The train eventually stopped and once again, the levels of excitement rose. It was night time and the lights from the castle could vaguely be seen. The doors opened and everyone got off.

- Reunionees this way! Reunionees!

Everyone looked at the person who said it. They had all been welcomed by Hagrid who was holding a big lantern. His eyes caught the golden trio and gave them a wink.

Soon, they all got on boats.

"I thought we were going to go with those Thestrals?" Ron asked, trying to keep his balance as the boat started moving. "They probably want to make us experience that first year again." Hermione said. She was holding on to the tip of the boat and therefore standing higher than Ron and Harry.

"You know what you're reminding me of?" Harry said, smiling. "I'm the king of the world from Titanic." Hermione snapped her head towards Harry. "You've seen that movie?!?" "Yeah!" He smirked and looked forward. "Who hasn't?"

The castle finally showed itself and almost everyone gasped in awe. The people who didn't were too stunned to do or say anything.

The castle looked the most majestic it could be. The candles were floating around, owls flying, and it seemed like the battle of Hogwarts hadn't done any damage to it at all.

Finally, the boats stopped. Everyone got off along with Hagrid. "Alright everyone!" Hagrid faced them. "I've led ya to the castle. Now ye gon' get greeted by Professor Flitwick and... eh... I'll see ya around!" He turned to leave, but then stopped. "Oh. All ye gotta do is climb up these stairs and stop in front of the doors. See ya at the feast!" He winked once more and left.

Everyone started climbing up the stairs and stopped once they got to the doors. Harry was surprised to see people from Slytherin. At the door, they were greeted by professor Flitwick.

- Welcome everyone! I have no words to express how happy and excited I am to be welcoming all these familiar faces back to Hogwarts!

Ron gently hit Hermione with his elbow and whispered "Worried about the test?" "What test?" Hermione whispered back. "The one that determines which house you go to!" He replied sarcastically. Hermione gave him a dirty look and he sniggered. "Quiet guys! You missed almost half of Flitwick's speech!" Harry brought their attention back to the short professor.

- ... soon, the doors will open and you'll walk into the great hall. Feel free to sit anywhere that your heart desires and most importantly, enjoy!

He left. Soon after, the doors opened and they all walked in. The great hall was even more majestic. Hundreds of candles were floating in the air and the four long tables were placed in the middle with each house's flags hanging above them. At the end of the hall, there was a long table with all the professors sitting at it and in front of that was the golden owl lectern which Dumbledore used to stand behind and talked.

Eventually everyone started to settle. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table and Luna joined them.

- Hello and welcome to our lovely guests!

All the noise and talking suddenly stopped and everyone turned their heads to look at Professor McGonagall. She was standing behind the owl lectern, a broad smile on her face.

"As you know, around a decade ago, we successfully won the second wizarding war. The monster known as Lord Voldemort who used to be one of the most dangerous and powerful wizards on earth was defeated by the boy who lived!" She paused and looked at Harry. A wave of whispers went through the room and quickly died. Harry smiled.

- In honor of that victory and the effort that all of you put into it and the dark times you went through, we decided to invite you to the castle so that you can enjoy it once more and maybe catch up with some old friends. Feel free to explore the castle as much as you want and don't worry about the students; they've all been sent home for the Christmas holiday in preparation for this special occasion. As for your sleeping place, you will head to the dormitory of your house. Now, let the feast begin!

She raised her hands and in the blink of an eye, the empty plates were filled with many different kinds of food. Everyone started eating and chatting with each other all over again. Harry looked at the table where the professors sat. Professor McGonagall was sitting in the middle. She smiled and raised her glass towards him. Harry smiled back. He felt proud.