Chapter 13
Wrapping Up, Part 2
Three weeks later (Thursday, 5 October 1995)
In the Hogwarts Library
Harry and Hermione, along with Luna, Neville and Daphne, were studying at what had been, until fifth year, the Hermione "It's mine, stay away, I'll hurt you if you sit with me and you're not Harry, I mean it" table.
Luna, when she was not reading, today would smile at the other four students at the table, whether Luna was writing at the time or not.
Neville and Daphne were carrying on a smiling—and since they were in the library, murmured—conversation. Hermione saw Daphne touch Neville's hand.
Hermione drew her wand and put up a Silencing Charm. "Neville, Daphne, I'm glad to see you two so friendly. I was hoping for this when I suggested you waltz together."
Neville replied, "It's easy to be friendly with Daphne."
For a moment, Neville smiled at the girl in question.
Neville looked back at Hermione and continued, "Because she's not 'the Ice Queen' when she's sitting here, she's smart and, well, look at her!"
Daphne smiled at Neville, then said to Hermione, "I like Neville because he's the only boy in the school I can relax with. Correction, I can relax only with Neville and Harry, but"—Daphne looked meaningfully at Hermione—"Harry is taken."
Harry asked, "Why can't you relax when you're alone with Slytherin boys?"
"Oh, please. Every boy and every girl in Slytherin wants something. Some of the boys in Slytherin want me. And not only to shag."
Harry shook his head, not understanding.
Daphne explained, "Some of the boys in Slytherin scheme to marry me in such a way that when the dust settles, my husband, instead of my father or my son, would be Lord Greengrass. Oh, I've heard such pretty words—from pimple-faced wizards who want to make me nothing more than a broodmare, and who want to make my father beg for scraps from his son-in-law, beginning on my wedding day."
Neville said, "It would be wrong to steal from Daphne and her father like that. So I've no interest in becoming Lord Longbottom-Greengrass."
Then Neville said to Daphne, "But a minute ago, you said that every boy in Slytherin wants something. I'm in Gryffindor, but I want something too."
Daphne's voice was a purr. "Oh? What is the 'something' you want, Neville?"
Hermione saw Neville square his shoulders, and she did not need to be a mind-reader to know that Neville was thinking Gryffindors charge ahead. Aloud, Neville said, "Daphne Eudora Greengrass, will you be my girlfriend?"
Daphne, Luna and Hermione, all three, were showing wide smiles now. Daphne said to Neville, "Bloody hell yes. And sometime soon when we're not in a library, I hope you'll kiss me."
Neville did not reply in words, he merely gave Daphne a relieved smile.
Three days later: Sunday, 8 October
Wizarding Britain held an election for the position of (permanent) Minister for Magic. Amelia Bones, the Interim Minister for Magic, won the election. This in itself was not unusual, Interim Ministers usually won, but the margin of her election victory was historic.
Staying constantly at Amelia's side on Election Night was the new Lord Black, Sirius Black. For some reason, Rita Skeeter was polite and respectful in her write-up about the newly public romance.
Two months later: Wednesday, 6 December
The group of five friends (Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville and Daphne) was studying at their usual table in the library when Hermione put up a Silencing Charm. She then invited the other four to visit her Muggle house during Yule Break.
As only Hermione and Daphne were old enough to obtain an Apparation license, but neither witch had obtained one yet, this meant that the four invitees would need to travel to Hermione's house by the Knight Bus. Harry described to Daphne, Luna and Neville what stomach-churning horrors awaited them.
Nine days later: Friday, 15 December
Hogwarts, when the students left the school and they boarded the Hogwarts Express for Yule Break, was a radically different school than what the school had been three and a half months earlier.
Headmistress Sprout had restored the school to "the 1944 standard," whatever this meant. All Harry knew was that Headmistress Sprout had placed advertisements in the Prophet for "Staff Needed," for the first time in centuries; Sprout also had owled the Headmistress of Manchester Magical Academy and the Headmaster of Ilvermorny, asking for recommendations. Now Hogwarts had two professors teaching each course, and many of these professors were Americans and/or Muggle-borns. (Professor Baker, the NEWT-level Herbology professor, was both American and Muggle-born.)
The first-years now were required to take Runes, and were required to take either the introductory course for wizard kids about the Muggle world, or the introductory course for Muggle-born kids about Wizarding Britain. Hermione said she thought this was brilliant.
Charms Professor Flitwick also was Deputy Headmaster, but he no longer was Ravenclaw Head of House. Each House now had two Heads of House: a married couple for which at least one of the two adults was a former member of that House.
The Gryffindor Heads of House were Septimus and Cedrella Weasley, who lived in a suite that was off the Gryffindor common room. Each of the four Weasley students had been assigned at least one detention by his or her own grandfather. (Ron had been assigned five detentions by his grandfather, to be served with his grandmother. Ron had been overheard saying he would have preferred Filch.)
Under Sprout's headmistressing, now bullies were given a week's suspension. When an angry father had showed up, demanding that Headmistress Sprout de-suspend his precious boy because the lad was a Pureblood, sweet and motherly Pomona Sprout had demanded that the father pull up his left sleeve and bare his forearm.
(The father had not borne the Dark Mark. But Headmistress Sprout had made the point that blood-purity attitudes no longer would be indulged at Hogwarts.)
Draco Malfoy had earnt one suspension, with the result being Narcissa lecturing her son like she never had dared to do when Lucius had been alive—and Draco had been forced to suffer his mother's lectures for seven entire days. Amongst other things, Narcissa had explained to Draco the cold, hard realities of his new life. After Draco had returned to Hogwarts, he had been a choirboy—for a week.
