++++++
“Wake up, mate!”
“Harry, oh, please wake up; we can’t lose you…not you too!”
Harry could hear voices, and could tell they were in great distress. He had been listening for a while, unable to conjure the strength to open his eyes. He could tell his breathing was shallow, which was not normal. His body felt like it was encased in lead and he could feel something warm and sticky on his face and down the front of his robes.
After several seconds of trying to open his eyes in response to the pleas of the voices, Harry heard another sound enter the room. It was beautiful music, from a bird, but it was all around him and even seemed to be coming from inside him.
Fawkes, Harry thought, and he felt a new strength building within him.
Harry opened his eyes. Hermione let out a shriek and dissolved into uncontrolled tears. She buried her head in Ron’s shoulder. Ron looked at Harry, tears welling in his eyes as well. “Good to have you back, Harry.”
Harry sat up slowly and made to wipe the sticky substance off his face. He noticed it was blood. It all came back: the battle, the Killing Curse that didn’t work, the spell that finally did work, Luna dead, Ginny seriously injured.
“Ron, where’s Ginny?” Harry asked desperately. “She was right here.” He looked around and did not see her body, but there was blood everywhere.
Ron seemed pale but smiled. “She’s going to be all right, Harry. Fawkes landed beside her and healed her wounds, then grabbed her and disappeared. I think he took her to get checked out.”
Hermione’s sobbing lessened somewhat and she looked at Harry. Her eyes were shining and puffy from crying. “Harry, Luna’s…er…”
“She died,” Harry completed her sentence.
A look of surprise crossed Hermione’s face. “Yeah, how did you know?”
Harry shook his head, unable to figure out what he was feeling. “I’ll tell you later. How is Neville?”
Ron pointed over to the other end of the room where Neville sat, holding Luna gently in his arms. He seemed uninjured, but Harry could see the loss etched upon his face. Ron spoke quietly, “He may have a couple of broken ribs, but I don’t think he’s hurt too badly. I tried””
Ron’s words were cut off by the door slamming open. Instinctively, Harry, Ron and Hermione whipped out their wands but there was no need. A great mane of red hair erupted from the doorway. Ginny dashed across the threshold, followed by all the members of the Order that had been present for the ceremony, except Mr. Weasley.
“HARRY!” Ginny yelled as she fell to her knees and embraced him in a painfully tight hug. “You’re awake! Why didn’t you contact me?!”
Harry felt peace rush through his body. Just being held by Ginny made everything all right for him. She was sobbing into his shoulder and he held her as tightly as she was holding him. “Sorry,” was all that he could get out.
Looking around, while Ginny continued to clutch him tightly, Harry noticed that Fawkes had flown to Neville’s side and was singing quietly to him. Remus and Abe Dumbledore approached as well. Neville looked up, and Harry saw how pale he was and knew that no matter how much they would all miss Luna, Neville had suffered the greatest loss that day.
+++++
Two days later, the attack at the Ministry was all anyone could talk about. Harry and his friends were back at school. They had all been ordered to stay in the Hospital Wing until Madam Pomfrey was completely convinced they were back in perfect health. They all sat in their beds talking.
All except Neville, who appeared to be asleep. Hermione, who still had an orange paste on her shoulder from the Fire Whip Spell that Voldemort had hit her with, spoke in quiet tones. “Harry, you still haven’t explained how you knew about Luna.” Her eyes filled with tears, just as they did every time Luna was mentioned.
Harry had spent a sleepless night trying to figure out how he felt about what he’d seen. He now thought he understood his feelings. “Well, when I was unconscious I sort of saw her.”
Surprise spread across the faces of all his friends and Neville turned over to face them, wide awake. Harry explained what he’d seen in the Death Chamber. He told them about the joy in Luna’s face as she saw her mum and dad again. He explained that she knew that her role in this life was completed and the next great adventure was ahead of her. He also told them what Dumbledore had said about death.
