Author Note: I'm not entirely sure how people will react to this chapter as its the last one but the story was never about the battle. It was always about the journey.

===xxx===xx(Chapter begins)

The blast caused Hermione to fall to her knees panting heavily as the energies tore through her. She still felt Harry's heart beating through her link so she was not too worried. Crawling over to the pool she saw Harry floating on his back but Ginny was face down and not moving.

Dragging her out of the pool Hermione began to check her over but felt no pulse, no sign of life at all. She cast several healing spells but nothing happened to Ginny.

Harry crawled out of the pool and collapsed coughing beside Hermione. "Next time we do this, You get to hold the demon and I cast the spell. Okay?"

"Harry. She's. I think she's gone." Hermione said sadly.

Harry rolled over looking at them with a shocked pained expression, "No. No that can't be. We failed." He rolled over on his back looking up at the sky shaking his head and smashing his fists against the ground. "We failed."

Hermione collapsed against him. Too tired to do more than lay against him shivering Harry held her staring into the sky. He watched as a bright golden spark seemed to suddenly appear then begin circling lower and lower. Harry was curious as the spark came lower it looked almost like Fawkes.

"Dear we're about to have company I think." Harry said struggling to sit up.

"Oh just let them kill us, only do it quietly. I have a mariachi band in my skull right now." She sighed but she got to her knees and watched as Fawkes landed in front of them.

"Hello Fawkes." Harry reached out and stroked the bird's plumage. "Did you come to see if we needed help? I think we got rid of the shade. The threat is over."
Fawkes looked at him then shifted form and grew into a tall red robed regal looking androgynous being. They smiled at the Potters then in a soft musical voice, "You have done well children. Your part in this was performed beyond what any had hoped."

"No we didn't. We lost too many. We got rid of the shade but killed Ginny in the process." Harry gasped as the words tore from him in fatigue.

"No she is not dead. You are in between right now. So we may speak. You have nothing to fear. She will awaken once I have left."

"Once you've left? You're leaving?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"You have removed the stain that my people created. The shadow that was cast across the world by us is gone. There is no longer a need for me here. You will be the guide for your people, you will take them into a better future. Until it is time for you to lay down your burdens and join us beyond the veil." Fawkes sang to them.

"You mean we're mortal?" Hermione's voice held a slight hope.

"All things will die in their time child. Even the stars die. The universe is not immortal. We were there to sing it into existence, we shall sing its death song. Our forms may change, our voices alter but we are always." The being smiled as it began to glow like a dull ember.

Harry and Hermione noticed something strange going on as more and more golden sparks suddenly seemed to appear until there was a dozen of the beings standing around them. Harry and Hermione stood up, holding each other as the beings began to sing a song. They both knew and did not know the words as their voices rose and swelled into an unearthly chorus that was beyond the beauty of anything they could compare it to. The light growing brighter and brighter until they passed out.

===xxx===xx

Harry woke up to the smell of the hospital wing. He breathed deeply the familiar scent. Reaching into his mind he felt the link to Hermione still strong and warm causing him to smile.

[Hey you awake?]

{No. I'm just pretending so I can skip class.}

Harry laughed as he opened his eyes to look to his left into her chocolate brown eyes. "Hello beautiful."
"Hello yourself."

"I think I've been a bad influence on you."

"Nah. Not at all." She sighed.

"Well it is good to see the two of you awake. I was beginning to wonder if you would sleep the day away." The matron said cheerily as she came over to run her wand over them both.

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked quickly.

"Miss Weasley is in Saint Mungo's. She is physically well but will need some other treatment to fully recover from her ordeal." The matron explained politely.

"She lived? She's alive?" Harry happily said.

"Yes Mr Potter. We do not send those who are not alive to saint Mungo's."

"How long were we out?" Hermione wondered.

"Most of the day. The welcoming feast is in a few hours then the selection of the Tournament Champions will be tomorrow." The matron told them.

"Oh well at least I won't have to face it."

"Most likely not Mr Potter. Not everything revolves around you." the Matron huffed, "Now as you are both disgustingly healthy thanks to your changes I will bid you good day as I need to have the beds for actually sick people." She smiled at them to show that she meant no ill will.