The Hogwarts Board of Governors was now the Board of Advisors again. The Spirit of Hogwarts had told Headmistress Sprout that in 1547, Headmaster Shafiq had been molesting girls; the Board of Advisors had kept the DMLE and the Daily Prophet from making trouble for the headmaster, in return for the headmaster agreeing to an unholy bargain. Fast-forward to September 1995: Headmistress Sprout sent a letter to the Board saying, "Headmaster Shafiq is dead, and I shall not honour his agreement with you. Advise me or not, but you shall not govern me."
When the Board of "Governors" had voted to remove Sprout from the Headmistress position, all that had happened was that the members of the Board had been forced out of the castle and off the grounds, and had been blocked from returning to Hogwarts for two months.
For the first time since Harry had come to Hogwarts as a firstie, he was leaving the castle for Yule Break. YES!
The plan was that Harry would spend Break with Sirius and Remus (with Amelia Bones expected to drop in often)—except for one day during Break when Harry and the other friends would visit Hermione at the Granger house.
Hours after the friends boarded the Express, Harry, Hermione and Luna stepped off the train at King's Cross Station, wearing regular clothes (Muggle casual or Wizarding casual). Neville, however, still was wearing his red Gryffindor robes, whilst Daphne still was wearing her green Slytherin robes—and the two of them were holding hands.
Harry murmured to Hermione, "It's nice for someone else to draw the stares of the crowd."
Harry spotted Sirius and Remus at the same time that Hermione spotted her parents—for the Grangers were on Platform 9¾, talking with Sirius and Remus.
Hermione said to her friends, "Come on, you lot, let me introduce you to my parents."
Harry knew that Hermione, after three months of the Canadian exercises, could sprint from one end of Platform 9¾ to the other, if she chose. Instead, now she limited herself to a fast walk.
As soon as Harry was close to the Granger parents, he looked at Dan Granger whilst Dan Granger looked at him; then Harry rushed forwards, threw his arms round Hermione's father and said, "Thank you, thank you!"
Neville said, "Erm, Harry, what's going on?"
Luna said dreamily, "Mr Granger did a good deed that has changed the course of Harry's life. Harry is grateful."
Blushing Harry broke the hug. To Luna, Harry said, "Great summary, and dead accurate too."
After Hermione made introductions (introducing Sirius to her friends, besides introducing her parents to her friends), Sirius smiled warmly at Neville and Daphne. "Heir Longbottom, Heiress Greengrass, it makes me happy to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin dating. How do your families feel about this?"
Neville jutted his chin out. "My Gran doesn't approve. She wants me to marry a Gryffindor girl."
Daphne replied, "My sister is embarrassed to death, but my mother is happy." Daphne gestured over to where a sandy-blond man in his thirties, a black-haired beauty in her thirties and a blond teenaged girl were standing. Sure enough, the beautiful woman was grinning at Daphne's group, whilst the blond teenager looked like she wanted to sink into the concrete platform.
Sirius asked Daphne, "What does Lord Cyrus Greengrass think about you dating Neville?"
Daphne looked sidelong at her boyfriend. "Dad wants to torture Neville with a red-hot poker, to decide whether Neville is worthy of dating his daughter."
Dan Granger smiled. "I'm lucky. I've that question answered already, without burning my hand."
One week later: Friday, 22 December
The 1995 Winter Solstice
Somewhere in France
Aubin Malfoi, Lord Malfoi, and his wife Julienne hosted a Yule dinner for Aubin's son Millard Malfoi (the Malfoi Heir Primary) and his wife, Aubin's elder daughter Odelette and her husband, Aubin's younger daughter Leonelle and her husband, Aubin's elder grandson Bertrand Malfoi (the Malfoi Heir Secondary and the Malfoy Head of House) and his wife, and Aubin's younger grandson Ganelon Malfoi (the Malfoi Heir Tertiary) and his wife.
Also attending the dinner, by invitation: Narcissa Malfoy and Draco Malfoy, the widow and son of Aubin's disgraced British distant cousin. An enchanted candlestick at the table acted as a French-English translator.
Various family children also attended the dinner, but they ate in the Lesser Dining Room, under the supervision of house-elves.
Narcissa, understanding what was at stake, acted charming. Draco treated everyone at the table, including his mother, with scorn. Had Draco been of age, Aubin would have challenged him to a duel because of the boy's insults. Not to mention, twice the brat began a sentence with "If my father were alive..."
Boy, Aubin mentally snarled, are you referring to Lucius Malfoy, who tried to Killing-Curse my grandson?
Most scandalous of all, the boy referred to his own mother as "a traitor to my father."
At the end of the Yule dinner, Aubin Malfoi said to Narcissa Malfoy, "Widow Malfoy, I invite you to visit our home anytime."
On the other hand, Aubin pulled his grandson Bertrand aside and said, "I fear that the boy will try to kill you, in the belief he will become Lord Malfoy if you die."
Bertrand nodded. "Lucius Malfoy was infamous as the worst of the Death Eaters and, so everyone in Britain tells me, the son will grow up to be like the father. Recommendations?"
"Disown him, my grandson. Truly, I fear for your life if you don't."
Three days later: Christmas Day
At Number 12, Grimmauld Place
For Christmas, Sirius gifted Harry with a magic two-way mirror.
Sirius, who was no moron, also gifted a magic two-way mirror to Hermione.
Needless to say, Harry and Hermione gave their respective mirrors a workout during Yule Break.
