686Chapter 46: Epilogue
Harry sat down by the beach with his current journal, a pen, and a tall glass of lemonade. Dobby appeared with a comfortable lounge chair and an umbrella. He thanked his friend, who had also brought him his favorite sandwich. He opened the journal, and after a deep sigh of contentment at the smell of the ocean and the cool breeze, he started by writing the date. The sun was starting to set. He picked up his pen and started to write just like he had been doing since he began therapy after the war. Today's exercise was to write a journal entry taking stock of his life, as if he was updating someone he hadn't seen in a long time. Dr. Tempe, as he had taken to call her, was convinced it would help with his upcoming life changes to see how far he had come.
It's been one and a half years since I was freed. My whole life, I was little more than a tool, a pawn, and a gullible soldier with little choice over my own life. Now, I have so much freedom and choice that I find myself struggling to make the most of it at times. In this time, a lot has changed. We lost a lot, but we also gained a lot. With the help of the elves, the unicorns, the centaurs, and the merfolk, we were able to finish fixing the damage to the island caused by my episode. My merfolk clan had a competition that looked like the Olympic games to me. One of them won, Rifxo. She seems to have learned a lot from her time with Omari. They decided to move back to their lake in Scotland. I can no longer speak Mermish, but I can still understand it somehow.
It took help from former students, professors, and educational experts, both local and international, to figure out how to open and read all the Founders' Grimoires. With an ancient, complex, long set of rituals, they managed to revive the lay lines. Headmistress McGonagall's first order of business was to fence in the school terrain. Voldemort had practically waltzed in, and for parents to ever recover confidence in their school, they needed to vastly improve safety. They would now have tall walls with elven and goblin protections. They needed to change everything. After much back and forth and polling, they decided to keep the name and the houses for the sake of tradition but changed the motto to reflect the change in curriculum, and now it was Hogwarts: Magicae Scientiae.
The new curriculum goes into Math, Sciences, and History, both Wizarding and Non-Magical. The muggleborn students would take an introductory seminar starting on August 1st. That first month they would be taught about the government, the legal system, the Wizengamot, tradition, magical families, and formal etiquette. Students with no non-magical relatives or background would have a mandatory revamped Muggle Studies class that would go into culture and etiquette and that would progressively update wizards and witches on technology. Because the spell work and runes to protect Hogwarts were such complicated, multilayered work, they would not try to build an electricity-friendly space. However, Sirius donated Grimmauld Place to the Board of Governors of the school. He had no wish to ever live there again, and Tonks had no wish to keep it.
They had the goblins divest the house from anything that could make it incompatible with electricity. The only area of the property that would be magically protected was a large shed at the end of the back garden, which would have five different Vanishing Cabinets for students to come into class. The fences were also raised higher and bushy trees were planted to limit visibility from the upper floors of neighboring houses. Another area that would change was the physical activity component. General Xu and Jing had devised a 7-year curriculum that would take the students through different sports and self-defense disciplines.
In the first half of the first year, they would focus on teaching students a way to work out safely. During that first half, they would learn stretches and calisthenics. During the second half, they would begin learning Aikido. With their smaller bodies, using the attacker's strength against them in combat was a great advantage. Their second year would be split into Taekwondo to strengthen the legs and gain discipline and then swimming in the warmer months to further train the whole body. Their third year would delve into gymnastics and Karate with an optative in Flying. In fourth year, they would learn football and Judo. Fifth year, they would spend on Muay Thai and Weightlifting principles. In the sixth year, they would learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and further the physical sport of their choice from the previous years. In the seventh year, they would choose between Kung Fu and Krav Maga for their defensive activity and again choose another sport they had done the years before.
I am frankly jealous of the well-rounded education they will get. Most of my friends and I decided to end our education via tutoring and exams. Hogwarts' building is barely now about to be finished. Some chose to finish in friendly schools abroad, but not me. I have had enough of trying to adapt to new people and situations. Hermione was glad to have more personalized teaching, and I realized that learning is fun when there is no mass murderer psycho hunting you. We ended up having top marks in all our classes. After graduation, Hermione chose to study law at the University of Oxford while apprenticing with Ted for her Magical Law Mastery, and I decided to do both Magical Healing and Muggle Medicine at Oxford too. I have never studied so much, but I have never felt better about what I am doing. My life has a purpose that is my own. Andromeda and Lady Greengrass have been incredible mentors. So has Snape, much to my disbelief and Padfoot's annoyance.
They wanted to sentence Snape to fifteen years merely because he survived. However, with his improved recipes that he registered a trademark for as soon as the Ministry was functional, it was to Magical Society's benefit to reduce his sentencing provided that he would never work with teenagers again and that he donated 40% of the earnings from his improved potion patents to St. Mungo's in perpetuity. He agreed right away. Orders have been flying in since the press published about them, and he can barely keep up with production. Some of Hogwarts' elves that we bound wanted to work for him. They were grateful for how many elven, goblin, and human lives his improved potions had saved. We had no issue as long as they were paid and treated well. They are making a good living, and they pop back to sleep in their elven community.
Hermione is doing amazing, and I couldn't be prouder. I swear, every time I think I can't fall more in love with her, I do. It's a bit dizzying. We attended Viktor's wedding to Elena three months after the end of the war. It was a beautiful ceremony. During the reception, Elena handed me a list of all the vendors they used with a wink. I proposed to Hermione when we came back from our Orlando adventures. We are getting married this December on Potter Island. She was very surprised at the proposal and the pyrotechnics, but thankfully agreed. As for the rest of my family, there's a bit of everything going on.
