The Girl Who Lived
By Misha

Author's Notes- This is the last chapter of the first part of "The Girl Who Lived". There are six more parts to come and the story is going to break with cannon more and more as it progresses, but the first book ends here after several months, 24 chapters, 91 pages, and 23,603 words. It won't be long before I start on "The Girl Who Lived: The Chamber of Secrets", but first I am going to take a brief break and work on some of my other stories. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this and especially to those who have sent feedback, it is quite appreciated. Well, that's all, thank you and enjoy!

Disclaimer and Rating in Prologue.

Part Twenty-Four- The End of the First Year

Hallie, much to Madame Pomfrey's disapproval, was given permission to go to the end-of-year feast. Which was good, since she couldn't bear the idea of sitting in the hospital wing when everyone else was celebrating.

Slytherin had won the House Cup with Ravenclaw coming in second, but that was okay. There was always next year.

Before being discharged, Hallie had two visitors.

The first was Hagrid, full of remorse about accidentally letting it slip to Quirrell how to get passed Fluffy. Apparently, Quirrell, disguised in dark robes, had managed to get the information out of a tipsy Hagrid.

Hagrid was sobbing that it was all his fault and it took Hallie several minutes to get him to calm down and to reassure him that she didn't hold it against him.

He had brought her a present as well, an album full of wizarding pictures of her parents. She had seen pictures of them before, but always the Muggle variety and never any of them with her.

It was strange to see them smiling and waving from the pages. It was a wonderful gift, one that Hallie treasured and she thanked Hagrid for it enthusiastically.

Her second visitor was Professor Snape.

"Miss Potter, I see you're doing better." The Professor told her.

"Almost back to normal." Hallie said with a laugh.

"Does that mean that you won't be rushing off recklessly again?" The Professor inquired silkily.

"Not for a while, at least." Hallie promised.

"I took five points off Ravenclaw for direct disobedience." The Professor told her.

Hallie grimaced. "I suppose that's fair, I did break a promise."

"For the best of reasons." The Potion's Master told her. "Your mother would have done the same, I believe. She was not a reckless, foolhardy woman, but she was no coward. She did what she believed was right."

"She died to save me." Hallie said quietly.

"Yes, she did."

Hallie paused, trying to find the words for what she wanted to say. "Quirrell... He said that you and she had a dark history." She said finally, stumbling over the words.

Snape's face was impossible to read. "He is not wrong." He said finally. "Everyone has a story in their past and your mother is a part of mine, but it is not a story that you are ready to hear."

Professor Snape looked her straight in the eye. "Someday, if you ask, I may tell you." He told her. "When I believe that you are ready to hear it, but this is not the day."

Hallie nodded in acceptance. "People keep saying that." Hallie said, making a face, then she sighed. "Oh, well, I can wait, I guess."

She considered asking him about the bracelet she had received at Christmas, but knew that this was not the time. The moment would come, later, when she was older.
***

The end-of-year feast turned out to be quite surprising.

At the last minute, Dumbledore awarded 50 points each to Padma, Hermione and Ron and 60 to Hallie for their bravery.

That brought Ravenclaw from four hundred and twenty-one points to five hundred and eighty-one and the House Cup!

Hallie was quite thrilled, as was all of her House, which celebrated it's first win in many years enthusiastically.

After the feast, Draco approached her.

"Congratulations." He told her.

"Sorry that Slytherin lost." Hallie said, meaning it just a little bit.

Draco shrugged. "It happens. I'm just glad that Gryffindor didn't win."

Hallie giggled. "Draco!"

"What?" He asked innocently. "I'm a Slytherin, I'm not supposed to like them."

"All right, I suppose." Hallie agreed.

"You are coming to visit this summer, right?" Draco asked.

Hallie smiled. "Yep. I wrote Mum and she agreed, but she wants me to stay home until my birthday and then I can go visiting."

"Great!" Draco told her. "I'll write and tell you when."

Hallie nodded and then she saw Padma and Hermione motioning for her.

"I have to go." She told him. "If I don't see you on the train tomorrow, then have a good summer."

"You too." Draco told her.

Hallie smiled again and then hurried off to meet her friends.
***

The exam marks came in the morning before they left and, just like Quirrell had said, Hallie was top of her year. Hermione was second, Draco third, and Padma fourth.

Padma was diplomatic about it, having expected to come in after both of her friends.

Suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays; Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; the were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and cots; pulling into platform nine and three quarters at King's Cross Station.

It took a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

Hallie promised Padma and Hermione that she would visit over the summer and heralded calls as she moved forward towards the gate that would take her back to the Muggle world. She hugged her friends goodbye, said hello to Ron's Mum and little sister and then searched for her aunt and uncle.

"Hallie!"

Hallie turned in the direction of her name and ran into her aunt's waiting arms.

"Oh, darling, I've missed you." Petunia told her, hugging her tightly.

"I've missed you too, Mum." Hallie said, drinking in the familiar scent. "I have so much to tell you!"

"I can't wait to hear all about it." Petunia said, releasing Hallie so that she could hug Vernon and Dudley.

Once she was done, Petunia slipped her arm around her shoulders. "You can tell me all about your year on the way home."

Hallie grinned and waved to her friends one last time, before excitedly launching into her tale as she and her family exited the station.

It had been quite a year, but, boy, did it feel good to be home.

The End

darcyfan87- Nope, not going to abandon this one anytime soon, though I will be taking a short break before embarking on part two. I'm glad you like Draco's gift-it will have significance ater on.

Xirleb70- She does, doesn't she? Anyway, I'm glad you like it.

Prue Halliwell-Trudeau- I'm glad you like it, that means a lot to me.

J.M. - I can understand how you can be harsh after reading the amazing Draco Dormiens. It really is an incredible story, much better than anything I could turn out. Still, I'm glad you've decided to keep reading this one.

SocialButterfly- Yay! Praise. I'm glad you think I'm doing much better than I was at the beginning. I find the first part of anything tends to go slow. I'm looking forward to later in this when I get to break with cannon more or less completely. I'm keeping it on a similar track for now, which limits creative freedom a bit. I'm glad that you decided to keep reading it and that your strating to enjoy it. Don't worry, I know I can always do better and I strive to. Still, thank you so much for the praise and for the earlier critism, since it was helpful.