A Turn For The Better (Completed)

Part 1

Since Voldemort had been defeated, the wizarding world seemed much more brighter. People still feared that his followers would seek out revenge and somehow elect a new leader. I personally didn't feel that way. I believe most of his followers only followed him out of fear. Fear of what he was capable of doing and what he could make others do.

Many of the parents of Hogwarts students did not want their children returning to school. They did not like the idea that many of Voldemorts death eaters own children, would also be returning this year, including Draco Malfoy. My parents, although they are muggles, also felt this way. They had been clued in by Professor McGonagall after the Battle of Howarts had ceased. However, I managed to persuade them to let me return to Hogwarts for my final year. Mr and Mrs Weasley trusted that Ron and Ginny would be safe in the hands of Professor McGonagall, who had been appointed the Headmistress of Hogwarts. Harry was also returning for his final year.

The new school term was due to start in a weeks time and I was going to meet Harry, Ron and Ginny in the Leaky Cauldron. We were going to shop for our final school year together in Diagon Alley, and although I was very excited to be meeting them today, I couldn't help but feel sad too. Many of the students that usually came to shop in Diagon Alley, had given their lives last term during the Battle of Hogwarts. A memorial garden was due to be put in the grounds of the castle to mark the event and also to remember all the brave students, wizards, witches and everyone else who had given their lives in the fight to defeat Voldemort.

As I reached the door to the Leaky Cauldron, I stopped and took a deep breath. I hadn't seen Ron since the first week of the school holidays. It was after the memorial service for Fred, Ron's brother who died protecting Hogwarts. We had decided not to take our relationship any further as it didn't feel right. We were almost like brother and sister, and although we do love each other very much, we don't love each other in that way. There was no hard feelings and things went back to normal. As normal as they could be during that time.

And then Mr and Mrs Weasley decided that they wanted to go back to Romania with Charlie for the summer, to give them all a break. Charlie had to get back to work if he wanted to keep his job, so he insisted that all the family should go in order to support each other. Harry and I had been invited along too, but I was eager to spend some time with my parents as they had just had the "oblivious" spell lifted off of them. Harry's aunt and uncle had asked him to spend the summer with them. They wanted to try and get along with him and to try to make up for all the many years of grief they had given him. Harry was extremely shocked when he recieved the letter, but he decided he would like to try to get along with his only living relatives too.

From what Harry told me in his letters over the summer, things were going pretty well with the Dursleys. I was happy for him. Apart from Sirius, he never had a proper living relative look out for him before. He also said that when the Weasleys' returned from Romania, he would be spending the last two weeks of the holidays with them. He couldn't wait to get back to Ginny, those two would no doubt be inseparable.