The Potters laughed and holding hands left the room.

===xxx===xx

They walked to the Astronomy tower to look across the grounds.

"So now what do we do?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Well if I was you having sex would be a good thing." Draco smirked from behind him.

Harry and Hermione turned to see the translucent boy standing there smirking with Myrtle standing beside him in the middle air.

"Don't you think you've been doing enough of that?" Hermione crossed her arms but chortled when she said that.

"Well since it hasn't fallen off I'll say no." Draco laughed, "But I'll also say something else."

"Oh and what is that?" Harry smirked back.

Draco's face took on a serious and sad expression, "Goodbye."

Hermione blinked a couple of times before saying, "You're going to move on?"

"Well since my work here is done, and I've managed to dodge the Perdition bullet yeah. Assuming Myrtle comes with me." He said turning to her.

Myrtle looked at him in doubtful surprise. "Excuse me? I was cursed to remain on this side for my cowardice. I. I can't go over there."

"Why not? I'll be with you." Draco smiled holding his hand out to her, "They said I could bring you with me."

Myrtle looked at Harry and Hermione before taking Draco's hand. "It would have been fun to share my U-bend Harry."
"Thanks but I think I'll let U bend Draco from now on."

Draco shook his head ruefully, "Oh that was a bad one Potter. I'll miss this."

Harry choked up, "You know what Draco. I think I'm actually going to miss you too."

"Oh of course you will. Sorry darling. Too bad we never had a chance." Draco said passing his hand through Hermione's.

Hermione laughed, "No it wouldn't have worked out too well."
"Yeah. I think I found the one that was waiting for me anyhow." Draco said.

"You know if they could have tapped your ego they'd have been able to blast every bad guy off the planet." Myrtle sighed.

"Maybe but you're still coming with me?" Draco asked hopefully.

Myrtle was crying but nodded, "Of course. Tell the headmaster good bye for me please?"

"We will. Anything you want us to tell your mother Draco?"

Draco shook his head, "No. She'll be fine. We said all we needed to already."

"Well goodbye Draco." Harry said. "You turned out to be a good guy."
Draco smirked, "Yeah all it took was dying to figure it out. Well shall we my dear?"

Myrtle smiled and took his arm. The two of them walked into the setting sun fading out as they went.

"Well seems like everyone is moving on. I wonder if the Headmaster has discovered Fawkes is gone?" Harry said after a few minutes of silently watching the sun go down.

"Think we should tell him what happened?" Hermione wondered, "Or do you think he already knows?"

"Its possible, but it might not be a bad idea to at least talk to him about things." Harry declared.

===xxx===xx

Knocking on the Headmaster's office door the two of them were let in.

"Ahh MR and Mrs Potter. So glad of you to come by." The Headmaster said with a grin.

"Sir?" Harry said in surprise at the cheerful greeting.

"Is something wrong Harry?"

"No sir. Just surprised you're so cheerful."

"Ahh I was visited last night by an old friend who informed me that the threat was over and they would be leaving. They told me that you and your wife would be taking over the role, once you completed your schooling I hope." He chuckled.

"I think that can be arranged sir. We don't know enough to be good guides yet." Hermione stated in embarrassment.

"Oh I wouldn't say that. Our mutual friend was quite complimentary of your morality, your maturity and general heart and soul."

"Luna?"

"No. I am sorry to say that the two of you are probably still the only ones to remember her. To my great loss I feel." Dumbledore sadly smiled at them, "No it would seem that a great many things are still the same, yet some things are going to be changing." He slid a copy of the morning's paper across to them.

Looking at it Harry laughed and showed it to Hermione. It showed Sirius and Moody holding court over a press conference as the headline blared 'Minister to face many Questions in Death Eater Raid'.

"Sir?"

"Ah yes you missed that bit of unpleasantness. As much as Professor black has been screaming to anyone who would listen about it I am surprised, but you have been rather busy have you not."

"Just a bit sir. Perhaps you could tell us what happened and we'll tell you what we did." Hermione suggested.

