((A/N: Here's the exciting last chapter (of the original posting). I haven't seen this solution for dear old Tom before; I hope you like it. Character/plot answers can be found at the bottom. Again, a big thanks to ReadingFreak2005 for beta'ing this story!
Note on 9 Nov 2008: There is now an extended epilogue.))
Chapter 4
Harry was not totally sure how he had done it, but somehow, despite all the poison the Headmaster had drank that evening, Harry had managed to Apparate the old man back to Hogsmeade, then fly him back to the front door of the school. Even after all of that, the old man was still alive - barely. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall had met them at the door. Following the Headmaster's barely coherent ramblings, she directed Harry to levitate the Headmaster to the hospital wing while she went to fetch Professor Snape.
As Harry levitated the Headmaster to the hospital wing, he thought about how the evening had started.
The Headmaster had approached him as dinner was ending and asked Harry to come with him to his office. There, the old wizard had spent nearly an hour convincing Harry that while they might not see various events the same way, they were on the same side and only if they worked together could Voldemort be defeated. Harry was certain he did not agreed with everything the Headmaster said, but Harry did agree that he had a greater chance of success in getting rid of Voldemort if he let the Headmaster help him, as long as the Headmaster did not do anything too stupid and put Harry at unnecessary risk.
So once again they were working together on defeating Voldemort. To show Harry that he was serious about working with Harry, the Headmaster offered to let Harry come on a mission to retrieve a Horcrux. After going to a cave on the coast and battling various traps, including an underground lake containing Inferi, Harry was glad the Headmaster was with him. The worst trap of the evening was a large amount of poison guarding the Horcrux, which Dumbledore drank to be able to retrieve the cursed item. That was how they were in this horrible mess. Now, not only did the Headmaster have a hand that was all but dead from a curse he triggered last summer, he had so much poison in him it looked doubtful that he would live.
Reaching the hospital wing, he saw that McGonagall and Snape were already there. Pomfrey took Dumbledore from Harry and put him on a bed. Snape looked at Pomfrey's diagnostics and then forced a bezoar down Dumbledore's throat. Dumbledore pulled the goblet he had drank the poison from and Snape took it to analyze the poison stuck to the inside to try to create an antidote.
At that moment, McGonagall pulled him aside. "Mr Potter. What can you tell me about this? I need to know as much as possible so we can save him."
"I'm sorry, Professor, but all I can say is that he took me on a trip, and during the trip he ended up drinking a lot of poison. I can't tell you what kind of poison, other than I expect it to be really bad."
She frowned at him, giving Harry a very severe look. "Then where did you find this poison?"
"I'm really sorry, Professor, but the Headmaster made me promise not to say anything. He said it was very important that this remain a secret."
McGonagall tried several other ways to get information out of him, but Harry held fast. As he left the hospital wing, he heard Snape say he had found out what the poison was and that he could brew an antidote. Unfortunately, the Headmaster was going to be in the hospital wing for the rest of June and probably into July. It was only the first week of June now, with final exams to start Monday after next, or in nine days. Harry was glad it was not him stuck in here for so long. The nurse would probably drive him insane.
Harry explained to his friends a version that was only slightly longer than what he had told McGonagall. Hermione was not pleased to get so few details, but she relented when he told her about his promise. For reasons he could not explain, he told Daphne a medium length version of what happened. When he showed her the locket for the fake Horcrux, Daphne voluntarily took the project of figuring out who R.A.B. was, since they both believed that person was who had the real Horcrux now.
Once "business" was taken care of, Harry and Daphne spent the rest of the time as boyfriend and girlfriend. She also let him get to know her a little better physically. All of their clothes stayed on, but Harry felt so happy, felt so loved, and felt so close to her, that he was sure his Patronus would be record-sized if he were to cast one now.
One hard truth hit him later that night as he went to bed: War was ugly and he was going to have to do some ugly things he would not normally do if he was going to win. He was very thankful he had Daphne on his side to help. He was sure he would need her before all of this was over.
It was late on the Saturday afternoon just before exams started, almost a week after Dumbledore had been poisoned.
The good news was that Dumbledore would live. The bad news is that he was so weak, he would be there until July and the teachers had to go to the hospital wing to talk to him.
More good news was that Quidditch season had finished for the year, so Harry met Daphne at three and they got to spend two glorious hours together. In addition to talking and snogging, they started relaxing their Occlumency barriers for each other and shared thoughts directly. In addition to helping each get to know the other, it increased their passion. The feelings they each were having for the other was reaching new heights - as it had their last two times together.
A few minutes before dinner was to start, they left their meeting spot, Daphne first. Harry followed behind her by a few minutes. As he was entering the Great Hall, he glanced up at the Head Table and noticed Snape suddenly grasp his left forearm for a few seconds, and then attempt to leave the room as inconspicuously as possible.
Deciding this might be the opportunity he was looking for; he backed into the Entrance Hall and quickly walked towards the side hallway where he knew Snape would come out. Not seeing anyone around, he pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and put it on. Thinking that maybe Snape would be the inside help he would need, he also pulled out his little box of potions and expanded it. He pulled out the milky colored one and put the box away.
He walked around a corner and saw Snape coming his way. Carefully, he moved to the side so Snape would not run into him and drew his wand. As Snape walked past him at a brisk pace, Harry poked his wand out of his cloak and non-verbally cast, "Imperio". He felt only a little guilt for hitting his greasy haired tormentor in the back.
The potions master immediately stiffed, moving in very slow motion to try and pull his wand out. Harry could feel the man mentally resisting and pushed his will harder into to the spell. After a few seconds, Snape stopped moving his hand towards his wand. Holding the potion out, so it appeared to be floating in mid-air, Harry whispered, "Drink the potion."
Snape was still fighting him, but the man's hand slowly moved out, grabbed the potion, and then drank it. It only took about ten seconds before Harry noticed Snape was barely fighting his spell at all.
With a smile, Harry whispered. "Turn around and go into that classroom." Snape did and Harry followed him and closed the door so they were alone. Keeping the spell going, he gave Snape his orders. "You will not resist my commands and you will answer my questions."
Snape slowly nodded.
"Have you been summoned and are you on your way to see Voldemort?"
"Yes," the man slowly drawled.
"How do you get there?"
"I leave the school grounds and take a Portkey."
Good, Harry thought. "Will the Portkey take more than one person?"
"Yes."
