The war with Voldemort was fought right to the end of the year 2001. In a dangerous time, a bitter decision was made.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was closed.

Escalating attacks on the school following the Death of Albus Dumbledore, the one man truly feared by Voldemort, forced the hand of the Ministry of Magic. Hogwarts was no longer a safe place for the children of the wizarding world. The children were sent home, the staff dismissed, the doors locked. The Hogwarts Express made one last journey and then was retired.

From there, the war took a dirty turn, being waged openly in the streets. Muggles could no longer turn an ignorant eye to the existence of magic, there was no memory reversal anymore.

On the morning of a dark day in December, the still safe neighbourhood of Privet Drive received a cruel awakening. The forces of Good and Evil met on the morning, with Voldemort himself as the head of evil.

Spells were cast, lives were taken. The Battle of Privet Drive was not the biggest battle fought in the war against Voldemort, nor was it the most costly. But it was the last. Villains and would-be heroes watched as the one on one duel between Harry Potter and Voldemort ended.

Voldemort was finally defeated.

With their master gone, the Death Eaters fled. Few of those that were captured were willing to put up a fight, and surrendered.

Homes were rebuilt, lives reclaimed. Heroes were named, those who had fallen remembered. The dirty business of naming the willing and unwilling supporters of Voldemort began.

The doors of Hogwarts remained locked.

Three years passed.

Death Eaters no longer presented an active threat. Few were made to rot in the prison cells of Azkaban, many were put to death, some still remained hidden, waiting for the rise of a new leader.

With the danger gone, and life slowly returning to the way it was, the eye of the Ministry of Magic turned to Hogwarts. For almost six years the doors had been locked, the halls and class rooms empty, save for the Ghosts that still haunted it. Such a significant piece of magical history had been lost.

The decision was made, after urging from former students from all generations, to reopen the school.

The former staff, though they supported the effort, were unable to return to their post. For many, the halls of Hogwarts would always be filled with the sight and sound of a dying student, a fallen colleague, or the pain of their own defeats. Whatever their reason not to return, they all agreed on one thing. The school would never be the same without the kind, but firm leadership of Albus Dumbledore. Their lives at Hogwarts were over, they could never go back.

The Ministry of Magic keeps a close watch on Hogwarts. The reopening is a trail of the staff and the school.

If it fails, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be closed.

Forever.