After catching Voldemorts wand right out of the air Harry looked at his hand. He stood in room amidst the absolute silence and just looked at the wand in his hand for a moment. Then of course the sweet silence was marred by the screaming of hundreds of voices. Glancing up just to make sure they were cheering for him and not yelling at him, Harry began to crumble. Luckily for him Ron caught him before he hit the floor.
"Is that it?" he asked his best friend, "Is it over?"
"Kind of anticlimactic." Ron shrugged, "But he doesn't deserve anything better."
"Check to make sure." Harry forced his legs to hold his own weight.
Ron didn't move but pointed over to his father, Kingsley and Professor McGonagal who were doing that very thing. Harry's eyes didn't waver nor did he even seem to be breathing until Kingsley stood and nodded to the rest of the group which caused another round of cheers. The man immediately took control of the situation and began giving orders for things to be taken care of.
"If anyone knows of any bodies stuck in some hideaway lets pull them out now." he commanded.
"Kingsley." Harry pulled his attention, "Snape's body is in the shack, he didn't murder Dumbledore they had an agreement. Dumbledore was going to die from the curse in his hand and he talked Snape into helping him die with dignity. It also allowed him to prove his loyalty to Voldemort and thus get control of the school. He kept the Carrows from outright killing everyone. He had very limited control of them."
"Harry he was horrible." Parvati spat at him, "You have no idea what he did to us."
"I know I don't." Harry said, "But I do know that you had no idea what he was going through either. Was he really that much worse than when he taught potions? Did he do anymore than take points."
"He let the Carrow's torture us." Seamus stated angrily.
"But he didn't do it himself did he?" Harry asked, "Knowing the man like we do, didn't you expect him to curse you? In order to keep you all alive he had to walk a tight rope between what Voldemort told them to do and what he allowed to happen. If he hadn't allowed some torture he would have been removed as headmaster. How do you think you would have fared if Bellitrix Lastrange became Headmistress? I'll tell you what would have happened, you would have died very painfully."
"Are you sure of what you are saying Harry?" Molly asked, "Snape was still on our side?"
"Undoubtedly. He's the one that got us this." Hermione picked Neville's hand and showed the sword, "It's the only reason we were able to survive."
"I'm sorry but we need more than just the word of a teenager." one of the Auror's stated.
"Then go look at the Pensieve." Harry turned away in disgust.
"I believe you Harry." Ginny stood by his side holding onto one arm.
"Me too." Luna added from her side.
"I've always trusted you." Neville said, "I'm not changing that now. I'm assuming you learned more this year than what you've told us so far?"
"Loads Neville." Harry sighed, "I guess I better see Madam Pomfrey before she hunts me down and petrifies me."
"That's always a good idea." Ron agreed slipping Harry's arm over his shoulder while his on arm held around Harry's waist, "She's right scary if you let her get started."
Neville slipped between Ginny and Harry to take the other side and the group moved off. They didn't have far to drag him seeing as the medi-witch had set up a hospital area on one side of the Great Hall. His two friends sat him gingerly on a bed and stood by waiting on Poppy to spot them.
"What do we have here?" a man walked up.
"Only Madam Pomfrey can be here." Ron stood in his way, "Sorry but we don't trust just anyone with Harry. He would have been dead already if we weren't careful."
"See here." the man said, "Stand aside so I can heal this young man."
"No." Neville stood by his side and they made an impressive wall against the man.
"I've got him." Poppy tapped the man on the shoulder, "Why don't you go help the Auror's."
"Poppy we shouldn't be letting these children push us around." the man argued.
"I know his medical history." Poppy waved him off, "It will be quicker this way."
Neville and Ron allowed Poppy to pass through. She found Harry being helped back onto the bed, "And how are you feeling Mr. Potter?"
"Sore." he sighed, "You should probably help the others first, I have a feeling I'm going to take a while."
"Must be bad if you are actually admit it." Poppy smiled, "We have several very trust worthy healers around today. Any of them will be happy to help."
"I'd feel better if it was you." Harry responded with a slight smile, "I've kind of lost my trust in most adults."
"You didn't have much to begin with." she shook her head but turned to check over each of Harry's friends. She healed them of cuts, bruises, burns and a few spells before turning back to Harry, "Now where do you hurt?"
"Put it this way." Harry said sarcastically, "It will be easier to tell you what doesn't hurt."
She waved her wand over him for a moment then frowned, "I see, I'll need you to disrobe."
"Here? Now?" he gaped at the woman.
"Not too much dignity left in here today." she smiled ruefully.
"We'll block you Harry." Neville stood next to Hermione.