“So Luna said to tell you all thank you for being so nice to her, and she stepped through the veil,” Harry finished.
Neville looked pale, but a small smile was on his face. “So she was okay with it. Dying, I mean. She wasn’t scared or anything?”
“No, I don’t think so. She told me, after Sirius died, that I would see him again. Then I saw her with her parents, and it all sort of makes sense. I think that’s why I just can’t get too upset about it. I know she’s happy. It’s like she’s home now.”
The rest fell into silence as they thought about Harry’s last words, but Harry could feel the tension and sadness ease, especially in Neville. They would all miss Luna, but they would celebrate her life instead of mourning her death.
The morning sun rose as they sat quietly together in the Hospital Wing. The quiet was broken by the arrival of a brown owl swooping through the window. It circled for a few seconds, then dove straight into the water jug sitting beside Hermione’s bed, splashing water everywhere.
“Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” she fumed as she extricated the owl from the jug. She tore the Daily Prophet from the owl’s leg, stuffed money into its pouch and tossed it back into the air. She then grabbed her wand and began drying her sheets.
“So, Ron, how’s your mum doing?” Harry asked. He had not brought up the fact that Percy had died that night in the Ministry. The spell that Voldemort had performed to ensure Percy’s death if he, Voldemort, were defeated, had taken effect as Harry was separating Voldemort’s soul from his body in the Death Chamber.
Ron’s eyes took on a hard look. “She’s been crying a lot, dad said yesterday. Stands to reason I guess but…” his voice trailed off and Harry quickly realized this was not a safe subject yet for him. Ginny, too, seemed to be fighting her emotions.
A gasp from Hermione broke the uncomfortable silence. “Oh, Harry, you aren’t going to believe this.” She turned the Prophet around and showed them all the headline. They all gathered around to read.
Two days after the assassination of Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, the Ministry is in an uproar, and chaos seems to be the order of the day. This situation was not helped by the recent resignation of Dolores Umbridge, former undersecretary to the Minister and former Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Headmistress.
It seems that during the battle at the award ceremony on behalf of Harry Potter, Ms. Umbridge was photographed transforming herself into a toad. There is no record of Ms. Umbridge registering as an Animagus, so her ability to transform into animal form came as quite a surprise to her co-workers.
“I was completely shocked that she was an Animagus,” says former Minister Cornelius Fudge. “I mean, I certainly would never have allowed her to hold such an important office if I had known she was unregistered.”
The resignation comes amid charges of corruption within the Ministry and rumours of medieval punishments used by Ms. Umbridge during her short stint as High Inquisitor and then Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Junior assistant in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Cho Change, said, “I remember she used to make people do lines with a quill that cut into your hand and used your own blood for ink. A friend of mine still has the scars on his hand.”
“A friend, my left eye,” Ginny spat angrily. Everyone else laughed.
“So Umbridge is out of the Ministry for good, huh?” Ron stated. “Serves the foul woman right. I wonder if she’ll get into trouble.”
“Oh yes, being an unregistered Animagus is a serious breach of wizarding law,” Hermione answered, causing the room to break into laughter again, since it was she who had taught them all how to be Animagi in the first place. “Well, I had a good reason for doing it, didn’t I?” Hermione responded huffily.
Ron kissed her on the cheek and smiled widely at her.
+++++
By the morning of the End of Term Feast, the real story of Voldemort’s defeat had circulated around the school. The Prophet had reported that the giant attack and murder of the Minister were truly only diversions so that one of the Death Eaters could get to Voldemort and revive him. But Harry Potter and his friends, now being called the “Ministry Six”, had managed to defeat Voldemort, sending his body through the veil.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. All those in the room, which was almost full, turned at once to see the new arrivals. Then they began staring and whispering, which was better than the first time the four of them had come down for dinner their first night out of the Hospital Wing. That evening the students had broken into thunderous applause.