The next day (Tuesday, 26 December, a.k.a Boxing Day)
The Grangers provided the kitchen, and Harry provided the ingredients and the labour: Harry cooked a big dinner for the three Grangers, himself, Sirius and Remus.
The Potter house-elves and Dobby all were scandalised.
Dan and Emma were deeply touched.
Hermione gave Harry a fierce Hermy-hug, and kissed him like she meant it.
One week later (Tuesday, 2 January 1996)
At the Granger house in Crawley, West Sussex, England
The Granger parents never took patients on Tuesday, so they both were at home to chaperone their daughter and her four visiting magical friends. (Also, the parent Grangers made Hermione hold her party on a day when her parents were home because those parents burned with curiosity about what Hermione's magical-teenager friends were like.)
Neither Hermione nor any of her friends were seventeen yet, so Dan and Emma did not get to see magic done; but Hermione and her friends mentioned lots of different magic.
It quickly became clear that Hermione's magically-raised friends all were ignorant about the nonmagical world, although the black-haired girl and the blonde each knew a few things. Even Harry, who supposedly had grown up in the nonmagical world, never had seen Star Wars.
Dan Granger promptly fixed that particular shortcoming. All five teenagers agreed that Darth Vader reminded them of Snape, and that Luke Skywalker was just like Harry.
It was the wrong time of year to use the back-garden swimming pool, but the magically-raised teens asked why the Grangers would own a swimming pool in the first place.
Three months later: April 1996
After return from Easter/Ostara Break
Hermione had been doing her Canadian exercises every day since 9th September. Since early December, Hermione had been exercising to Chart 4 (the most difficult chart) and had been doing straight-legged pushups every day as part of her exercise routine.
But alas, just about the time that Hermione had really shaped up (November), the castle had turned cold, and everyone had put on several layers of wool every day, even within the castle.
Harry had been able to see Hermione without all those dowdy layers of wool, because [explanation redacted by order of the Comics Code Authority, the Hays Commission, the Irish Censorship Board and ] like rabbits. Harry liked Hermione's Canadian shape.
But during Easter/Ostara Break, Hermione had gone home and apparently had done some shopping for warmer-weather clothes. What's more, whilst Hermione had been clothes-shopping, the Fittest Witch of Her Age had remembered what Lavender and Parvati had taught her about "Tight, Bright and Out of Sight."
When Hermione returned to Hogwarts from Ostara (Easter) Break—
Hermione had toned arms—which everyone now could see because now Hermione wore outfits that were sleeveless or quarter-sleeved.
Hermione had toned legs—which could be seen now because Hermione now wore skirts and dresses that were hemmed at the knee, or she wore girl-shaped jeans.
Hermione had a slim waist—only the Flying Foxes could match Hermione here, what with all the twisting and turning those three did on their brooms—and now everyone knew that Hermione had a slim waist, because now she wore wide belts to emphasize this fact.
Those wide belts also made it obvious, to anyone walking behind Hermione, that she now had a firm and shapely bum.
The result of all these changes to her body and to her clothing was that now in April, whenever Hermione walked into the Great Hall wearing springtime clothes, 90 percent of boy students third year and older, and 10 percent of girl students third year and older, drooled at the sight of her.
The funny thing was, as the laughing Muggle-borns at Hogwarts pointed out, what Hermione was wearing was not tantalising at all—by Muggle standards. Hermione could have worn her "Hogwarts evenings and weekends" outfits to Saint George Church of England in Crawley, and nobody would have said a word. But to professors and students who were raised in Wizarding Britain, Hermione was almost starkers!
Hermione often told Harry that the colour of her hair and the colour of the eyes each were boring, and the bushiness of her hair made her hair "ugly," except for when she was using Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on her hair. But to Harry, Hermione was a goddess now, bushy hair or no—and whenever she bit her lower lip, it took all of Harry's willpower to stay civilised.
Colin Creevey took several photos of springtime-dressed Hermione and, with Hermione's permission, sent the photos to Teen Witch Weekly. The magazine printed two photos, captioned, "Gryffindor fifth-year Muggle-born Hermione Granger models the latest in Muggle fashion."
Hermione laughed when she saw the TWW photos. "Look, Harry, the bookworm is a fashion leader now!"
Then Hermione loudly and lavishly praised Lavender and Parvati, who blushed and smiled.
The odd result of TWW publishing the two photos was that Hermione was owled a letter from Sally-Anne Perks, who had transferred to Manchester Magical Academy ("the school for nonmagical-raised magical students"). Sally-Anne invited Hermione to MMA so that the curious MMA students could meet her.
Hermione visited MMA, she brought Harry with her, and Hermione and Harry were stunned by what they saw.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you are curious what Manchester Magical Academy is like and what Harry and Hermione saw there, read my story "Angry, Overpowered Harry Potter."
Almost three months later: Friday, 28 June 1996
The Minister for Magic, Amelia Susan Bones, married Lord Sirius Orion Black at Bones Manor. It was the social event of the season.
Harry was there, and was relieved that for once, the attention was not on him.
Amelia had wanted to wear a bridal veil with her wedding robes, but Sirius had vetoed that idea. "I hate veils. I don't want to come near any sort of veil," Sirius had explained.
Slightly over two months later
Sunday, 1 September 1996
The beginning of Harry's and Hermione's sixth year
Aboard the Hogwarts Express
A conversation started in the corridor that was just outside the girl's loo for that train carriage.
