912Harry Potter's Secret Weapon
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A/N: Thanks to my wonderful Beta, LtsHrIt4ThBoyz.
A/N: Merry Christmas to All from MelJ and I; Peace and Love and Joy to you this Season. May Peace be with You.
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Chapter 46 - Epilogue
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Epilogue - Nineteen years later
Harry rushed down the hallway of Potter Hospital.
Duke Harry Potter was happy to see some of his 'ill-gotten' gains going for such a worthy cause. He had the goblins hold all such wealth for public service. He was a specialist healer that dealt with difficult cases all over the world.
He had inherited far too much when Moldy died. He didn't want the gold for himself. After seven years, many of the ones in Grimmauld Prison were declared dead, and Harry inherited that gold as bounties.
He just knew that Moony, Spurnik and BloodRage were behind this. Thistle refused to say anything though. She still hadn't told her parents that they were sibs now. A secret that Harry planned to take to his grave.
Loose lips would likely send the goblin matron to an early one if it got out. No, he defended the goblin known as Sage then, and now.
He also got paid to put down the world's worst, permanently ending the careers of violent criminals who made Lucius Malfoy look tame. And sane.
This last mission was different though. Harkening back to that first job in Paris.
The leftover bits of the dementor troupe had gathered together to deal with the last of the demons. Harry had been in Albania with them when the call came in regarding Hermione. The baby wasn't due for another three weeks!
The last twenty five dementors, missing for nearly two decades, had finally been tracked down. Well, stumbled across, actually. They found evidence of what happened to the woman who tried to have his Auntie Clarice killed long before.
A brilliant woman; kind, fostering and adopting six children so far. How many more would be seen. But her brood had definitely needed her. And she had helped with the Astoria project. And created brilliant pranks. No, Clarice was needed in the world.
Umbridge? Not so much. U`gh!
Harry tried to get his mind on his wife and away from the mission.
"Penny brewed the pain potion for Hermione, didn't she?" Harry asked Percy. Even though he had given up his title of Heir Black to his brother James, the family was still together in planning, and love. And Percy was having too much fun at his job to even think of another assignment.
The Steward of Houses Black and Potter jogged companionably beside him. He had been through this dance more than once himself. And this fourth Potter child hadn't been planned. Not that they weren't welcoming the babe, wizard or witch.
"Yes, your grace. For the third time, your grace, she is doing well." Percy teased.
The wizards reached the room where a very formidable and familiar goblin was standing.
"Identification please."
How had he beaten him here?
"BloodRage! Get out of my way!" Harry pulled the dagger that the goblin had given him after the final battle. A quick wave of the being's hand.
"Do you have anything else?"
His mate shoved him from behind so hard that he nearly stumbled into said dagger. Harry's quick reflexes saved him from getting another battle scar.
"Make way for the mate of the woman giving birth, you clod!" Thistle waved only Harry in. "Tis time."
Harry rushed to Hermione's side. Her mother was already there, her father was in the building somewhere getting tea.
"Hey Beautiful! Ready to welcome the newest member of House Potter?"
Harry was by no means the only noble living in Moonsgate.
Sirius had bought up every spare title for sale that he could find, going the opposite of Dumbledore. Each of their NPG's had a coat of arms and letters of patent and a title that they insisted other purebloods use.
Lady and Healer Sally-Anne Finch-Fletchly came bustling in from a side room. "So they managed to safely extract you from your mission? We thought it was going to be another two or three weeks, but babies don't check the calendar, do they?"
The small group of dementors, likely the last on Earth, had somehow evaded detection and were found trapped in few of their old expandable runic circles near an abandoned manor in Albania. Knowing the dark lord's disembodied spirit had been in the same place had the team extremely cautious.
But it was the reason they had 'mined' the area twenty years before with the portable prisons.
Harry nearly missed this important event!
They had a boy for their first child, and then a girl. And then a boy.