This was coming together nicely, he mused. "Why do you think you're being called?"
"The Dark Lord has not been feeling well and probably needs some more potions."
"Oh? What kinds of potions?" Ideas were racing through Harry's head now.
"Some special strengthening potions."
"When did he start feeling poorly?"
"Last Saturday afternoon and last Wednesday evening too."
Harry considered that and the schedule fit his too well and he had to wonder. Well, if the Dark Lord could affect him, Harry saw no reason he could not affect Voldemort too. It really was almost funny. Realizing he had to get going, he told Snape. "I will go with you and you will not attack me; you will not tell anyone else I am with you; you will act as normally as possible around the other Death Eaters and the Dark Lord; but you will also do what I tell you to. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Very good. Start walking towards the front gates of the school."
Snape left at his usual brisk pace and Harry hurried after him. Realizing he could hear his footsteps, he quickly cast the Silencing charm on his feet. Snape seemed to pause, so Harry quickly told Snape to continue.
Once they were outside walking towards the gates and Harry saw no one else was visible, he decided to find out a few more things while he had the chance.
"Whose side are you on now: Dumbledore's or the Dark Lord's?" Harry really wanted to know this.
"Dumbledore's," came the clear answer, which surprised Harry.
"How long have you been on Dumbledore's side?"
"Since I became a spy."
Harry rolled his eyes at the mostly useless answer. "When did you become a spy?"
"The night the Dark Lord killed Lily Potter."
It was all Harry could do not to gasp. After he thought he could keep his voice steady, he asked, "Why did the death of Lily Potter cause you to become a spy?"
"Because I loved her and her death caused me to see that the Dark Lord really doesn't care about anything or anyone but himself."
Deciding he was in so deep there was no reason to stop, he asked, "Why do you hate Harry Potter?"
"Because he is James's Potter's son and looks so much like him that I can't help but see James in him, and I hated James Potter more than anyone."
Harry shook his head. So Snape really was just a supreme git who could not see that he was not his father. It appeared that Snape loved his mother and hated his father for getting her to marry him instead. What a horrible mess. Not able to think of anything else he had to know right then, he followed Snape in silence the rest of the way to the school gates.
At the gates, Harry asked the last few questions he thought he would need for a while. "What is your Portkey to get to the Dark Lord?"
"A quill."
"Are there any barriers, wards, or other magic that might stop me or cause me to be found because I don't have the Dark Mark?" He was concerned about this.
"No."
Harry smiled at his good fortune. "How do you normally get back to school?"
"I Portkey back to the gates and walk in."
"Hand me that return Portkey." Snape handed him an ink bottle, which Harry put in his robes. "How do you activate it?"
"Just touch your wand to it."
Outside the gates, Snape pulled out an eagle feather quill and his wand.
"Use your wand only to activate the Portkey," Harry commanded as he touched the quill.
Snape did just that and Harry felt the pull he hated so much behind his navel.
They arrived in an old manor house and it was all Harry could do not to fall down. He quickly stood up and went very still because there, not more then five feet away, was Lucius Malfoy.
"You're late, Severus," Malfoy drawled.
"I came as fast as I could. Where is the master?"
"In his room," Malfoy answered as he watched Snape carefully.
Snape left and Harry followed as inconspicuously as possible. Now that he was in the middle of this adventure, he wondered why he had thought this was a good idea before. He decided then and there that he really needed to tone down his "Gryffindors thoughts" and start listening to his inner-Slytherin more. The thought of using the last half of his "luck potion" also crossed his mind, but that was back in his trunk. He also considered that the "luck potion" might deem it luckier to avoid seeing the Dark Lord altogether, so maybe it was best he was not using it.
Up the stairs, Harry barely got into a big room before Snape closed the door. Fortunately, there was no one else in the room other than Voldemort, who was lying on a couch and looking very pale, even for him. His scar flared in pain for a second, before he slammed his Occlumency barrier into place, which reduced the pain to a bearable trickle.
"Sssnape, you imbecccile, what took you ssso long," the Dark Lord hissed.
The potions master went over and kneeled before the Dark Lord. "I am sorry, my master. I had trouble getting away, but I came as fast as I could."
"Give me my potionsss! That Potter brat is making me feel sssick again!"
Snape dug a potion phial out and as Voldemort was about to drink it, Harry silently cast, "Petrificus Totalus". The Dark Lord went completely stiff. Snape turned to look at where the spell came from, so Harry stunned the man.
Harry took a deep breath, hardly believing his impromptu plan was working so far. He quickly cast silencing charms all around the room. Now came the tricky part. He wished he had one more of the Compulsion Potions, but he would just have to wing this one.
Then an idea hit him; he almost slapped his forehead for being so stupid and forgetting his charms. With determination, he cast a Compulsion charm at the 'man' in front of him and gave him the very strong urge to cooperate. For good measure, Harry cast the charm again, this time with the compulsion to tell the truth. Wishing for the best, he freed Voldemort's face so he could talk.
"Who are you and what are you doing?" Voldemort demanded.
Walking over to the couch, Harry, still hidden under his cloak, cast "Imperio" on the Dark Lord. Since he had been able to break this curse in the graveyard, Harry hoped he could win this mind battle too. The resistance and backlash was incredible. If he thought controlling Snape had been hard, this was much more difficult. It took him several minutes to win control, but in the end Harry managed to hold Voldemort under and control him.
"Tom Riddle, tell me about your Horcruxes, where they are hidden, the traps around them, and how to get past the traps," Harry commanded. The next fifteen minutes were spent listening very carefully. Harry knew he would probably have to borrow or buy a Pensieve later to use to review this conversation so that he did not forget anything said.
When Riddle finished, Harry asked him, "Can I use a Portkey to get out of this room or must I be at the entry point downstairs?"
"You can Portkey out of thisss room from in front of thisss fireplace."
An inspiration came to Harry, one he knew he should have already asked. "Name all the Death Eaters." Voldemort started listing them and Harry counted thirty-seven by the time the man was done. He would see what he could do about that list later. There was one more question he really needed the answer to. "Name all the Death Eaters you've ever had whose last name started with the letter 'B'." It was a short list and only one of them had a first name that started with an 'R'.
