From Chapter 4—

Auror Tonks now was looking at the floor. "I also, erm, came here to apologise. I'm related to you, Harry—my mum's grandfather was the brother of your grandmother. I was a seventh-year Hufflepuff prefect when you two were firsties, and I wanted to introduce myself, but I never did."

Tonks's age here, and how she is related to Harry, are not strictly canon, but they work better for my story.

The date of Dumbledore's death, 8th March 2021, is the same date as when this last chapter is posted.

I did something different with Dumbledore in this story. I did not work him to death in a goblin mine, or send him through the Veil, or Kiss him. Strictly speaking, all that happens to him in this chapter is that he is sent to Azkaban and dies years later, of more-or-less natural causes. But I also poetic-justiced his arse.

Chapter 18
The Next Twenty-Six Years

Dinnertime
Still Sunday, 3rd September 1995
Hogwarts Castle

The three teens Apparated from Riddle Manor directly to the seventh-floor corridor that ran by the tapestry of the ballet-dancing trolls. Harry asked the girls, "Do we need to visit the Room of Requirement for anything?"

Both Hermione and Luna shook their heads.

Harry said, "Let's go down to the Great Hall, so we don't miss dinner. Oh, and whilst we're there? If anyone mentions Snape being dead, please don't mention that we were there, and don't mention that I killed him. Pretend ignorance."

Hermione put her arms round both Luna and Harry. "Speaking of Professor Snape—you two saved my life. Have I thanked you properly?"

Luna said, "You're worth saving, Hermione Potter."

A male voice said, "Speaking of lives worth saving, may I interrupt?"

Now standing in the corridor with the teens was the incarnation of death, scythe and all. This time Harry did not panic; he asked with remarkable calm, "How can we help you, Thanatos?"

Thanatos replied, "I came here to tell you that I've kept my promise, Harry James Potter. You now have 985 more years of life." All three teenagers grinned.

Then Thanatos's voice shifted, becoming authoritative: "Also, I wish to tell you three, speaking as the army general I was, back six thousand years ago, that how you three handled Tom Marvolo Riddle and his murderous minions was sheer genius. Riddle died, you directly killed many twenties of his minions, and all three of you went unharmed. Be proud, all three of you."

In response to Thanatos's words, Luna kissed Harry on the cheek, then Hermione kissed Harry on the lips. Harry suspected that Thanatos did not often see mortals kissing in his presence.

A minute later

Harry walked into the Great Hall, arm-in-arm and arm-in-arm with Hermione and Luna. In the Great Hall, the trio were told that Snape was dead (cause unspecified). The three teens also were told that Dumbledore had been escorted, whilst wearing magic-suppressing handcuffs, through the Great Hall and out of the castle by Madam Bones, Senior Auror Grenwick and two other Aurors. Professor McGonagall now was Acting Headmistress.

Hermione murmured, "As many problems as Professor Dumbledore has caused you, Harry, he deserves the public humiliation of being 'perp-walked.' "

Lastly, so the trio was told, some older Slytherin students suddenly had screamed, then died, right here in the Great Hall, only a few minutes ago. Harry looked at Hermione and Luna and said, "What a shock."

After dinner
In the Gryffindor fifth-year boys' dormitory

Harry asked Dobby to deliver a joint letter to Sirius and to Remus: "Peter Pettigrew and Fenrir Greyback are dead. We saw them die. In Fenrir's case, I caused it."

Sirius immediately elf-mailed back: "THANK YOU. A THOUSAND TIMES I SAY IT: THANK YOU."

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room

Manchester Magical Academy (MMA) offered correspondence courses in Muggle secondary-school subjects. Hermione had managed to take only two correspondence courses during her Hogwarts years; the rest of Hermione's "free" time since September 1991 had been spent researching a thousand topics so Harry would stay alive.

Now, with Voldemort dead, Hermione wrote to MMA and asked for a catalogue of all their correspondence courses. Hermione intended to get a Muggle secondary-school education in three years (or as close to this as she could achieve). She knew Harry always would be proud of her, but she wanted to make her parents proud as well.

As Hermione owl-mailed her letter to MMA, she asked herself, Which uni do I want to attend someday, Oxford or Cambridge?