Daniel James, Emma Lily, and Ares Sirius were all growing like weeds. In fact, Ares had just started Hogwarts, the nursery built next to their room had been converted to Hermione's office years before.
'Harry' was just too popular a name still to burden any of his children with it. Not even as a middle name.
Darlene knocked at the door. "Sirius is too shy to come in, but is there room for one more?"
"Mum!" Harry rushed over and gave her a warm hug.
Then it was time, and the ladies focused on the new arrival. "It's a girl! Oh! How beautiful!" Sally-Anne cried as Darlene cleaned up the baby. She was soon in her mother's arms, and then held by her proud papa.
"Welcome Dorea Darlene. You may have surprised us, but you are very welcome." Harry kissed her forehead and gave her back to his lady. "And thank you, my wonderful wife. What a precious gift you have given me. I love you."
"Alright everyone. Let's give the healers a minute to get everything finished here, and then you can visit." Darlene shooed all the visitors but Emma from the room.
Harry went to the attached private parlor where BloodRage and Thistle handed him a small wrapped box with a pink bow.
"A silver spoon. We are told that some wizarding purebloods are born with them in their mouths. That sounds most uncomfortable." BloodRage stated blandly.
Harry barked a laugh before bowing. Livy came to take all of the gifts home before they were lost in the shuffle.
These two had kept him and Hermione safe when the Death Eaters were determined to kidnap Hermione and kill Harry. The healing around the world came later, and then this unexpected mission to deal with the last dementors on Earth.
Where was the Rod of Asclepius when they were swarmed by the dementors of Azkaban when they were first dealing with dementors? Harry didn't even have to cast his patronus once during this last mission!
Dementors destroyed, contained souls released, shooting skyward. Harry could have sworn he saw a glowing, translucent…hippogriff? Something, gathering in the bright jewels. The creature seemed to bow to Harry and the team. Arrowed heavenward, upwards towards the sun in that dark place.
Then, the demons were banished back to the dimension from whence they came. Harry swore he saw one pink globe that the hippogriff missed, sinking into the earth, but none of the others saw it, so he wasn't sure.
Finding the skeletal remains of Delores Umbridge was a bit gruesome. One of the team remembered putting several runic circles there to trap dementors in case they were drawn to this dark forest. These were the older versions that didn't have the gateway out for humans.
She must have gotten trapped with her 'friends', and the dementors got hungry. The woman trying to save them got eaten by the monsters. A fitting demise for an awful person. Some would call it just desserts. She had tried to kill Clarice, among others!
Harry tried again to get his mind back to the here and now. The mission was done. Over. And the dementors were no more. Happy thoughts.
Sirius peeked in with Dan, and soon the little waiting area was crowded with close family eager to be allowed in.
"So, is this the last time that Hermione has to go through this?" Dan growled.
"Yes sir! Sirius and I looked at that enchanted necklace and figured out how it worked. We already talked about it. No one wants spoiled 'only' children."
"Like you and Hermione?" Sally-Anne teased. Harry was the sweetest boy, and Hermione so helpful! Mothering everyone in their group.
"I was thinking of Justin, but didn't want to say it too loud around Sally-Anne. Or Chaz. That boy got everything and didn't have to learn to share. We're going to adopt at least one other child in a year or two." Harry teased back. She was standing right there!
Healer Brightblade had offered spa services with the necklace for childbirth prevention. Apparently, Hermione hadn't worn it long enough. Well. They would be more careful in future.
The door opened, "Two at a time please! This isn't easy, you know! She just delivered a person after a long few months!" Sally-Anne commanded, in her element.
Harry let everyone else in, as Sirius took him aside and cast a privacy charm.
"You okay, pup?"
"Yeah. The job was nasty. I think they were trying to figure out how to reproduce or something. You were right. It was where Umbridge went. We figured it had to be her moving targets. She was the only one trying to stop the effort. Her body was found. Sirius, they attacked her! I mean, long before we got there. There was nothing to be done, but still. It wasn't pleasant. "
Sirius patted his shoulder, "It was a good thing you did this day. And the world will be safer for it."
