For days to follow, Harry pondered the mysterious birthday gift. How could Remus send the gift? Wasn’t he dead? Didn’t Harry see his lifeless body in the Great Hall? He had gone to the burials for both Remus and Tonks only a few days after Fred’s.
The idea that some sort of ghost-Remus had sent it was slightly disturbing to Harry, before he realized that Remus wouldn’t have come back as a ghost. He would have gone on.
Harry had stayed awake long after everyone else in the Burrow, looking through the collection of memories that had been given to him. They had all been dated, and each one was dated in what Harry recognized as either the messy handwriting of Sirius, or the neat, small writing of Remus.
Just seeing his parents' names, knowing that he had almost a lifetime of memories in this box, was overwhelming.
He hadn’t confided in anyone the mysterious gift. The fact that someone, who was supposedly dead and buried, had sent a birthday gift to him might not pass without suspicion if he let someone like Mr. Weasley in on it. However, he took comfort knowing that whoever did send it to him, Remus or not, they had certainly wanted Harry to get to know his parents as they really were, not the revised and biased versions he heard from others.
It was far too early for a trip to Diagon Alley, it was barely the second week of August, and Harry still hadn’t decided whether to return to Hogwarts. He had been hoping to get his hands on a pensieve as soon as possible, but unfortunately he would have to wait.
In the meantime, Harry had plenty of other things to do. He received stacks of letters each day, which included congratulations and thanks for defeating the Dark Lord, as well as fan mail from witches begging him for a signed photo. Some were letters from the Ministry -- offering him their congratulations and letting him know that if he ever wanted a job he could get it. Many of them were also from Rita Skeeter, who, since Voldemort’s defeat, had been pestering him three times a day with letters, asking him for an interview for her new book,Harry Potter: A Hero’s Tale.
Most of these letters he found tedious, though he and Ron had a couple laughs reading one from a little old witch who thought that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread, and spent a whole three pages telling him why.
“God, who would waste time writing that?” laughed Ron.
Mrs. Weasley gave them jobs almost everyday. Most of the time, Harry, Ron and Hermione didn’t mind. It seemed as if Mrs. Weasley’s way of coping with grief was to keep her hands busy, and she must have thought that everyone else felt the same way.
That afternoon, as Harry and Hermione were de-Gnome-ing the garden (Ron had left cursing after a gnome bit his thumb exceptionally hard), an owl swooped overhead and dropped a letter for Harry.
“Oh no," groaned Harry. “If Rita Skeeter sends me one more blasted letter, I swear I’ll--”
“Harry, it’s from Hogwarts!” exclaimed Hermione. “I wonder what they're doing, sending you a letter now? School doesn’t start for almost a month.”
Harry picked up the letter with a guilty face. He still hadn’t decided whether or not he was going to go back to Hogwarts this year, and he and Ron hadn’t told Hermione, hoping to put it off.
As he opened the envelope, he was reminded of the time when Hagrid had finally given him his letter on his eleventh birthday. He hadn’t seen Hagrid since Remus and Tonks funeral; he would have to visit him soon.
Harry read the letter:
Dear Mr. Potter,
If it is convenient, I would like to call on you, as well as Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Ms. Hermione Granger, tonight at the Burrow. Please send your response to me as soon as possible.
Minerva McGonagall,
Headmistress
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
***
“McGonagall wants to see us?” said Ron. “What does she want?” Harry had just shown Ron the letter.
“I don’t know,” sighed Harry. “We’ll find that out when she gets here. Hermione’s gone to send her a reply.”
“But what did we do? I mean, couldn’t she have waited to say whatever when she sends the Hogwarts letters?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she knows we might not come back,” said Harry.
Ron was rambling on about something, but Harry wasn’t listening. He was more worried about the memories. For some reason he could not stop thinking about them, and whoever sent them. He knew that it was from Remus, but how could it be? Maybe Remus had bewitched them to go to Harry on his birthday, in case he was too busy to get them to him? Harry’s ideas were getting exhausted, and more farfetched as days past.
His thoughts were interrupted my Mrs. Weasley calling them down for dinner. She had suggested to eat early that night, so that they would have more time to talk with McGonagall about whatever it was she wanted.
“Come on, let’s get down there before Charlie eats all the potatoes,” called Ron, running out the door.
