate it. My mom picked it out for me."

"Oh," Harry said.

Why is this so awkward? He thought to himself.

"Um, this is really awkward," Ginny stated upfront.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Harry replied.

"Huh," Ginny said. The conversation remained dead.

"So," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you want to go outside?"

"Right! Outside! Good idea." Ginny led the way.

They both walked into open-air, squeezing by the elated survivors. On their way out, Seamus Finnigan spotted Harry and Ginny. He elbowed Harry and winked, as he walked in the other direction. Harry glared.

Luckily, Ginny did not see the action and continued ahead of Harry.

"Wow. It's really beautiful out here," Ginny said in awe, gazing at the star-filled sky.

Not as beautiful as you, Harry thought, he felt that if he actually said that out loud, Ginny might murder him. He snorted at that thought.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing. It's just that I finally feel at peace."

"Yeah- so what do you plan on—"

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," he blurted out. He decided at the last moment that if he really wanted this day to be perfect, it had to be with Ginny.

"What are you talking about?"

"For leaving you and for not asking you out until sixth year and for being an absolute jerk. I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll do whatever you want! I'll even get a tattoo of the Hungarian Horntail!"

Ginny laughed. Noticing Harry's confusion she explained, "If I still hated you, I wouldn't be talking to you. Harry, I know you left me to protect me and save the world." Ginny put her hand on Harry's cheek. "Believe me, I understand."

The chocolate brown eyes met the toad green eyes.

"Really?"

"Sure, I hated you for a while," Ginny said, putting her hand down. "I mean, I'm not a saint." She grinned at Harry, "But I'm also not a whiny, needy brat. I can handle myself, Potter."

"I know that."

"Sure, that explains the terrified look in your eyes."

"I just needed to make sure."

"Whatever you say, Chosen One."

"Whatever?"

"Well, probably not everything. For example, I refuse to be your maid and be one of those doting girlfriends that cleans up after you and wipes up anything you spill."

"Not even my pumpkin juice?" Harry asked, a twinkle in his eye as he took a sip of his drink.

"Especially your pumpkin juice." Ginny used her napkin to dab at the side of Harry's mouth, wiping away any non-existent leftover drink.

"You break my heart, Miss Weasley."

"That's what I do." Ginny smirked, teasingly. "Now," she continued, gently pulling Harry's chin down to her eye level, "about that Hungarian Horntail tatt—"

And Harry kissed her.

***

Then, he woke up.

White. That's what Harry saw. Blinding white.

"Harry, are you alright?" a concerned voice asked.

Harry didn't answer. He closed his eyes trying to block out the glaring, bleached out walls. His hands moved around the surface underneath him, feeling the rigid surface. It was a bed. But it wasn't his bed.

Confusion settled upon Harry thicker than the pumpkin juice Ginny refused to clean up.

He opened his eyes only to be increasingly shocked by what he saw.

"Am I dead?" Harry asked. Again?

The man chuckled. "No, Mr. Potter. You are very much alive."

"But you're dead," Harry stated, blandly. His mind began to work in overdrive, his defense side kicking up. Harry started to think up an escape plan.

"I know the surgery was hard, Harry, but we can get through this. I just need you to be honest with me."

"Why don't you be honest with me first? What surgery? How are you here and where the bloody hell is here?" Harry yelled, his temper rapidly rising.

The man smiled sadly, "You know who I am, Harry. I'm your doctor."

"No, you're not. You are-you were my professor. But you..." Harry felt his throat clog up. "You died."

"Mr. Potter, I have never looked into the business of teaching nor have I ever died." The man reached out to hold Harry's hand, but Harry quickly snatched it out of his reach. "You seem to be suffering from mild amnesia."

"Amnesia? No, I remember everything!"

"What can you recall, Harry?" the man asked patiently.

"I just defeated Voldemort." Harry looked at the aging man to find any sign of recognition to the wretched name. He only received a sympathetic nod. Harry fidgeted on the bed, his clothes stiff with sweat. "I, um, well, I talked to some people and then I went to the burrow."

Harry stopped talking, his breath caught in his throat.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?" the doctor encouraged him to go on.

"I went outside to talk with Ginny and that's all I remember." Harry concentrated, trying to remember the pieces of the past, but he kept coming up blank.

The doctor nodded. "It seems the surgery has not benefited your illness."

"Professor, what illness? Where am I?"

"Where you've been for the last seven years, Harry. The Hogwarts Mental Institution."