Harry awoke the next morning to something resting on his chest, slightly constricting his breathing. Opening his eyes, he squinted at the fuzzy outline of a pair of clasped hands, neither of them his own. He was lying in his own bed in Gryffindor tower, still in his torn and bloody robes of the day before, with Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom sleeping peacefully to his right and left.
With a sigh, Harry closed his eyes. There were things he needed to do today - important things - but not just yet. He would not disturb their sleep until he had to.
The previous day came back to him in a tumble of memory. Casualties had been mercifully light. The dead included only Lucius Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback, Madeleine Yaxley and, of course, the twins. Harry had left the Aurors to deal with the prisoners, carting them off to Azkaban to await trial, while he accompanied the wounded to St Mungo's.
At the hospital, the Army had been checked over by healers, and for the most part, pronounced sound. Ron, Hermione, and Draco, however, had stayed overnight for observation, and would need to check into hospital again on the night of the full moon, to check for any Lycanthropic tainting.
Remus was dying. With the administration of certain potions, he had regained consciousness, and had become more lucid later in the day, but the silver of Bellatrix's dagger had entered his bloodstream, and Harry could see that he was in constant agony. Harry felt his eyes grow moist, remembering.
"I'm dying, Harry," Remus had told him. "But don't worry; I don't mind so much."
"Isn't there anything they can do?" Harry had asked, voice strained.
"No," Remus replied gently. "But there is something you can do for me."
Harry had plucked at the thin hospital blanket, wanting the reassurance of physical contact, but awkward and unsure how to go about it. Remus solved the problem by taking Harry's hand in his.
"Harry?"
"Anything." Harry swallowed back tears. "Anything you want, I-I'll see it gets done. I promise."
Remus smiled. "I knew I could count on you. You're a good man, Harry, and it's been a privilege watching you grow up."
He shifted uncomfortably on the bed, wincing with pain, his fingernails digging into Harry's palm. For a moment, he lay back, eyes closed, face pale, gasping.
"Remus?" Harry's voice was small, uncertain.
"It's all right, Harry." Remus's voice was weak, and not terribly reassuring. "It'll be over soon."
He had opened his eyes then. "Harry, I want you to get me into the Department of Mysteries. I want to go through the Veil before this thing kills me. Can you do that for me?"
Harry stared at him in disbelief. "But that's - that's suicide, isn't it? I mean, we don't even know what's in there!"
The faint smile returned to Remus's bloodless lips. "I know one thing that's there. I don't want to keep him waiting any longer. The full moon is only two nights away. The change will kill me for sure. I don't want to die like that, Harry. Please."
For the first time since he had known him, Harry had seen tears in the older man's eyes.
"I promised, didn't I?" he replied, squeezing his hand. "I'll manage it somehow."
Remus's eyes closed again. "Thank you, Harry. And now I think I might rest for a bit."
Harry had sat for a few minutes longer, holding the hand of his parents' friend until another hand had covered his own. He looked up to find Ginny standing beside him. She had nodded toward the ward doors, and he turned in time to see Neville disappear through them.
"I think he's gone to see his parents," she said quietly, so as not to disturb Remus.
Harry nodded and rose. He had not had a chance to speak to Neville since the battle. There had been too many demands on his attention, and he had given his time so far where it was needed most. But now the day was drawing to a close, and the sense of urgency had passed. Everything that must be done immediately had been done, and everything else could wait for tomorrow or the next day.
Harry followed Neville up the stairs and into the Permanent Spell Damage ward - watched him disappear behind one of the curtains that afforded the residents of that ward a little privacy. He took a few deep breaths, thought fleetingly of how much more terrifying this was than facing Voldemort, crossed the ward, and passed through the curtain himself.
Neville had looked up in surprise, breaking off in the middle of whatever he had been saying.
"Harry! I -" He shifted in his seat, embarrassed. Moisture clung to his lashes.
"I wanted to meet your parents, Neville," Harry told him quietly.
Neville sniffed. "Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter. I've told them all about you," he confessed.
Harry thought he saw a glimmer in Alice Longbottom's eye, quickly gone. Frank did not look up.
"I was just telling them about everything that's happened. Maybe - maybe now that everything's over, they'll - get better," Neville said without much hope.
Harry reached out to squeeze Neville's shoulder in sympathy. "It will be all right," he told the other boy.
"I didn't kill her, though," Neville said plaintively. "Bellatrix Lestrange. I could have, but I didn't. Do you think if they knew, they'd be angry?"
"No," Harry replied firmly. "They would be proud of you for being strong, and for not giving in to that kind of hatred."