Dudley and Lavender broke up for a while. She insisted that she wanted to go through her first transformation alone. Dudley refused and got Bill and Remus to help him design and build an area that is safe for her to stay in during the full moon in Montana. She wasn't allowed to go through her first change alone. Remus and Bill wouldn't have it. Dudley insisted on pursuing her, and after two months of relentless devotion, they decided to give it a proper grown-up shot. They moved to the Montana property. She's apparently quite happy there. They have cows, pigs, goats, sheep, and two ponds where they raise trout. They are always sending us boxes full of meat and products. The farm is profitable enough for them to live a comfortable life. They are studying, too. Lavender is going to be a vet, and Dudley is studying Agricultural Business. I didn't see that coming. The time he spent doing honest work with Mr. Kent was good for him. They got married three months ago. Petunia wasn't invited. I know nothing about her other than what I have understood from the context of other people's conversations, and that's just the way I want it. Apparently, she managed to further push Dudley away due to her reaction to his then-girlfriend's condition. I did see that coming.
Draco… Draco is an Economics major at Cambridge. Apparently, he is having to swat the ladies -and the gentlemen- away, or so he says. I have no proof of this, but I also have zero doubts. His mom was ever so shocked that he wanted to further his education the muggle way and that he wanted to work… like an untitled man. He has also been deepening his education in Finance with his account manager after the goblin king gave them permission. The Malfoy fortune is growing steadily as he advances in his studies. Narcissa does appreciate that part. While he studies, and does his best to pass as a muggle, Narcissa has been working in the Wizengamot while he finishes his major.
My sister, Ginny, decided to finish her last year in an exchange program at Mahoutokoro at Longwei's behest. He had talked it up so much that she wanted to see it in person. He sincerely apologized to her, and she, in turn, decided to help him with his physical therapy to adapt to his new prosthetic leg. He had recovered in record time, a testament to his stubbornness and discipline. She transformed into the best version of herself while she was away. She wrote to us at least once a month to keep us up to date, and we did the same for her. She came back with a new haircut that suits her well and a great attitude. She went to the tryouts for the Harpies and got signed on her first try. The Weasleys are as proud as they can be, and they never miss a game. Ted helped to make it so that her contract established that her family could always come to the regular games at no cost to them. We are finally like true siblings, and I am so glad to be a part of her life.
My sister, Luna, decided to go on a multinational exchange program. She went to Ilvermony, Castelobruxo, and she even got accepted into super picky Durmstrang and Beauxbatons (thanks to glowing recommendations from famous alumni Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour, of course). Neville had been quite worried at first, as he chose to take the tutoring and exams, but he made sure to propose so she would leave as a fiancé, not just a girlfriend, and then he got to travel to see her and vacation in those places. She spent three months in each school, focusing on their different specialties. He has been working hard in the Wizengamot and his Herbology and Potions Masteries. Snape apologized and offered to train him for free. Neville agreed as long as I did the apprenticeship with him, so I did just that. Just between us, I think Nev is still a bit scared of him and didn't want to be alone with him, but truth be told, Snape is a whole different person, now. He is patient, helpful, and takes time to explain everything and correct with kindness.
Our Luna came back with thin multicolored highlights, red for the United States, blue for Brazil, pink for Japan, deep green for Durmstrang, and purple for France. When she lifted her hair up, I could see a rainbow. I loved it. It was very her. I was only worried about Augusta's reaction. I frankly expected her to be horrified, but she asked her to give her -I still can't believe I'm writing this- matching highlights. I honestly thought Neville would have a stroke when he saw them. I did not see that request coming either, but I guess that's as good of an endorsement as one could get from her. Everyone expected Augusta to pass soon after the war, myself included. But reconciling with Neville gave her a reason to persist. Old Wizengamot members think she is immortal. If I didn't know better, having met Mors, I would be inclined to agree. She's still scary, but nicer, I guess. Neville was certain she would have died within a year of the Final Battle, but no. Once she fully regained her mobility, she decided to leave England. To everyone's surprise, she chose Italy. Rumor has it she has a boy toy. I don't even want to think about it, and neither does Nev.
The Weasleys moved back into the new and improved Burrow. Molly couldn't believe her eyes. We turned the rackety yet warm building into a solid home with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms for the growing family. We made sure to give her a huge kitchen and several fireplaces around the house. Charlie moved into the special bedroom we built with a way out into a medium-sized pond. Now that he has figured out how to gain and lose his tail at will, he is happy to spend some time in either form. The Reserve fought to get him back to Romania, but Scamander won. Because of his role in the war, he was granted an exception to keep a dragon with him.
The dragon fought valiantly in the Final Battle, and it was very well-trained. Even Scamander was impressed. It turned out that the dragon was Norberta. She remembered Hagrid. He's still growing back his beard after her enthusiastic greeting. No one thought anyone other than Charlie, Hagrid, or Scamander could successfully command Norberta. However, living at the Weasley property, she quickly learned that Molly was Charlie's boss and, therefore, her boss as well. I could scarcely believe it when, at the first post-war Christmas dinner, Norberta tried to steal the main course (a whole pig) and eat it. She was holding it with her legs, ready to take one big bite as it squealed loudly and struggled when Molly rushed out with her slipper and wand in hand.
Flashback
"Norberta Muriel Weasley! NO! Put it down!"
Norberta actually rolled her eyes and groaned dramatically while the pig struggled and squealed trying to get free.