Second-year Hufflepuff Peggy Shaw looked with concern at the blond girl who was wearing unsorted-firstie robes. Peggy said, "Pardon me, why are you sad? Is there anything I can help you with? In a few hours, the next part of your life will begin; I'd think you'd be smiling! Oh, I'm Peggy Shaw, by the by, second-year Hufflepuff."
The blond girl looked at Peggy. "Shaw isn't a wizarding name."
Peggy's smile dimmed. "No, it isn't. I'm Muggle-born, and proudly so. But if this bothers you, I can leave you here and you can be sad by yourself."
The blonde came to a decision. "Please don't go. My name is Galina Goyle; my brother Greg is in Slytherin. Our father went into Slytherin before Greg did, and his father before him, for a long ways back. But I don't, don't, don't want to go into Slytherin, because I hear they're mean there."
Peggy nodded. "They can be, though Daphne Greengrass in fifth year—sorry, sixth year—is nice. For that matter, your brother was nice when he wasn't following Draco No-Name all about. But do you know, you don't have to be in Slytherin? You can ask to be Sorted into another House."
Galina shook her head. "I'm smarter than Greg, but I'm no Ravenclaw! Which leaves..." Now-silent Galina looked at Peggy with a pained expression.
Peggy grinned. "Which leaves the House of the duffers, and the House of the brainless adventurers?"
Embarrassed Galina nodded.
Peggy said proudly, "I'm glad I was Sorted into Hufflepuff, which also is the House of Minister for Magic Amelia Bones-Black—and she is no duffer!"
"Okay, maybe," said Galina, who was smiling at last. "But the Lions are still 'No bloody way!' for me."
"Even when I tell you that Harry Potter is in Gryffindor? He's a true hero—he killed a sixty-foot basilisk that was endangering the school, and Harry Potter saved me from an evil teacher."
Galina crossed her arms. "You believe those books? I stopped reading them when I was eight years old, when my Aunt Zelda told me they were made up."
"The books are made up, yes, but Harry Potter is what Gryffindors are supposed to be. He rescued me from the evil teacher, and the basilisk? I saw it for myself, whilst a fourth-year boy—whoops, fifth-year boy—took photos of the basilisk's carcass. Oh, Harry Potter's girlfriend Hermione, she isn't a brainless adventurer either. And both he and she act nice to us younger kids. So don't rule out Gryffindor."
Hours later, Galina Goyle, after thinking about her conversation with Peggy Shaw, was Sorted into Gryffindor.
Meanwhile, elsewhere at the Gryffindor table
Brand-new sixth-year Hermione had heard about a system of magic called Occlumency that, besides making it difficult or impossible for the practitioner to get his mind read, also organised the mind. Organising the mind enabled better recall. Hermione wanted to learn this Occlumency during sixth year, and she asked Harry to learn with her.
Hermione mentioned, "Step One in the process is learning how to clear your mind."
The voice of brand-new sixth-year Harry was deep and sexy when he murmured in Hermione's ear, "You already know a way to get my mind clear."
Hermione blushed red, and smacked Harry's arm.
Slightly down the table, amongst the Gryffindor fifth-years, sat Ron and Ginny Weasley. They each glared at the sixth-year lovebirds.
Ginny was angry because Hermione had stolen Ginny's future husband.
Ron glared at the other two-thirds of the former Golden Trio because Ron had failed his fifth-year classes, his OWL scores at the end of fifth year had been awful, and Headmistress Sprout had told Ron's father that Ron would not be advanced to sixth year.
Ron blamed Hermione for his misfortunes, because last year she had refused to "help with the homework" (do Ron's homework for him); and Ron blamed Harry for making Dumbledore lose his position as Headmaster. Dumbledore would never have made Ron Weasley suffer the embarrassment and mockery of repeating fifth year, no matter how low Ron's marks were.
Eleven months later
Friday, 1 August 1997
The day after Harry's seventeenth birthday
Far, far below Gringotts
Albus Dumbledore just had finished a long shift and he just had sat down in the food room to eat supper (such as it was). He was lucky to eat three bites when a goblin guard, who was holding a parchment, rushed up to him. "You have special visitors, by permission of Director Ragnok. I shall escort you to your barracks now"—meaning, the barracks for the goblin gold-mine prisoner-miners.
Skinny Albus looked longingly at the barely eaten food-tray he was abandoning, but let himself be led away to the barracks.
One minute later, the barracks was empty except for Albus, the goblin guard and Albus's three visitors: Miss Granger, Sirius and Harry. Albus greeted his visitors warmly, with a smile, as though he were still the headmaster of the best magical school in the world. Then Albus said, "To what do I owe the pleasure? Though Sirius, is it safe for you to be out and about?"
Sirius laughed. "Old man, Amy got me a trial the day after the goblins tried you. Amazingly, without your twinkling eyes in Courtroom Ten, my trial went brilliantly. I'm now Lord Black, and Amy is now both my wife and the Minister for Magic."
Albus's face paled. "Amelia Bones is Minister for Magic? Erm, this is wonderful, but I am surprised Voldemort has not removed her."
It was Harry who replied: "No, she removed him—she and a mob of ICW Aurors whom I called to be my 'Hand.' "
Albus felt annoyed at this news, for many reasons.
Harry continued, "As for the horcruxes that were keeping Tommy alive?" Harry ran a hand up his forehead and onto his hair, which bared his scar-free forehead. "I hired the goblins to act as my 'Hand' against the horcruxes, though Hermione and I and two house-elves needed to track down Ravenclaw's Diadem. Final results: the horcruxes are gone, Tom Riddle is gone, the good guys suffered insanely low casualties, Snape, Pettigrew and the other Death Eaters ate death, the prophecy-sphere is black, and I wasn't involved in the final battle at all."
