The Boy Who Lived

Immediate Aftermath

Hermione watched her bestfriend with worry. She watched him mend his beloved Holly Wand and snap the Elder Wand and throw it off the viaduct into the depths below. She watched him turn back to the school, picking his way between the debris and rubble, occasionally clearing bits out of the way, occasionally repairing something, until he stood in the courtyard, surveying the damage. A scene of death and despair. Aurors and staff from St Mungo's had arrived and were helping with the dead. Out here, it was all Death-Eaters and Voldemort's army, no one on their side had died since Harry sacrificed himself.

He looked different, she decided. Despite the clear exhaustion, he looked strong, perhaps because the weight of these last few years had finally been lifted, perhaps because he no longer carried a part of Voldemort in him, perhaps because he'd won even though he didn't look like a victor. But he never looked like the typical victor to her, she knew that much, he would always be 'just Harry' to her. She wondered if they should talk. Certain things hadn't been discussed since Ron had left them in the Forest of Dean and now the dynamic within the trio had shifted again and they all knew it.

She watched him, trying to unravel what had changed in him in the last twenty-four hours. She realised he no longer seemed wild and dangerous as he looked in the build up to the Battle. She realised that he'd spent the last eight months or more gearing up to kill someone. He hadn't discussed it with either her or Ron and she supposed, from the outside, they'd kind of taken it for granted that it was what he had to do. Now, she realised how much that knowledge had taken its toll on her bestfriend. Living together in such close proximity, she hadn't seen that change creep across his character but now he'd shrugged off that persona, he looked noticeably different. But he looked older too. Older than his seventeen years. She couldn't help worrying her bottom lip as she watched him clearly deciding what to do next. He was forming a plan, ready to take charge again. He began to create a pathway through the courtyard by clearing or repairing what lay in front of him. It seemed effortless for him.

Ron was holding her hand tightly, watching too, that hadn't really let go of each other since they kissed in the Chamber of Secrets. There was a feeling, an innate knowledge that this was right for them.

Ron called out, 'what yer doing, mate? There's plenty of time for this.'

'We need to have a safe place to bring those kids when they come out of the Slytherin Common Room so their parents and carers can collect them. They can't go in the Great Hall. I want a safe place for them here.' He suddenly sunk to his knees. 'Oh Gods, how many of them are going to be refugees? How many of them are going to be orphaned?'

Minerva was there, standing straight and tall. 'We'll look after them, we'll sort it out.' She summoned over the nearest Auror and asked for help and it was with a curt nod that a team was assembled and she and Harry marched off to find Blaise and to go down to the Common Room to inform everyone of what was going on.

It was a long and awful day dotted with bittersweet moments. Reunions of families who appeared as soon as the news spread. Others were asked to come. Others had joined the fight as soon as they heard and were already on hand. Some parents did not come; some had no child to take home... Harry was the one who led Mr Creevey into the Great Hall to where the body of his son was laid out. Ron took Lavender Brown's family in. Hermione and Neville had recovered Severus Snape's body from the boathouse. Harry held his godson in his arms for the first time when Minerva supported Andromeda Tonks into the Hall. Fifty had died in total, not including the Death-Eaters. They quickly became called the 'Fallen Fifty' and their ranks included students, staff and teachers, parents, the Order, and Aurors.

Eventually, Kingsley Shacklebolt took charge, hurriedly appointed as the new Minster for Magic after it was confirmed that Voldemort had killed Pius Thicknesse, despite him being one of his own. Few arrests were made that day, it wasn't the priority, though Gregory Goyle appeared at some moment and handed himself over to the nearest Auror. He stammered that he'd been hiding in one of the empty classrooms since the fire in the Room of Requirement. The Carrows had escaped during the battle, there had been other priorities other than standing guard over them. Narcissa and Draco were left alone after Minerva and Harry stepped in.