HA 1b: Victory

VHIM AGAIN: Chapter 1: Death, Victory and Pain - Victory

Years of frustration. Years of fear.

Victory.

A pale boy with messy black and green eyes older than the rest of his face, stood tall, beside the happy red-heads, that bushy-haired girl, that strange old ex-Auror, that werewolf and the pink-haired woman, and so on… A whole collection of people, expressions relieved, triumphant, shaking hands and sipping wine, oblivious to the cameras flashing and the babble of excited voices.

There he is, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Man-Who-Destroyed-Him, there he is, standing by the pretty red-head girl, looking dazed and happy. What does he think? How does he feel? His picture, with You-Know-Who at his feet. That girl, is she with him? Oh yes, she’s the girlfriend, isn’t she, she’s Ginny Weasley-

Who’s the tall red-head nearby, with the bushy-haired girl? Oh, that’s them, those are his two best friends - yes, they were with him, they were there, they helped. Orders of Merlin for the pair of them. The boy’s one of the Weasleys - see the dumpy witch over there - that’s the mother - how does she feel, being the mother of a hero?

What about the thin, ragged man over there? Yes, that’s the werewolf - he’s with the wild-haired Auror - killed Fenrir Greyback, didn’t he? Couldn’t get a job because of anti-werewolf legislation under Fudge’s government - no, never agreed with it either, of course now he’ll be in great demand-

The man with the funny eye? One of the best Aurors ever, never doubted him, of course he’d be involved, Order of the Phoenix, yes? A bit funny, but just like Mr Weasley, bit odd but odd in a good way-

The rest of the kids - they were all there, too - see the girl with the big eyes? Daughter of the man who runs the Quibbler - fine magazine, wonderful publication, that - Dumbledore’s Army - the Boy-Who-Lived, he started that. Another Order of Merlin winner, the boy over there - son of Frank and Alice Long bottom - whole family brave, must run in the blood. Grinning like a maniac; of course I don’t blame him, I’d smile if I was him-

Who’s the old bird in the corner? Her, sitting looking like someone’s died. Looks ill, doesn’t she? Oh, she was part of the Order of the Phoenix, can’t understand why she wouldn’t be happy - Headmistress of Hogwarts, yes, fine school, brilliant education here, look at all these brave youngsters they’ve turned out - Professor McGonagall, that’s her. Wasted something frightful, hasn’t she? Must be the stress, running a school during a war-

Look, they’re all here, the whole Order of the Phoenix - started by Dumbledore, wasn’t it? Died last year, didn’t he, poor chap, never disagreed with a word he said, splendid man, mentor of the Boy-Who-Lived, y’know, should’ve been Minister…

Minerva McGonagall got to her feet with difficulty, leaning heavily on her walking stick. The hypocrisy of it all, the fact that the person who most deserved all this was absent and would remain absent - it was all getting to her. Ignoring the stares, she left the Great Hall, climbing up the nearest staircase blindly. She had a sudden urge to go up to the Astronomy tower and throw herself off.