Miss Granger said, "That last part happened because Minister Bones had her house-elf grab Harry and take him from Bones Manor back to the Hogwarts gates."
Harry shrugged. "No big deal. I've become used to being kidnapped." Harry glared at Albus. "But this time, Minister Bones actually was concerned about my safety."
Albus started to reply; Sirius said, "Don't start. We know that whatever you say will be longwinded, grandiose and zero-percent true."
Harry looked meaningfully at Albus and said, "Thank God I didn't let some liar convince me that the Prophecy that began 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord' somehow was about 'The one who was meant to let the Dark Lord kill him for the Greater Good, weakening the Dark Lord enough so that another wizard could finish the job and that bloke then grab the glory.' "
Harry then looked at Sirius and Miss Granger. "Let's go. Unless one of you has something to say to the meddling old fool?"
The other two visitors shook their heads. Harry, Sirius and Miss Granger turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Albus shouted. "I insist you stay."
None of his three visitors replied; instead, Miss Granger handed Harry a sickle whilst all three visitors continued to walk away.
When Albus thought he could speak without his voice or face begging, he said, "I wish to hear whatever other news you choose to share."
Sirius and Miss Granger stopped, then looked at Harry and shrugged. Harry turned to face Albus.
Harry said, "Hm, what to tell you? Molly is working in the goblin iron mine, because she, like you, stole from me and she, like you, got caught. But unlike with you, I had nothing to do with her arrest and trial, except to be the victim. Hermione and I just came from the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour in—it's somewhere in France; Hermione knows where."
Miss Granger said, "Somewhere in Bourgogne—Burgundy—I think. But under a Fidelius Charm in any case."
Harry continued, "At the wedding, except for both of us being glared at by Ron and Ginny—who both think I should have rolled over and forgiven their mother for stealing nearly five thousand galleons from me—Bill's and Fleur's wedding was a happy, relaxing day for me."
Miss Granger said cheerfully, "Harry honey, Ginny's sour attitude might also be because of what happened yesterday."
Miss Granger's face was guileless as she explained her remark. "Prisoner-Miner Dumbledore, I'm sure you recall that Harry has been of-age since 24th November 1994; but yesterday he became of-age the regular way, when he turned seventeen. Yesterday, Harry and I explored his three vaults. Guess what I found in Harry's Heirloom vault? A betrothal contract between Harry and Ginny, signed by you and Molly back in November 1981. Ginny was in nappies then."
Harry said, "Too bad, Pompous Doubletalk, you didn't know that in House Potter, only a Potter Head of House can write a betrothal contract that binds a Potter Head of House or a Potter Heir Primary. Family magic wouldn't have enforced a betrothal contract signed by any Magical Guardian, even if you hadn't also usurped the position of Magical Guardian."
Harry then made a Take over, Miss Granger gesture.
Miss Granger said, "I showed Harry that both signatures on the Betrothal Contract were transparent—meaning invalid. Harry let me put the Betrothal Contract in my bottomless bag and, after we had walked down the steps of Gringotts, Harry let me take the Betrothal Contract out of my bag, put it on the ground in Diagon Alley and Incendio it."
Harry said, "Oddly, when the Betrothal Contract caught fire, I felt a tiny tug on my magical core. I'm betting that yesterday, Ginny felt something in her magical core. Which explains why today she acted like such a bint to Hermione and me."
Albus gave Harry his well-practised I'm so disappointed in you look. "Harry my boy, Ginevra would be a good wife for you."
Harry rolled his eyes. "You signed the contract that would have tied her and me together, when she was a baby. Even Luna doesn't have Sight enough to know what sort of wife an infant girl would grow up to be. Now you're just lying to me, but I don't listen to you anymore."
Then Harry looked at Sirius and Miss Granger. "The liar and thief really has me annoyed now. Let's go."
Albus said, "If indeed you scorn me so, then why did you visit me today, Harry my boy? You want something from me; I insist you tell me what it is."
Harry said, "Albus my boy, you really don't want me to talk to you any longer."
"Yes I do. I am keenly disappointed that you refuse to share your thoughts with me, Harry my boy, after everything I have done to earn your trust."
Instead of Harry looking like he had been browbeaten into submission, Harry instead smiled at Albus, the mad smile of someone who was holding an axe that dripped blood. Then Harry said—
"What do I want from you? Nothing. I kept all of the one million galleons you tried to swindle me out of, I got the eight hundred thousand galleons that you stole from me, returned to me, plus enough galleons for me to buy eight racing brooms. How generous of you! There's also the issue that now I don't believe any words you speak or any promise you make. I turned seventeen yesterday, so the 'I'm your magical guardian, Harry my boy' card has been yanked out of your deck and torn up into confetti."
Sirius said, "Not to mention that both James' and Lily's wills said that I was to be Harry's guardian—not you, Albus, and definitely not Petunia—me."
Harry resumed speaking: "You insist that I share my thoughts with you? Very well, here's what I'm thinking: I survived to age seventeen, despite your plots. Voldemort is dead and you get no glory from his death, despite your plots. Voldemort is dead and I'm not the person famous for killing him, and I can't tell you how refreshing this is. The people who plotted to control my life, you and Molly, are gone for now; the people who would steal from me, you and Molly, are gone for now. I'm free from Ginny now and forever, but the relationships I have with Hermione and her father are everything I could ask for.
