Her reunion with Ron and Hermione was less awkward than expected. With everything she had been doing while they were away, she almost forgot about their absence. She received the owl at Andromeda's house, so she visited them that same day, at the end of August, at the Burrow.
"Harika!" exclaimed Hermione with a smile. "Where are your glasses?"
"I don't need them anymore," she smiled back.
"About time, mate," Ron nudged her. "Have you grown, or is it just me?"
"I went to the doctor, and I'm seeing a therapist."
Hermione seemed surprised but delighted to hear it. She briefly explained what she had been up to—how she hired lawyers who were about to go to trial due to her lawsuits, how she sold Grimmauld Place because she couldn't stand it and bought a house far away from everyone, how she was improving her mental and emotional health with professional help, and how she planned to take her seventh-year exams at the Ministry.
"Wow. I'm impressed," her friend said, clearly astonished. "A lot has changed since we left, but I'm glad you're doing better."
"I'm glad too, Harika. Though you'll always be the short one of the group."
"Hey! I'm 1.63 meters now! I measured myself just this morning!"
Ron burst out laughing, and Hermione couldn't hide her smile.
"And what about your parents?"
"..." Hermione sighed heavily. "I managed to reverse the spell, but they've decided to stay there. Apparently, they like it better than the UK."
"Not to mention how furious they were when they remembered everything," Ron whispered conspiratorially, as though Hermione couldn't hear him. She promptly punched him in the arm. "Ow! Hermione!"
Harika shook her head at the sight of them. She wasn't surprised her parents were angry, but she was glad they could at least remember Hermione. They talked about their time in Australia and their plans to return to Hogwarts and enrol in the Auror Academy.
"And when are you joining the academy?" Ron asked, munching on a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean. "Are you waiting for your exam results next year?"
"Eh… Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it," she sighed.
"Really? I thought you wanted to be an Auror."
Harika frowned. She had thought it was her dream, but now she wasn't so sure. She hadn't even remembered Kingsley's offer. She knew, from how well she knew herself, that this meant it wasn't as important to her as she once believed. So why had she wanted to be an Auror for so long while at Hogwarts, yet now couldn't even imagine herself working for the Ministry? In the end, she decided to consult Armand about it.
It took exactly one session to realize why she had wanted to become an Auror. Both her father and godfather had been Aurors, and during her entire time at Hogwarts, hunting down "bad guys" had essentially been her unofficial job at the castle. She had taken on that role for so long, since no competent adult seemed to be doing it, that she thought it was what she was supposed to do. Now, after the war, she was faced with a world full of possibilities and realized she didn't want to risk her neck working as an Auror for the rest of her life. She hadn't survived the Dursleys, Hogwarts, and a magical war just to die as an Auror, working for a Ministry that was corrupt with or without a war.
The very thought of it made her stomach churn now that she knew what she knew. In fact, when she left her therapy session, she realized she wanted nothing to do with the Ministry. The problem was she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. Armand advised her to get out of the house occasionally and find a hobby besides studying. When Dr. Baume recommended starting moderate exercise, she realized she should join a gym or something similar. That way, she could kill two birds with one stone. However, a hobby was still eluding her.
"Why don't you try something artistic?" suggested Andromeda one afternoon while they were having tea.
"Like painting? I'm terrible at it."
"Or sculpture, photography, music—whatever. The important thing is to disconnect from your daily routine for a bit."
She thought about it for a while but realized her artistic talents were practically non-existent. She couldn't draw or play an instrument, nor could she sing unless you considered screeching like a banshee as singing. Still, the idea of photography intrigued her. She ended up signing up for a short photography course in the Muggle world and bought a fairly expensive Muggle camera that the salesperson assured her was top-notch. It took her a few days to get used to applying what she had learned in her one-week course, but what helped her improve the most was simply taking photos and experimenting with the camera's settings.
Restructuring her life was challenging since she had always relied heavily on Hermione's persistent help, but she managed to establish a routine on her own. She started waking up at 7 a.m. every day and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast for an hour. Then, she Apparated to Aberdeen, the nearest big city to where she lived, and went to the gym she had joined. She spent a couple of hours there—one learning to swim and another using the machines. By 10, she was back home, studying for about three hours according to the schedule Andromeda and Hermione had helped her create. After lunch, she rested for a bit, studied for another two hours, and by 5 p.m., she wrapped up her academic routine to focus on her new hobby.