"That pig is for the guests!"
More groans of protest and a frustrated batting of wings.
"Don't you dare talk back to me, young lady! While you live on this property, you will do as you are told! I have a very special meal for you already. You will let that pig go!" Molly pointed at the squealing pig and then at the dragon with her slipper.
Norberta growled at Charlie.
"Don't look at me to save your scaly butt! You got me in trouble, too, Nor!"
Norberta blew a raspberry or at least did a dragon's version of it. Smoke was exhaled sharply through her nostrils, and she let the pig go with such an annoyed expression that it was hilarious. The traumatized pig ran away only to be stunned by Charlie and taken back to the outdoor kitchen area. Norberta sat, like a dog would, facing Molly. She pouted.
"Thank you, Norberta, dear. I will give you a big dinner… Who's a good girl?" Molly smiled as she put her slipper back on.
Norberta wagged her tail, almost taking down a young tree, and laid on her back. Molly walked over, and both patted and scratched her belly to the absolute shock of everyone watching. "You are a good girl! Yes, you are!"
Seeing a dragon turn into a puppy is a whole experience. Heaven helps whoever tries to interfere between Molly Weasley and cooking what she wants. The funniest part of the exchange was that such a creature seemingly feared her very flammable slipper more than her wand. We did have a lovely meal that day and so did Norberta. She was given two living goats to chase around and eat. Speaking of chasing, Ginny and Draco are still playing hard to get with each other. It is quite amusing to watch. Hermione keeps telling me that Ginny will break first and unceremoniously sit on his lap or snog him under a mistletoe… Whatever the case, I just hope we get to witness it.
George married Angelina soon after the war. She got extensive dermatological procedures to help her scarring. It is still there, but it is much better. He says he married a badass witch, and the scars are sexy. Fred is dating a muggle soldier named Andrew. We didn't see that coming. We were all worried about Molly's reaction, but Andrew won her over quickly with his 'cute' crocheting patterns and his chocolates. He runs a chocolaterie in Muggle London. I still can't pronounce that word to save my life. Molly said she couldn't care less who Fred loves as long as they are kind and willing to come by often. I hope that Charlie got the memo. We all think he has a boyfriend named Alex. None of us have met him, but Charlie mentions him a lot. Molly loves the new large house but wants people around because she feels lonely. I guess losing Arthur didn't completely hit until she moved back. On the island and the castle, there were so many people that it was hard to feel lonely. We have Sunday lunch there at least once a month. Just after the war, it was every other week, but school and work got in the way.
Some days I still struggle to understand how I survived this nightmare. We lost too many people and creatures. Once things settled down at the Ministry, we started the biggest, loudest campaign for creatures' rights. We gave Omari, Ruki, and King Etrukord our word, and we kept it. Legislation has been passed that protects elves from physical abuse, from losing the rights to their territories, and from incrimination and prosecution for acts ordered upon them by their masters and mistresses in the case of the elves. Dobby created ELF, Elven Liberation Front, and he has been quite successful in gaining members. Our elves spread the word about the way they have been treated and integrated by my family, and now all other elves know they can always come to Clan Potter-Granger Elves if they need help. Their territory is a sanctuary.
This, in turn, made people, especially the mean ones, realize that if they hurt their elves, they will fall from grace with us, and they really don't want to. It turns out that my family is indeed a big deal in the Wizengamot. So, after we came back from our 'let kids be kids' vacation, Draco, Neville, and Augusta taught us the ropes, and Hermione and I took an active role. With both our original votes and those we got from the Orders of Merlin First Class, both of us got to preside over chairs. Minister Bones has been… as supportive as she can be of our legislation without showing favoritism that could get her in trouble. She suffered a lot when Susan left and just now, she is starting to realize there's no going back. Susan moved to Virginia six months after the Final Battle once we took and passed our exams. She joined the FBI Academy and is being trained by the best to catch muggle bad guys. She froze her eggs. We are all very proud of her, especially Sirius. Oliver requested a transfer to play Quidditch in one of the United States teams near her. Sirius is expecting to pay for another wedding soon enough.
Sirius has accomplished so much. He is -I think- almost completely over Ruki's revenge prank. It was hilarious. But it took him a while to stop freaking out every time she would come into a room. I honestly thought he would have a heart attack. All his most beloved Black worthy clothes were ruined. His bedroom was covered in hot pink glitter stuck to the walls, ceilings, and floor. His colognes smelled foul. He had no idea of any of this. He referred to it as Ruki's evil mumbo jumbo now. We could see his clothes were ruined. We could see he was always dusted in hot pink glitter and smelled that he reeked. We were forbidden from saying anything. It was Marlene who finally caved. She did some reverse mumbo jumbo on a mirror so he could see what others saw and smelled. The scream that followed was hilarious. We were ever so glad we were home.
Flashback
"RUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Marlene grimaced. "Sirius, I love you. But she's terrifying, and I am not taking the fall for this! Bye!" She threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and vanished. He was about to freak out over Marlene saying she loved him, but a throat was cleared behind him-
"Yes, Master Black?" Ruki appeared at his door with an innocent smile.
Harry and Hermione stayed in the hallway, out of sight, in case things escalated.
"You… You…. You have made a fool out of me, publicly, for months?"
"Yes, Master Black," she replied evenly.
Harry and Hermione grimaced. Ruki was much braver than they were.
"You mean to tell me that I have gone to business meetings, to social gatherings, to weddings like this… and you let me?" His face was bright red in both anger and embarrassment.