The next day (Monday, 4th September)
At breakfast in the Great Hall

The Daily Prophet headline screamed, "DEATH EATERS DIE! YKW DEAD TOO?"

Below this headline, the Prophet reported that throughout Britain yesterday, a number of Purebloods suddenly screamed, then died. This included Pureblood prisoners in Azkaban. All of the dead Purebloods were found to have the Dark Mark on their forearms.

Nobody whom the newspaper interviewed, had explanations how or why. Nobody at Saint Mungo's even had guesses. Saul Croaker of the Unspeakables was quoted as saying, "We have reason to believe that You-Know-Who died yesterday. If so, the deaths of Death Eaters probably relate to Voldemort's death."

Harry sarcastically murmured to Hermione, "Brilliant. So much for keeping our little war quiet."

Later that day, during this term's first day of classes

To Harry, it was obvious that the Slytherins, both in class and in the Great Hall, were nervous. After all, with Snape dead, Dumbledore arrested and Grenwick on the prowl, the Slytherin bullies no longer were protected.

Professor-slash-Auror Grenwick led his fifth-year Gryffindor/Slytherin DADA class in a question-and-answer session. He asked the class questions, and asked students to do demonstrations, that students who had completed four years of DADA supposedly should know.

Harry and Hermione, and Daphne Greengrass, were the only students who did not embarrass themselves in class.

In fifth-year Gryffindor/Slytherin Potions, the class got another Q&A&Demo session, this time led by Potions Master Übersuppe, who spoke with a German accent. (Übersuppe forcefully told the fifth-years that he was not going to be their new Potions professor.) Übersuppe spent the entire class period writing onto a clipboard with a ballpoint pen(!) as he asked, listened and watched.

As time passed, Übersuppe's expression changed from a frown, to a deep frown, to a scowl. At the end of class, Hermione bravely raised her hand and asked him why he was unhappy.

Übersuppe replied, "Earlier today, I assessed the fifth-year Yellows and Blues; in this class, I assess fifth-year Greens and Reds. It is shameful that from four Houses, only the Greens know Potions as they should. Potions Master Snape was the"—angrily spoken German words—"teacher."

Four days later
Friday, 8th September
Courtroom Ten, Ministry of Magic

Albus was told by an Auror that the five students whom Nigel had overzealously arrested for playing a rough prank on Miss Lovegood, today were expelled from Hogwarts and their wands were snapped. Albus mourned the five lives ruined because of a trifle.

Then it was time for Albus's own trial.

As the chains-chair wrapped chains round Albus's arms and legs, he looked about the courtroom. Before, when he had been Chief Warlock, everyone except for seat-holders in the Dark Faction had looked at Albus with friendly faces; but today every seat-holder's face was unreadable or frowning.

Albus was puzzled why Harry, Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood were seated in the trial-witnesses section of the courtroom instead of sitting in the spectators' gallery. Then the trial began, and Albus got the answer to his question—big time.

Miss Granger told how she, Harry and Miss Lovegood were mock-dueling when Miss Lovegood suddenly gave Miss Granger a warning, "The headmaster has ordered Professor Snape to kill your parents today!" Harry and Miss Granger both completely believed the strange warning.

The three teens Apparated to the parental Grangers' workplace—neither Albus nor Severus had considered the possibility that the Grangers would be working on a Sunday—and the magical teens told the Grangers to not come home till Miss Granger said it was okay. Then the magical teens Apparated to the Granger house.

Miss Granger, using the Directionis Homeni spell, determined that Snape was in the house alone. Harry ordered Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood to Disillusion themselves, to Apparate into the house, and to silently move to get behind Severus, making a triangle that would surround Severus. After a machine in the garage (which is the room where automobiles are stored) made a loud noise twice, Harry suddenly appeared beside the stairs within the sitting room that led up to the bedrooms.

.

Madam Bones: If I understand you correctly, with you and Miss Lovegood Disillusioned, Professor Snape believed that Lord Potter entered the house alone.

Hermione Potter: Exactly. Then Harry ordered Professor Snape to drop his wand, to leave the house and to not come back. Professor Snape actually dropped his wand. He told Harry that he'd made a vow to Harry's dead mum, there in Godric's Hollow, that he'd protect her son, so he'd not duel Harry in my parents' house or anywhere else. Everything was fine, nobody was going to be hurt, then I ruined everything!