Harry nodded. "Have you gotten over your disappointment regarding your namesake?"
Ares had sorted Slytherin. Harry expected it. Percy, the third Weasley child had been offered that House as did Harry.
"I guess, but it's all your fault. You're the one who named him Viper."
"What? I didn't!"
"Ares Sirius Potter. A. S. P."
"Oh. I guess I did. Well, at least he can speak parsel. That should get him a few points."
Sirius took the time to mirror-call his own children about the new arrival.
It was Sirius' turn to go hold the baby, and Harry went in again as well. Pictures were being taken.
Clarice and Remus finally showed up. "And how are you, Professors Lupin?
Remus was still teaching DADA happily when not planning the next prank product, and Clarice was the librarian and researched in her spare time. Despite being healed and no longer werewolves, they had never had children of their own. They did adopt a brother and sister when their parents didn't want 'witches' in the house after some accidental magic. And fosters four others so far.
They were excellent mentors and just acted as aunt and uncle to the rest of the family and to a multitude of students.
No unwanted muggleborn had to stay with abusive parents. Just like Chaz Slughorn, now a Potions Master himself, they would make a place in their home where they were wanted. And loved by the extended family.
Remus smiled at Sirius and smirked at Harry. "Your son almost got away with his first prank at Hogwarts. I am so proud of our little Viper."
"Not you too!" Hermione complained. "Leo? Something lionish? I can't believe that our son is a Slytherin."
"Books and Cleverness along with a cunning mind? And a thirst to prove himself? I don't think that the hat could have put him in any other House." Harry defended. He took his wife and new daughter in his arms, "We'll go up to the school in a few days and introduce the Hogwarts' brood to their new sister and cousin."
A flash of light, and Fawkes showed up, landing on Remus' arm. He chirruped a greeting to Harry, who had always been able to understand him for some reason. Harry hadn't realized how much he'd missed the firebird.
"That's a phoenix!" Darlene was stunned, Sirius whispered hello softly and floated a bit of fruit from a nearby tea tray to the eternal creature.
"He wants to come back to Hogwarts and help watch over the students again. He needed to take a holiday after what happened to him." Harry explained. "I wouldn't be surprised to see him in your expanded suite, Moony."
Sirius put his arm around Harry's shoulders for a warm embrace, savoring this moment as family.
The baby girl, just minutes old, reached out a hand, and Fawkes chirped. He stepped closer and the eternal bird caressed her cheek and chirped again.
Luna showed up just then with her husband Cedric, and petted Fawkes.
"Oh, so that's what you meant." Cedric affirmed and kissed Luna's forehead. He took pictures, and admired Harry and Hermione's new daughter and her brightly plumaged friend.
"Harry, I think that your daughter is going to have an amazing path." Remus declared. "A phoenix showing up at her birth?"
Harry asked permission, and then stroked the bird that had saved his own life. He wasn't sharing what Fawkes said about his daughter Dorea but did share his feelings, "Unca Moony, I think we all are."
Then Harry realized that he forgot to message a very important family member.
"WINKY! She's going to kill me for not calling her sooner."
Winky came into view, a pair of magical knitting needles in hand. She had clearly been here for Hermione the whole time!
"Your Grace?" While the house-elf would never make Director of her department, she was a free elf, earning a good wage as the translator for International Cooperation. And what was best, she was finally working openly there as a house-elf.
"I was distracted. I have someone I would like you to meet. I should have called you earlier. You were the Secret to our success, our Secret Weapon against evil, my friend."
Winky welcomed the newest Potter witch with a smile. They were going to be great friends one day, she just knew it.
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And they all lived happily ever after.
The End.
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Thank you for coming along on the journey. Many thanks for all of the reviews!
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A/N: Thanks again for MelJ. For all of the little suggestions, catches and help. You are brilliant, my friend. Merry Christmas!
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