"Yes, Master Black," she smirked.
Sirius exhaled sharply through his nose, "And you managed to rope in everyone else, including Moony, and my pups into deceiving and betraying me?!"
Ruki nodded, "Indeed, Master Black."
Sirius opened and closed his mouth several times. His frown was a sight to behold. "All I did was borrow a necklace for a good end, mind you, and you did this?"
"I did, Master Black," Ruki's smirk would make most people run for cover. "I swore an oath to former Lady Potter. You messed with my ability to protect my charge."
"You… You… Oh, I am sure Lily helped you all the way from her VIP cloud. For the love of Loki! Have you ever heard of the principle of proportionality?! You could have cost me my job! You could have irrevocably damaged my reputation!"
Harry and Hermione bit their lips not to cackle at this.
"And what reputation would that be, Master Black?" Ruki raised a challenging brow.
"The only one that matters!" Sirius paced angrily back and forth. "My reputation as king of pranks! No wonder the Weasley twins were always looking at me weird, with pity! I was a god to them! You made me fall off the highest pedestal!"
"You know what they say about your idols…" Ruki trailed off.
Sirius stopped and turned, "Huh? What?!"
"That you should never meet them. They tend to be… a disappointment," Ruki smirked. "Now, if you want to be released and for things to go back to normal… Submit or cry Mercy. Maybe your pups will feel bad for you and come rescue you."
"You know full well they won't. They are afraid of you!"
"Is that karma I hear at the door?" Ruki smiled.
"Bloody hell! FINE. I submit! You are the better prankster. Happy?!"
Ruki smiled, "A little. Oh, and do tell Miss McKinnon that she only gets three strikes. This was strike one."
Sirius sighed, "I will."
"And promise to never try to take my things again or undermine my work."
"I promise."
Ruki smirked, "Say you are a bad dog."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "I am a bad dog."
"Good… Vide supra sensus. Now, throw your colognes away. They stink."
"You should reimburse me all the things you damaged are pricey," Sirius narrowed his eyes.
"Harry's blood is priceless… Do you want a second round?" Ruki raised her brow.
"NO!" He replied, sounding more panicked than he wanted to.
"You are smart, after all. May I leave now?" Ruki asked.
"Yes, you may… Wait, Ruki?" Sirius Black knew when he had been thoroughly outfoxed.
"Yes, Master Black?" Ruki replied again. Her tone was all politeness.
"Well played," he bowed to her.
Ruki popped away with a triumphant smile.
"Pups? Come in. I know you are out there."
"No, we're not!" Harry said as they moved to run away.
"Oh! I see… So you don't want to hear about how Marlene said she loves me?"
"WHAT?!" They ran inside.
End Flashback
I am glad Ruki and Sirius finally worked things out… If I can call it that. He has been doing so great on most fronts… With his help, the DMLE has advanced in techniques and effectiveness. After his first full year there, though, he quit. His promise not to transform into Padfoot was hurting him. He missed running around as a dog. Also, his bond with Remus was starting to demand more physicality, and they had promised Dora they would never act on it. Marlene has helped a lot to buffer their interactions. Otherwise, they would have already done something they would regret… Or maybe they wouldn't. I don't know. It's complicated. I like Marlene a lot. I love Dora, too, so this topic gives me a headache. I just want everyone to be happy and okay. Marlene has a lot of chemistry with Sirius and gets along great with Remus… when the full moon isn't coming soon, and he is less possessive of his mate, at least.
God… I truly don't know what to think. All I know is that knowing the way I feel about Hermione, how much I crave her presence, her touch, her laughter… I don't know how they do it. If their feelings are half as intense as ours, well, it must be constant torture to be apart. Sirius talked to me about it. He feels torn. He really cares about Marlene, and he may even love her, but it's not the same. I don't really know what to say to him. Dora is doing her best with all this, though. She stepped up to cover Sirius' responsibilities when he quit, and Kingsley says the DMLE would collapse without her. She is seeing less fieldwork, which she is not too happy about, but she gets to come home for lunch and dinner to spend time with Edward and Remus, so she's complaining less. Minerva had to sweeten the deal with a permanent portkey so he could commute. Teddy seems to have favored his mother's metamorphmagus' skills. So far, he hasn't shown much of his dad's skills except for a heightened sense of smell and a proclivity for medium-rare steak. I think he would have it rare, but Dora insists he's too young for that. His hair was stripped in teal and fuchsia the last time I saw it.
Whenever there is a full moon, Remus takes a trip to Montana via Goblin Portkey, and Dora does fieldwork to keep herself from worrying. Because of this, they have arranged for Edward to spend the full moon with Sirius. Getting to have him on every full moon helps him cope with staying away from Remus. Teddy loves the time there too, and Marlene, Arly as he calls her, adores him. Dora is doing her best to encourage Sirius' relationship with Marlene, but things tend to get very tense very quickly when they are all together.
Hermione thinks they will eventually snap. I tend to agree. It's an impossible situation. Dora probably fears the same from some comments she has made. Sirius is doing his best to keep busy by advising the twins and freelancing with Alain's DALM (Département d'Application de la Loi Magique). He has been trying hard to move on. Marlene is moving back to France. Turns out she was living there before she came to England for business. Hermione and I are crossing our fingers and hoping he gives his relationship with Marlene another chance, a proper one, away from Remus. She is the only person who has actually captured his attention and made him look away from Moony for any significant time. He is smiling again, and they are making plans.