Madam Bones: What did you do?

Hermione Potter: I cancelled my Disillusionment, then I yelled at Professor Snape—I can't remember my exact words, but it was something about him planning to kill my parents and being a bad friend. Then Snape's wand, which had been on the carpet, jumped into his hand. He spun round as he yelled, "Lily's son's wife? Outside my vow! Sectumsempra!" He made a slashing motion with his wand, and a curse was headed towards me! Meanwhile, he pointed his wand towards Harry and cast Protego, I'm guessing he did this so Professor Snape would have a shield up to block whatever attack Harry made.

.

The courtroom was completely silent.

.

Madam Bones: The spell-trace report on Professor Snape's wand is entered into evidence as Exhibit 1. The last two spells cast with this wand were Sectumsempra and Protego. Lady Potter, please tell us what happened next.

Hermione Potter: Luna suddenly appeared and cast Protego. The magical shield formed in front of me just in time to absorb the curse. Meanwhile, Harry yelled, "Lancia! Lancia!" Harry's Piercing Hexes punched through Professor Snape's Protego like it were parchment, then hit Professor Snape in the heart twice. He dropped like a rock.

Madam Bones: So Lord Potter was willing to let Professor Snape leave your parents' house without Lord Potter hurting the professor, till Professor Snape tried to kill you. Then Lord Potter killed Professor Snape to protect you.

Hermione Potter: It wouldn't be the first time. Harry killed a troll to save me when we were first-years.

.

Albus, acting in his own defence, tried to get Miss Granger questioned with Veritaserum. Minister Fudge would not allow this. Next, Albus tried to put Miss Granger on the defensive for her underage Apparation. This backfired—

.

The Defendant: Miss Granger, when you traveled to your parents' workplace, then to your parents' house, then to places within the house, was this by elf-popping, by Floo, by Portkey or by Apparation?

Hermione Potter: Please address me by my rightful title of Lady Potter, Professor Dumbledore. You know better. To answer your question, all three of us made all our moves by Apparation.

The Defendant: I am shocked that you three were willing to do something illegal and reckless like underage Apparation. I am concerned for your safety.

Hermione Potter: That's funny, you weren't one bit concerned for my safety—or anyone else's safety—when the basilisk was roaming freely through Hogwarts two years ago. I remind you that the basilisk petrified me; and it was Harry, not you, who slayed the basilisk. You did nothing—you didn't even close the school and send kids home!

.

Then Amelia brought Harry up to testify. Harry's testimony started with Miss Lovegood's warning, then continued up through and including two Aurors arriving at the scene after Harry had killed Severus.

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Harry Potter: One of the Aurors, whilst searching through Snape's pockets, pulled out a parchment. Written on the parchment were both of Hermione's parents' names and their Muggle street address. But what struck me immediately was the handwriting—I recognised it as Dumbledore's.

Madam Bones: The parchment that Auror Kinnick found has been labelled Exhibit 2. Lord Potter, how did you recognise the handwriting on the parchment as the defendant's?

Harry Potter: Dumbledore had written a letter to my Aunt Petunia on 1st November 1981. His handwriting is quite distinctive: His L's are loopy, and he dots his I's with little circles. Anyway, when you put my aunt and uncle on trial, that 1981 letter was shown in court.

Madam Bones: A certified copy of the 1st November 1981 letter from Albus Dumbledore to Petunia Dursley is entered into evidence as Exhibit 3.

.

This was when Albus knew he was going to prison. There was more trial stuff afterwards—about Confundusing Susan Bones, and about choosing the Greater Good over the safety of students when the basilisk was making trouble. The icing on the shit-cake was Albus being questioned under Veritaserum about Snape and the Grangers, about Susan Bones and about the basilisk.

But those problems came later. When Harry showed that Albus had given Severus the means to find Miss Granger's parents at home, so Severus could kill them at home without either Muggles or magicals knowing—Albus could tell at a glance that no seat-holder would vote for his acquittal. Even Arthur Weasley was scowling.

Albus was found guilty. He was sentenced to 162 years and six months in Azkaban: one year for conspiracy to murder nonmagical relatives of Lord Harry Potter and of Lady Hermione Potter (i.e, Daniel and Emma Granger); six months for casting the Confundus Charm without permission on a Pureblood minor (i.e, Susan Bones), and 161 years for 322 counts of endangerment of a magical child (because of the basilisk at Hogwarts).