The rest of the group stood and made a wall between Harry and the rest of the hall. He smiled gratefully, even if they were watching him instead of turning their backs. He started to pull off his shoes but stopped when his arm gave a sharp throb of pain.
"Want some help?" Ginny offered.
When he nodded she help him first with his shoes and socks as he was unbuttoning his jeans. Madam Pomfrey was also assisting him to keep him from further hurting himself. Poppy began by healing his legs as Ginny moved to help him with his shirt. she helped him remove the right side first and eased off the shirt trying to keep him from wincing in pain.
"Blimey Harry what caused that?" Seamus asked pointing to his chest as Ginny carefully pulled the shirt away.
"Killing curse." he gasped as she started to peel it off his back, "I guess I have a cut on my back too?"
"Yes it's kind of old." she grimaced, "Your shirt is stuck to it."
"Just rip it off." Harry instructed, "Get's it over quicker."
"He's right dear." Madam Pomfrey looked at his back, " He is bruised and cut, there really isn't an easy way. Anything I missed from the waist down?"
"No I think you have it all." Harry replied. The last bit came out in a gasp as the shirt was ripped from his back.
Poppy waved her wand and he had soft pajama bottoms covering his boxers. She then began to heal his chest and arms. It took twenty minutes before she gave up and helped him back down.
"I've done all I can." she sighed, "The bruise is going to take a while."
"I know." he sighed, "A dark curse never has a quick cure."
"Which curse?" Kingsley asked as he waded through the group of teens.
"Killing curse." Harry sighed, "You would have thought he would have tried something else since I kept surviving it."
"Good thing he didn't." Ron pointed out.
"So which of you wants to tell me what you were up to this year?" Kingsley asked. He raised an eyebrow when none of the three spoke, "Ok, how about why did you break into Gringotts? What significance did the cup have that you took? And last but not least, why in the world did you use a dragon to escape?"
"No way." Dean said, "I thought the dragon was an exaggeration."
"No it wasn't." Harry huffed, "I'm too tired to explain it now. Besides I'm sure I'm going to have to be questioned by the Goblins too so just get them all together at once."
"Actually, the Goblins don't seem to care." Kingsley looked bewildered, "They just keep waving us off and saying its of no importance. Which honestly shocks me."
"They know about the cup." Hermione guessed staring wide eyed at Harry.
"Looks that way." he shrugged.
"So what was the cup?" Kingsley asked.
"Part of a set of eight." Ron smiled, "Matching set right Harry."
"Right, we have a few of the other pieces that went with it." Harry motioned to Hermione.
Hermione pushed her arm into her beaded bag and started feeling around. A sound of many things falling got everyone's attention, "Books."
"How many books?" Kingsley asked amused.
"Not that many." she said as she pulled the diadem out, "Only around a hundred or so."
"Not many at all." Seamus said sarcastically, "Who did the extension charm?"
"She did of course." Ron grinned, "Weightless too."
"Blimey Hermione." Dean chuckled as she pulled the cup out followed by the locket.
"And these are matched how?" Ginny asked looking at the pile of things on the bed.
"Several ways." Harry grinned at her, "For instance these are each founders items but that's not the reason we have them."
"They're all busted up." Seamus said picking up half of Ravenclaws diadem.
"Thank Voldemort for that mate." Ron shrugged, "He did it."
"What did he do to them?" Dean looked over Ron's shoulder.
"Dark rituals." Harry said looking at Kingsley, "Designed to keep him alive long after he should have died. We had to us Basilisk Venom to destroy them. Fiend fire would have worked just as well."
"Eight piece set?" Kingsley gasped waving his wand over one of the pieces, "What were the others?"
"A book, a ring, the snake Neville killed, Voldemort and me." Harry stated.
"You?" Kingsley froze, "But you are not dead."
"I was." Harry said, "Out in the forest I was for a bit. It was long enough."
Kingsley waved his wand over Harry again and breathed a sigh of relief, "How did you know?"
"Dumbledore left me a message that I had to die." Harry shrugged, "I'm not sure if he knew I'd live through it or not."
"How did you survive?" the black man watched him closely.
"I was sent back."
Kingsley took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Can I do one more spell on you?"
"Sure." Harry nodded and knew he wanted to check and make sure Harry's soul was whole.
The blue light that engulfed him let Kingsley smile, "Glad you made it through all that."
"Are you two talking in code or something but I've don't understand anything you just said." Seamus looked expectantly at the two of them.
"It's best that way." Kingsley stated, "It could endanger your life if you understand too much."
"Off you go now." Madam Pomfrey waved them off, "Mr. Potter needs his rest."
"We're going." Seamus was the first to turn away, "Later Harry."