She grabbed her camera and went out. Sometimes, she returned quickly when it was too cold or started pouring rain, but other times, she lost track of time. She was surrounded by nature, and in Unapool, there were only 57 neighbours scattered across the vast region, so she rarely encountered anyone. It was strange to think that she now found herself entirely alone in some corner of the Scottish Highlands and yet felt more at peace with herself than she ever had before.
In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had always been surrounded by people who, to varying degrees, wanted something from her or didn't truly appreciate her. The Dursleys despised her, as did many people in the wizarding world simply because she "killed" Voldemort as a baby or because she didn't defeat him "sooner" the second time. Others, though not hateful, sought to use her for their own gain. Not to mention the little to no privacy she had while living at Hogwarts. Often, she felt like an ant under a magnifying glass—helpless, exposed, and utterly unprotected. Even during summers with the Weasleys, she never felt the peace she now experienced because there was always someone around. It was... suffocating. She loved the Weasleys, but she longed for just a little breathing room to feel free and stop being everyone's puppet. After all, solitude had been her closest companion during her time with the Dursleys on Privet Drive.
"I hope you're not cooped up at home all day," Ron commented one day in September when they met up in the Muggle world. "You know what Hermione would say."
"Actually, I go out several times a day."
"Really?" Ron asked, surprised. "Good for you."
"Yeah. I spent so much time stuck at the Dursleys' house that now, with the freedom to do whatever I want, I'm making the most of it."
"Can't blame you..." Ron muttered something unintelligible about her "relatives."
"And how's your training going?"
"Good. It's harder than I thought. There's more protocol than it seems."
They talked for a while. He told her how Ginny had decided to become a professional Quidditch player, how Percy had returned to his old position at the Ministry, how Bill and Fleur had resumed their work at Gringotts, and how Charlie was still in Romania with his dragons.
"And George?" she finally asked. Ron sighed, his expression sombre. "Is he okay?"
"He's… He's managing. We've gotten him to come out of his room more often, but sometimes, at night, he still cries, and I can hear him. Honestly, Harika, I don't know how to help him. My mum doesn't want him to go back to the flat he shared with Fred, and the shop they started together is still closed. I don't know what's going to happen with all of it."
Harika was startled to realize that George, while staying at his parents' house, must be living in his old room—the same one he had shared with Fred. Her stomach churned for the umpteenth time just thinking about it. Looking at it that way, it was obvious why George wasn't improving. Everything reminded him of his late twin brother. Even his job had been shared with Fred. Then, she had a great idea.
"Why doesn't he come live with me, Ron?"
"What? Who? George?" Ron seemed a bit dumbfounded at first but then thought about it seriously. "Actually… that might be exactly what he needs. Getting away from all the memories of Fred but still having a friend around."
"Why don't you come too? You're living at your parents' house, right?" she added. "You could both move in with me temporarily. I was thinking of offering it at Christmas, seeing as Hermione's parents are still in Australia and I've got four bedrooms, but given the circumstances…"
"Are you sure you wouldn't mind us living with you?"
"No. The house is fully paid for, and I don't have any bills since it's a magical house. The only expense is food, which we can split between us," she said, pre-empting Ron before he could say anything about "charity." "This way, you can save more from the little they pay you as a recruit, Hermione would have a place to stay without the stress of living with your family—no offense—and George could recover without everything reminding him of Fred."
"I'll need to talk to Hermione, but I'm 99% sure she'll say yes. Actually, we talked about moving in together this summer, but since she won't start working for a while and I don't earn enough to buy or rent a place, we had to drop it."
They finished their conversation shortly after that. Ron seemed far more relieved than before, especially after she assured him she genuinely didn't mind them moving in. The house was fully renovated and had plenty of space. There was a dining room separate from the kitchen, two living rooms—one with a fireplace and another with glass walls she had turned into her study. On the ground floor, there was a bedroom, a full bathroom, a study she didn't use, and a small laundry room, likely where house-elves would have slept. Upstairs, there were two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a small library with a balcony overlooking the lake. Her own room had a similar terrace. Outside, there was a sizable shed, now empty. Space was definitely not an issue.
"I'm sure getting a change of scenery will do George a world of good. It's a great idea," praised Armand. "Though he might also need psychological help. This wasn't a natural death—it was the result of the war."