Neville was already seated next to Seamus and Dean, both of whom were talking animatedly. Neville was sitting quietly, acting as if he could not hear them.
“So what are you going to do, Dean?” Seamus asked. “I think I’m going to take the summer off. Just be a lay about for a few weeks, then I’m off to Gringotts. I heard they are really hard up for curse-breakers, so even though I haven’t got Ancient Runes, I think I can get in.”
Dean looked skeptical at this, as well as Hermione as she took a seat next to Ron. Ginny sat next to Neville, with Harry on her other side. She patted Neville on the back and he seemed to brighten up almost immediately.
Harry had noticed that for that the last couple of days, Neville would go through spells of what looked like fits of depression, but as soon as someone began talking with him, he would snap out of it. Harry thought it would be some time before Neville was himself again, but in the last couple of days it had gotten easier for him.
“It’s not really fair,” Ginny began, turning to Harry. “You lot get to go off and start your lives, and I’m stuck here for another year. N.E.W.T.s are going to be dreadful.”
Harry smiled as she pouted. “I don’t think so, Ginny. And you’ll probably be Quidditch captain, so that’s something to look forward to.”
“Are you kidding? Trying to replace two players who were offered positions on the English team? You think that’s going to be easy?” Ginny was no longer pouting, but seemed genuinely mad.
Ron, ears turning slightly red, spoke. “Well, really, Ginny, it’s only one person. Harry wasn’t actually on the team all year, now was he?” Ginny threw her piece of toast at him.
Hermione continued their conversation. “Seamus has a point; what are you both doing? Are you going to try out for England or not?”
Harry and Ron exchanged grins and then nodded. In unison, Ginny and Hermione shrieked with joy and threw their arms around them. After causing a scene for several seconds, both young ladies got control of themselves.
Hermione, eyes bright with tears, was the first to speak. “Oh, Ron, that’s wonderful; I mean, I just couldn’t be prouder of you.” Harry thought Hermione may burst with pride.
The conversation continued about England’s team and their chances of making the first team for several more minutes. Students from other houses began to come over as they found out that Ron and Harry would be playing for England.
“Well if Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are playing for England, I think the Cup is a sure thing!” proclaimed Ernie Macmillan as he walked back to the Hufflepuff table.
Terry Boot inquired to Ginny, “Do you think Ron or Harry could get me tickets?” Harry and Ron were both more than a little embarrassed as two second-year Ravenclaw boys approached them and asked for their autographs.
Eventually, the chaos around them subsided and the post owls arrived. Hermione took her copy of the Daily Prophet and then set it aside without looking at it. “Say, Neville, what are you doing after we leave?”
Neville was holding a small bit of parchment in his hand, looking almost frightened by it. “I don’t really know yet. First I’ll go back to my Gran’s but I don’t really fancy being there long.” He lapsed back into silence, still absorbed in the parchment.
“Neville, what’s that?” Ginny inquired, leaning over to try and read the address.
“It’s from, erm, from the Spore Institute of Herbology.”
Hermione responded with an “ohh” but none of the others knew what the Spore Institute of Herbology was. “Neville, that’s a really prestigious school. Didn’t Professor Sprout go there?” asked Hermione.
Neville blushed. “Yeah she’s the one who told me about it. She said that I could get in, but…” He fell into silence.
“Go on then, open it,” Ron encouraged.
Neville opened the letter. He read it quickly, his eyes getting larger and larger. By the end, his mouth was hanging open and he looked shocked. “I got in. I begin on the first of August as a junior fellow in the College of Herbologists!”
For the second time in that breakfast, a loud cheer erupted in the Great Hall. Neville was inundated with slaps on the back from the boys and hugs from the girls seated at the Gryffindor table.
On that high note, breakfast ended and Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville exited the Great Hall. Neville went down to the greenhouses to find Professor Sprout. The others walked out on the grounds. It was cloudy and windy, but they didn’t care. It was nice to just be out without the weight of the wizarding world hanging over them.