Harry crouched down beside him so that their eyes were on a level, and very deliberately covered Neville's hand with his own.
Neville's brown eyes were full of confusion. "What -?"
"Mr and Mrs Longbottom," Harry said, "your son is a brave man. We're all proud of him. I wanted to let you know that he has people who care for him, and that he will never be alone. And I wanted to do this."
Neville's eyes were wide and his breath caught in his throat as Harry leaned in to kiss him softly and lingeringly on the mouth. As he drew away, Neville gave a sigh of wonder.
"But - what about Ginny?" he asked, unconsciously placing the fingers of one hand against his lips, as if to trap the sensation.
Harry gave him a reassuring smile. "Ginny knows. And she cares about you, too, Neville. Neither of us want you to be alone."
He stood, drawing Neville to his feet.
"Come on," he said. "Good night, Mr and Mrs Longbottom."
Ginny had met them in the stairwell. Hand in hand, they had made one more round to check up on their friends. Ron and Hermione, in adjacent beds, were talking quietly, holding hands across the gap between them. They seemed oblivious to anything beyond themselves. Not far away, Draco lay on his side, face turned resolutely toward the wall. His mother had been taken away with the other Death Eaters, and he had no other visitors.
Remus was still sleeping. Beside his bed, Tonks sat curled up in one of the hospital's uncomfortable chairs. She looked up at Harry with reddened eyes.
"I'll sit with him a while," she said hoarsely. "You go get some sleep."
"Thanks, Tonks," he said, patting her arm. "I'll see you tomorrow."
The three of them had, by wordless consensus, made their way back to Hogwarts. It was home and sanctuary and a place of peace and safety, and nothing on earth seemed sweeter at that moment. They did not even pause in the Gryffindor common room, but turned to climb the stairs to the boys' dormitory, collapsing at last on Harry's bed in exhaustion.
Then, lulled by the comfort of the silent presence of the others, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms.
But now a new day dawned clear and bright, and it was time to face the world again - to step up to the grim duties that came after heady victory.
After a round of "good mornings" and some shy, awkward smiles, the three of them parted company; Ginny to be with her family, Neville to reassure his Gran that he was, indeed, all right, and Harry to go to the Ministry to petition them about Remus's request.
When he returned to St Mungo's in the early afternoon, he found Remus sitting up in bed, speaking to a fair-haired woman Harry did not recognise, but the boy who sat beside her, gazing at his surroundings in openmouthed wonder, might as well have been Remus's son.
"Harry," Remus said with a smile. "I'd like you to meet my sister, Natalie, and my nephew, John. Natalie, John, this is Harry Potter."
Natalie stood and shook Harry's hand. "You're James's son. I remember your father."
"Pleased to meet you," Harry replied. "Did I know you had a sister, Remus?"
It was Natalie who answered. "Remus and I - we haven't seen one another in a long time." Her voice was sad.
"Natalie didn't go to Hogwarts," Remus said. "She's a Muggle like our mother. But John will be starting this September."
John flushed and shifted nervously in his seat.
"You'll love it," Harry assured him. "Don't worry; I was raised Muggle, too."
He looked from John to Natalie to Remus and cleared his throat nervously. "I - er - wanted to talk to you. About what we discussed yesterday?"
Remus glanced at his nephew. "Ah - Where's Nymphadora?"
"I'm here, Remus," she said, rushing over with a steaming cup of tea in hand. "Is there something I can get you? What do you need?"
"I was wondering if you would mind introducing my nephew to some witches and wizards who are not as ancient and stuffy as his uncle?"
She hitched a smile onto her face. "Sure thing. Glad to. C'mon, John. I'll introduce you to the smartest witch I've ever met. And she's Muggle-born."
When they were out of earshot, Harry sat down, leaning over the bed to speak in a low voice.
"It's done," he said. "You wouldn't believe how easy it was. I had this whole huge explanation ready - thought I was going to have to work my way through a bunch of bureaucrats and red tape. But I show up, and Scrimgeour himself is there to greet me. He asked if there was anything he could do for me, so I told him. 'Your wish is our command, Mr Potter,' he says, of course." Harry rolled his eyes. "I hate being famous like that, but I guess I might as well use it as long as it's there."
"Thank you, Harry," said Remus.
Natalie held her brother's hand and looked grim-faced, but said nothing. Harry wondered how much Remus had told her.
"So you're really going to do it, then?" he asked.
"I am," Remus nodded. "I appreciate you arranging this for me, Harry, and I want to offer you some small token in exchange."
