Harry Potter Fanfic

The 'Not so Great Hall'

The day after Tom Riddle left the wizarding world forever was quite memorable. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had never looked so grim - not even when Sirius Black himself had attended. The castles usual beautiful and grand walls had partly crumbled and scattered like marbles over the many courtyards. The grounds were silent (except for the odd Cornish Pixie flying past The Great Hall's high windows). I suppose it wasn't very fair to call it The Great Hall, after all it certainly was not very 'great' at the present moment. There were no tables, no chairs, no decorations, no grand feast laid on the tables - made by the many house elves in the kitchen directly below. Although it was one of the largest, if not the largest room in the whole of Hogwarts, it looked cramped with the hundreds of witches and wizards huddled inside. The castle did not have its usual glow. It felt cold and bare and empty. Harry could not bare to look up at anything or anyone from his round glasses. Even though he had just defeated one of the darkest wizards of all time, he could not help but feel guilty for all the deaths in the process. He finally plucked up enough courage to flicker his eyes up. There, right in front of him, some of his friends lay, sleeping peacefully. He liked to imagine them sleeping as oppose to dead. Fred's usual cheeky grin had been wiped off his pale face, his ginger hair masked a few of his cuts and bruises, but it did not cover the one that look his life. Harry shivered. Then there was Remus, his dads good friend who had helped Harry so much in the past few years both inside and outside Hogwarts. He had been the one to teach Harry how to defend himself against the dementors. He helped Harry save Sirius's life. Laid beside Remus, still clutching onto his lifeless hand was his wife - Tonks. She had always been so kind to Harry, and he had really began to feel like their friendship was blossoming. Finally Harry took his eyes off his friends that lay on the ground and looked up at everyone who had survived the battle. His best friends Ron and Hermione sat hand in hand on the floor near to where Albus Dumbledore formerly stood proudly as headmaster. Mr and Mrs Weasley were talking to Madam Pomfrey as she patched up George and Percy. Luna and Neville stood by The Great Hall's door shyly talking to one another but not making much eye contact. Cho sat around all her girl friends and helped Katie Bell brush out her knotted hair. Harry felt as if he had seen everyone - everyone except the one girl who truly mattered. Harry started speed walking towards the Gryffindor Common Room, he hoped that's where she was. He skipped every second step and after a few moving staircase problems he arrived at The Common Room. Without even asking for the password the Fat Lady politely smiled, nodded her head both appreciatively and sympathetically, and allowed him in without question. As soon as he entered The Common Room he heard quiet sobs - he knew exactly who they were coming from and hearing them made his heart drop. Almost as soon as he turned the corner to face the sofa in front of the fireplace, he felt two skinny arms wrap themselves around his neck.

'Harry!' Ginny wept.