The Last Chapter
By: Riannya
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own no rights to these characters or the world they live in. I promise I will put them back where I found them when I'm done.
Summery: The last chapter. Harry thinks back to the end of the war, as he and his family move forward with their lives.
Harry Potter absentmindedly rubbed his hand to the lightning bolt shaped scar that still sat predominantly on his forehead. Every so often, he would marvel at the lack of the pain that had been such a part of his life over the past few years.
It had only been 2 months since the final attack. Voldemort had gained enough support and arrogance to risk an attack on Hogwarts itself. It was swift, came with almost no warning, even Harry hadn't had any visions hinting as to what he had planned to do.
It happened during dinner one altogether, up to that point, uneventful, insignificant night.
Ron's eyes had widened as he noticed the thin streak of blood trickling from his best friends scar, running down the very confused face of one Harry Potter.
The three of them had stood as one, and turned to face the headmaster before taking off at a run towards the entrance to the Great Hall.
Moments later the famous trio had been met by most of the schools professors.
"He's here." Snape had sneered. "Potter, Weasly, Granger, get back into the hall."
Hermione had stepped forward, her wand in hand. "Not a chance, Professor."
The three had stood firm, and finally had walked out into the field alone. Dumbledore had known, he had always known, that in the end it would come down to the three of them.
It had been touch and go for a while, but eventually, Hermione's careful plan had been put into effect.
Ron had stepped forward to face Voldemort head on, distracting his attentions from the other two as Hermione carefully cast a clever spell designed to lend Harry both her and Ron's energy, while grounding him, giving him the link he would need to find his way.
Harry stood strongly, proudly, in the center of the field leading up to the great entrance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and damned Voldemort to hell.
He had claimed the dark wizard's soul for his own, and was pushing it forward, toward the bowels of eternity.
After what seemed like ages, he let go with one final push, and watched his moral enemy fall forever even as he lost control of his self.
His two friends, hand in hand, and managed to guide him, call him back to his body before the world went dark.
He had awoken a week later, only 2 days after Ron and Hermione, to a world of joyous chaos.
Voldemort was gone, forever this time, the remaining Death Eaters had been rounded up.
The Hogwarts Trio, (gone were the references to houses, the three were now proudly claimed by the whole of the school.) were pushed forward into the limelight.
Harry chuckled; even Ron had gotten tired of it fairly quickly.
He paused in his wanderings to check his bearings on the faithful map. Then, smiling, he tapped his wand to the parchment and muttered, "Mischief managed," before stepping into the small room concealed by a suit of armor.
He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light as he glanced around the room, searching.
He grinned at the barely concealed outline of the Mirror of Erised.
"Harry! Where the bloody hell are we going? The ceremony is in 3 hours. Mione will skin us alive if we aren't ready!" Ron gasped between breaths as his friend pulled in down an unfamiliar hall. That in itself wasn't surprising really, in all their years here, they still hadn't managed to explore the whole thing.
Harry just shook his head, "You'll see." He continued to pull his friend by the arm until they reached an old rusty suit of armor.
"Okay." Harry smiled.
"Okay? This is where you were so insistent to bring me?" Ron asked, exasperatedly.
Harry just continued to smile. "Yes, I found a new room!"
"Where!?" Ron almost screamed. Hermione was defiantly going to skin him alive.
Harry stepped behind the old suit, and after a moments hesitation, Ron followed.
They were standing in a square room, empty except for the faint oval outline in the far right corner.
"Is that . . .?" Ron trailed off, disbelievingly.
"The Mirror of Erised, yes."
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, walking forward cautiously.
"I thought maybe we could have one last look before we graduated."
"Have you looked yet?"
"No, I wanted to wait for you."
Ron smiled, and they stepped forward together.
The image in the mirror flickered for just a moment.
He smiled.
Ron stood, one arm draped around Hermione's shoulder, a hand on Harry's shoulder.
Ginny stood just to the side, her hand woven with Harry's.
Behind then stood the Weasly family, Luna and Neville, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, and Remus Lupin.
Very faintly he could make out the vague outlines of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Percy Weasly. They stood far back, ghostly outlines, watching, and smiling.
The two friends looked at each other, and backed away.
Ron just stared at his best friend, tears that he was trying to ignore swam in his eyes. "Did you . . .?"
He trailed off at Harry's grin, and knew without a doubt that they had seen the exact same thing.
"I saw us. I saw us, exactly as we are." Harry finished simply.
"Its funny really, the first time we found this . . . I saw myself as Head Boy, Quidditch Captain . . ."
Harry laughed, "And I saw myself surrounded by my family. Your right though, it is kind of funny. When it's all said and done, we both got exactly what we wanted."
"Yes, we did."
Harry stared at his best friend. "Ron, I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure."
Harry nervously pulled a small box out of his pocket and wordlessly handed it to him.
Ron opened the small box carefully and nearly yelped in surprise. In the box were three of the most exquisitely crafted rings he had ever seen. Two of the bands were identical, thin woven strands of gold and silver. The third was similar, the only difference being the single diamond embedded into the strands.
Ron looked up at Harry, confusion and awe apparent on his face.