Hermione thinks is not fair that Remus gets to have a wife and a child while Sirius is supposed to pine his life away. She's entirely right. Not that we blame Remus at all, but it's not okay. Before Sirius finally moved to France, I found him at a halfway renovated Grimmauld crying in desperation after he saw Remus share a rather intense kiss with Dora from afar. He looked to be in deep physical pain, and he confirmed that he was. I felt so useless. I love him so much, and I want to see him be happy… But I still offered to help in whatever way he needed. He took my word for it and had me and Hermione help him pack and move that same day to Paris with Kreacher. We stayed with them for a week, setting things up. I really hope they can make it work, for both their sakes. Their first month was rough for Sirius, but now that some time has passed, he is doing better. Kreacher now has a very successful bakery, and he seems to be aging backward. Padfoot thinks that finding a French elven mate has helped him more than the bakery. I concur. He's a lot happier. The last message I got from Sirius said he and Marlene were going to visit Susan. I hope they enjoy their time over there.
The Patil twins took over their father's textile business. After the rebuild, they have been in charge of providing a lot of the material needed for the Auror Academy, the new, less stuffy Wizengamot robes, the reformed HIT wizard squad, all the new St. Mungo's robes and linens, and soon, all Hogwarts' students. Now that the curriculum has changed, so have the uniforms. Now, girls get to wear pants instead of mandatory knee-length skirts if they choose to do so, and those from different cultures or religions can opt for long skirts instead. They also need sports uniforms and even swimsuits. Padma tells me they are doing great. Parvati is in Paris, finishing her fashion design major. Padma decided to study accounting to save the business the expense of hiring anyone else. Madame Malkin waited a whole year for things to calm down before she came back, but now they are working together.
The Grangers returned to their newly rebuilt home. Hermione had to lobby for them to let her live with me while 'unmarried.' I still have the oath hanging over me, so we haven't fulfilled our bond yet. It is now very frustrating. We can't wait until we can complete it. It's not just the physical act, which I am sure will be amazing, but that the bond keeps calling for it. We've had to take very cold showers recently after very intense snogging sessions. Fortunately, our wedding is just around the corner. Hermione insists we shouldn't have kids until we finish our majors. I agree. We want to graduate and work full-time for at least a year. After that, I am committed to working part-time and taking care of our kids. Draco says I'll get bored… Joke's on him. I love bored. I love quiet. I love peaceful. I love routine. Being a stay-at-home dad probably won't be any of those for at least the first five to ten years. But anything is more peaceful than being an Auror.
I don't know what I was thinking when I even considered that as a profession. Chyou is kicking ass in the Academy. Apparently, she has her own little fan club there. Well deserved, in my opinion. She chose to keep her scars, and the fact that she has a 'hot' and badass military brother helps her case. As for me, I promised Jing I wouldn't go soft. Hermione agreed. So, we train hard five days a week for one hour. We run, swim, weightlift, and practice dueling with our friends once every two weeks. We all start dueling practice with a yoga session because Luna will be very cross if we don't. Lu rarely asks us for anything, so everyone does as she requests whenever she chooses.
I am so proud of her. She turned her family home into an orphanage… In the aftermath of the war, while trying to put Magical England back together again, we learned about a horrible acronym: WCNSF. It stands for Wounded Child, No Surviving Family. The first time I heard what it meant, I felt a violent need to throw up. It fucking sucks. There are many who, while not physically wounded or handicapped, still have No Surviving Family. Both Luna and Neville are committed to helping them. Hermione and I are too. We have helped fund their efforts, and Mrs. Weasley has made it her new mission to be Mother Hen in the orphanage. This is healing her and the children. We go to play with the youngest on Saturdays, and sometimes Dora and Remus let us bring Teddy along so he can make friends early.
Hannah now has a motorized wheelchair that allows her to go anywhere. She is thinking about starting a foundation for those who became handicapped in the conflict. The twins are working on a prototype that is impervious to spells and can be charged with other sources of energy. Longwei and Hannah have taught us all a lesson in resilience and willpower. Their recoveries were extremely painful, but they powered through. Longwei recovered faster because he was already an athlete in top physical shape when he got hurt, but Hannah did remarkably well. Her father is as proud as I reckon a father can be. With our financial aid and the government's incentives, they reopened their Magical Bakery: Abbott Baked Goods. They are very successful. Some elves asked us permission to join them in their venture. They fell in love with baking, just like Kreacher. They now come home dusted in flour but full of joy as they get a percentage of every product sold.
As for the sadder consequences of the war, Madam Hooch didn't make it, regardless of how hard we tried. We brought specialists from around the world. They tried their best to help her, both healers and muggle doctors, but it was all to no avail. The fall caused irreparable damage. Oliver took it pretty hard. She underwent three surgeries, and for about a month, there was some hope. She took a turn for the worse shortly after and passed away in her sleep. Narcissa took it harder. Apparently, they had some sort of relationship that predated the war. I don't know what kind. Asking didn't seem prudent. Draco just said they were close. We left it at that.
Headmistress McGonagall will walk with a limp forever, unfortunately. They mended her femur, but the muscles and ligaments were damaged, too, and at her age, there are no complete fixes. Her wounds closed and scarred well. Professor Slughorn recovered soon enough. Losing both Professor Sinistra and Sprout was a significant hit to the Headmistress and all of us former students. Remus was asked to return to Hogwarts to teach this year. We made sure he was lauded as a hero very publicly and now even the meanest of the pureblood ideology believers that are left cannot move against him without public outcry, especially not now that he is Lord Black. He is teaching Defense and Runes. Professor Flitwick is now Minerva's Deputy.