"Listen carefully: I'm happy now, which I never was, not for one minute, when you controlled my life.
"Now let me tell you something else before I go—"
Now Harry shifted his voice and manner to show Albus-like pomposity: "Albus, I know you have enemies, people who want to kill the Defeater of Grindelwald. But do not worry, now you are safe. You are miles underground, in sovereign goblin territory—no Dark Lord can get to you, no Dark minion can get to you. You are safe. So what if you are miserable, you are underfed and you have no freedom? You are safe. One day you will realise that when I wrote that trick signature, so that the goblins would put you on trial and you would be sentenced to a goblin mine for almost-forever, I did it for your own good. I am so disappointed in you, Albus, that you have not thanked me."
By now, the other prisoner-miners were back in the barracks, but were standing against the walls and listening. The goblin guard still held his spear like he was eager to use it; so the other prisoner-miners said nothing and did nothing.
Harry looked round at his audience, then said, "Albus Dumbledore, you stole eight hundred thousand galleons from me, and tried to steal another million galleons from me. But to show there are no hard feelings, I'm about to give you a gift. Hermione, the bag?"
Miss Granger reached into her bottomless bag and pulled out a moneybag, which she handed to Harry.
Mad-grinning Harry opened the moneybag and, from shoulder height, poured twenty galleons out of the moneybag onto Albus's bunk. Every prisoner-miner in the barracks saw the yellow-orange gleam of twenty falling gold coins, and every prisoner-miner heard the clink of twenty gold coins hitting Albus's blanket.
Harry then closed up his moneybag and handed it back to Miss Granger, who put the moneybag back in her bottomless bag.
Harry looked round the room, then said to Albus, "Twenty galleons—enjoy. I've complete confidence in your workmates that they'll do the right thing."
Then Harry made a hand-signal. Harry, Sirius, Miss Granger and the goblin guard walked out of the prisoner-miner barracks, with the teenagers holding hands.
Albus was left alone with twenty galleon coins, in a room full of thieves who all knew he had the coins.
Albus was 116 years old, and the Elder Wand was in a storeroom somewhere, hundreds of feet above where Albus was now. Albus, for the first time since his battle with Gellert, felt true fear.
One month later: Monday, 1 September 1997
The first day of Hermione's seventh year
On 9 September 1995, Hermione had begun her Royal Canadian Air Force exercise program. She had done her twelve-minute exercise routine every day since then without fail, and intensely, for the next almost-two years. Hermione intended to continue her exercises through all of her and Harry's seventh year.
By seventh-year DADA, Hermione was at a level by herself, when it came to defence against classmates' spells and the professor's spells. What she had been taught in first year—duck, dodge and run away—she could do forever.
Also, by the time Hermione was a seventh-year, she had the smallest waist, and the most toned arms and legs, of the twenty-odd seventh-year witches. Hermione was proud of this.
Hermione did not dress like a slag; she still dressed like a Head Girl dentists' daughter. But now she dressed like a Head Girl dentists' daughter who knew she would look good in anything she wore.
Eight months later: Saturday, 2 May 1998
Augustus Rookwood, one the ten Death Eaters who had been sentenced to the maximum-security wing in Azkaban, died in his cell of Dementor exposure. He was the last of the ten to die.
The other nine Death Eaters had died by 1996, months after Auror prison guards had cruelly showed them the issue of the Prophet that had proclaimed that Lord Voldemort, who had managed to get himself resurrected in June 1995, had been killed by four Killing Curses, three months later.
What had enabled the ten evil magicals to throw off the effects of Dementor exposure before September 1995 had been the hope, during the years after 1981, that the Dark Lord would return and would break them out of prison. When the Dark Lord had died for good in September 1995, the imprisoned Death Eaters' hopes had died, and soon afterwards, the Death Eaters themselves began dying off.
Bellatrix Lestrange had been the first of the ten to die, of heart failure, only a fortnight after the Death Eaters had received the bad news.
About a month later: Friday, 29 May 1998
On the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch
Of all the games of Quidditch that Harry played as Gryffindor Seeker, his last game (against Slytherin) became his most famous game.
Harry ended the game with a score of 180 to 20, when he caught the Snitch six minutes into the game.
After the game ended, Harry did the incredible: He landed his broom amongst the unhappy Slytherin team, walked up to Draco No-Name, put out his hand, and congratulated Draco for being a worthy Seeker for six years. Everyone, even Hermione who was Harry's betrothed by now, was surprised when Harry did this.
Soon after Harry rejoined Hermione, a scout for Puddlemere United all but begged Harry to sign with that club as Reserve Seeker. To the shock of everyone except Hermione, Harry gently turned the man down. Harry explained, "My future wife won't like it if I sign your contract."
Harry got a public snog from Hermione for saying this. Ron Weasley, who was the Reserve Keeper for this game, looked like he wanted to curse Harry in the back.
Six weeks later: Friday, 10 July 1998
Harry and Hermione, and Neville and Daphne, all having sat their NEWTs, married in a double ceremony at Hogwarts.
Then Harry and Hermione Muggle-married in Saint George Church of England in Crawley. Neville was the Best Man, Daphne was the Maid of Honour and Luna was a bridesmaid. By now, Neville, Daphne and Luna knew enough about the Muggle world that none of them unknowingly violated the Statute of Secrecy.
One month later: Friday, 7 August 1998
At the Ministry
Harry Potter, having already claimed the Potter Head of House ring, now claimed the Potter seat in the Wizengamot. Immediately Lady Flint (Amelia Bones), Lord Nott (Kingsley Shacklebolt) and the thirty-three "Absentee Lords" each gave their proxies to Harry.
