iris | drarry

prologue

Thunk.

The soft chatter that had once existed in the room quieted as the group heard the sound, the retired members of Dumbledore's Army turning with wands out to see where it came from. Everyone was still on edge from the war, having only ended two months prior, Harry included.

Harry couldn't help but flinch at the sound, his hand immediately going to his right pocket where he kept his wand. He felt his hand trembling as he took slow steps towards the source. He glanced over his shoulder towards his friends, seeing their concerned faces. One foot in front of the other, he silently but quickly ran towards the window, his heart pumping loudly in his chest.

Flipping the latch, he swung the window open, wand at the ready. There was nothing for a moment, then a loud squawk and a flash of brown as an owl swooped in, a white envelope in its beak. Harry sighed in relief, the anxious tension in the room dissipating. 

He closed the window once more, a small breeze of fresh air blowing in behind the owl. 

"Sorry for the scare everyone, Ajax is still getting his bearings," Harry said with a small smile, walking over to the brown and white-speckled bird who had perched on a kitchen chair. Ajax had been delivering his letters recently since Hedwig had died, and even though he was a decent owl, he felt his heart sink a little bit every time he expected the snowy white owl instead.

"Blimey, Harry, that owl is almost as bad as Errol," Ron laughed, earning a glare from Harry as he took the envelope out of the owl's beak. 

"Ronald, I don't think that's possible," Hermione responded from beside him. The two started arguing softly back and forth, though Harry knew it was only playful. Ron and Hermione had been getting closer and closer the past few months, and had helped each other through their grief.

Hermione had thrown herself into the books even more than usual after the war, trying to figure out how to undo the Obliviate spell she had cast on her parents. She kept a good attitude about it, but Harry knew that her months spent without any answers was taking a toll on her. He'd been with her a lot recently, trying to do anything he could to help her find a way around the spell. 

Ron had taken Fred's death really hard. For the first few weeks after the end, Ron had barely said anything to anyone, a shell of the boy he used to be. Hermione had helped him realize that there was nothing he could have done differently to save him, and Harry had stayed with him night after night to help him through nightmares. 

Tonight, however, was a celebration. Hermione had decided that they deserved one, and that since they had waited a while after to let people heal, now seemed like a good time to have a party. It wasn't some big blowout, which Harry was grateful for, but everyone he loved was there. 

He didn't much feel like celebrating, as it felt like he had taken more than he had given during the war. He was never able to quite forgive himself for allowing others to die for him, to be injured for him. For Hermione's sake, however, he had decided to suck it up for a night and try to enjoy himself.

Harry flipped the envelope over in his hands, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the red wax seal keeping it closed.

Mr. H. Potter and friends,

The Living Room,

The Burrow Outside of Ottery St. Catchpole.

"Hogwarts," he said softly. He hadn't thought about returning, didn't quite want to, to be honest. Everyone had been back to the castle already to help with the cleanup, but he had always made some excuse not to. Just the thought of going back to the castle made him panic.

He used his finger to open the seal, grabbing the parchment inside and pulling it out. Placing the envelope on the table to the side of him, he unfolded the parchment and began to read the contents aloud.

"Dear Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Lovegood, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Finnigan, and Mr. Longbottom,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to the unforseen circumstances of the past two years, it is recommended that you repeat the sixth year of your training before moving forward.

As always, please ensure the utmost attention be made to the list of requirements attached.

Hoping you are well,

Headmaster McGonagell."

Groans echoed from Seamus and Neville, meanwhile Hermione excitedly snatched the letter from his hand, flipping it over to feverishly read the required materials. She immediately ran out of the room, no doubt to start listing and planning everything she would need. 

"Aw, mate we got to repeat sixth year? This is rubbish," Ron groaned, sulking off upstairs, no doubt following Hermione. 

"Well, at least we'll all be together again, right?" Luna said, grabbing Neville's hand and smiling at the group. Luna had kept in high spirits the whole summer, her optimism helping the entire group along. Her and Neville had gotten together immediately after the war, Neville finding Luna right after to make sure she knew he had a thing for her.

"Yeah, now we'll all be in the same year," Ginny said. He glanced at her, finding the girl already looking at him. She quickly looked away, smiling at Luna. "I for one am very excited to have some classes with you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go figure out what I'm going to need, though I'm sure Hermione will already have it all planned."

Ginny glanced over her shoulder again at him with a small smile before heading into the hall and up the stairs. Harry had broken up with Ginny soon after the war. He felt horrible about it, but he just couldn't feel that way about her after everything, and he wanted the best for her, which he knew wasn't him.

"Well," Harry said, clearing his throat. "Thank you, everyone, for coming, it was nice to see all of you, really. I'm knackered, though, so I'm going to head to bed."

Echoes of goodbyes and goodnights followed he as he made his way up the stairs of the Burrow, hearing most of the group apparating away to their various homes. Upon reading the letter, his stomach dropped, suppressed memories of the previous years aching to push through. He didn't want to go back. He couldn't go back. He had to go back. 

He entered his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, leaning back against the door as he closed his eyes, breathing in the warm scent of the Burrow. He'd been staying there since the end. He hadn't wanted to, not wanting to look Molly and Arthur in the face knowing that it was his fault their son was dead. 

Molly, of course, had insisted he stay. 

He took another deep breath before walking over to his dresser, picking some pajamas out before getting changed. He had a million thoughts running through his mind. On the one hand, Hogwarts was more of a home than he had ever had, so he knew he wanted to return, but on the other, the thought of stepping into the castle made his heart start pumping faster and faster.

He had buried himself in his friends and the Weasleys during the summer, making sure that they were okay and had everything they needed. He knew Hermione and Ron worried about him, looking at him as though he were going to break any second, but he hadn't allowed himself to really feel anything but fine. 

He huffed, taking off his glasses and placing them on the nightstand, kicking off his shoes and getting under the covers. Harry made a vow to himself right there and then that he would go and finish his education, become an auror, and live out the rest of his days in peace.

If only he knew.