Deciding that he had everything he needed, Harry forced Voldemort to drink one of Daphne's potions. The Dark Lord fell back as if asleep. Even an Enervate would not wake him. Harry looked at Snape and decided he was done with him too, so another of Daphne's potions was put to use. Harry could not bring himself to outright kill the man, but he decided Snape was too dangerous to be free, especially after subjecting him to the Imperius curse. Harry knew the greasy git would never forgive him for that and the retribution would be severe, and that was probably putting it mildly.
As Harry was levitating Voldemort over to the spot in front of the fireplace, he heard a hiss. Dropping the spell and the Dark Lord with a thud, he turned around just in time to see a huge snake come out of the wall. Knowing who that was, Harry threw a Cutting curse at the snake and missed. He flipped over a chair to stand behind and tried again. The snake pulled back and avoided the curse. Harry swore to himself. Needing something with more of an area affect, he cast "Sectumsempra" with a slashing motion. A three foot long gash went across the floor, which included the snake's neck at the end of the slash. Its head fell off and it went still.
Panting hard in his excitement, Harry stood there and looked at the thing. It must have been twelve foot long, easily. Idiot snake! Oh well, that saved him one more mission in the future, as there was a Horcrux inside Nagini.
Harry levitated the snake and its head over so it lay on top of Voldemort. Snape was moved over and laid on top of the pile and all three were tied together. As he was about to leave, a knock sounded at the door.
He cursed his bad luck and made sure his Cloak was all the way on. Then he Disillusioned his pile of bodies, took the silencing spell off the door as he walked over to stand by it. In what he hoped was a passable impersonation of the Dark Lord, he hissed, "Enter".
The door opened and Bellatrix Lestrange walked in. He could not decide whether to be happy or swear as he watched one of the most powerful Death Eaters enter the room. As she passed him, he did a simple Stunning spell non-verbally and watched her drop. Again not bothered that he had hexed someone in the back, but only because she was far from innocent, and his inner-Slytherin told him it was the expedient thing to do. Quickly he closed the door behind her. He stunned her again for good measure and then added her to the top of his pile of bodies and tied her in. He hoped the Portkey could handle four people and a giant snake.
To give the Death Eaters one last present, besides taking their master, he whispered several Fireball spells, directing them around the room. Slipping his hand under some of the ropes and holding the Portkey in that hand, Harry touched his wand to the little bottle and away he went. A few seconds later, he was pleased to see the gates of Hogwarts in the semi-darkness as well as a pile of bodies in front of him.
With a small Severing charm, Harry cut the ropes on the pile and then Apparated each of the three people to the coast, where Dumbledore had taken him a week ago. By the time he transported the last one, he was getting very tired, both physically and magically. Fortunately, he did not have much else to do, other than a few levitation spells.
In short order, he had all the bodies in the cave, using some of Bella's blood to open the portal in the rock. Inside, he took Voldemort, the snake carcass, and Snape to the island in the center of the underground lake, after making sure he had removed all items from them. He even Vanished all of their clothes, except for their boxers. Their two wands went into his pocket. He was pleased to find that Tom's wand worked just as well as his own did.
Back at the shore by the door, Harry searched Bella and happily found her wand and vault key. That meant he would not have to control her to find out when she had hidden it. With the key and as head of the Black family, he should be able to get into her vault and get one of the missing Horcruxes. Playing judge, jury, and executioner, Harry banished Bella out over the water, where she hit thirty feet from the shore. The reaction of the Inferi was instantaneous. He doubted she had ever woken from being stunned, which was a lot more humane than she deserved.
Leaving the cave, Harry inscribed four small runes around the door. A power-charging rune was added in the center to keep the next charm strong. Finally, Harry cast the Fidelius over the portal, connecting it to the runes, making himself the Secret Keeper. Since it was over such a small area, it did not take much power. To everyone who came here, it was now a solid rock wall. He was very glad he had taken the time to get Flitwick to teach him this method of protection.
Satisfied that Voldemort was taken care of for the time being, Harry Apparated back to the gates of his school. Very wearily he walked across the grounds and to the kitchens. Dobby found him instantly.
"Harry Potter, Sir. Can Dobby get you anything? Food? A place to sit?"
"Yeah, Dobby, I really need some help," Harry said breathily as he lean against the wall in his exhaustion. "I need a small snack I can eat as I walk and I really need you to take a message to Daphne. Can you do those things for me, please?"
"Easily. Wait here." Dobby turned around and grabbed a plate. A few snaps of the fingers later, items were flying across the kitchen. When he turned back around less than ten seconds later, a complete sandwich was on the plate. "A ham sandwich, Harry Potter Sir?"
"Thanks, Dobby, you're the greatest." He grabbed and bit into the sandwich; it was good. "You're brilliant, Dobby." The elf beamed and vibrated slightly in his happiness. "One more thing. Can you please find Daphne and quietly tell her so no one else hears, than I'm in our dinner place and need her to come and that it's urgent. I know it's almost curfew time, but I need her to help me tonight."
"Yes, Sir, Dobby takes Harry Potter Sir's message." With a pop, he was gone.
Harry threw the hood of his Invisibility Cloak up and trudged up to the seventh floor, eating the last half of his sandwich as he walked. He passed only one student hurrying back to his dorm room, but Harry's Cloak kept him hidden. On the seventh floor, he thought of a fully furnished safe place to sleep plus a bathroom. He had just opened the door when he heard running feet. Turning, he saw Daphne running with her school robes flying out behind her.
"Harry? Is that you?" she called out.
He lowered his hood. "Daph, I so am glad to see you, come on in," he told her with relief and exhaustion in his voice.
She helped him into the room and closed the door. "What's wrong? You look … droopy. Sorry, but you look dead on your feet."
"That's because I am. Help me out of most of this stuff. I need to take a quick shower before I collapse."
A mischievous grin came over her. "I like that thought, but are we really ready for that?"
"No." He was too tired to tease her back. "I only need help to get me ready for a shower, then I need someone to hold me and tell me everything will be OK." He started trying to get his Cloak off and had trouble raising his arms. Daphne quickly started helping him until he was down to his boxers. He noticed silk pyjamas were on the bed, so he grabbed a set and went towards the bathroom. "I'll be back in a few minutes. You can change out here."
Daphne saw another set of pyjamas on the bed. Deciding to go along with everything for now, she quickly removed her clothes down to only her knickers and put on the silk sleepwear. She had to admit they were very nice, much like her normal pyjamas. She heard the water cut off and Harry came out a couple of minutes later, dragging himself over and crawling into bed. He put his wand and his glasses on the headboard above his head.