She asked Neville to teach Herbology as soon as he finished his Mastery. Luna was asked to teach Divination as an elective to students who are interested and have the eye. She said she would only do it if the unicorns were allowed back into the Forest. They were, of course. Firenze and his wife managed to find other lucky centaurs who had escaped, and they invited some international centaurs as well. Their community is growing. Hermione has an open invitation to teach any class of her choice if she ever wants to take a break from law-making and pursue another Mastery. She said she would consider it eventually. Minerva asked me whether I would want to teach Defense, Charms, or Transfiguration. I probably will eventually do that. She managed to convince Angelina to come back to teach flying.
My therapist asked me to write this as the last entry of this journal. Padfoot sent me a new one. It was handcrafted, leather-bound, and it has the new Potter-Granger crest monogrammed. He also sent special multicolored glittery ink to write the good things that happened. I appreciate the thought, as the nice ink is supposed to inspire me to write even when I don't want to, but it is unnecessary. The more I journal, the more it feels like a key part of my routine. It helps me clear my mind and take stock of everything I have and am grateful for. I even write new recipes that turn out great, so I don't forget.
The Delacours are now a permanent fixture too. We write back and forth often, and they have been essential in us meeting the right people to help bolster international cooperation that benefits England and our alliance. Minister Bones is… still her uh… 'charming' self, but our willingness to cooperate has her being at least respectful. I don't think she had a change of heart. When we went to the Ministry to register our engagement in the marriage book and to get our wedding license, I decided to pop in to talk to Kingsley. Hermione ran into Ted, so she stayed behind. Apparently, Marlene came into the Minister's Office. There seems to have been a very heated conversation because the wards were glistening as they tried to contain powerful magic. The secretary was about to call for the Head Auror to come make sure nothing bad was happening inside when Marlene came out looking angry but triumphant. "Don't make me come back here," she exclaimed as she slammed the door closed. Her clothes were a bit ruffled, but the glimpse that Hermione saw of Amelia… well, she looked worse, and there was a very red handprint on her cheek. We had no idea that the McKinnons had such power in Magical England to just waltz into the Minister's office. We anticipate she won't be reelected.
We later learned from Padfoot that Susan almost got in trouble with American authorities for attacking two men who she thought were stalking her. She was on a date with Oliver. With all they learned during the war, the men ended up needing a whole month in the ICU. It turns out Minister Bones had paid them to spy on Susan. I have rarely seen Padfoot so upset. I don't know how Marlene convinced him not to talk to the Minister himself. I can't even imagine the conversation that took place in Amelia's office. Frankly, when Hermione told him about it, he almost panicked. But then, Marlene had diplomatically just said that she had taken care of their problem, and that Amelia would stay away from all of them. However, ever since that day, Amelia has stayed away from all of us and we are all glad for that.
As for Hermione and I… We can't wait until our wedding day. All the preparations are practically ready. The guests have already sent their RSVPs. We would have wanted an intimate event, but well… our family grew quite a lot. A 'just-family-and-close-friends-wedding' is now a huge event, but we decided to have it on the island. The elves insisted on making a big feast and Etrukord insisted on forging our wedding bands himself. He said he added runic protection. Sirius got the Weird Sisters to agree to perform at our wedding. Ted will do the muggle legal part of our marriage, and Headmistress McGonagall will officiate the magical ceremony. Luna, Ginny, and Chyou will stand with Hermione as her bridesmaids. Dudley, Draco, and Neville will stand with me as groomsmen. Remus and Padfoot will sign as our witnesses. Hermione decided to walk down the aisle with both her mother and father, and I asked Mrs. Weasley and Ruki to walk with me. They cried. Happy tears… or so they swore. I have to cut this here. Hermione is calling me to go taste wedding cakes. We ordered an additional one for Mors in case she shows up: a three-layered red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Bye for now! :)
"I can't believe the wedding is finally here!" Sirius smiled down at a radiant Marlene.
"I am so happy for them. They deserve all that is good in life," she smiled back. "I'll go find our seats. Hi Remus," she smiled a bit at the man who was behind her boyfriend.
"Marlene," he tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.
"Come, Dora. Let's go sit," Marlene pulled a reticent Tonks away.
"How are you?" Sirius asked with a practiced, even tone.
"Good," Moony replied more brusquely than he intended.
"Moony-"
"What do you want me to say? Happy to see you holding her?" Remus whispered.
Sirius grabbed Remus by the elbow and pulled him away. He whisper shouted, "That is fucking unfair, and you know it. You get to have a wife and a child, and I'm supposed to what? Wither away and die? Pine for you until it kills me?"
Remus' amber eyes flashed with possessiveness, "I can't help it. I don't want to react like this. I want to be happy for you, but I can't because I can't help but wish I was her."
"This is so messed up. I can't help it either. I left England because I couldn't put up with seeing you with her anymore. That's why I left so quickly. To give this a real try. Lennie is wonderful, and she loves me. I deserve to have someone who loves me. I will not apologize for that."
"I'm not asking you to… I just…" Remus sighed. "Do… Do you love her?"
Sirius took a deep breath, "Yes, I do."
The tortured expression that went across his face had Sirius pinching his upper thigh harshly so as not to grab him and crush him against him. It was gone in a second, but it was enough. Remus turned away to hide tears.
"I hope… I really hope things work out between you two, then. She is… She is incredible. You… You deserve incredible."