Albus also was given a lifetime ban from coming near children (not that it mattered).

The problem for Albus, once he was thrown into Azkaban, was: How was Harry going to destroy the horcruxes and to defeat Tom without Albus's wise guidance?

Three days later
Monday, 11th September
The Great Hall, Hogwarts

Professor McGonagall made three announcements at breakfast.

First, the Board of Governors had confirmed her as Headmistress of Hogwarts, and had confirmed Filius Flitwick as Deputy Headmaster.

Second, McGonagall had hired a new Potions professor and Head of Slytherin, Andromeda Tonks. Professor Tonks had been a Healer at Saint Mungo's until yesterday, McGonagall informed the Great Hall.

Professor Tonks stood up and gave a short speech. She mentioned her birth family, the Blacks. "I'm the sister of Narcissa Black and of Bellatrix Black, and a cousin to Sirius Black—maybe you've heard of them?" Some students laughed; many students hissed in fear.

Professor Tonks mentioned her pink-haired daughter Nymphadora, "whom you students fifth-year and above will remember, and whom Auror Grenwick definitely will remember." Grenwick laughed.

Then Professor Tonks mentioned her husband Ted, "a law-wizard and a Muggle-born. Yes, Slytherin students, your Head of House is a blood-traitor. Deal with it."

McGonagall's third announcement was that yesterday, Auror Grenwick had come across two Pureblood seventh-year Ravenclaw students hexing a Muggle-born Gryffindor first-year. The two Ravenclaw students had been arrested.

What McGonagall did not mention—perhaps she did not know—was that Auror Grenwick, before he had made the arrests, had been talking with Luna, and the two had wandered through the castle as they had talked. Without being obvious about it, Luna had led the Auror straight to where the firstie boy was being bullied.

One week later
Monday, 18th September
The Great Hall, Hogwarts

The latest issue of Witch Weekly had an article in it, "The Bookworm's Rescuer." The article made Harry out to be Hermione's chivalrous knight in shining armour. The troll incident, and Harry killing Snape, who was Hermione's would-be killer, both were described in the most romantic terms imaginable. Facts were of secondary importance.

Witches of all Hogwarts Houses and from all years—even Tracey Davis and Hannah Abbott—asked Harry to autograph their copy of the magazine. Harry's reply always was "Sure, I'll autograph it—so long as Hermione signs it first."

The next day
Tuesday, 19th September 1995
Hermione's sixteenth birthday

Hermione Apparated to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. There she collected Sirius and Remus. Those two wizards Side-Along Apparated Hermione to the Ministry building, where she applied for her Apparation license. Since Voldemort now was dead, there was no longer any reason for Hermione's Apparation skills not to be "official."

To nobody's surprise, once Hermione went through the rigmarole to get her Apparation license, she qualified for it.

To celebrate Hermione's sixteenth birthday and her new Apparation license (and to also secretly celebrate the death of Voldemort), Sirius and Remus took Hermione to the Executive Dining Room on Level Five of the Ministry of Magic. They bought Hermione two slices of chocolate cake. (Dentists' daughters seldom get to eat chocolate cake.)

Whilst the three magicals were eating and talking in the Executive Dining Room, a witch in her forties walked up. As Hermione was autographing the blue-haired witch's copy of Witch Weekly, the woman asked, "Is Harry Potter really like how he's described in the article?"

Hermione's grin was a mile wide. "Harry is like this every day. It's one of the reasons I treasure being his soulmate."

Throughout the dining room, witches' voices said, "Aww."

Eighteen days later
Saturday, 7th October

The Daily Prophet reported that a joint team of Aurors and Unspeakables discovered a supposedly Muggle property, Riddle Manor, that had wards surrounding the manor house, but those wards had been breached in one place.

When the Aurors and Unspeakables entered the grounds through the wards-breach, they found, quite dead: one giant snake, eight naked men (presumably werewolves), 126 Death Eaters in robes and masks, Fenrir Greyback and (what the team believed to be) Tom Marvolo Riddle, a.k.a Lord Voldemort.

No bodies were found that might belong to Riddle Manor's attacker or attackers.

