Epilogue
When they came to rest in the tree house, their minds fogged over as they caught up to the current events. Harry and George were the most excited of all. Fred lost his ear in a charm accident while spending time with George in the joke shop, but he was still alive. And Harry was scarless, his parents still waiting for him back at home.
"Were we friends at Hogwarts?" Ron asked, looking over the group. His eyes landed on Hermione and he felt himself blush. Hermione looked confused, but she was blushing as well.
"I...I'm a witch?" she gasped. "I was a witch? It was all a dream..."
"She didn't get accepted in this version," George sighed, sinking onto a nearby couch. It squeaked loudly as a joke cushion began squealing with delight. George smiled; this was definitely a creation from Fred.
"I don't understand any of this, but I want you to explain this to me. Soon as well. I need to get to work," she said, causing Harry and Ron to smirk.
"Ron, I work at a library near Hogwarts. Where do you work?" Harry questioned, walking down the stairs.
"I work with my father at the Ministry studying Muggles. Hermione, I think that's how we met," Ron smiled. Hermione nodded, her face still scrunched with thought. "Well, Bill married a foreign girl. Mum won't mind if we get together."
"You wish," Hermione smirked, but deep down she knew that she and the freckly ginger belonged together.
Once outside, they were greeted by Greta, Tara, and many other women they didn't recognize. All had school robes on like the professors of Hogwarts, and as their memories sorted themselves out, Harry realized they all taught specialty courses at Hogwarts. And all of them knew what they did to save their world.
"You did some good deeds," Tara smiled, looking up as George emerged from the treehouse. "Go be with your brother again. He's at the shop waiting on you. You have to watch his son," she grinned, making the other women laugh gently.
"This is so much to take in!" Hermione gasped.
"Well, maybe after you meet Headmaster Aldric and get to know us better, you'll be less confused. Come on now, let's get out of here," Ron said, grabbing a broom from a rack at the base of the tree containing the treehouse. Hermione had no idea what he was doing, but Ron helped her mount his broom. They had a long flight to The Burrow, but it was well worth it.
Over time, they got used to the changes the new time line created. Albus Dumbledore was discredited at a young age for trying to steal another wizard's work, and he spent his days working mundane jobs for the Ministry. Alrich became the headmaster of Hogwarts, and his decision to hand-select students kept many Muggle-born children like Hermione out of the school. But after meeting Hermione, he knew he'd made the wrong decision. Hermione was allowed to begin learning magic as an older student, as were hundreds of others that were supposed to attend school with Harry and the others. Everything eventually righted itself, even with the drastic differences.
Despite the changes to their timeline, an awkward Harry still had to ask the Weasley family for help on the platform, as he raced his parents there and ended up lost and confused. He and Ron sat on the train together, helping Neville Longbottom find his lost frog while avoiding the menacing Draco Malfoy. Ginny developed a crush on Harry at first sight, and though they weren't brought together by a war against someone whose name was never meant to be said, they still ended up getting married.
Ron and Hermione met when things were righted again, but they too went through the same stages as they did in the old timeline. Ron was supposed to use her to study Muggles, but her intelligence made her annoying until both learned to handle the other's quirks. It took longer than initially expected, but the two were soon married, and Hermione was an important part of the Weasley family, which was just as in tact as it should've been all along.
Harry and the others learned for forgive Dumbledore, namely because the people they loved came back in the end. They never regretted righting history, even if it meant never opening the Chamber of Secrets or battling evil Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers every year. Professor Snape never grew to hate James Potter, though he and Lily were never an item because of him, yet his toughness remained. Harry gained respect for him because his potion skills improved when he actually tried, and he still named a son for the man later in life, though the Albus part was never used.
In the end, society was changed for the better. Families were more complete, the only deaths coming from accidents, sickness, or old age, just as things were supposed to be. While there didn't seem to be any great wizards from Harry's generation, they were known for their eagerness to learn and their dedication to their work. Even without a jagged scar or surviving a massacre, Harry was seen as great for doing well in school and taking up respectable work after graduation. And everyone else was great in their own way as well, without the manipulation of Albus Dumbledore, the manipulative man who was forgotten by society and left to rot.
~End
A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed the piece.