"I'll mention it to Ron, see what he thinks. Maybe we can convince George to at least give therapy a try and then decide."
By October, a week after her meeting with Ron in the Muggle world, Harika visited Hogsmeade to meet Ron and Hermione. Being of age, they could leave the castle as they pleased, provided they returned before the extended 11 PM curfew for eighth-year students.
"Ron told me about it in his letter, but I wanted to talk to you face-to-face," Hermione said as they sat in the Three Broomsticks. Since it wasn't an official Hogsmeade weekend, several tables were empty. "Are you absolutely sure you don't mind?"
"Of course not," Harika rolled her eyes. "I literally have three empty bedrooms. Plus, there's a shed gathering dust. If George feels up to it eventually, he could use it for his inventions away from the house. Do you want to see the place?"
"Now?" Hermione asked, glancing at Ron, who shrugged.
"It's not like we have anything better to do," Harika shrugged back.
"Alright."
Any doubts Hermione might have had about moving in vanished the moment she saw the house and its view of the lake surrounded by mountains and forests. When she saw the small library with its private terrace and those breath-taking views, she nearly burst into tears.
"Which room would be ours?"
"This one here," Harika said, showing them the spacious upstairs bedroom next to the library. "It has a full en-suite bathroom, and Hermione could set up a desk by the window to study with a lake view."
"It's amazing."
"The downstairs room will be George's. It doesn't have an en-suite, but we can make sure the bathroom next to it is for him only."
"Of course."
"When should we talk to George?" Harika asked Ron, knowing he hadn't mentioned it to his brother yet.
"We could go now, if you want."
"Alright."
"Is your fireplace connected?"
"No."
"Then we'll meet you there."
The conversation with George was brief. When they presented the idea to him, he froze for a moment before saying he needed time to think. Then he disappeared into his room, leaving the three of them alone in Ron's old room.
Mrs. Weasley, upon learning that Ron, Hermione, and possibly George would be moving out in a few days, nearly cried. After all, no one else was left at the Burrow except Ginny and Arthur.
"We're not moving to the other side of the world, just to Scotland," Ron rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's about time I start being independent—even if it's with Harika's help."
"But are you sure you'll be alright?"
"If we managed to survive a year on the run with a tent, I think we can handle living in a house," Ron sighed in exasperation.
Soon after, Molly came around. The only one who didn't seem thrilled with the idea of being left alone with her parents was Ginny. However, Harika wasn't inclined to open her house to half the world. George just needed a push—and therapy—to get back on track. He'd return to his old flat eventually; Harika was sure of it. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione only needed to save money for nine months after Hogwarts to afford a place of their own. By then, Ron would earn more if he completed Auror training, and they'd no longer have to stay at her house. Besides, Hermione still lived at Hogwarts except during holidays, so she'd really only be living with two people—one of whom worked eight-hour shifts away from home.
A couple of days later, George agreed to move in with her and the others for a while. He packed his things, leaving Fred's belongings in his old room, and quickly settled into the room she had assigned him. Ron, with Hermione's help the following weekend, adjusted their shared room to their liking and organized their belongings in the wardrobes.
"I can't believe how different it feels to live away from my parents," Ron sighed a few days after moving in permanently. "I love them, but Mum can be… stressful sometimes."
The three of them were sitting at the picnic table in the backyard, watching the sunset over the lake. No one else could be heard but them and the animals in the area.
"I think I'll go to that therapist you mentioned," George said unexpectedly, his expression melancholy and a bit pale. "I've seen how much it's helped you, and… I don't want to feel like this anymore. At least I want to learn how to cope with my loss."
Ron said nothing, afraid of ruining the moment and making George change his mind, but Harika saw the hope and joy on his face, realizing his brother wanted to heal.
Thus, George started therapy with Armand once a week, while Harika's sessions were reduced to one per week. Hermione, still at Hogwarts full-time, continued sending her notes and assignments so she could study remotely. Once a week, Andromeda tested Harika to ensure she was keeping up with her studies and used the visits as an opportunity to see Teddy.
Gradually, Ron and George adjusted to their new routines. George even joined Harika at the gym every morning. Everyone knew it was a distraction, but since it seemed to help him improve both physically and mentally, no one said otherwise. Life wasn't perfect, far from it, but it was steadily improving.