"Perhaps another day as it is time to meet the other schools and welcome them."

===xxx===xx

They found Neville, Lavender and Millicent happily watching the arrival of the flying carriage of Beauxbatons and the ship of Durmstrang. The students from the other schools joining them at the welcome feast caused a great deal of comment and commotion. Especially a blonde girl that Hermione declared smelled quite delightfully nice.

Ron agreed until Parvati gave him a look which made him laugh and declare that while the new girl smelled nice she tasted nicer to the big bad wolf. Then they started whispering something about a picnic basket and playing red riding hood again which only Harry and Hermione heard thanks to their enhanced hearing.

The Goblet issued forth three names, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour and Cedric Diggory. No other names came out of the cup to Harry's relief as he was tensed the entire time the drawing was occurring.

He and his friends watched with horror the first task as Cedric almost got burned to a crisp by a Welsh Green. Ron and Harry joking that it wasn't the flames that hurt the worst with one of them. Hagrid beaming in sheer pleasure at the experience of being so close to the dragons. They sighed as Fleur managed to get her shirt torn off. When Krum basically attacked his dragon they cried foul, especially Ron who had grown up with Charlie's obsession over dragons being almost as strong as Hagrid's, and appreciated their majestic power. Ron tore down his poster of Krum and set the action figure he had bought free to find another owner.

Sirius continued to work to clean the taint of the pure-bloods, the magic supremacy from the Slytherins. Pointing out that with Harry and Hermione's power that the light would never fall to their ideology of evil. The fact that he had Harry and Hermione help him make a few minor examples of some of the more hard-headed holdouts helped encourage the undecided to turn their back on the darkness.

At Hermione's urging, and with the approval of the Headmaster, Padma and Parvati performed the chakra aligning ritual on Professor Lupin to see if it would help with his Lycanthrope Curse. It did not give him the same degree of control as Ron received but did see his difficulties eased and a great relief each month as he changed. When they notified the Ministry of this it was revealed that the Department of Mysteries had already known about that and rejected it as dangerous foreign magics without even trying it. Another nail in the coffin for Scrimgeour's turbulent term as Minister.

The revelation that there could be a treatment that would ease the suffering of the Lycans and allow them to function more fully in society but the Ministry had dismissed it caused a major furor and calls for reforms. Sirius used his position on the Wizengamut to push for those reforms.

Scrimgeour had made a few other mistakes as he micro-managed the ministry. He had refused to release some of his restrictions he had placed due to the rise of the Death Eaters. His view that crime was intolerable and would all have the same level of punishment, time in Azkaban no matter if it was a Death Eater or pickpocket began to not sit well with the public. The Daily prophet leading the calls due to Daphne's influence on her father.

Rufus resigned two steps ahead of a vote of no confidence in early December causing Harry and Hermione to recall Luna's words. Once again though they were the only ones who remembered her.

The Yule Ball was an extraordinary event. Harry and Hermione were pleased to not lead the dances and just be part of the crowd. Ron and Parvati danced quite happily through the night, while Neville had a tiring but thoroughly enjoyable night being shared between Lavender and Millicent.

Millicent had come out of her shell and stopped being a bully. Showing a softer and kinder side as she felt much more acceptance and love from first the Gryffindor group, as the Potters and their friends were called, then more people.

Harry and Hermione had gone to visit their family in Caerbannog with Sirius and Remus over Christmas. The babies growing quite heartily and happily. Narcissa and the Grangers forming a strange little triad that the village accepted. Narcissa, Emma and Dan loving and supporting each other as friends and lovers.

Just after the Yule break Ginny came back to school. She was not fully recovered as she flinched a few times around certain people and would break down crying easier but she was still mostly functional. The healers saying getting back into the familiar routine would help her recover faster. Harry and Hermione showing her forgiveness and friendship helped smooth things over. Having a highly protective werewolf for a big brother didn't hurt in protecting her from retribution by Slytherins either.

