It was almost silent and the sun outside the windows was sinking behind the forest. Harry sat cross legged on the floor of Dumbledore's office, absent-mindedly stroking Ginny's hair, which rested in his lap. They spoke little, finally feeling the exhaustion of the day's events. "Harry! Ginny!" Footsteps rung out up the winding stairs and Ginny sat up reluctantly, rolling her eyes at Harry. "Three guesses at who that is?" Harry said wryly, smirking at the pretty girl sitting beside him. "I wondered when they'd turn up." Ginny replied and Harry smiled at her gently, kissing her cheek lightly. "Ron? Hermione?" Harry called, still smiling. "We're in here." The door flew open and the next thing Harry knew he was being tackled backwards in a hug from Hermione. "Harry! Are you alright? And you Ginny? Well done Harry, you were amazing." Hermione babbled, filling the empty silence between Ron and Harry. "Harry." Ron said curtly, nodding vaguely towards Harry. He looked tired and Harry realised they hadn't slept in a while lately either. As tired and painful as he may be, they would be feeling similar things. "Ron." Harry said, getting to his feet "Ron, I'm so sorry!" Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione sighed exasperatedly "Hey, Harry. There's nothing to be sorry for, honest mate, there wasn't anything you could've done. And at least we gained Perce even though we lost..." Ron trailed off, looking lost and upset. Harry knew the feeling and stepped forward to embrace his oldest friend. Ron collapsed into Harry's shoulder, desperately in need of comfort and knowing that he didn't need to pretend to be strong around these three. Ginny came up behind them and placed her hand on Ron's arm, Hermione wrapping her arm around his waist. Between them they comforted eachother silently, all converging in a hug around Ron, who tried to convey his thanks but words were lost to him. It didn't matter, they all understood anyway. "Hermione, Ron?" Harry began and the bundle broke apart into their separate couples, Ginny and Harry hand-in-hand. "Thankyou for this year, for everything. You both were brilliant." Harry made an attempt to smile and Hermione's eyes sparkled with tears and unsaid things. "Come on guys, we'd better get back to the Great Hall, they'll be missing us down there." Ginny said, heading towards the door and pulling Harry with her... They reached the entrance hall and saw Professor McGonagall sitting alone on the staircase. "Professor, are you... Is everything okay?" Harry let go of Ginny's hand and ran towards the next Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sitting down beside her and grasping her arm awkwardly. "Oh, Potter, it's only you four! Yes, everything is fine. I just don't see how we can recover from this, I think that we may finally have come to the end of Hogwarts, through our greatest victory... Well, the victory is all yours really but I like to think we helped." Her laugh fell short and she sniffed deeply. "Professor, we will do everything we can to get Hogwarts back up and running. I promise we will help. And it's not my victory, I couldn't possibly take the glory for this one." Harry smiled at her, sitting down beside his ex-transfiguration teacher. "Then you can't take the blame either Potter. Thankyou, you're a good man, one of the best." McGonagall smiled at him, her eyes beaming hopefully behind her glasses. "Come on Professor, let's get some food eh? I think we all need the energy." Harry held out his arm to McGonagall, who took it gratefully and limped with him into the Great Hall. "Minerva, are you alright?" Arthur Weasley hurried over as soon as he saw the raggedy group come traipsing through the door. "Yes thank you Arthur, I just had a... sentimental moment and Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione came to cheer me up." She said calmly, no evidence of her burdens on her face now. Arthur nodded and guided them all back to the table where the remainder of the Weasley's were sat. Looking around Harry realised everyone was jumbled together, some families lay asleep on the table and others looked as though they could do the same any moment now. Through the crowds, Harry spotted Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy sitting alone at a table, looking exhausted. He took a moment to wonder where Draco was, before being fussed by Molly Weasley. "Harry my dear! How are you? You look far too thin, have you not been eating enough? And you look so tired! We must get you home to sleep..." Harry fell into a daze, half listening to Mrs Weasley's crazed babbling, knowing it took her mind off her newly broken family. After a few minutes with Ginny pulling faces behind her mother's back and Harry trying to smother the fits of giggles each face brought on, Harry felt a timid tap on his shoulder. Behind him stood the most unexpected person, Draco Malfoy. "Harry, I... I just wanted to say... Thanks. Mum told me what you did - in the forest I mean and I know we had it wrong. I should have... I mean... I shouldn't... Thankyou." He spat out, looking truly apologetic although bitter at having to apologise. "And for the room of requirement, you... You saved my life even though I... I tried to kill you..." He held out his hand and Harry shook it, speechless at the courage Malfoy had to come and thank him, after all they'd been through. "Can you, can you tell Granger and Weasley too please? And tell them all, I'm sorry. You're not so bad Potter, I might get to like you one day." Malfoy turned red and walked rapidly away from Harry, who didn't know what to say or do. "Harry, what did that filthy traitor want?" Ron said savagely, glaring angrily at Malfoy's retreating back and Harry could have sworn Ron's hand twitched towards his wand, in the back pocket of his jeans. "Ron, no don't. He came to apologise..." Rons mouth dropped open as Hermione and Ginny came to listen. "He wanted to thank us all and apologise for the way he's treated us. He said... he said he'd got it wrong." Harry couldn't say any more and after a few moments of shocked silence the four roared with laughter at eachothers expressions. Ginny and Hermione had tears rolling down her cheeks by the time they caught their breath enough to speak. "Well, it was nice of him to come and say something." Hermione reasoned and Ron kissed her cheek, still sniggering quietly. Harry just nodded his agreement and they all burst into laughter again. It felt good to finally smile and laugh and be happy after the year they had had; heaven knows they hadn't had much to laugh about recently. Suddenly a profound silence fell across the room and the four fell silent. Professor McGonagall stood, before the crowds of people, a goblet of pumpkin juice in her hand. She spoke in a gentle voice but her eyes shone with emotion. "Today we gather, in the aftermath of the greatest war the wizarding world has seen, to celebrate our victory. But a victory that cost a great price. Yes, You-Know-Who is gone, Yet this day is marred by the deaths of many of our own. Every person in this castle, whether dead or alive, fought bravely for a great cause and every loss we have sustained in the entire fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has died as a hero, shrouded in glory. But there is one person who we must thank for this more than any other, one man who gave more than anyone else to lead us to victory. Ladies and Gentlemen, a toast! To Harry Potter - The Boy Who Lived!" McGonagall raised her goblet, looking directly at Harry with pride emanating from her. Ginny, Ron and Hermione stood around him, raising their glasses. Then Professor Slughorn followed suit, as did Professors' Flitwick and Sprout, then Neville and his grandmother. Slowly, every person in the hall got to their feet, holding their goblets high in the air and the words "Harry Potter - The Boy Who Lived" rumbled across the Hall. Ginny, Ron and Hermione stood around Harry and practically pulled him to his feet as he stared around the room, amazed at the picture of unity that stood before him...