"Dora and Teddy are amazing. You deserve amazing. Focus on them. Forget about me… about us," Sirius looked down. Every pore, every nerve in his body was begging for him to pull Moony against him and kiss him stupid.
"Daddy!" Susan ran to them and jumped into Sirius' arms.
His face transformed. He would never tire of hearing her call him that. "Sweetheart! I thought you guys were going to be late."
"Hi, Remus," she quickly air-kissed his cheek.
"Welcome home," Remus replied with a smile. "Oliver."
"Lord Black," Oliver smiled back. "We had to pick up Dudley and Lav. Their portkey was faulty."
"Where are they?" Sirius asked.
"Dudley is throwing up his lunch over there…" Oliver chuckled.
"Of course."
"Where's Lennie?" Susan asked, looking around.
"She's already sitting down."
"Oh, great! I've missed her a lot! We are sitting next to you guys, right?"
"Yes, love."
"Alrighty," Susan looked at both Sirius and Remus and seemed to decide something. "Come, Dad, it would be impolite to leave your girlfriend for a long time, not to mention unwise. I heard several military men were invited, and she's stunning. You snooze, you lose. Come on! Bye, Remus! Oli, come on!"
Susan saw an expression in Remus' eyes that looked like her own when she was about to push Oliver against a wall, a counter, or a mattress, not necessarily in that order. Remus apparated away to the nearest bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Sirius was right. No matter how much Moony hated to see Padfoot next to anyone else, he deserved to be happy, to have a family of his own. He took out a calming drought and chugged it down.
The wedding area was beautifully decorated. White lilies and red roses that Neville had personally chosen and sprayed to make sure they stayed perfect the whole day. The guests were chatting happily. Ted looked very professional in his smart suit and Minerva looked lovely in her officiant robes and her hair down in a long braid with flowers that Luna insisted on adding. Mrs. Weasley was commiserating with Narcissa. Harry and Hermione wanted to marry barefoot. As such, all guests were supposed to be barefoot too. Mrs. Weasley thought it ruined the look. Narcissa agreed. The two mothers were now close friends. Once Narcissa accepted that all Molly wanted was to help and love her son, she couldn't begrudge the woman. They now had tea at least once a week.
A knock made Harry jump. "Yes?"
"It's me!"
"Ginny! Come in!"
The redhead stepped inside. "Wow! You look so good! Hermione is going to faint!"
"I hope not. I really can't wait to be her husband. A fainting spell could delay things."
Ginny laughed, "I am so happy for you guys."
"Thanks, Gin. Is everything alright?"
"Yes… No. I swear, if Draco doesn't get his head out of his ass, and does something soon, I am in danger of a sexual harassment suit!"
Harry laughed, "Still thinks he's not ready?"
"Oh, no. He is ready. The looks, the tension, the lingering touches…"
"Ew. Don't give me images I don't need on my wedding day."
"Fine. Help me, then!"
"Ginny… I know we are technically exes, but-"
"HARRY! How long have you been waiting to throw that back at me?"
"Too long," he laughed. "What can I do?"
"Make sure he gets the garter."
"Huh? Oh… OH! Okay… I see your Machiavellian intentions. Alright. Count me in. I want to see him all hot and bothered."
"YES! Thank you! Did you take your slow release today? Hermione looks so breathtaking! I would have one if I were you."
"Thanks, sis. It's not like I wasn't already nervous."
"You'll be fine. This is just a day to celebrate how much you love each other. You are already married. You will be perfect."
Harry sighed but took the potion anyway. Sirius popped his head into the room, "Ginny, your mom is looking for you. Sue and Oli are already here."
"Merlin! Thanks for telling me!" Ginny hugged Harry tightly. "Good luck, Harry!"
"You look so devilishly handsome," Sirius smiled.
Harry chuckled, "Thanks, Sirius."
"So, I am told that fathers are always supposed to talk to grooms while mothers talk to brides before a wedding…"
"Padfoot… If this is about the birds and the bees… You are too late."
Sirius laughed loudly, "Oh, pup, I needed that. I love you."
"I love you too. How are you holding up?"
"I… I'm fine. Today's all about you."
"Alright, I'm listening."
"How do I look?"
"Magnificent!" Mr. Granger smiled at his daughter.
"Daddy!"
"It's true. There hasn't been a more beautiful bride. Except perhaps your mother."
"Someone is feeling romantic," Mrs. Granger smiled. "Zip me up, love."
"Hermione?" Luna knocked.
"Come in."
"You look ethereal!" Luna rushed in. "Here is your bouquet. Nevy kept insisting he could make it better. I had to run away with it."
"It's perfect, Luna. Thank you. You look lovely," Hermione smiled as she took the bouquet.
"The photographer is ready. He has strict orders. It will all be just as you and Harry want."
"I am sure… Luna, can you please bring Draco?"
"Of course, is everything alright?"
"It will be," Hermione nodded.
"I see… Or rather… I saw," Luna winked and left, skipping. She was the person who looked more like this beachy wedding scenario was her vibe.
"Potter is such a lucky bastard, doll," Draco smirked from the door.
"Draco, come in," Hermione turned around with a slight frown.
"What did I do wrong? I promise I have been on my best behavior."
"That's the problem!" Hermione told him off.
"Huh?"
"You need to get a move on, or Ginny will tire and get herself a handsome burly soldier or Quidditch player in the reception."
"Hermione, not today, please."
"Yes, today!"
"It's your and Harry's day!"
"Yes, and as a present, I want you to grow a pair!" she bit back.
"What?"
