Harry opened the small door in the highest tower of the castle and lazily glanced over his new living quarters. He was not a student any longer and would not be staying in the Gryffindor dorms which disappointed him more than it should have. His heart had sunk when Dumbledore told him where he would be staying and now, as he stared into the dark room he felt unbelievably alone in the world. He tiredly held up a hand and quietly whispered "Solas" and in that moment the room filled with a soft light beckoning him forward. He held his breath as he stepped into what seemed to be a small flat. This was obviously one of the rooms set aside for professors. The kitchen was small and open to what appeared to be a combined living space and dining area. His eyes automatically drifted to the small fireplace and to this he smiled before shuffling inside and dropping his bag onto the floor where a small dust cloud scattered in all directions. He slowly made his way into the next room which appeared to be another small chamber with a bed, nightstand, and a wardrobe. He had not been given robes nor had he thought to buy some and wondered offhandedly if perhaps he should. Off to the side of the bedroom was obviously his bathroom which held a shower, sink, mirror and of course the loo. He moved over to sit on the bed and sighed deeply. Feeling drained, a dark mood settled over him and he fell back onto the bed closing his eyes. What did he really expect to happen? Did he think everything would go back to the way they were before he left? What a joke he thought cynically. With the way things were, he would be surprised if anyone ever wanted close to him again.

Suddenly a small hoot from his window told him Hedwig had arrived to welcome him home and he grinned. Happy to see her he opened the window and petted his dear friend fondly before relieving her of the bit of parchment wrapped securely around her foot. He returned to the bed and settled in to read the letter. His eyes softened as he read the familiar script of Hermione with the words jumping off the page and straight into his heart. She always opened her correspondence with him as if they were in the middle of a conversation and he really loved how she somehow included him even without any response from him. She was excited of course to begin her last year of school and as always, she sent him all her love and again asked him when he was coming home. He swallowed hard reading those last words. How would he even approach Hermione and Ron after all this time?

Harry wasn't sure how long he had slept but somehow in the night he had curled up under the bed's blanket and passed out. Clearly, he had slept through the night and a good portion of the day if the sun streaming through his window gave any indication. He shook off the bad nightmares that had plagued him and slid out of the warm bed. It had been surprisingly comfortable, and he realized with acute clarity that it had been much to long since he had the luxury of an actual bed. With the Druids he had only his bed roll to sleep on or sometimes a hammock swinging high up in the trees. Hedwig had stayed with him last night and was softly cooing while perched at the top of his wardrobe.

The letter Hermione had sent the night before was crumpled crudely within his hand and he gently tried to smooth out the creases before setting it aside. He must have fallen asleep reading it. He remembered all those nights when Hedwig had hooted softly to alert him of another message from Hermione, and he smiled. Those inspiring messages of love had kept him sane as he did what he had to do. He had hoped that she would understand the meaning of sending Hedwig as a message to keep writing and she certainly did. She wrote him every night and if not for her he wasn't sure if he could have held on to complete what Voldemort had started. He was not able to send messages himself due to the unbreakable vow of silence However, it pleased him when those little parchments would arrive every night while everyone was asleep. He would open them and read them over and over till he fell asleep each night dreaming of his sweet friend.

Later that evening Harry made his way up to one of the astronomy towers where he watched the Scarlet steam engine winding into the Hogsmeade station and his stomach lurched uncomfortably. The cool September day had grown colder as the day turned to evening and a slight drizzling rain pounded heavily upon the courtyard and gardens below. He could see Hagrid's hut below him giving the impression of a crouched giant resting lazily upon the grounds. He was instantly reminded of Grawp, and other memories regarding his last few days of his 5th year seemed to follow. They almost felt like a dream and he frowned. The weather didn't help his mood as he slowly descended the winding staircase hoping for a glimpse of the students as they entered the school. He stopped right before he reached the bottom to stand on the small landing facing the doors to the great hall and here, he paused. His green eyes shimmered with a low flame as he waited for the inevitable to happen. He had already decided to forego the feast and he was already settled into his room. All he wanted to do was see his friends. Just a glance was all he needed for now to assure himself that they did exist. He had spent so many nights in the beginning wondering if they had all been a dream. He would have plenty of time to explain things later he had reasoned. Suddenly his heart tumbled nervously inside his chest as the door to Hogwarts opened and a crowd of children stumbled into the foyer laughing and chatting happily. Some complained of the weather while others simply used their wand to siphon off their sodden clothes.

One young girl wearing a prefect badge glanced up toward the staircase and saw Harry sitting there. She smiled tentatively at him before nervously rushing a couple of 2nd years fearfully toward the great hall. Harry shifted his black cloak more snuggly around himself and cursed for not using his invisibility cloak. As more and more students noticed him however a small hum of excitement began growing and soon most everyone knew of the tall dark stranger sitting menacingly upon the stairs.

Hermione directed a group of Hufflepuffs toward the Great Hall before she heard a familiar voice. Whipping around she saw her best friend grinning broadly at her with his shaggy red hair hanging over his eyes. "Oi, Hermione do you see that bloke sitting up there on the landing?"

Hermione looked up to see a thin creepy looking person hiding behind a black cloak which hung drearily from his shoulders. She narrowed her eyes and turned back to Ron. "Who do you think he is?"

"I don't know but I heard some Ravenclaw Prefects saying that a vampire was here." His voice was apprehensive when he returned his eyes back to Hermione's and whispered, "Do you think he is a Vampire?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course, he isn't." Hermione shook her head and chanced another look at the lone figure. "Dumbledore would know better than to allow a vampire loose in the school. People are just being paranoid." Hermione shivered a little and couldn't shake the feeling that the stranger was staring at her.

Ron nodded agreeably, "Well, yeah but…he did let in a werewolf, didn't he?" Ron swallowed uneasily before pulling his cloak up a little higher around his neck.

Hermione hmphed. "Well that was different, and you know it Ron Weasley. I mean…Lupin is our friend." She glanced again up at the strange young man and to prove her point held her head high exposing the soft contours of her neckline. "Besides, he doesn't look that creepy anyway."

"One of these days Hermione, I'm going to be right and I just want to be there when it happens." Ron paused and stared importantly out into space.

Hermione snorted, "Honestly Ron, you would have to be there if you were the one who was right now wouldn't you? Anyway, I don't think he is a vampire." She looked up the stairs and as she watched she felt drawn to the familiar form and she wandered what business he had at Hogwarts. Shaking her head she leaned back toward Ron and whispered, "He seems mysterious but I think it is that cloak that makes him look so…...intimidating."

Ron nodded but still averted his eyes from the landing. "Let's go will ya? He gives me the willies". Hermione sighed and quickly followed her best friend before giving one last glance toward the landing that was now standing empty. In a wave of sudden panic, she wished desperately that Harry was with them this year. She scowled before entering the great hall to begin their 7th and final year at Hogwarts.