Time Again (Completed)

Chapter 1

Harry James Potter Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sat alone in his office trying to make out his annual report for the governors of the school. His entire life both personal and at the school was in turmoil as he tried to cope with the death of his best friend Hermione. He wondered how he was supposed to live on without his deputy head mistress and transfiguration teacher.

Hermione had died in a way he had once been told by his old friend Hagrid was not possible. She had died in a car crash while returning from a visit to her ex-husband, and Harry's one time friend, Ronald Weasley. She had apparently stood no chance, and died instantly when her car had been crushed by a truck that had raced straight out of a side street. Joy riding teenagers had stolen the truck, and had ploughed into her car on the driver's side.

All the joy-riders had escaped the Muggle law officers, but now just a day later they were being tracked by half the wizard Auror division. Hermione had been one of the most popular of all wizard kind. War hero, great and powerful witch, and respected teacher, there had almost been a riot when the Minister for magic had said it was out of their jurisdiction to investigate Muggle crimes. The outcry had forced him to protect his position by authorising an Auror to offer some help to the Muggles. Aurors from all over the country decided they would be the one to help.

Harry sat and wondered if he should still hold a Yule ball this year, it had after all been Hermione's idea to make it an annual event, and she had been the one to oversee it all. Finally deciding that though it would bring back enough memories to break his heart yet again, he decided he had to leave things as they were. He would assign one of his professors the task of making it into an annual memorial for the woman he had loved so deeply for the past sixty years.

The report was forgotten as his mind drifted back to their very first ball way back when they had been in their fourth year at the school. Hermione and Ron had both been his best friends at the time and yet it had been a disaster for all of them. It had been a disaster that had had far reaching effects on the rest of their lives. Hermione had divorced Ron after twenty five years of marriage, due mainly to Ron's temper outbursts and his stupid inability to forgive and forget. For years he had repeatedly brought up the subject of Viktor Krum, and Hermione's date with him to that first ball. Ron's attitude both to their marriage, and toward Harry had finally driven a wedge between them that Hermione had been unwilling to ignore.

Harry's friendship with Ron had ended within weeks of the end of the second wizard war with Voldemort, when he had once more deserted Harry and Hermione during the search for Hermione's parents in Australia. He had simply lost his temper over something trivial and walked out on them. Harry had been really surprised when only two years later Hermione and Ron were married. Harry himself had not been willing to resume the friendship or to accept the pathetic apology given by Ron, when Ron had been forced by Hermione to apologise some three months after he walked out on them.

He remembered the day well, he and Ginny had just returned to the Burrow after shopping in Diagon alley, when Hermione had called him into the sitting room. Ron had been sitting on the sofa looking down at his feet, he did not even look up when they entered, he then mumbled something that sounded like "Sorry ok."

"Ron, do it properly." Hermione had told him.

So he had stood, shouted "I'm sorry, is that loud enough." then stormed out into the garden. Both Hermione and Ginny had wanted him to follow Ron, and talk to him. But he walked into the kitchen poured himself a cup of tea and said "No, after the Triwizard, and the hunt, Ron has walked out on our friendship one time to many."