"They were my grandparents'. I found them in my family vault when I came of age. I thought that . . . I would . . . I would be honored if you and Hermione would use these."
"Harry! These should be used by you! I couldn't . . ."
Harry cut him off. "Ron, I understand if you don't want to use them. As for me, I have my parent's rings. These . . . I found a note with them, they have been in the family for generations. I'm not going to use them, but I thought my brother might."
Ron just stared at him, his jaw hanging open.
Finally after a few moments, he started to speak. "Harry, these are . . . incredible. But they have been in your family for years, they should stay there."
Harry sighed. "Ron . . . you are my family. You and Hermione." He struggled to find a way to explain. "Listen, you brought me into your family years ago. Let me bring you into mine."
Ron blinked, then without warning lunged forward to hug him.
"Thanks mate. This means . . ." He trailed again, words failing him. "Just thanks."
Harry smiled. "Any time, just promise not to kill me when I try to put a ring on your sister's finger!"
Ron laughed. "I'll kill you if you don't."
"I'll hold you to that," he grinned.
Two Years Later . . .
The reporters were going mad, stark, raving, mad.
Ginny Potter was having a baby. Right now, right this very instant, and they weren't able to come within 100 meters of the maternity wing of St. Mungos.
There were hundreds of them crowded around the hallways of the hospital. They were crazy, but consolable. Until one was let through.
As soon as Colin Creevy, star reporter for the now respectable paper The Quibller, disappeared behind the doors to the waiting room on the war side of the hall, they erupted.
Colin stepped inside, breathing heavily. "They are completely nutters!"
Dumbledore chuckled and handed him a lemon drop. "Yes, well, its been quite a long time since the last birth of such importance. A whole 4 months." He smiled fondly at Ron and Hermione Weasly.
Hermione smiled back at him, bouncing little James on her knee. "They will never tire of it I suppose."
"No, I don't suppose they ever will."
They all sat in nervous silence for good 15 minutes before Harry barreled into the room.
They all stood at once.
Harry just stared at all of them like he didn't know who they were, a look of wonder in his eyes.
"Harry?" Ron prompted.
He didn't respond.
Ron turned to look at his mother in exasperation. "Was I that bad?"
The room, including Harry, erupted in laughter.
"No dear. You were much worse."
Ron turned red, and shrugged.
Harry managed to gather control of himself.
"She's . . . it's a . . ." He paused a moment, before breaking out in another grin. "Just a minute." And he disappeared behind the door once more.
A moment later, he stepped out again, holding a tiny bundle close to his chest, Ginny followed closely behind.
"Hey guys. I'd like for you to meet Lily."
They gathered in small groups, each taking a moment to marvel at the tiny baby.
Colin stood off to the side, his camera clicking a mile a minute.
A Mediwitch walked into the room. "Mr. Potter?"
Harry looked up at her, smiling. "Yes?"
"The . . ." She looked at the floor nervously. "The press is wondering if you will step out of the room so they can take a few pictures."
Harry just smiled kindly at her. "I'm sorry, but I want my friend here to have the exclusive."
Colin looked up. "Harry . . . thanks. But I'm not publishing these."
Harry looked at him in surprise. "Why ever not?"
"This is family. You get little enough privacy as it is, I only asked to come so you would have a record of this."
"Colin. I appreciate it. But its okay, you can publish them if you want."
But Colin stood firm, glancing only once at his boss, Luna Longbottom with a grateful look at her nod of understanding and approval.
Finally, with a silent shrug, he turned and walked out the door into the hallway.
"Attention please. I'm only here for a brief moment. My wife wants her baby back. First though, let me introduce you to Lily Potter."
He held the tiny baby tightly in his arms, smiling for just a moment, before turning and walking back into the room full of stunned witches and wizards.
"Harry! I can't believe you just did that!" Ginny Weasly cried.
He smiled at his wife and placed the baby into her arms gingerly. "Well, they have their pictures now. They weren't going to rest until they had them, now they will all scamper off to print them and we can go home through a more manageable crowd."
Ginny laughed and marveled at the change her husband as undergone since she had first met him.
He was much more comfortable will his 'fame' these days, using it the advantage of the most needy charities and causes.
She watched with amusement as Harry pulled Remus into a tight hug. With tears in his eyes, the former Professor never noticed the little drop of potion that dripped on his robes.
Her eyes twinkling, she counted to twenty.
Poor Remus never noticed a thing until the entire room started laughing.
His robes had just turned bright pink.
He scowled for a moment before grinning broadly at Harry. "I'll get you for that you know."
Harry just grinned back, his eyes shinning. "I'm counting on it!"
Harry put his arm around his wife and smiled down at his tiny daughter.
As he looked at her face, his heart taking in the lighthearted laughter and chatter around him, his felt his eyes tear up.
'This is what we fought for.' He thought.
His heart feeling lighter than it ever had before, he gently led his wife back into her room.
Family. The burden of fame was much more bearable with these people around him.
They would always love him for who he was, having nothing at all to do with his fading scar.
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A/N: Thanks for sitting with me through this, just a little thought on how I'd like for the series to end. (::sighs:: Sadly I think the real thing will not be so happy, so I thought I'd indulge.) Pleases leave a review and tell me what you thought. Thanks!
Ria