"Now tell me what's wrong, Harry," she coaxed him as she cuddled with him in bed. She was on her side looking at him and he was next to her.
"I'm so tired, Daph. I don't know that I've ever done this much magic in one night."
"Oh? What did you did you do?"
"Lots of Apparating including three long distance double-Apparations. And Daph, oh god, it was horrible. I cast the Imperius curse at least three times. I was so close and I had to complete my mission." He sniffled. "And I killed someone tonight, probably three people before it's all done." Harry broke down there, unable to talk anymore.
Daphne looked down and saw tears starting to roll down his cheek. "Ssh, there, there, Harry," she cooed. Daphne curled him into her so his head was on her shoulder. "Put your arm around my stomach and just hold on to me." Surprisingly, he did that without hesitation. He also started sobbing. "You did what you had to do, Harry, and it will be all right. I've got you Harry and I'll watch over you while you sleep. Just sleep in my arms. You'll be safe with me."
She suspected he was having an attack from his conscience, so she held him tightly and did her best to reassure him. She also gently ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed his shoulder. "You did the right thing, Harry, and I still love you," she crooned to him over and over. It took a while, but eventually his sobs quieted down and he was breathing slow and shallow breaths. Daphne kissed the top of his forehead.
Daphne considered what little he had told her. It sounded like he had fulfilled his prophecy. If so, she was happy that was done and now maybe he could live a more normal life. He would never be completely normal - he could not, he was Harry Potter. She smiled to herself as she considered encouraging him to become the Minister for Magic some day. There was no reason he could not after some time, maybe after a successful Quidditch career. Yes, they'd have to discuss the future this summer. Between the Potter estate and half the Greengrass estate when her parents passed on, she knew they would be able to lead a very comfortable life without ever working, if they wanted to.
That thought shocked her for a moment. Was she really thinking about marrying Harry Potter - the Gryffindor Golden Boy? She laughed quietly for a moment. As she honestly considered the question, she realized she would be happy to be with Harry. They still had some things to discuss before marriage could be considered, but they had a good foundation with all the time they had spent talking.
Pulling Harry in a little tighter to her, she closed her eyes and wished the lights off. In the darkness, she dreamed of what life could be like with her Harry. He and she could be a powerful force...
The next morning, or really just before noon, Harry finally awoke. As he opened his eyes to a low light, he realized how comfortable he was, how warm he was, how good the air smelt - just like Daphne. Then he saw a mound of silk in front of his face and his hand was on it. To make matters worse, the mound was alive as it was slowly going up and down. Realizing what had happened and hoping she was still asleep, he slowly moved it down so it was resting on a much safer place - her stomach.
"What's wrong, Harry?" came a soft voice from above his head. "Didn't you like holding me there? Do you know how many guys would like to do what you just gave up?"
Blushing heavily, he slowly tilted his head up and saw a smirking grin on his girlfriend's face. "I, uh, I loved it, Daph; but I think that the first time should be more, you know, special."
She chuckled. "That first time will be special, Harry, but this first time is mildly special in its own way. I know we've only slept with each other once now, but I really liked it. How about you?"
All he could do was nod, as he did not trust his voice not to squeak as he thought about "sleeping together".
"I'm glad," she said. "Now, tell me about last night. I inferred from your comments that you were successful. Were you?"
"Yeah. Riddle is sleeping away in a very guarded place under a Fidelius charm. I also know where all the Horcruxes are, or at least the original hiding places, and how to get around all the traps there. So now it's just a matter of taking care of them all then doing something with him. Probably the easiest thing will be what I did with Bella." He hung his head as he thought about what he had done with her. The evil and insane witch had deserved worse than she had received, but he still did not feel good about having to kill her.
"All right, we know the story has a happy ending. Tell me the whole story, Harry," she asked.
So Harry told her everything he had done and how he felt about it. He also told her he understood Dumbledore a little better about having to do things he did not like "for the greater good".
Daphne still held him tight. "Harry, it will be all right, trust me. I know you had to do things that you did not like, but they did help society. You've taken several murders and terrorists off the streets and saved many lives. More importantly, you did it without hurting anyone else; all the innocents are safe. That's why you don't like what Dumbledore did, isn't it? He did his 'greater good' things at the expense of others, like your poor childhood."
He sniffled once. "I suppose you have a point."
She chuckled. "You know I'm right, Harry. Let your Slytherin think about it for a bit and you'll find that you agree with me." Daphne squeezed him tightly for a few seconds. "You know, you've done another greater good and didn't even realize it, I'll bet."
"What?" he asked with curiosity.
"Just think of how much better the school with be without Snape here," she told him with only the slightest of smiles. "All the jobs that require Potions will start to have a lot more applicants in the next few years."
Harry could not help it; he had to smile back at her. Then he started laughing. It was good to laugh and it was greatly needed. He stretched up and gently kissed her. "I don't know that I fully believe it yet, but thank you for helping me understand that it had to happen. I'm sure I'll believe it some day."
"Of course you will, Harry. I'll make sure you do," she fervently promised.
"You know, this means something else too," he told her with an expectant look in his eyes. He watched her but she shook her head when she could not figure it out. "It means we don't have to hide ourselves anymore."
"I like your thinking," she told him with a big smile. "But I still think we need to wait until after summer to make it public."
"Why?" he pouted. "Voldemort is gone…"
"True, but you have a list of Death Eaters. Let's find those Horcruxes and do something about those Death Eaters. If there's an Auror you'd trust with your life, maybe we can give him the list. Or maybe…" she paused and thought about something for a moment.
"Or what?" He wondered what her Slytherin mind was considering.
"Or maybe we handle it ourselves. If your goal is to make sure there are no more Death Eaters, we might want to lure them someplace dangerous and then take care of them so they never bother anyone ever again, and there would be no way for them to escape with the 'I was under the Imperious' excuse." She made a face as she thought some more. "That would also mean we'd be getting rid of my sister's father-in-law, but I don't think she'd be too bothered. Her husband might be, but I really don't care." She had told him before that her sister had married Theo Nott's older brother, as an attempt to shield themselves by looking like they were sympathetic to the Dark Lord. To be best of her knowledge, her brother-in-law was not a Death Eater, although he had sympathies for the Dark Lord's political leanings.
"An interesting idea, I'll have to think about it." He looked at her. "Since you told Tracey, can I tell my friends on the last day of school? I'd like them to have the summer to get used to the idea of us."
