Balaur

“A year after the war…” arrived with a kind of routine that belied the lack of normality in much of the magical community.

In the broader magical world, the Ministry returned to the business of governance (although the occasional Dark Lord sympathizer was still being ferreted out from among its ranks). Thanks to magic, bombed buildings and cratered streets returned to use far faster than muggles ever accomplished. In under a year most of the war’s orphans had been collected and assigned to good homes that were conscientious if not able to love the waifs — the foster children, more likely than not, receiving the clothes and sleeping in the beds of little ones lost in the war… 

The economy held lots of opportunities for those skilled in medicine, magical construction, rubbish removal and similar societal rebuilding skills; formerly prosperous businesses — restaurants, beauty salons and travel establishments — remained shuttered if they weren’t totally burned out. Diagon Ally’s more prevalent customers had budgets for only one purveyor of everything: one broom stall (“2nd Hand Brooms”), one robes shop (“Second Hand Robes”), one bookshop (“Second-Hand Bookshop”) and one supplier of artificial happiness: Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. So desperate were its customers for a respite from the war’s continuing impacts that none remarked aloud how the name should have long ago been changed to reflect its sole proprietorship.

Amongst the veteran fighters (for “light” and “dark”) time inexorably moved on, forcing changes in small and great quantities. At differing rates, each was getting “better”.

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy kept a low profile, making sure to avoid the appearance of plotting a rebellion. Having escaped abject blame and the Dementor’s kiss twice, the couple went underground in a relative way. Malfoy galleons began the rebuilding of selected stores damaged in the war; not being entirely selfless, the Malfoys held shares in each shop to ensure an ever-increasing stream of galleons entered their Gringott’s vaults when business picked up. The limited public events they attended were selected to enhance their new reputation and distance them from the old. While some protested publicly — pointing to their strategic actions as unassailable proof that nothing about the dark “fuckers” had changed, those who shopped wizarding enterprises on Tuesdays and Thursdays witnessed the primary motivation as it burbled and babbled in the heirloom Malfoy push chair. Twice a week the Malfoys strolled and lunched with their grandson at the restored Fortescue’s (now owned and operated by one George Weasley). The recovering world had a desperate need for ice cream.

Arthur followed Molly’s lead in the continued “mothering” of their surviving brood (blood and extended), a plan which eased a family (who’d lived on the front lines since the first war against Voldemort) away from a state of perpetual alertness. Picnics, full night’s sleep and normal family arguments returned. The elder Weasleys kept Bali overnight at Hogwarts every Friday — acting in loco grand-parentis while Hermione’s parents lacked full memories of a daughter and giving their “Baby Dragon’s” over-committed parents time alone at the farmhouse. 

Charlie and Vlad copied Hermione’s example and started their own business selling specialized products made from the most-dangerous-to-acquire parts of living dragons. In a foreign land, speaking a foreign tongue with his foreign lover, Charlie could almost forget what it felt like to be at war. Gringott’s exploited a continent’s misery by raising its account fees and promoting Bill Weasley to chase new sources of galleons from ethnic minorities living where the bank held a monopoly. Misgivings aside, Bill threw himself into the work to ensure his young family avoided the suffering other young families weren’t. Percy’s propensity for landing on his feet landed him at the right hand of the newest Minister of Magic. Ginny shone as the star of the Harpies, her talent on a broom supplemented in equal parts by her reputation as an emeritus member of the Golden Trio’s arse-kicking posse. The announcement of her engagement to The-Boy-Who-Protected-Them-All increased tickets sales across Europe for already sold-out games. 

George visited his parents at the Burrow…

Speculation about the “Golden Trio” itself waxed and waned with sightings (real and false) throughout magical Britain. Eventually only Harry’s whereabouts were easily tracked and even those required advanced magic — Harry’s specialized spell-casting as an auror became second nature, making him hard to locate. Little public discussion occurred concerning Hermione, her disappearance so close to the war’s end leading to a quicker fading of her popularity (alongside rumors of her death by supernatural misadventure). Ron’s presence as the face of the “Trio” graced the front pages of the Profit for months until his unexpected demotion by the Cannons (to their “suicide mission” practice squad) and his move away from the Burrow to an undisclosed location. Fans of the team wagered heavily whether he’d return for the coming season, superstitiously asserting Voldemort’s “curse from beyond” had claimed its second victim.