All the corpses that were found had been dead for about a month and were severely decomposed. Many of the corpses were animal-eaten.

One month dead meant that the Spell Cause of Death, when not obvious at a glance, could not be determined. Likewise, so much time had passed that the team could not collect the killers' magical signatures from the spells.

In short, the identities of the wizards who had killed You-Know-Who, nine werewolves, 126 Death Eaters, and a giant snake, were mysteries.

When the Daily Prophet reported the news about the grisly discovery at Riddle Manor, the Great Hall of Hogwarts was rife with rumours and speculation. However, because Harry and Hermione had long since established that they were not interested in gossip, nobody asked them (or Luna) who they thought You-Know-Who's killers might be.

Even so, at breakfast that morning, Harry noticed Headmistress McGonagall giving him long looks with a raised eyebrow.

Three months later
Monday, 1st January 1996

Sirius and Amelia got married at Bones Manor.

Before Yule break, Harry, Hermione and Luna had personally handed a wedding invitation to Senior Auror Grenwick in his office at Hogwarts.

One of the people invited to the wedding and to the wedding breakfast (wedding reception) was Headmistress McGonagall. The morning after the celebrations, when she entered the headmistress's office at Hogwarts, she found on her desk, Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem. The two Founders' Artifacts, so McGonagall quickly discovered, were undamaged and were magically in perfect working order. McGonagall found no note saying who had left the Founders' artifacts there. The Hogwarts house-elves could tell the headmistress nothing.

Five months later
Sunday, 2nd June 1996
Hogwarts SOW&W

The Weasley twins, about a week before the start of their NEWT examinations, rented from Harry the guaranteed-invisible Invisibility Cloak, paying two hundred galleons.

The next morning, every professor except Grenwick had weird-coloured hair. When McGonagall sat down in the headmistress's chair, fireworks went off for two minutes. Following the fireworks, the Slytherins broke out singing "Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts," with the Ravenclaws chanting "Boom-chicky" in time, and the Hufflepuffs standing up and dancing in time with the music. Only the Gryffindors and Senior Auror Grenwick went unpranked.

One month later
7th-8th July 1996 (during summer hols)

Luna, Harry and Hermione went back to Sweden, again searching for the elusive Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Xenophilius Lovegood and Sirius Black were the students' chaperones.

This year, the trip was cut short. After only one day in Sweden, Luna walked straight up to a "bunch" (Luna's word) of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

Harry and Hermione discovered that when someone stroked a snorkack's back, the snorkack's horns played the first measure of "Rule Britannia."

Two months later
Sunday, 1st September 1996
Start of Harry's and Hermione's sixth year

Xenophilius Lovegood, the parental Grangers, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and eight-months-pregnant Amelia Bones-Black loaded Harry and Hermione Potter, Luna Lovegood and Susan Bones onto the Hogwarts Express.

On the Express, Harry and Hermione were told by Parvati that Ron was repeating fifth year, and that Ron had rubbished his OWLs.

Ron on the train confronted the Potters; he loudly blamed his troubles on Hermione. Hermione cursed him with a spell that made pimples on his forehead spell out LAZY.

At the Welcoming Feast, a Dennis Cassidy was the new (and permanent) DADA professor. Apparently over the summer, Headmistress McGonagall had hired the goblins to track down and to kill the infamous DADA Curse.

Harry had qualified to take sixth-year NEWT Potions, because he, to his utter shock, had scored an Outstanding on his Potions OWL exam in June. Harry was sure that if Professor Snape had taught fifth-year Potions instead of Professor Tonks, Harry would not have scored so well.

To compare, Hermione had scored Outstanding or Outstanding-Plus on each of her OWL exams in June. This had been due to a schedule of revising (studying) that Hermione had faithfully followed since mid-May. Also, once the days of OWL exams had arrived, whenever Hermione had become too frantic, Harry had given her an hour of cunnilingus.

In the previous twelve months (minus two days), Harry's only problems had been toxic levels of OWL-year homework, then sitting the OWLs themselves at the end of the term. Nobody had tried to kill Harry; he was amazed.

Exactly one year later
1st September 1997
Start of Harry's and Hermione's seventh year

Hermione was Head Girl (the seventh-year female student with the highest average marks for the previous six years). Nobody was surprised.