"You think it will be that hard for them?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, or at least for Ron. He's really against Slytherins just because of your house. Hermione will be surprised, but she'll probably come around pretty quickly. Neville will be the same way, I think. Ginny will probably be very cautious but accepting. Luna won't care at all."
"I think I have an idea for telling them, but I need to think about it and work out the details."
"OK," he agreed.
"We better get up. It may be Saturday, but it's still noon time. We've also got exams starting day after tomorrow and I need to study for them," she told him authoritatively.
"You sound like Hermione," he told her with a yawn as he rolled out of bed. "Hey look, my cloths are clean and folded."
"Dobby probably did them," she remarked as she got up and grabbed her clean and folded clothes. "I'll be in the bathroom. You can change in here this time." Ten minutes later, they parted, each going to their own dorm room to change clothes.
Harry walked into the common room just as his friends were about to leave.
"There you are, mate! Where have you been?" It was hard to tell if Ron was more exasperated or angry.
It was easy to tell Hermione was angry. "Harry James Potter! Where have you been? Do you know how worried we've been? You haven't been to bed, you didn't leave us a note, you didn't tell anyone where you'd been, you…"
"Hermione!" he shouted to get her to shut up, which she did. Looking over, he saw that Ginny was glaring at him, while Neville was smirking amusedly and enjoying the scene, probably glad it was not him being yelled at, Harry thought.
He waved them over to a corner and put up a privacy spell. "This is one of those secret things, but I'll tell you that I was on another mission…"
"Harry! You can't do that! Professor Dumbledore is still in the hospital! Do you know…"
"Hermione!" She shut up again. "If you're going to go on and on like that, I won't say anything else." She huffed but did not object any more, at least for the moment. "I can't say much, but I will say that based on some good information, I retrieved another item that we've been looking for. That's all I can say for the moment, but I can probably tell you all the details later this summer."
"Why this summer, Harry?" Neville asked.
"Because I think we'll have reached a major turning point in the war by then and it won't matter if certain secrets are let out then or not. In the meantime, I'm playing things very close to the vest - sorry," he told them with a shrug.
"As long as you aren't going off and trying to do all of this on your own," Hermione said, essentially accusing him of just that.
Harry almost told her he had help, but he realized at the last second that would be about the worst thing he could say to Hermione, as she would have felt left out. "How about we forget about the war for a while and go get lunch," Harry suggested.
"Sound good to me!" Ron led the group towards the Great Hall.
Harry noticed that Ginny was eying him carefully, as if she was trying to figure something out. He would have to be careful around her. He suspected she was smarter than she let on, or so his few conversations with her this year had led him to believe. Hermione was also scrutinizing him, but Harry shrugged it off and walked with Ron.
When the exams started on Monday, there was a general uproar going around the school. Most reactions fell into one of three categories: happiness, outrage, or worry. Professor Severus Snape was missing and no one seemed to have any idea where he was; and the two people who did know weren't saying anything.
The majority of the school, including some of the professors, was happy he was gone. After all, he was the most hated professor in the history of the school.
A few Slytherin were spouting conspiracy theories about how their head of house had been unwillingly taken away by someone, probably the Ministry. Unbeknownst to them, they were right, even if they had the wrong abductor and were making the story up as they went. Most of the Slytherins acted like they did not care whether he was gone or not, but if they had been honest, they would have said they too were happy he was gone.
Some teachers were worried about what had happened to their colleague. For most of them, they were worried that if something could happen to Severus, it could happen to them too. A few were worried because without him there, they would have to cover for him in regards to his classes and his exams. Only one was worried for the man's safety and sanity. That man made a request to his Deputy, who fetched a student to him.
Harry was escorted into the hospital wing by Professor McGonagall, who led him over to a screened off bed. It held a very frail looking man with a blackened hand. Harry pulled his Occlumency barriers up; it was habit with the Headmaster now. "You asked to see me, sir?"
"Yes, Harry." The Headmaster sounded very old and tired. "First, I must thank you for helping me back. I'm quite sure that I would not have continued in this life if not for your actions."
"You're welcome, sir," Harry said gravely. "In some ways, I'm truly sorry I obeyed you, but I guess it will all work out all right in the end."
"I understand, my dear boy. Do you have the item we were after?"
Harry gave him a grim smile. "I do, but it was a fake. Someone with the initials of R.A.B. beat us there." He glanced at McGonagall and noted that she seemed most puzzled. Well, that was the Headmaster's problem, he decided.
Dumbledore nodded. "I see. I shall give that some thought."
Harry said nothing. After his conversation with Voldemort, he knew that it was Sirius's brother. He hoped it was still in the Black family house and that Kreacher had it. If not, he would order Kreacher to find it for him.
"You will, of course, need to continue to search for it, Harry," Dumbledore said, "and the rest of them," he added softly.
"Of course, sir." Harry saw no need to say he knew where the rest should be, especially since McGonagall was standing there and giving him strange looks.
"Now Harry, I understand Professor Snape had to leave Saturday night to go to his other job, as it were. I also understand that you were not a dinner that evening. Do you know what might have happened to him?"
He felt no intrusion attempts, but he could see the Headmaster peering intently at him. "If you're asking about visions, I can tell you that I did not have one Saturday. I can say that my scar was bothering me that evening, so I skipped dinner. That usually only happens when Voldemort is upset, so perhaps something happened to Snape while he was out doing his other job." Harry was proud of himself for his calmness and his carefully worded statement, although he was very careful to keep his expression the same.
"Perhaps. I guess we shall have to be patient for a while longer. If you should see anything, please let me know."
"As you wish, sir." He turned to his head of house. "Professor, if Snape has not returned by Wednesday, may I take my Defense exam with my normal class?"
"You may, Mr Potter," she told him. "If he has returned by then, I shall give it to you that evening."
"Thank you, Professor. If there's nothing else, I have a Charms exam shortly." McGonagall dismissed him. He turned and left, smiling only after he had left the hospital wing.
Of all of his friends, only Hermione was the least bit concerned for Snape's absence, and even she was not overly bothered as she did not regard him as a very good teacher. Ron was ecstatic because, as he proclaimed, "one dead Slytherin is good start." Harry just shook his head at his friend's attitude.