“Hermione, you haven’t told them what you’re doing this summer,” Ron said with a grin.
Hermione went pink around the cheeks. “Well,” she began as Harry and Ginny leaned against their favourite birch tree, “I will be getting ready to teach next year, won’t I?”
Ginny let out a little squeal of delight. “You’re coming back to Hogwarts to teach next year?”
Hermione smiled broadly. “Yes. McGonagall asked me to earlier this year. Of course I couldn’t commit to it until we took care of”well, you know”but now I’m all set. Of course, Ginny, I will expect top marks from you,” Hermione added, putting on her best McGonagall face.
Ginny laughed, but Harry was sure Hermione meant every word of what she said.
They sat in silence for several minutes, watching the clouds roll past. Harry was thinking about all the lives that had been put on hold that were now beginning afresh. He watched as Charlie walked across the ground with Buckbeak the Hippogriff, who had a bulging stomach as if he had eaten something very large all at once.
Harry reflected upon what they had lost, but also what they had gained in the war with Voldemort. He had to smile at everything this small group of misfits had accomplished over the course of the year. He was still contemplating this as Collin Creevey ran up to them. “Ginny, Ron, have you seen this?” He was shaking a copy of the Prophet violently as he approached them.
He handed the paper to Ginny, but they all could see the front page clearly: A moving picture of Mr. Weasley dueling with two wizards at once during the battle at the Ministry, but that was not the surprising part. As they examined the picture more closely, they discovered that none other than Rita Skeeter was being shielded by him as he dueled. They gathered around to read the article.
Special to the Daily Prophet by reporter Rita Skeeter.
During the night in which You Know Who was killed by the Ministry Six, personal friends of yours truly, another heroic deed was taking place in the Press room of the Ministry of Magic. Ministry official Arthur Weasley was single-handedly protecting, again yours truly, from the attack by the vicious former Death Eaters that had escaped confinement.
This daring man showed the kind of courage and fortitude that has been sorely lacking in the Ministry during the last several years, leaving this reporter to wonder: is it time to have a real man at the top in the Ministry of Magic?
“Blimey,” Ron whispered, “You don’t think dad would want this?” he asked no one in particular.
Ginny, whose eyes were so wide with shock she looked distinctly like Professor Trelawney, replied, “Surely not. Dad always wanted to just work with Muggles. He didn’t even want the promotion he got, except that he knew it was a good place to fight Voldemort.”
“Dad isn’t interested,” said Charlie flatly as he approached. “I talked to him this morning, popped in for breakfast before coming here this morning.” Fang bounded over to Harry and flopped down on the ground beside him, putting his head in Harry’s lap and proceeding to drool all over his robes. Ginny absentmindedly scratched Fang’s ear.
“Charlie, how’s Buckbeak?” Hermione asked.
Charlie stood there for a moment, a look of confusion marking his face. “Who? Oh yeah, you mean Witherwings. I forgot you lot know him by something different,” he finally replied, comprehension dawning on his face. “He’s doing well. Still not eating, but I guess he will when he’s hungry again. Have a good morning, you lot. Come on, Fang!”
Fang sprang to his feet and lumbered after Charlie towards the pumpkin patch. “I wonder why Buckbeak isn’t hungry,” Ginny mused aloud. “He always ate like mad when he was at Headquarters.”
Harry was feeling a little squeamish. He knew why the Hippogriff had suddenly gone off food. He had seen the beast snatch up a ferret that had only moments before been Draco Malfoy. When he told his friends this, the reaction was mixed.
“No more than he deserved,” Ron spat, but he looked a bit green.
“Does anyone deserve to be eaten by a…a Hippogriff?” Hermione added.
Ginny looked rather angry. “He did, Hermione!”
Harry sat there quietly for a moment, wondering if Malfoy had gotten what he deserved. He could not help but remember the insane look of delight on Malfoy’s face when he killed the old defenseless man in the Ministry, but he also remembered the boy who had been unwilling to kill Dumbledore.