"Bye guys." he relaxed back on the bed as they all began to leave.
"Did you say you died and were sent back?" Ginny's voice whispered in his ear.
"Yes." he whispered in response hoping to keep her close, but not realizing why.
Her hand reached up slowly and stroked his face, "Why?"
"I can't explain it here where anyone could hear." He pulled her down for a hug so he could whisper quieter, "I'll tell you later if you really want to know, but Kingsley was right about it being dangerous knowledge."
"Later then." she nodded, "Sleep well."
She kissed his cheek and turned away. He watched in confusion as she walked over to her family. Just as she reached them she turned back to see him still looking. She smiled and waved before giving her attention to her mother. A smile ghosted across his face as he tried to fall asleep. At some point he figured he must have because the next thing he knew he was talking with Sirius.
"Congratulations Prongslett, we knew you could do it." he hugged Harry furiously.
"I have a question for you." Harry said, "Why did Ginny kiss my cheek?"
"She likes you." Sirius said, "But really don't you have a better question than that for your dead Godfather?"
"No I understand everything else." he touched the cheek she kissed, "I just don't know what she meant by it. I doubt she likes me, she was dating Dean year before last I'm sure she's dating someone way better than me."
"Are you really that thick?" Sirius said, "You are the hero, you're supposed to get the girl."
"My luck never runs that way." Harry chuckled, "You remember I was the one who got my name pulled out of that blasted cup in fourth year. I only get lucky when fighting not with romance."
"You realize that every available female in the wizarding world wants you right now?" he asked.
Harry waved him off, "They want the winner of the fight not me. Hermione, Luna and Ginny are about the only females my age who really know me."
"All the more reason to go for it." Sirius waggled his eyebrows, "Beside you have to marry a red head anyway so why no one that is so darn cute."
"Who says I have to marry a red head?" Harry laughed at his Godfathers antics, "What if I want to marry a blond?"
"Won't happen. Your Dad called it the luckiest luck of the Potters, your Grandfather jokingly calls it curse." Sirius leaned back in his seat, "For generations Potter men have ended up marrying a red head. And if your choice is between Ginny and one of her brothers, I'd personally think you should try Ginny first."
"It would never be one of her brothers." Harry shook his head in exasperation.
"Well you better start chasing Ginny now then." he grinned his reply, "I've got to go now. Good luck getting the girl. Remember she adores you and thinks you're hot. I think I remember her saying something about a cute bum too."
"You are impossible." Harry chuckled as his dream faded away.
Sometime later Harry woke up to find himself in the hospital wing. Ron Hermione and Ginny were sitting, well actually sleeping, in chairs around his bed. He smiled fondly at his friends before looking away to see who else was in the room. When his gaze returned to his friends he found Ginny awake.
"Should you be sleeping?" he asked quietly.
"I could say the same of you." she got up and moved closer to him.
"Not tired." he shrugged, "What time is it?"
"One in the morning. Moldyshorts has been dead for about twenty hours." she beamed even as she whispered.
"No parties going on?" he looked again at the sleeping occupants of the room.
"Not here." she smiled, "We're all sleeping. However I've heard that there are fireworks over London, the muggles have no idea why."
"Figures." Harry smiled. All he could think about was his dream with Sirius telling him Ginny liked him.
He must have had an odd look on his face because she asked, "What are you thinking?"
"Just remembering my dream." Harry chuckled, "It was unexpected."
"Unexpected? That sounds intriguing." she scooted closer, "Tell me all about it."
"I was talking to Sirius." Harry smiled as he leaned in and talked softly so they wouldn't wake anyone, "He was congratulating me on finishing off Tom."
"Nothing unexpected about that." she cocked her head and looked him in the eye.
"It was what he said afterwards that was so unexpected." Harry looked slightly confused, "I'm just not sure what to think about it. Was he right or was it just a figment of my imagination because I want him to be right."
"I'd have to know what he said to tell you that." she smiled and leaned closer, "So what did he say?"
"He said." Harry wasn't sure what to say to that, he couldn't relay the entire conversation.
"Yes?" she looked like she was about to laugh.
"He said you wouldn't mind if I kissed you." Harry looked at her closely watching for a reaction.
"I wouldn't mind it." she smiled.
Harry leaned forward and gently brushed his lips across hers. Her sharp intake of breath made him pull back. He was about to apologize when she leaned forward and kissed him this time. When they finally pulled apart Harry found that he had pulled her into his lap and was holding her very close.
"Sirius was right." she whispered.
"I think he may have been correct in everything he said." Harry was leaning his forehead on hers and running a hand through her hair.
"What else did he say?" she wondered mildly.
"Later." Harry pulled her back for more kisses.