This was not Harry's idea, it was Hermione's idea and Amelia's idea—but Harry rolled with it.
The Wizengamot now had fifty seat-holders, meaning fifty votes. Harry, all by himself, controlled thirty-six votes. Harry was king of the Wizengamot, but he refused to act like a king.
Harry immediately called a press conference, at which he and Hermione answered questions. Invited to attend: the Daily Prophet, the Quibbler, the New York Wand, La Magie du Monde—English Edition and the magic-radio Wizarding Wireless Network.
The Potters discovered the next day that the Prophet had "selectively edited" the Potters' words. Harry felt annoyed, but Hermione was enraged. This was when Harry and Hermione got the idea of writing books, so that the wizarding public would know what the Potters were trying to say, even when the Prophet slanted its coverage of the couple.
The first book the Potters wrote was The Muggles WILL Find Out, which made the bold claim that, thanks to millions of computers in the nonmagical world, sooner or later the Muggles would tear down the wall of secrecy, despite whatever the wizarding world tried to do to keep the secret.
The way the Potters wrote the book was that Hermione, apex researcher that she was, wrote the first draft; then Harry rewrote her words to make them easy to understand.
One month later: September 1998
The month when everything changed
Cyrus Greengrass began a newspaper, the London Oath. His daughter Daphne Greengrass-Longbottom became the editor-in-chief of this newspaper.
The origin of the newspaper's name? On the first page of every issue, in the bottom-left corner, was this text: "We pledge that every story we print is true. If a story is challenged by a reader, the reporter who wrote the story shall give the following oath in our visitors' lobby: I swear on my magic that [such-and-such story] is true, that it is as true as I can make it, and that the story is not written to mislead. The reporter shall make this oath in front of the challenger, or the reporter shall be sacked immediately. We urge the reporters for the Daily Pfft to write to the same standard."
The London Oath did not write about Muggles as quaint talking beasts, and did not write about Muggle-borns as nuisances who should be grateful (but never were grateful) that they had been allowed to join the magical world. By the time that the London Oath printed its first issue, Daphne had been in several long discussions with Hermione and with Hermione's parents, and had visited the Granger home several times. Daphne had seen a microwave oven and a computer in operation, and had flipped through Emma Granger's copy of Gray's Anatomy; each experience had shocked Daphne, because each experience had been "impossible" by her previous thinking.
The other thing that happened in September 1998 was that the Wizengamot was set up to be replaced—
By a quirk of Fate, every surviving member of every Dark family had been stripped of his or her voice in the Wizengamot. This was a dangerous situation to leave unresolved.
For the past thousand years, Muggle-borns had had no voice in the Wizengamot, but now the Muggle-borns had computers, Internet access and a slogan: "Never again." Leaving the Muggle-borns disenfranchised was now a dangerous situation to leave unresolved.
To fix both these problems, Harry and Hermione, after consultation with Neville and his Gran, and with Daphne and her father Cyrus, wrote a constitution. Since Harry now was a one-wizard majority in the Wizengamot, the constitution that Harry and his wife wrote was the constitution that became law in Wizarding Britain.
The constitution was the supreme law of the land; no law could remain in force that went against the constitution. The constitution guaranteed certain rights to every wizard and witch, and laws that were passed afterwards could not revoke these rights, except for individuals convicted of crimes. So for example, a general mandatory-marriage law would be unconstitutional.
The constitution could be revoked only by two separate votes of the legislature, unanimous both times in votes which were at least 365 days apart. The constitution could be amended only by two separate votes of the legislature, receiving 75 percent of the votes both times in votes which were at least 365 days apart.
The Wizengamot, which had existed in Wizarding Britain in one form or another for the past thousand years, would be replaced by the Magical House of Commons (MHOC). Members of the House (MH) would be elected by a majority of eligible voters—British magicals who were seventeen or older and who each had passed at least two OWLs. Each MH would be an eligible voter who also was at least twenty-five years old, and the Member would be elected by the majority of votes cast in a county/shire in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. London would be divided into thirds, and each London-third would elect one MH.
Every future Minister for Magic would be elected from amongst the Members of the Magical House of Commons, except that the Minister must be at least thirty-five years old. When a Member was elected Minister, his old county or shire would hold a special election to choose a replacement MH.
The constitution specified that the Wizarding Britain government have an independent judiciary. At the top of this independent judiciary would be a Supreme Court, which could void a law if the Supreme Court declared the law to be unconstitutional.
All the judges for this new judiciary wound up being hired from Magical Australia, Magical Canada, Magical New Zealand and the Magical USA. Why? Because Wizarding Britain would have no qualified judges for years yet, and because Harry and Hermione felt that if the judges were hired from places where judges were expected to act professionally, the judges would not accept bribes to vote a certain way during a trial, as Wizengamot members were notorious for doing.
Harry did not like Percy Weasley, but Harry wrote Percy a letter saying that he thought Percy had the perfect personality to be a good judge someday, so Harry suggested that Percy transfer to Judiciary and advance as high as he could.
The first election of Members of the Magical House of Commons would be on 1 December 1998. These members would take their new seats in the Magical House of Commons, the new judges would sit on their benches, and the Wizengamot would cease to exist, all on 1 January 1999.
The London Oath was quick to point out that under the constitution that Hermione and Harry had themselves proclaimed, they would not be eligible to stand for office until 2004 and 2005, respectively.