Harry woke up early on the last day of school. He was already packed and ready to go, even though he had no plans to ride the train back to London. McGonagall had given him a note saying that his relatives would be at the station as usual to pick him up, a note he had pocketed without protest or even comment. Harry had mentally laughed at the idea of them standing there while he had no plans of ever showing up. He was never going back to the Dursleys again. He did not care what Dumbledore or McGonagall wanted in that area of his life.
Besides the fact that he knew that Voldemort was no longer a problem, some of the Death Eaters were no longer a problem either. It had taken over a week for the news to leak out, but a story finally appeared in the Daily Prophet about how a fire had broke out at Malfoy Manor and over half of the house had been destroyed. To make manners worse, when Ministry workers had shown up to help put out the fire, several of the escaped Death Eaters were found, including both of the Lestrange brothers. They had been near death from smoke inhalation, unable to escape the fire due to being drunk. Now that they were back in Azkaban, there were calls for them to receive the Dementor's Kiss so they could not escape again.
Because of the circumstances, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were both in custody and under investigation. Harry wondered what would happen to the Malfoys, now that all three of them were in Azkaban, which he found very amusing. Harry was very happy that Draco Malfoy was no longer in school, now that his Slytherin girlfriend was about to be publicly known. The former sixth-year had received a thirty-year sentence, which Harry doubted the Dementors would let him complete sane or alive.
Double-checking that he had everything packed except for his Invisibility Cloak, his Map, and his Firebolt, Harry shrunk his trunk and put it in his pocket. With the other items in hand, he left the dorm room while his room mates were still waking up.
When Ron came down into the common room twenty minutes later, he found Harry standing in the middle of the room looking around. "Harry! What's up? What are you doing standing there like that?"
"Just looking around and thinking," Harry replied casually. "Have you ever wondered what all the other common rooms look like?"
Ron chuckled. "Well, we've seen the Slytherin one. It was pretty ugly."
Harry laughed. "Yeah, I didn't care for their colors, but I suspect they wouldn't care for our colors if they came here."
"They better not!" Ron was adamant.
"But why not? It really wouldn't hurt." Harry paused and looked at Ron. "I'd like to see the Ravenclaw's and the Hufflepuff's common room too. I think I'll do that next year," he said very thoughtfully.
"You're mental," Ron quietly commented. "Say, why do you have your broom with you? We don't have time to go flying today."
Harry looked up to see Neville coming down the boy's stairs and Hermione and Ginny coming down the girls' stairs. They were all coming over to him and Ron. He just smiled at his friend and slowly walked over to the big window nearby. "I thought I'd fly home," he calmly said as he opened the window.
"What?" he heard loudly, shouted from four pairs of lungs. The few others in the common room looked in the group's direction, so Harry pulled out his wand and cast a privacy spell. The other Gryffindors shook their heads and went out the portrait hole for breakfast.
"I said I'm going to fly home, or wherever I end up staying for the summer." Harry watched them for their reaction and was not disappointed. It was chaos for a moment, but Harry did have to agree that it was amusing, just as predicted.
Hermione's voice broke through the roar of comments and yelled as he predicted she would. "Harry James Potter! You can't do that! It's not safe! What do you think Dumbledore would say?"
Harry surprised them all and laughed. "Hermione? I love you for the logical way you usually look at life, but please, for all of our sakes, please stop yelling about things you don't know everything about." As she started to say something again, he reached out and put one finger over her lips, which caused her to shut up in surprise.
"First," Harry told them, "it's my life not Dumbledore's. He's dictated enough things in my life and I'm not going to let him any more. I truly could care less what he thinks about what I do for the summer. I'm going to enjoy my summer before I return on September the first for my last and best year here. And no one can tell me otherwise. I am basically seventeen now, and will be officially in a little over a month."
"But Harry," Ron sounded very confused, "you've never done that before."
"You're absolutely right, Ron, and it's a crime that I haven't," he said with a chuckle. "So I'm going to have fun my way…"
"But it's not safe, Harry," Hermione objected. "You know Professor Dumbledore only has your best interest in mind."
"Hermione? Does Dumbledore dictate what your family does over the summer holidays?" She shook her head. "Nor does he tell any of the other students, and I see no reason for him to rule my life either."
"But Harry," he looked back at Ron, "I thought we three had something to do together this summer, for the war, you know?" Ron's facial expressions, as he tried to hint what he could not say, were funny.
"You mean our object hunt?" Harry asked, and received a nod from Ron. "There's no need to ruin your summer, Ron. Dumbledore and I have already found half of them and I know where the other half are and how to get past the traps, so I'll take care of them. There is no hurry." He shrugged as if it was no big deal.
"Harry!" Hermione huffed like a little child. "You can't go off on your own and do this, you need us. It will be dangerous to get those things and destroy them."
"What are you talking about?" Ginny demanded. Neville looked very curious too.
"In order to try to achieve immortality," Harry explained, "Voldemort created some Horcruxes…"
"Harry! You said it was supposed to be a secret!"
"Relax, Hermione. I trust Ginny and Neville." He looked at Neville and Ginny. "You two have to promise to tell no one this secret." They both nodded, so he turned back to Hermione. "There, now you can explain it all to them on the train, after you put up appropriate privacy spells. If all goes well, I'll have the last of them by the end of next week."
"How, Harry? You said they were guarded in very dangerous ways." Hermione glared at him.
"True," Harry mostly agreed, "but if you know Parseltongue and know what's there, you can safely get to the object. From there, it should be a simple matter of destroying them. I think I can do it with the Sword of Gryffindor, or else Dumbledore can do it when he's feeling better. It really doesn't matter anymore, as for all intents and purposes, the prophecy has been fulfilled now."
"What?" They all shouted again and Harry smiled at their reaction.
"Explain Harry," Hermione commanded him.
"Don't let your knickers get in a twist, Hermione." The girl looked embarrassed for a second, before her "explain" look returned. "OK, you all remember when I disappeared for an evening and then sleep for half of the next day just before the exams started?" They all nodded. "I fulfilled the prophecy that night. The first line says: The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. What does vanquish mean?"
Everyone looked at Hermione. "It means to conquer, to defeat, or to overcome," she said.
"And so I have overcome and conquered him," Harry simply stated.
"Harry, you have to tell us more than that. Did you, uh, kill him?" Hermione looked like she had eaten something very distasteful.