Nobody had tried to kill Harry for two years minus two days. Harry did not know how to act.

Ten months later
Tuesday, 23 June 1998
Dudley Dursley's eighteenth birthday
London Disciplinary High School

Buzzz.

Dudley pushed the outer door open. He then walked out of the London Disciplinary High School for the first and last time, carrying everything he owned in one paper sack.

Dudley's time at LDHS had started poorly. His first day there, someone had stolen dessert off Dudley's tray. Dudley had chased after the thief, had tackled him, and had given the boy a good thrashing. Afterwards, Dudley had been painfully spanked four times with a big paddle, for fighting. But two good things had come out of all this: the other boys never again tried to bully Dudley whilst he was at LDHS, and he had gotten the wake-up call to rein in his temper that he badly had needed.

Now at eighteen, Dudley was strong, and he was skilled at boxing. He easily could have spent the last year bullying most of the other boys in the school—and the Dudley of his fifteenth birthday would have eagerly done so.

But instead of becoming the Top Bully, Dudley at LDHS had become the protector of younger and smaller boys. His protective use of his fists cost him many paddle-swats over the next three years, which hurt, but his conscience stayed clear. In return for his protection, Dudley had demanded nothing from smaller and weaker boys—no money and no sexual favours. Dudley had not even demanded extra dessert from the boys he protected, which had taken real self-discipline on Dudley's part.

Why had Dudley improved his attitude and changed his life? Because of his cousin Harry. Harry in August of 1991 had been a punch-bag for Dudley and his gang; but four years later, Harry had killed two magical things that would have killed Dudley if Harry had not been there. Sometime in those four years, Harry had become magically powerful, but had he lorded it over the Dursleys? Harry had not. Dudley could not go about abracadabra-ing people like Harry, but Dudley could outfight most opponents in a boxing ring; since Harry stopped himself from abusing the power he had over other people, Dudley likewise was resolved to keep control of himself.

As Dudley stepped outside into sunlight and freedom, he hoped Harry would be proud of him.

Now outside the electrically unlocked door, Dudley stared when he saw his ride. Harry was leaning against a sporty 1998 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 coupe, with all-wheel drive; the car had been aftermarket-painted green. Clearly Harry was richer than Dudley's father Vernon had ever dreamt of being.

Dudley was introduced to Harry's wife Hermione—a woman mentioned often in Harry's letters to Dudley. This first meeting did not go well; Hermione treated Dudley as though Dudley would start beating Harry up as soon as her back was turned.

Dudley sighed. He could not say that Hermione's treatment of him was undeserved, and he suspected that it would take a while to convince her that he truly had changed.

During the drive, Harry said cheerfully, "By the way, Hermione and I are getting Muggle-married in Crawley on 1st July, eight days from now. Dudley, I'd like it a lot if you'd attend our wedding. You're the only nonmagical family I have—that is, who isn't in prison."

Shocked Dudley managed to stammer, "Yes, sure, I'd be delighted to attend your wedding."

"Great! Tomorrow you'll meet my godfather, Sirius Black, and he'll take you shopping for Muggle clothes. He's a wizard, but he's a dapper dresser when he wants to dress Muggle."

Hermione grinned. " 'Cause ev'ry girl crazy about a sharp-dressed man."

Hours later, when Dudley was lying in a posh bed in Potter Manor, he had trouble falling asleep. Yes, Harry's manor house was bigger and posher than what Vernon Dursley had ever dreamt of owning; and Harry's manor house was filled with magic, top to bottom. Harry even had five little magical servants—one of whom would cheerfully kill for Harry, Dudley was sure.

The next morning, during Dudley's first full day in Potter Manor, Harry introduced his cousin to his portrait-parents. The portrait of Lily Evans Potter had much to say to her nephew. Dudley's redheaded portrait-aunt still was berating Dudley when Harry introduced Dudley to Harry's grinning godfather.

Seven years, two months later
Saturday, 3rd September 2005

Unnoticed by the rest of the world, Neville and Luna Longbottom, and Harry and Hermione Potter, exchanged owl-letters: "Harry, don't you think the time has come?"

After Harry's grudging okay, the Quibbler published a statement by Luna Longbottom: "Ten years ago today, Harry Potter killed Lord Voldemort. Hermione Potter and I saw Harry kill him. No, I won't tell you the details."