One year later: Wednesday, 1 September 1999
At Hogwarts
Fifth-year Hufflepuff student Peggy Shaw had been selected as a Prefect. She felt proud of this.
Her guiding rule as a Prefect was simple: What would Harry or Hermione do?
Whenever people in the Hufflepuff common room said bad things about Gryffindors, Peggy reminded them that one former Gryffindor was everything that a Gryffindor should be.
Seven months later: April 2000
In the Gringotts London gold mine
Albus Dumbledore, who had walked with a limp since the day in August 1997 when Harry Potter had gifted Albus with twenty galleon coins in front of twenty-eight convicted thieves, died at work in the gold mine. The cause of death was starvation and exhaustion.
Rather than hold a funeral for dead Albus Dumbledore, the goblins vanished his body and added a note to Aberforth Dumbledore's monthly Gringotts statement.
When Aberforth Dumbledore read the note, he did not bother to hold a funeral or to notify the Daily Prophet.
As for the dead prisoner's belongings in an Inprocessing box, the goblins knew exactly what Prisoner Dumbledore's bumpy wand was. No goblin wished to own this wand, even with it being "special." The goblins were not foolish enough to sell off the Elder Wand, nor did they vanish the Elder Wand by any regular goblin spell. Instead, the goblins vanished the Elder Wand by ritual, so that Death could reclaim the wand.
(Using similar logic, the goblins had ritual-vanished the Resurrection Stone in October 1995, after Harry Potter had told Gringotts, "You keep that stone, I don't want it.")
Two years and eight months later: Yule 2002
Molly Weasley had died in the goblin iron mine four months earlier, in August 2002; Arthur Weasley had felt her die.
Now four months later, on the winter solstice of 2002, Arthur Weasley married Ruby Bulstrode. Ruby was the sister of Daphne Greengrass Longbottom's mum and the sister of Millicent Bulstrode's father.
Ruby was a beauty like her sister Opal Bulstrode Greengrass; and the second Mrs Arthur Weasley, unlike Arthur's notorious first wife, was no fishwife.
To everyone's shock, Ron Weasley acted civil to all those Bulstrodes, every one of whom had Sorted into Slytherin. (Arthur had threatened disownment; and Arthur's face must have convinced Ron that his father meant it.)
In the years afterwards
After Harry and Hermione married, Dan Granger taught Harry to play golf. The first time the two men played eighteen holes together, Dan joked afterwards, "Harry, the good news is, it's clear you didn't cheat with magic."
Afterwards, Dan and Harry played golf together at least once a month for the next forty years. Thankfully, Harry's golf game improved with practise.
Zimte Leihen never returned to Britain, with one exception, not counting when Zimte's ICW duties required such travel. Zimte returned to Wizarding Britain in September 2020, to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Malfoy Manor.
Bertrand Malfoi visited Malfoy Manor on 5 June 1998, to personally oversee eighteen-year-old Draco No-Name packing up and leaving Malfoy Manor, never to return.
After Draco No-Name Apparated away, Bertrand went to Malfoy Manor's Portraits Room and had a fascinating conversation in French with the portrait of Luc Malfoy, who was the French founder of House Malfoy of Great Britain.
Bertrand moved his wife Juliusette to Malfoy Manor, and in the following years, all of the couple's children were born in Malfoy Manor. Bertrand's family, both adults and children, got along well with Narcissa, who lived in the manor house with them. Everyone in the manor house, including Narcissa, celebrated Yule each year at Maison Malfoi.
Draco No-Name died at age twenty-two "in suspicious circumstances." When Bertrand heard this, he declared House Malfoy to be no longer extinct, but instead to again be a viable House; and Bertrand named his oldest son Harolde to be the Heir Primary.
Bertrand's children, at age eleven, each received a Hogwarts letter. But without exception, Bertrand's children attended Beauxbatons.
When Aubin Malfoi died and Bertrand's father, Millard Malfoi, became Head of House Malfoi, Bertrand wrote to his father. Bertrand suggested in his letter that instead of Millard Malfoi, Lord Malfoi, declaring him, Bertrand, to be the Heir Primary, that Millard give the Heir Primary ring to Bertrand's younger brother Ganelon. This was done, and Ganelon wrote Bertrand a thank-you letter.
On Friday, 1 September 2017
On Platform 9¾
Harry and Hermione now were both two things that Uncle Vernon had hated. Harry and Hermione now both were "freaks" (magical), and happily so. But Harry and Hermione now also were "thieving politicians." Harry now was the Member of the Magical House of Commons from the county of Gwynedd in Wales (the position that Hermione had held till six years ago); Hermione now was Minister for Magic.
But this morning, the Potter adults were setting aside their political titles in favour of another of their titles: Dad and Mum.
A group of children, all of them previous visitors to each other's houses, boarded the Hogwarts Express together. Those children were the offspring of Harry and Hermione, Sirius and Amelia, Neville and Daphne, and Rolf and Luna.
Hermione's waist at age thirty-seven was smaller than the waist of half of the seventh-year girls. Today on Platform 9¾, Hermione was wearing a red minidress, yellow knee-high, high-heeled boots and a wide, emerald-green belt with matching emerald-green witch's hat; Hermione looked like a WILF.
Also on Platform 9¾: Zacharias and Ginny Smith. Ginny tried to catch Harry's eye, but he refused to look at her. Ron was absent from Platform 9¾ because he never had found a witch who would marry him and would have his babies.
At 11 a.m, when the scarlet train began to roll away, Harry smiled at his wife, his godfather and his friends, and sighed contentedly. "All is well," Harry said.
Hermione hugged him.
The End