***
“I am sure you have been wondering what I wanted to see you about,” said McGonagall importantly. Ron, Harry and Hermione were sitting on the couch, while the professor had chosen to stand.
“I had wondered whether the three of you had given any thought to coming back to school this year to complete your magical education.”
"Of course, we were planning to come back. I mean, we haven’t had a chance to complete our NEWT’s, and though I’m sure of course we could get any job now, I can hardly imagine not finishing my education,” said Hermione, looking as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
“While I must commend you on this wise decision, Ms. Granger, I must say that I noticed that you two didn’t say anything,” said McGonagall, gesturing at Harry and Ron.
“Well, we haven’t really decided what we were going to do,” said Ron quietly, as if hoping Hermione wouldn’t hear. She was now staring at him, open mouth, eyes wide, as if the two of them had completely lost their senses.
“What are you talking about? Why on earth wouldn’t you want to go back? I mean, Voldemort’s gone now. We will actually have a normal year, where we can do almost whatever we want without worrying about Death Eaters or mass murders or…or anything!” exclaimed Hermione.
‘Hermione,” started Harry. “We haven’t said we weren’t going, we said that we hadn’t decided.”
Hermione snorted. “Oh, I see Ron has had a great deal of influence on you Harry. I mean, honestly -- Luna will be there, and Ginny, and Neville will most likely be going back.” She turned to Professor McGonagall. “He will be going back, won't he?”
Professor McGonagall nodded. “I have spoken to Mr. Longbottom, and he has agreed to return. I must say, I was quite surprised to see how anxious he was to return.”
Hermione looked over at Ron and Harry.
“You see, everyone will be there. Harry, you can play Quidditch, and do your NEWTS, and now we can go to Hogsmeade without worrying about anything.”
Harry started to nod, but Ron interrupted.
“Hermione,” he started gently, “you are a prefect, you get top grades, and school is easy for you. You should go back to school, but I want to do something with my life instead of having to follow rules, listen to teachers, and fuss over homework. ”
“Ron, you are also a prefect,” reminded Hermione. “ I can’t believe you would say such a thing in front of the headmistress. You need to start setting a good example for other students, even if you don't like it.”
Harry started to laugh, and he couldn’t help noticing McGonagall’s face twitch.
“As much as I am sure the three of you could go on about the benefits and disadvantages of returning to school, I would like to have your answers, as I am quite busy and still need to call on the Patil twins, as well as Mr. Thomas, and Ms. Brown. Ms. Granger, I take it that you will be returning?”
Hermione nodded, her face still flushed with anger. Professor McGonagall nodded, and turned to Harry.
“I know that you are anxious to start your training to become an Auror, but I would highly recommend returning for a final year, no matter what the Ministry thinks. You will find it much easier to complete your training after you have learnt the seventh year curriculum, and though I’m quite sure that you would do well with or without it, I must say that your talents on the Quidditch pitch would welcomed by the Gryffindor house.”
Harry looked at Hermione, who had a sort of pleading look on her face that he rarely saw. Then he made up his mind.
“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go back for one more year.”
The Professor nodded approvingly, whilst Ron’s head shot up.
“You mean you’re going, Harry? What are you, mental?”
“I take it, then, you won’t be joining your friends this year, Mr. Weasley?” asked McGonagall.
Ron looked at McGonagall.
“Well… you see it’s not that I don’t want to go… it’s just another whole year…” he scrunched up his face in thought, as though the decision was very painful.
“All right, I suppose one more year won’t kill me,” he announced.
Harry saw Hermione fly by him, hugging Ron.
Harry looked at McGonagall and could have sworn she winked at him.
“I believe that ends our meeting. I look forward to seeing you September first. You should expect your letter to arrive in a few weeks.”
And with that, she headed out the door. From the window, Harry saw her turn and Disapparate.
He looked over at Ron, who was now telling Hermione how he never really was going to not go back; he was just having a little fun. Harry shook his head, laughing, before turning to go find Ginny and tell her the news.
***
Harry Potter: The Following Year by ginnygirl16
Chapter Notes: Thanks muchly to RCC for wonderful editing, and to my newest beta, MJ_Padfoot for brilliant plot ideas and for just being wondeful:) You are both amazing!
***
Chapter Endnotes: You guys know the drill...Review! Please! Just drop in and say a sentence or two and you will make me a very happy writer. Thanks once again for sticking with the story. I hope you will hang around for the rest of it.
--ginnygirl16