The Daily Prophet asked Harry for his comment. His comment was: "What Luna said was true. I killed Tom Marvolo Riddle to avenge my parents, and to protect both my wife Hermione and my friend Luna. I'm no hero, so I'll skive off every ceremony you hold. I've nothing else to say."

Hogwarts wanted to celebrate the historic achievement of their most famous former student. Alas, a few embarrassing facts dampened the school's would-be party—

At the suggestion of Luna Longbottom, Harry and Hermione Potter both were teaching in 2005—at Manchester Magical Academy.

Hermione had earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University. Now at MMA, she was teaching fifth- through seventh-year Computer Literacy, and first- through fourth-year Charms. Harry—when he was not creating havoc in the Wizengamot as Lord Potter—was at MMA teaching first- through fourth-year DADA.

In 2005, MMA had, under Fidelius, its own *. website. Hogwarts professors in 2005 had no idea what the term website even meant.

By 2005, Harry and Hermione had written a book, The Muggles WILL Find Out. The book argued that in less than twenty years, Muggle computer technology would be so advanced and widespread that it was certain that Muggles would discover the magical world—then the Muggles would spread the news faster than the Obliviators could stop them.

The Pureblood students at Hogwarts, so Neville reported to Harry and Hermione, were annoyed by the Potters' first book, because it meant that their days of unchallenged privilege in Wizarding Britain soon would end. But the Pureblood students were beyond annoyed, they were furious, about the Potters' second book, Our Years at Hogwarts.

The book began—

.

We wasted seven years at Hogwarts.

Three of our professors for core subjects were worthless, and we were a halfblood and a Muggle-born at a school that taught over and over, "Only Pureblood boys and girls are worth our time."

Hermione, the highest-marked student of our year at Hogwarts, realised that her Hogwarts education made her unqualified for even the most menial jobs in the Muggle world; whereas in the magical world, Hermione's Muggle-born status would mean that she would be last hired, first fired, never promoted, and she would be worked like a house-elf whilst unqualified Pureblood superiors took the credit for her successes.

The worst part about our time at Hogwarts was that for our first four years, the headmaster was Albus Dumbledore. This wizard singlehandedly ruined Hogwarts, ruined Wizarding Britain and ruined Harry's childhood. Dumbledore was secretive, foolish and was completely convinced that he was never wrong. In fact, he was wrong often.

.

Meanwhile in Azkaban Prison

The human guards at Azkaban, who hated working there, could not be bothered to carry either the Quibbler article or the Daily Prophet article to the cell of Albus Dumbledore and to show the article to him. (Plus the guards had a ready excuse for their laziness: The warden had given the guards special orders about Dumbledore.)

As a result of Dumbledore never seeing the Quibbler and the Daily Prophet articles, Dumbledore never was told that Harry had killed Voldemort back in 1995.

Nor was Dumbledore ever told that all the horcruxes had been destroyed long ago.

Meanwhile in 2005

In 2005, Draco Black did not have a Wizengamot seat, and never would; but Draco had relatives who did hold Wizengamot seats. Draco told his relatives in the Grey Faction, and even in the Dark Faction, that Harry Potter of the Light Faction was a wizard with honour, and thus could be worked with in the Wizengamot. (That is, when Potter was not teaching DADA to Muggle-borns at that Manchester school.)

Draco still remembered his shock when Potter the Gryffindor had given Draco the Slytherin ten thousand galleons, when Potter absolutely had not been obliged to do any such thing. Draco's attitude towards Potter had made a 180-degrees turn that day.

Fourteen years later
August 2019

An American Muggle (who was, unbeknownst to himself, a Squib) discovered and revealed the magical world. Soon afterwards, Queen Elizabeth II gave a press conference in which she said, "I am not magical, but I have met magical people. The magical world is real."

Suddenly every Muggle in the United Kingdom wanted to do business with Hermione Potter (Headmistress of MMA) and Harry Potter (Deputy Headmaster of MMA), and with their magical friends. The blood-purity snobs of Wizarding Britain were passed by, whilst Muggle-borns, the Potters, the Longbottoms, Sirius Black and Draco Black, and Fred and George Weasley all became rich beyond the dreams of avarice.

