Chapter Nine: Reflections:
Six months, that was how long Hermione was in Azkaban, it was nowhere as bad as it had been when Harry was here. She got three nutritious if boring meals a day and her prison garb was warm and she had warm blankets on her bunk and a toilet block. As she was a quiet and rule abiding prisoner she was allowed to work as goblins did not like idle prisoners. Still she missed her books and knew that no matter what she did Harry would never accept her or Ron back. She vowed to make a new life and leave England once she was out. This was why when she was finally released, given her own clothes, wand and ten galleons she formatted a plan to get away.
She met up with Ron and was shocked at how pale and subdued he was, he barely spoke and she could see he had changed. He was gaunt and his eyes had lost any light them, there were no Dementors left at Azkaban but he acted as if he been around them. He had not in fact but he had spent his time in Azkaban in isolation as he had not been a good prisoner at the first ranting and raving and carrying on. He was put in isolation, fed three meals a day and left with his thoughts. He looked sad and serious as he stood on the dock looking over the sea, the letters from his family did nothing to help and he had to get away, Cormac McLaggen had got a life sentence for killing Augusta Longbottom and Marietta Edgecombe had written for him and Hermione not to come near him again.
"What do we do now?" Ron asked Hermione.
"Leave, we can do nothing here, Harry has too much control, there will come a time we can finish this but not now." Hermione replied, "my parents wrote me, my mum is pregnant, says she is having twins and she knows they are magical."
"Well that is good." Ron replied.
"She told me is disappointed in me and never wants to see me again!" Hermione replied.
This last of course was not true, what Hermione's mother had written was her concern for her daughter and that if Hermione would just give up her unfounded hatred of Harry she was welcome home. Yet Hermione believed she was right and refused to see reason. Her parents loved her very much and her refusal to write them had hurt them. Yet Hermione refused to see what her actions did in hurting those who loved her and turned her back on them fully. She headed to Heathrow with Ron, if she used magical means to get where she planned on going , it would take days to get there. She was headed to New Zealand and was not going to come back.
"You coming?" Hermione asked Ron.
"Yea, what do I have here?" Ron replied, "not like my family wants me anymore."
"Let's get out of here then." Hermione said.
They got tickets (magical helped in this), found their flight and headed out. They would not be back but there would be a time that their descendants would come back and visit. They never would, they never would give up on believing they were right. In fact they would die with the belief Harry was evil and not the kind young man he was.
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Harry looked around the empty Wizengamot hall and sat down in what had been the seat of the minister. The elections had gone well, he was surprised and the new leaders would be sworn in shortly. The new charter that gave equal rights to the goblins had passed, they still would not go to any human magical school claiming their school were better but they now held two Wizengamot seats out of fifty. Anyone charged with a crime got a trial, no more just chucking people into Azkaban as had been done before. A standing magical army was created and blood status was no longer allowed to determine who got a job or not. Yet he was thinking on two who had been friends and how now they were gone out of his life forever. Both Ginny and Luna came up to him and looked around the chamber.
"Soon new members will come and a new day starts for all of us." Luna said.
"Yes, well I don't have to worry about Ron and Hermione any more either." Harry said sadly, "they have left for New Zealand, they are not coming back."
"Oh Harry it's not your fault about them, they are prats and we are well rid of them." Ginny said, "you did not see the letter they wrote to mum and dad, it was not very nice at all."
"They just do not see what a good person you are Harry." Severus said walking up, "these ladies do, and speaking of which do you need me to keep any out of here so you can do whatever you need to?"
"I don't need to do anything here Severus." Harry said calmly taking his wand out, "I hope you were not about to make the mistake that Sirius did."
"You hexed you godfather?" Severus said, "why Harry you are so like your mother."
"I hex him at least once a week, I love him but he is annoying." Harry replied, "thank heavens he is going to get married to Eva Rosier of all people!"
"She loves him and it is not her fault one of her brothers joined the dark lord." Severus replied, "Graham if I recall is a strong supporter of muggle rights and like his sister a Slytherin."
"Yea I know, my dear brothers Fred and George, well better invite you to their double wedding to Flora and Hestia Carrow, two light witches in a house of dark." Ginny said getting Severus to glare at her, a glare she returned.
It had caused a few slightly ruffled feathers when Fred and George decided to wed the Carrow twins, unlike the Weasley twins they were not identical at all. Sure they had the same brown hair and hazel eyes but Flora looked like their mother and Hestia their father. They were Slytherin but were really sweet kind girls who's only fault was having an aunt and uncle who were death eaters and horrible people. Eva Rosier had been in Ravenclaw house, not uncommon for her family while her eldest brother was in Slytherin, though to be fair if Evan had been in any other house he still would have become a death eater. He loved the dark and evil things of the world a bit too much despite his good upbringing by good, kind and stanchly religious parents.
"So what are you going to do Severus?" Harry asked turning to Severus.
"Well I am in love I thought you might like to know." Severus replied, "Charity Burbage, such a lovely woman, I am well I can tell you this simply mad about her."
"You know Severus," Harry said draping an arm over his shoulders, "I like it when you let your hair down."
"Only around family." Severus said and at the look from Harry, "yes you brat you are family to me, wither I want that or not."
"Well my wives come with that." Harry said, "so can I call you uncle Severus?"
"You wish to die?"
"No not really, I have two wives to keep happy you know."
Severus was happy now, truly happy, the dark lord was gone and he was in love. Charity had gone to Hogwarts when he had and was five years behind him and she was in Ravenclaw house. She was perfect for him as she could handle his dark moods and even darker humor. There were some other surprises, Dumbledore and McGonagall had finally come forward and made their secret marriage public getting Severus to mutter darkly to them and get hexed for his troubles. That was part of the reason he was in the Wizengamot chambers with Harry as McGonagall it was rumored was on the warpath for him.
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Life went on and Harry got his full revenge, the guards who had abused him where fired and spent years in the same cells they once had guarded. The goblins ended up a full part of the magical world as equals, centaurs, high elves and dwarves all were given equal status. The only group that refused this was the house elves, all they wanted to do was be able to serve and so they were allowed, with laws in place that made it illegal to harm or force the little creatures harm themselves. They wore uniforms not rags and could, if a family was not working out leave said family and search for a new one. They were satisfied to be paid a galleon a month, they had fought hard to gain this as what the magical world wanted to pay them much more. As they were a very hardy race and loved to work they refused the offer of days off or any such thing like that.
Five years after Harry married Ginny had their first son, James Sirius Potter, a few months after that Luna had her first son Marcus Potter Lovegood. Harry, as the goblin lord had much work to do as well, he had duties and hearings to oversee and he was becoming very wealthy. The Weasley family (minus Ron) became rich as well and in time they became a major force in the ministry. Harry would go on to have ten more children between his wives and they would spread across the globe to replenish the magical world. Harry would have times he relapsed and remembered his days in Azkaban but his wives were there to help him get through this. When he was one hundred and fifty six years old he died in his sleep with his wives by his side. In a year they followed him, a statue of him remains it is said deep in the goblin caves made of pure platinum with eyes of emerald guarding the deepest parts of the goblin secrets.
The End
So that is that, Ron and Hermione just never did learn and so never came back to England. Harry and his friends and family ended up having a very good life, a life they earned.