The second and third tasks went well with Fleur coming in last, Krum showing his ruthless desire to win at any cost but being defeated by the inherent fairness and dignity of Cedric in the end. Watching Cedric standing on the stage accepting the trophy and prize money from Minister Amelia Bones was a proud moment for the Hogwarts students. Although Harry had a brief momentary shadow of something dark that had been averted. Shaking it off he joined in the celebration that lasted for several days.

The summer began and the Potters moved to Caerbannog with the Granger trio as they called themselves. Harry and Hermione being quite happy big siblings to the youngsters. Sirius coming by frequently with his cousin Andromeda and her daughter Nymphadora to have dinner and just be family. Remus and Ron started a summer program to work with finding Lycans who had not heard about the ritual which Sirius had paid some from the Patil's region of India to come and begin treatments for those who wanted it. Nymphadora going with them to help provide security and another friendly face.

Harry and Hermione sought out Luna's grave in Ottery. It was a small stone beside the one for her parents which all listed them dying in 1990. The Potter's did not speak to other's why they would visit so frequently for the rest of their lives the grave of someone who died before they met them. Harry and Hermione though would sometimes think they heard soft singing when they were alone.

The rest of their time at Hogwarts passed uneventfully. Harry and Hermione had been named Prefects then Head Boy and Girl leading by example for the other students. Taking their role as guides and guardians seriously.

After school they settled down in Caerbannog to be near the Grangers. They were not the only ones doing so as Neville, Lavender and Millicent established a Bed and Breakfast and public gardens in Ottery at the Longbottom Estate. Neville taking a larger role in his families estate since he came of age. His gramma retiring to a small villa to be taken care of nicely.

Thanks to the many reforms that Amelia Bones made Hermione and Padma began to working in the Department of Mysteries to help others, not just keep secrets. Amelia Bones, who had eventually become Madam Amelia Black, wife of the formerly scruffy looking rogue Sirius Black, remained a strong and popular Minister who worked hard to remove and dismantle many of the blood bigotry based laws. People like Dolores Umbridge were pushed out of their positions into retirement or the political equivalent of a broom closet. Dolores herself never left the rest home she had been placed in. Her mind permanently shattered by the concept that she would lose her power, her position, and her prestige so quickly. Arthur Weasley eventually was promoted to head of the Auror Department and then the DMLE as he was a competent leader who while caring and compassionate did support law and order. Moody retired to a mountain shack to go fishing in a pond that had no fish. When asked about that he said it wasn't about the catching of them but the experience of fishing then would laugh. People stopped asking him that question. He eventually died in his sleep, a satisfied smile on his face.

Harry tired of fighting and wanting to be a better guide for the young, worked with Professor Dumbledore to become a teacher at Hogwarts. He spent most of his time traveling the country to welcome new muggle-born students to their world and their families. Watching out for more orphans or abused children so that they could get the help and support they needed to have a loving and caring home life. He took over the Defense Professor position now that the curse was gone at the school. Remus moving to head the Lycan Support Department at the Ministry.

Their lives moved forward. Their younger siblings growing up unaware that once upon a time their names would have been enough to cause a fight. Having a their muggle family members be married to a witch and living in a magical castle was no big deal to them. They went to movies with their big siblings and eventually watched their nieces and nephews as Harry and Hermione had children.

Dumbledore passed beyond the veil as was expected. He left his belongings to the school for the future students to learn from. His last words to Harry were to tell him goodbye and not to grieve for the next great adventure was his destination.

===xxx===xx

It had been almost five centuries since Harry and Hermione had been born. They had outlived their friends, their family, some of their children even. They had seen the division between muggle and magical fade then dissolve. They had stopped a few wars, ended a few false religious cults, and removed several dark lords before they became a real threat.

Magic had not solved all the problems but it had helped, especially when science and magic worked together. Humanity had moved beyond the Earth into space with stations, colonies and now even several interstellar ships heading out to colonize new worlds beyond the solar system. A unified Earth worked together for the first time ever for the good of all humanity. A word that had been expanded to embrace and accept goblins, lycans, all sentient life as equal and worthy.