Instantly Harry and Hermione Potter became frequent BBC News interviewees.

By 2019, Harry and Hermione had four children—all of whom had received Hogwarts letters when they had turned eleven, but who had attended MMA instead. None of the Potter children were named Albus, Severus or any combination thereof.

Harry in 2019 had another child-relative at Manchester Magical Academy: V.V (Vincent Vernon) Dursley, a fifth-year. The boy had no paternal grandparents; by June 2016 (Vernon's and Petunia's scheduled release date), both of Dudley's parents had died in Azkaban.

By August 2019, Neville and Luna Longbottom had had eight children—boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl. The six youngest Longbottom children would be returning to Hogwarts next month.

The Longbottoms had so many children for two reasons. The first reason was that Luna knew to the minute when she was fertile; and knew that if Neville got her pregnant today, what the gender of the child would be. The second reason was that Luna's trait of "If Luna thinks it, she says it" apparently translated in the bedroom to "If Luna gets randy, she gets naked." Whenever Harry saw Neville after 1998, Neville was smiling.

Nineteen months later
8th March 2021
Azkaban Wizarding Prison

Albus Dumbledore died of old age, and of Dementor-caused stress to his organs, twenty-five and a half years into his sentence.

Since the time of his imprisonment, Albus had two burning questions that he was desperate to hear answered: "What has happened with Harry Potter? What has happened with Tom Riddle?" Albus died with those questions still unanswered.

For Albus's first year in prison, he was cocky. Every day, Albus expected to be released, with the warden telling him, "Harry Potter is dead, and only you can save us from You-Know-Who!" But this never happened.

What was worse, after Albus had been imprisoned a year, the warden decreed, "Prisoner Dumbledore is tricky. Guards are not to converse with him at all. He may be told today's date, but this is the only question that guards shall answer."

The effect was immediate. What Hogwarts was doing, what the Ministry was doing, what the Daily Prophet said—Albus stopped being told all of those things. Guards would not even tell Albus the names of their spouses and children.

Needless to say, any kind of questions like What about Harry? What about Voldemort? were "answered" with total silence—

—but after 2005, the guards would smirk at Albus as they silently walked away from him. It was as though there was something in Albus's questions that they found funny.

On 1st July 2008, which was ten years, almost to the day, since Harry surely had completed Hogwarts, Albus handed his meal-tray guard a parchment letter and asked the guard to owl-mail the letter to Harry Potter.

The guard took the letter, looked Albus in the eyes, tore the letter to pieces, then vanished the parchment-pieces on the floor. The guard did all this without saying one word.

"Today's date is 27th June 2017," the new guard told Albus. The guard had a young face, which Albus did not recognise.

Albus took a risk that this newcomer would not know about the warden's decree of silence (now in force for twenty-one years). Albus asked the guard, "Is Harry Potter alive or dead? Is Voldemort alive or dead?"

The guard said, "The other guards warned me about you. Said you're tricky, and obsessed with Harry Potter."

Albus's heart sank. Another guard refusing to answer.

The guard paused, as he stared at Albus. He finally said, "Harry Potter isn't dead."

Silence lengthened, whilst Albus waited for the guard to say more. When it became clear that the guard had nothing else to say, Albus asked, "What about Voldemort? Is he alive, or is he dead now?"

Instead of answering Albus's questions, the guard said, "Harry Potter wrote that when he was a student, you kept secrets from him, secrets which he was entitled to know answers to. Was he right?"

Albus answered piously, "I kept secrets from Harry, yes, but I did so for Harry's own good and for the Greater Good."

The guard answered, "Then I won't tell you anything about Voldemort." The guard laughed scornfully as he walked away.

After that frustrating conversation with the guard, not quite four more years passed, then Albus died. Albus never learnt any more about Harry or about Voldemort than he had been told that day in 2017.

Upon Albus Dumbledore's death in 2021

The Elder Wand, along with Albus's other two wands, remained in an Auror evidence box till Albus's death. Then Albus's three wands were sold, along with nineteen other dead prisoners' wands, in bulk at public auction. The winning bid for the twenty-two wands was ten sickles, one knut. Since the Elder Wand's allegiance still was to Harry Potter but he was not the winning bidder, the Elder Wand never again performed better than an ordinary wand.

The End