He wondered if somehow, if Malfoy could have been removed from the influence of his father and Voldemort, then perhaps he could have been redeemed. “We’ll never know now,” and there was a small pang of regret.
++++++
That evening they walked down together to the Great Hall for the End of Term Feast. Harry was leading the way, holding Ginny’s hand. As they reached the top of the marble staircase, they saw a group of Hufflepuffs making their way up from their basement common room. Harry and the others reached the bottom just ahead of them.
“I reckon McGonagall’s going to say something about the fight at the Ministry tonight before we go,” Ernie Macmillan stated, smiling broadly at Harry and the others.
Hannah Abbot responded, “Good”they did something incredible and they should be honored for it. I think they all deserve the Order of Merlin, first class for fighting You Know Who like that.”
Harry noticed Ginny roll her eyes. Still can’t say his stupid name, can they!? she thought to Harry. He smiled and began thinking about how much fun they were going to have this summer before he and Ron had to report to training camp. He was barely listening to the conversation behind him.
“I wouldn’t say that, Hannah,” Zacharias Smith stated. “I mean, sure Potter deserves one and maybe Granger and the Weasleys, but what could Longbottom have done, and old Loony, what could she have done? Maybe attack with a””
Whatever creature Smith was going to say, no one would ever know. Before he could finish his sentence, Ginny had wrenched her hand out of Harry’s. He turned and was very surprised to see Zacharias Smith pinned against a stone wall. Neville and Ron had actually lifted him off the ground several inches, both of them growling menacingly. Ginny and Hermione had their wands drawn, pointed at his face.
“Don’t call her that,” Hermione said in the same dangerously calm voice she had used in front of the Dursleys eleven months ago.
“Ever again!” Neville growled.
“Move along now, everyone,” Professor Flitwick squeaked from the doorway to the Great Hall. “No sense in getting detention on the last night of term now, is there?” They released Smith from their grasp. He was panting and very pale, but tried to save face by approaching Flitwick. “Thank you, Professor. I don’t know what they would have done if you hadn’t come along and threatened them with detention.”
The tiny professor looked up, glowering at the much taller student. “Oh, don’t thank me, Mr. Smith; it was you who would have been in detention. You will not insult someone from my house in my presence again”especially not someone who has brought more honor to that house than anyone I can remember. Is that clear?”
Harry had never seen Professor Flitwick so angry” not the time Seamus blew up their feather in first year, or the time that Neville had banished him across the room in fifth year, or even the time Seamus got detention for spraying water all over the Charms classroom.
Smith lost all his arrogance and said, “Yes, Professor,” sulkily and walked, alone, to his table. Harry smiled widely at the little professor, who in turn smiled back and gave him a little pat on the arm.
The feast that evening was incredible. After everyone was finished, Professor McGonagall rose and stood in front of her seat. It was the first time that year that she had sat in the headmaster chair. She had intentionally left it unoccupied for a year, out of respect for Professor Dumbledore. “Students, another year as been completed and there are few things that I must announce. First, I would like all of us to raise a glass to Miss Luna Lovegood, who was killed attempting to help protect her friends, and all of us, from the destruction of all we hold dear.”
Almost as one, those in the Great Hall stood, even most of the Slytherins, and raised their glasses. Harry looked around at the others, and as McGonagall said loudly, “To Luna Lovegood,” Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Hermione, all with shining eyes, said quietly, “To our friend.”
The room broke into applause for Luna. Harry wondered if, had she been there to experience this, Luna would have cared, or even noticed. She had never been one to put much store in what others thought. He smiled as the image of her talking about the Rotfang Conspiracy the night of Slughorn’s party flashed into his mind.
McGonagall continued, “Next I would like to congratulate a seventh year who has brought great honor to this school.”
