The same but different

Chapter 25 home

Harry strode through the familiar stone halls, his footsteps muffled under the sounds of dozens of smaller feet shuffling along nervously behind him. He paused at the door, checking the wards for a moment, then smiled, turning to his gathering. "It's time. Come on." He nudged open the door, unable to stop the small grin that crossed his face at the sight of the four long tables full of students, eagerly awaiting the start of a brand new year.

The first years behind him were wide-eyed and quiet as they followed him up to the head of the room, where Fionnbharr was already sat on his three-legged stool, waiting to sort the children. In front of them was the staff table, and in the very centre were four large golden chairs, only one of them empty.

In the golden chair beside the empty one, Cedric sat, wearing deep purple robes. He smiled at Harry, winking, and the purple eyeshadow on his lids glittered in the candlelight. Harry still felt his chest swell with love when he looked at the man, even now after they'd been married for twelve years. Cedric had broadened a little more in the shoulders since his school days, gained a bit of stubble, but Harry was of the firm opinion that he just got more handsome every day.

On his other side sat Luna, radiant in lilac robes, her blonde hair threaded through with matching ribbons. The swell of her pregnant stomach was barely visible over the edge of the table, and Harry could only take her word for it that she wouldn't go into labour in the middle of the welcoming speech.

Finally, occupying the last golden chair was, of course, Neville. His transformation since school was perhaps the most shocking of all; it turned out, when he grew into his ears and lost the puppy fat, Neville was one gorgeous man! Luna got all sorts of jealous looks from girls who had known Neville back in school and overlooked him entirely. Not that he would have given any of them a second glance. He wore chocolate brown robes - to hide the dirt, he always joked - and his dark blond hair was combed neatly to the side, his brown eyes shining as he surveyed the new students.

Harry himself wore charcoal grey robes - they had a rule that they didn't wear any house colours on the first night of term, not wanting to start the divide from the offset. He listened patiently through the sorting hat's song, then stepped forward, pulling his parchment from his pocket.

"When I call your name, you'll step forward and put on the hat. He will decide your house, and you will join your new housemates at the corresponding table. Adkins, Liam." And so it began.

This batch of first years was perhaps the biggest yet; Harry counted at least seventy. They'd have to look at hiring more teachers, soon. The population was booming in the years since Voldemort's defeat, and it was a constant battle to keep up. Maybe they'd raise the matter at the end of the year; they were already trying something very new - or very old, if you looked at it a certain way.

On paper, Cedric Diggory-Potter was Headmaster of Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall had finally retired the year before, fifteen years after taking up the position at the start of Harry's fifth year. Cedric was the youngest headmaster on record. In reality, all four of them were equally both heads of house and heads of school, much as they had once been all those years ago, when they'd founded the school in another life entirely.

Cedric hadn't wanted to give up teaching Charms, nor being head of Hufflepuff house, especially with no other Hufflepuffs on staff. Headship was usually given to those who were too old to teach but still wanted to be involved in the administrative aspects of the school. That was certainly not the case with Cedric - nor with Severus Snape, who had been offered the position and laughed himself sick at the prospect. Thus they'd all come to an agreement; the four of them would jointly run the school, and distribute the work evenly enough to keep both their head of house duties and their teaching positions. The ministry weren't totally convinced, but they couldn't say no to Harry Potter-Diggory these days.