"She is getting the bouquet."
Draco scoffed, "How can you possibly know that?"
"Listen to me very carefully before I turn into Bridezilla," Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"Remember that movie, Godzilla?"
Draco looked thoughtful for a second, "Oh... OH!"
"I have just charmed these flowers within an inch of withering so that they crash against Ginny's chest. They will roll or float away from all the other single ladies."
"Hermione… I have yet to ask her on a proper date, and you want me to… to put a garter on her thigh?!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I would rather you took it off, but I will settle with you putting it on, yes."
"HERMIONE!"
"I will curse you so you can't speak to anyone else the whole reception, Draco, I swear to Merlin!"
Draco sighed. He sat next to her and took her hands, "Why are you making me do this, doll? What if she runs away? I don't think I can cope with that…"
Hermione smiled and squeezed his hands. This was the Draco they loved. He was aloof because he still struggled to be vulnerable at times, "Okay… I am not supposed to tell you this, but I've had it. I am sexually frustrated enough because of Harry's oath to my dad to put up with any more sexual tension from other people, especially people who could be happily satiated."
Draco blinked several times, "I won't tell a soul."
"Ginny asked me to make sure she gets the bouquet and talked to Harry, so he makes sure you get the garter."
Draco blushed with a shy smile, "Really?"
"Really."
Draco sighed, "Fine, doll. What color do you want your gift?"
"What?" Hermione frowned.
"I am about to grow a pair. What color do you want them?" Draco chuckled.
"Finally!" Hermione smiled, "Draco… I am sure this has been a difficult journey for you, but I am sure that Daphne is your biggest cheerleader. I am so proud of you and how much you've overcome and accomplished. You guys are great for each other. You both deserve to be so happy."
Draco caressed her cheek, "So do you, doll. Thank you."
"Whatever for?"
"For caring about me… About everyone."
"Always… Now go. I have to get married in less than five minutes."
Harry felt a peaceful smile on his face as Molly and Ruki walked him down the sand aisle covered in white petals. The string quartet was playing a beautiful melody. King Etrukord and his wife, newly crowned Queen Gakirpa, had come. He was so happy to see several other goblins, hundreds of elves, and dozens of people he loved turn to greet him. He took his place in the front after long hugs and blessings from both mother figures. Remus fixed the rose on his lapel, and Sirius handed him a handkerchief. Harry was about to ask what for, but then the music changed, and he turned to the end of the aisle. His jaw fell, and his eyes filled with tears. Hermione was the definition of better than his wildest dreams come true. She looked like she was glowing from within. Her eyes were full of love, and her smile was radiant. When the Grangers reached the end of the aisle with their only child, they handed both her hands to his one free hand. The other one was dabbing his tears away.
"We could not have hoped for a better man to marry our daughter, son," Mr. Granger smiled, his own eyes clouded by tears.
"You deserve each other. Love each other. Protect each other. Be kind and patient with one another. May your marriage be very happy, harmonious, and blessed," Mrs. Granger smiled. The parents took turns kissing and hugging the bride and groom, then took their seats.
"Majesties, Lords, Ladies, Friends, and Family. We are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the completion of the soul bond of my two dearest Gryffindors."
Harry and Hermione beamed at Minerva.
"I shall be officiating the magical bonding, and Mr. Tonks will officiate the non-magical legal portion. Please be seated."
As Harry and Hermione saw Draco blushing furiously while putting the garter in place on Ginny's leg, Harry sighed. Finally!
Ginny had enough of waiting and as soon as their dance ended, she kissed Draco with all the pent-up frustration. Their long kiss was applauded and wolf-whistled.
Now that we have witnessed that… Hermione looked up at Harry.
I love the way you think… Harry smiled and nodded happily.
We have a very long-awaited honeymoon to take, Mr. Potter-Granger, Hermione kissed him slowly.
We do, indeed, Mrs. Potter-Granger. I hope you ate enough to fill up your energy because we won't be seeing the outside of the honeymoon suite for probably two to three business days, Harry looked at her intensely.
She started sparkling gold. You won't hear me complaining. Let's go, husband.
He started sparkling as well, Anywhere, as long as it's with you, wife.
Sirius winked and nodded at them. He mouthed, I got you. Make a run for it.
Padfoot walked up to the Weird Sisters and requested a song that would make almost everyone take to the dance floor. He succeeded and laughed as Marlene pulled him into the crowd. Harry and Hermione crouched and rushed only to see that they would have to say goodbye to all the unicorns and centaurs as they left. When they were deciding what to do, time froze.
"Hello, loves," Mors smiled at them by a coconut tree as she ate a slice of red velvet. Only the three of them could move.
"Mors! You made it!" Harry smiled back.
"Congratulations… and thank you for my cake. It is simply divine," She pulled out a hand from her pocket and offered them the Cloak of Invisibility.
"Is this a test, Mors?" Hermione asked, perplexed.
"Not at all. You will find that as soon as you make it to your destination, the cloak will have… disappeared."
"That's great! Thank you so much!" Harry took the cloak and noticed it was roomier and longer than before.
"Go while I finish this slice, and time goes back to normal. That way, no one will think you are impolite."
"Thank you!" the newlyweds exclaimed as they closed the cloak and ran away from the reception.
Dharma landed on Harry's shoulder. Ready to go, Lord and Lady Potter?
Absolutely!
A/N: There! Now I'm done. :) Thank you for reading! I hope you are happy and healthy wherever you are. I hope to see you in Tones of Gray and other fics! -Lux-