Harry looked up quickly, startled. He had hoped that she wouldn’t make a big deal about his battle with Voldemort. The Prophet was already doing that enough for anyone. He looked around at the others, and all were beaming at him, but he felt like he may be a little sick.
“It has recently come to my attention that one of our number has been accepted into one of the most prestigious institutes in all the world.”
Harry was very confused for a moment, then realized that she wasn’t talking about him. She was speaking of Neville.
“Neville Longbottom, if you would please stand?” McGonagall requested. Neville rose, turning every bit as red as Ron had ever managed. “Neville, congratulations upon entering the Spore Institute of Herbology. Make us proud!” A very unMcGonagall-like grin crossed her face.
Neville had only once looked more surprised than he did at this moment. It had been their first year, when the House Cup was awarded to Gryffindor on the basis of the ten points he had won.
Again applause broke out around the table, but none applauded harder than Harry and the others.
“Finally, I would like to announce that beginning next year, on the twentieth of July, Hogwarts will be playing host to the English National Quidditch team as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup.”
All the students stood up and cheered at this announcement, but none more than Ginny, who was not going to be left alone for her final year. Or more importantly, she was not going to be left without Harry for her final year.
++++++
The next day, Harry decided to ride the train back to London with the others, although he was going out of his way. He planned on going back to Godric’s Hollow and had asked Dobby to take his trunk, Hedwig, and Fawkes back there for him. Dobby had enthusiastically agreed, but before he could move, Fawkes had vanished in a great ball of fire. Dobby gathered the rest of his belongings and with a loud Crack was gone.
Remus and Tonks, who had snuck off a couple of days after the final battle to be married, would be staying there as well, and he hoped that they could help him get some furniture for his parents’ old house. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay there, but it would at least be ready if he ever did.
Hermione was going to spend some time with her parents over the summer, and Ron was planning on going to visit them a few times as well. Hermione insisted that Ginny, who was still too young to Apparate, come too so they could make wedding plans. Ron and Hermione set a date for the tenth of Jun, 2000.
“At least you’ll always know how many years you’ve been married,” Harry had joked with Ron when they told him on the train.
Neville was headed back to his Gran’s but promised to see them all before he left for the Institute.
Harry figured he was going to be putting in a lot of time on the flying motorcycle before the end of the summer.
They reached King’s Cross station, and for the last time, Harry believed, he exited the red Hogwarts Express. All the Weasleys were there to greet them, as well as Remus and Tonks, who had not gone on a honeymoon yet. Harry greeted everyone enthusiastically but then separated himself from the crowd and watched.
Remus noticed him standing off to the side and walked over. “All right there, Harry?”
“Yeah,” Harry replied, a smile spreading across his face. “I was just thinking about the prophecy. ‘Neither can live while the other survives.’ I just think it’s a bit odd. It all seems to be over now.” His smile broke ever so slightly.
“But it’s not over, Harry. Now is the time for you to live. Voldemort’s gone, and you have earned that.” Lupin wrapped his arm around Harry and pulled him back to the group. They made their way out of the station towards a group of Ministry cars.
“Shacklebolt arranged these for us,” Arthur said as the whole group was herded across the street.
Harry turned to Ginny, to say good bye, but she met him with a long, passionate kiss. Harry could hear her brothers beginning to make angry noises behind him.
Ginny broke the kiss and began to make an angry response, but Harry grabbed her face and turned her head to meet his eyes. “You’re worth it,” he whispered with a soft smile.
She smiled back. “You’re worth it too.”
They kissed again.
+++++
A/N: And now Harry can get on with the living his life and enjoying himself. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. For those that were concerned, I could never kill Ginny. Thanks go out to my pre-betas, Cableguymom and Kerrbear. Thanks also to my wonderful betas Ginny Guerra who started working with me about half way through, and JenC who has been diligently correcting me from the very beginning. If you enjoyed this story those four ladies deserve a lot of the credit.
Up next, a happy epilogue as we see what is happening 20 years or so in the future.