"Uh, not quite, but close enough. The very short version is that when Snape was called to Voldemort's side, I went with him under my invisibility cloak. Once I was there, I forced Voldemort to tell me about the Horcruxes and then I gave him a Draught of Living Death." Everyone gasped. "Then I took him to a very secure location and hid the only entrance to it under a Fidelius charm that I'm the Secret Keeper to and no one else knows the secret. So you see, he's not going anywhere and I can easily get all the Horcruxes." Harry smiled at his story, not explaining that much of his success was due to Daphne's plan and support.
"Then you know where Professor Snape is," Hermione exclaimed.
"I do. He's keeping Voldemort company." When Hermione opened her mouth, Harry quickly went on. "And he's staying right where he is for now. If I decide to forgive him for what he did to me over the years, I can retrieve him."
"But Harry, he's on our side."
"So?" Ron sarcastically answered her. "I agree with Harry. Let Snape stay where he is. We're all better off." In order to derail Hermione's arguments, Ron quickly changed the subject. "Harry, since you aren't going to go to the Dursleys, aren't you going to come to the Burrow and stay with us?"
Harry found it very interesting that Ginny seemed very interested in his answer, much more so than his other revelations. "Thanks for the invitation, Ron, and I might stop by for a short visit, but right now I plan to spend as much time as possible with my girlfriend." He was not disappointed with their reaction to that revelation either.
"Your what?" Again, it seemed to be the whole group together.
"My girlfriend, you know a female significant other that I'm very fond of, like to snog, could stare at her beauty for hours, enjoy talking to, am convinced she'd look really hot in a bikini on the beach…" He felt a small poke in his side, but he ignored it.
"Harry!" This time it was Ginny who interrupted him. "Who?" she asked when he looked at her.
"Well, I've been dating Daphne Greengrass for most of the term…"
"What? A Slytherin? Are you out of your bloody mind?" Ron seemed to be on the verge of a stroke based on how red his face was. "You can't date a Slytherin, Harry. You're a Gryffindor." It was a sign as to how shocked Hermione was as she did not admonish Ron for his language.
Harry shook his head for a moment before he calmly went on. "Ron. You're my best friend. As your best friend I need to tell you that you need to grow up. Stop thinking in terms of labels and putting people in boxes like Malfoy does."
Ron did not miss the implication. "I am NOT like Malfoy!"
Harry was pleased his friend had not missed the main point. "I'll give you that you're too good to hex someone in the back, and you don't call Muggleborns a Mudblood, and you don't strut. But ignoring those and a few other actions, you think just like he does Ron." Ron stood there gaping at Harry in obvious disbelief and slowly turning redder in his anger. He noticed that Ginny did not seem to like what he was saying about Ron either. "Ron, you put labels on people and then you decide how they should and should not act, and how to treat them, based on those labels. You just stated the most obvious example: All Slytherins are bad."
"Well they are," Ron stated.
"No they're not. Look at Professor Slughorn. I don't like his Slug Club, but he's not a bad person as he treats all of us like human beings in his class. Auror Moody is a Slytherin, did you know that?"
"No." Ron was not quite so confident now.
"Professor Vector on the staff here and several people in Dumbledore's special organization are also Slytherins. You should also remember that not all Gryffindors are good. Does the name Peter Pettigrew mean anything to you? It does to me." Harry stared at his friend.
"But I'm not like Malfoy!" Ron was still very red in the face.
"You're biased just like he is, but in the opposite way of course. In fact, if I took your argument and swapped Gryffindor in for Slytherin and Hermione in for Daphne, plus added a few insults, that would have been like something right out of Malfoy's mouth." Harry saw Hermione give a small resigned nod. "If you weren't prejudiced in your beliefs, you would not be making such a big deal of me dating a Slytherin; you'd be happy for me instead."
"Mental you are," Ron muttered.
"You hate Slytherins just as much as Malfoy hates Gryffindors. Cool down and think about it later. Have Hermione explain it to you. I can tell that she understands what I'm saying." Hermione glared at him, obviously not wanting to get in the middle of that argument.
"And Ron, this is exactly what the Sorting Hat keeps singing about every year. This is why there is no unity in the school. Practically everyone puts labels on everyone else. It's why so many people think I'm a monster when something bad happens, even when they have no proof. They hear a rumor and believe the worst. The reason why is they've already labeled me as different and therefore someone to blame. They put me in a box I don't belong in." Harry shook his head at the injustice of it all. "Oh well, only one more year of it. I suppose I need to go so I can enjoy my summer."
"Wait, Harry," Ron called out. "There's another reason you can't date Greengrass, a much better reason."
"Oh?" Harry asked with a smirk. This ought to be good, he thought, especially considering how nervous Ron suddenly looked.
"Yeah, you can't date her because, well, because you're suppose to be with Ginny."
Harry stared in shock wondering where that came from.
Ginny yelled, "Ron!"
"Ginny, you know you want him," her brother explained. "It's supposed to work out that way." Ginny was very red, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was tough to tell. It could have been both.
Harry just shook his head at the amusing situation. "Well Ron, that's not the way it worked out." He smiled and turned to Ginny. "Ginny, you are a nice person and I've enjoyed talking to you this year and getting to know you. I'm happy to call you a friend. I might even have asked you out if the timing had been better. But you were seeing Dean when I was free, and I was seeing Daphne when you were free." He shrugged. "If Daphne decides she doesn't like me one day, I'll see if you're free, but don't wait on me. Enjoy your life and if you find a good guy, date him. You're a nice person and I'd hate to see you wait on me when that might not ever happen."
Ginny still seemed a little embarrassed and angry, but she slowly nodded. Hopefully she really was over him as Hermione had told him last year in Hogsmeade.
"Thanks, Harry. I've really enjoyed getting to know the real you." Ginny paused for a moment and swallowed, as if searching for her courage. "And Harry, if Daphne does break up with you, please let me know. We can discuss things. I think I've grown up enough to know that maybe it would work, but then again, maybe not."
Her words made him feel much better. He nodded gratefully to her.
"But I've been trying to get you two together," Ron complained, not giving up yet, although his voice and the color of his face was starting to return to normal
Ginny stared at her brother in surprise while Harry laughed. "Riiight," he drawled. "Sorry, Ron, but it didn't look like that to me. In fact, you were playing the protective big brother role so well, I thought you didn't want anyone to date her." Now Ginny glared at her brother, who decided to examine his shoes. Harry wondered how explosive the next conversation between brother and sister would be.
"Harry?" He looked at Hermione when she softly called his name. "Where are you going to go this summer?"