While they had seemed to physically stop aging in their fifties, with Harry getting enough gray hair to be considered distinguished and Hermione still a mature and dignified mature lady, they had kept growing older chronologically. Nothing they could do about that Hermione would say.

The two of them had gone to their island in the North Sea where they had built their vacation retreat. A place they went when they wanted to be alone with their thoughts, their memories. To sometimes just be phoenix and fish and fly without the troubles of the world on their minds. They would sometimes just sit on the top of their tower and watch the sun set alone and quiet.

"Harry do you realize I'll be five hundred years old next week?" Hermione sighed as they watched the sun begin to set in the west.

"And you barely look two hundred my love." He snickered as he put his arm around her.

Poking him in the chest gently she chuckled, "Still with the cheesy lines."

He kissed her on the cheek then with the weight of years in his eyes he smiled and said, "I learned from the best."

"Yeah mom did tell me his endearing cheese was one of the things that attracted her to him."
"I never did understand why Narcissa joined them." Harry grunted looking over the ocean at the whales who had been brought back from near extinction broach.

"I think she just wanted to have someone love her for her, not what she could provide. Dad was good at that." Hermione snuggled closer.

"I know someone else who was good at that." He said pulling Hermione closer to him so she was sitting in his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder

"How much longer do you think we have to wait?" Hermione asked in a soft voice.

Harry swallowed hard as his mind had been drifting back to that night when Fawkes left them frequently himself. They had outlived so many people, done so much in their lives. How much more would there be. "I don't know. When the time is right. Now let's go to bed my love. I just want to be with you one more day. That's all."

Harry scooped her up and carried her to their bedroom. Making soft gentle love they fell asleep.

===xxx===xx

Awakened before dawn by a beautiful music coming from the roof Harry and Hermione hurried out of bed. In the pre-dawn darkness they saw a figure standing by the edge of their roof they knew and recognized. A small blonde, silvery blue eyed waif in a gossamer robe of shimmering silver. Her crown of orichalcum on her head bejeweled with opals and moonstones.

Harry grinned widely running to hug her tightly, "Luna!" Hermione was only a moment behind him hugging her from the other side. Luna buried her face in their shoulders and pulled them tight with her arms for long minutes before they broke apart. Kissing each of them deeply they dissolved into tears.

"I'm sorry. We've missed you so much Luna." Harry confessed holding her hand.
"I know. I have missed you as well. I wanted to come and be with you so often over the years. To renew our friendship and love." She said taking Hermione's hand with her other.

"So why are you here now?" Hermione whispered, afraid and hopeful of the answer.

"Because it is time for us to travel again my friends. This world will go on without us." She smiled through wet tears.

"Did we do good? Did we guide them well enough?" Hermione had begun to bite her lip in worry.

"They will do well enough. The mistakes of the past have been learned from and while they will make new mistakes they will recover from them quickly enough." Luna's tinkling voice softly said.

"Then I'm ready." Hermione firmly said.

Luna and Hermione looked to Harry as he grinned, "You know I think I'm quite ready for another adventure."
Luna smiled and turned to the east, "Well look at that the sun's coming up"

The rays of the sun struck the tower as three figures began to glow and expand. Growing brighter and brighter until they outshone the sun. A music that was heard a hundred miles away and healed the broken hearts and troubled minds of the sailors and fishermen who heard it filled the air. The day that dawned would forever be called the dawn of the new age of humanity as the ripples of peace and power that spread out were felt across the globe.

One young man, descendant of Draco Potter and Francesca Longbottom, looked up and knew that his great, great, grand parents had left this realm. He was the secret keeper for their tower and traveled there. All he found when he looked was two golden red feathers and single moonstone sitting in an Ouroboros. Looking to the sky he smiled as he waved goodbye.

===xxx===xx

The writer wishes to thank everyone who read and enjoyed this story. This world is not the end of our journey.

===xxx==xx

(Review Responses)

Timekeeper: No not quite. She absorbed some of the positive energy and it marked her until she could release it at the right time.

Kimjo: All are worth redemption if they truely desire it.

DennisUD: I hope this was good.

Blueluver5000, katmom: Thank you. Glad you stayed for the journey.