He smiled. "I don't fully know yet. I know I need to meet Daphne's parents as I need to ask their permission before I…"
"You what?" Ron yelled as his face went red again.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Ron, will you please quit overreacting."
Ron sputtered for a second. "But - but, you're going to marry her after a few months? What did she do, give you a love potion?"
Harry wanted to search for a big stick and see if he could beat some sense into Ron. "What are you talking about? We've haven't discussed that at all, or at least I don't remember it."
"But you said you were going to ask her parent's permission," Ron argued.
"Yeah," Harry confirmed. "I want to take her traveling with me for the summer and I thought it would be a good idea to ask her parents if she can go with me."
"Oh, sorry," Ron apologized lamely.
Harry shook his head again before he turned to his other long time friend. "Anyway, Hermione, you've described some interesting places with all of your trips over the years, so I thought I might go visit some of those places, find a nice beach somewhere, find … I don't know, just fun places to go and relax. You know, forget all of the stupidity I've had to deal with here." He almost looked at Ron as he said the last part, but managed to restrain himself.
"I still can't believe you're going with a Slytherin," Ron muttered, and received a glare from Harry.
"You're such an idiot, Ron," Neville quietly commented.
Ron glared at Neville while Harry smiled at his quiet friend.
"Ron, have you stopped to think about who you're talking to?" Neville asked. "Not only is he supposed to be your best friend, who you should be supporting, but he's Harry Bloody Potter, recent Vanquisher of a certain Dark Lord and Sneering Snape. How many other people do you know who are magically powerful enough to do that? And you're questioning his choice of a girlfriend? He can have almost any girl he wants and he found Greengrass good enough that he chose her. Have you been hit too many times in the head with a Bludger, Ron? Geez…"
Harry enjoyed the mini-speech. Neville was usually quiet, but when he came out of his shell, look out. Then Harry had a great idea on how to finish the whole conversation, and he knew Daphne would like this. "Ron, if Daphne was standing right here," he pointed to the empty spot next to his left side, "what would you say to her?"
"Now?" Ron almost squeaked as he was put on the spot.
"Yes, Ron, right here and right now. What would you say to her face?" Harry calmly looked at his friend. He was quite sure what was going to happen. The only question was who was going to pound Ron on the back when he choked.
"That's easy, I'd tell her that she's not good enough for you, that she doesn't deserve you," he said confidently.
Harry's eyes bugged out. "You'd say that when you don't even know her?"
"Yeah," Ron said confidently.
"Go ahead, say whatever you want," Harry said sadly. "Maybe he'll listen to you."
"What are you on about?" Ron asked just as another person appeared just to the left and slightly behind Harry. It was a girl with honey blonde hair dressed in a green top and stylish jeans. Her clothes were tight enough to indicate that she had a very nice figure. The look on her face was not so nice, and her blue eyes glared intensely at the red-headed boy.
"You really are a work, Ron Weasley."
"Greengrass?" Ron weakly got out as he went pale and seemed to have trouble breathing. Hermione shook him slightly to try and get him to remember to take a breath.
Harry was pleased to see Neville enjoying the moment as he silently laughed. Harry decided that he'd definitely visit Neville this summer.
"Oh, very good, Weasley," Daphne said sarcastically, before she turn to Ginny. "Sorry, I don't mean you. You're all right in my book." She turned back to the other. "Ron, to use your own words, you're not good enough to be Harry's friend, you don't deserve to have a good friend like him. You're really need to think about what he told you. Labels are meaningless; it's the person that counts."
Daphne's hands went to her hips, and her glare seemed to intensify a little more. "Also, let me tell you something. I know Draco Malfoy better than any of you, unfortunately, and you, Ron Weasley, are more like that pompous little ass than you know. Come on, Harry. I'm hungry and I don't want to have breakfast here. Glasgow is not too far away. We can eat there and then decide what we want to do."
Just because he could, and to tweak Ron, Harry snaked an arm around Daphne's waist, pulled her in, and gave her a kiss, and it was not a quick peck on the cheek either. He swung his leg over his Firebolt and scooted up some. Daphne mounted the broom right behind him, putting her arms around Harry's waist and snuggling up to him.
"Ron, you and I will discuss your feelings for certain people on the train ride in September. I do hope you've grown up by then. Hermione?" He looked over at his long time friend. "About the question you asked me a couple of months back, about if something would ever happen?"
Hermione gave him a confused look until he quickly glanced at Ron with his eyes. Her face suddenly brightened and her eyes flickered over Ron too.
"Yeah, that," Harry confirmed. "I think I've changed my opinion, and I believe you should change your focus and search in another direction. I think your previous goal is beneath someone as wonderful as you."
The bushy-haired girl looked taken aback. "You do?"
"Yes, I do. I think you're too intelligent and it won't work out. It's your choice, of course, but I think you deserve a lot better," Harry confirmed. "Something for you to think about over the summer."
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.
"A private opinion between Hermione and me. If she wants to explain it to you, that's up to her, but please don't ask her about it." Harry looked around at his friends with a smirk. "We'll see everyone later. I'll be in touch." Harry slowly flew over to the open window and out it, leaving gaping friends behind as they watched the couple fly off into the sunrise.
((A/N: Original Epilogue removed as chapters 5-8 have been posted for some time.))
((A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this (so far). It was a quick idea that I had some time ago and wanted to play with. I suppose I could have made it a lot longer, given it more intrigue and drawn things out, but I really didn't want to put that much effort into it or make it boring along the way.
I've recieved a number of reviews asking me to not to make Daphne into too much of a "Mary Sue". I will admit that I've made Daphne a "nice Slytherin", but she is no perfect little "goody-two-shoes" by any means. Go back and re-read the story and see what she does. Even the first scene in the story should show that she can be a not so nice person, nor is she "perfect" for Harry as she can be quite head-strong. She's willing to bend/ignore laws if she thinks she has a good enough reason to do so; she is a Slytherin for a reason. I think the epilogue will make this even more clear. If you still think of Daphne as a "Mary Sue" here at the end of the main part of the story, then either we have different definitions of the term, or I've failed to communicate how I see Daphne. It would take a strong person to be married to Daphne and have the marriage be normal, or else she would end up "wearing the pants in the family" (more so than Molly Weasley does). Fortunately, our hero is a strong-willed stubborn Gryffindor. :-)
On to the extended epilogue…))