He grimaced in pain as he reached into the drawer of his nightstand and drew out a phial of swirling silver that might have been a liquid or a gas. He placed it in Harry's hands.
"A few of my memories of your parents and Sirius," he explained. "The day we first came to Hogwarts. The best pranks. Your parents' wedding is in there somewhere, and the day you were born. I'm sure Dumbledore would be happy to loan you his Pensieve."
Harry looked down at the swirling silver, blinking back tears. "Thank you, Remus," he said softly.
"At my flat," he continued, "you'll find letters we exchanged, as well as my photo albums. I want you to have those, too."
Harry nodded, too overcome for speech.
"When do we do it, Harry?" Remus asked.
Harry swallowed. "T-tomorrow," he replied. "After the twins' f-funeral. I thought you m-might want to go."
It was meant to be a quiet affair, and in a way, it was. The funeral was surprisingly subdued for an event held in honour of the Weasley twins. But half the Wizarding world seemed to have turned out for the occasion.
Mrs Weasley wept inconsolably, supported on either side by her two eldest sons. Mr Weasley broke down during the eulogy, and was unable to continue for several minutes. Ginny stood resolute between Harry and Neville, chin up, a look of fierce pride burning in her eyes. Ron stood awkwardly next to Percy, while Hermione helped Tonks support a pale and swaying Remus.
A quiet gathering was held afterward at the Burrow for friends and family, and it was during this that Harry and Remus slipped away quietly, without goodbyes. They were accompanied by Tonks, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville, and at the Ministry, they were joined by Albus Dumbledore and Remus's sister.
This honour guard helped Remus down into the Department of Mysteries, but it was only Harry, Remus and Dumbledore who were allowed inside. At the entrance to the department, they each embraced or shook hands with Remus, according to their natures. Hermione wept inconsolably into Ron's neck. Tonks was white-faced and numb.
"We'll miss you," a slightly congested Neville said, shaking Remus's hand.
"Safe journey, Remus," said Ginny, embracing him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
Natalie's sadness seemed deepest of all. "I'm sorry, Remus," she told her brother. "We should have had more time."
"It's all right, Sis," he reassured her with a hug. "It doesn't matter now."
And then they were through the door and it was just the three of them. The entrance chamber of the Department of Mysteries spun around them, and when it stopped, a single door opened.
There is was, silent and eerie. The empty amphitheatre with its raised stone seats, and at the center, the dais and its veiled archway.
Harry and Dumbledore helped Remus down the stone steps and to the center of the room. Every step clearly caused Remus untold agony, but he did not make a sound to disturb the stillness of the chamber. His eyes were fixed on the fluttering veil. At last they stood on the same spot that Sirius had last stood in their world.
Dumbledore turned to Remus. "Here we are. On to the next great adventure, eh?"
Remus smiled. "Indeed, Professor. I hope to see you there one day. And you, too, Harry," he added, turning to the younger man. "A very long time from now. I want to hear stories of your children and your grandchildren and even your great-grandchildren. This life is full of adventure, too."
Harry nodded, hardly trusting his voice. "I will, Remus," he promised. "Give my love to my mum and dad and Sirius when you see them, won't you?"
"Oh, Harry," Remus said fondly. "They will be so proud of you when I tell them about the man you've become. What wouldn't I have given to have a son like you?"
The two men embraced. And then Remus turned and took the last step and the first by himself.
The Wizarding world changed following Voldemort's defeat, and nowhere were the changes more evident than at Azkaban prison.
The Dementors had proved that they could not be trusted, and were summarily relieved of their duties. They were replaced by human guards - Squibs and the Muggle relatives of witches and wizards - and Azkaban became a magic-free zone. The spell which the Weasley twins had developed was modified to permanently remove all magic within the confines of the prison, and up to a one mile radius out to sea in all directions. The prisoners were no longer forced to relive their worst memories, but were instead forced to live without magic, which many of them thought just as dreadful a fate, if not worse.
Peter Pettigrew turned rat en route to the prison, and vanished, never to be seen again.
Narcissa and Draco Malfoy plead their case before the Wizengamot, with Harry, Ron and Arthur Weasley standing as witnesses for the defence. They were acquitted of all charges, and released.
The Weasley twins, for unknown reasons, left a will stating that they wished to be buried in the cemetery of a village called Little Hangleton. After the burial, some said they had seen the twins' sister talking to a tree, but no one knew what she had said.
There is a certain hopefulness in the Wizarding world today. In Diagon Alley, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is still open for business, under the management of Lee Jordan. Ron Weasley works for him. They do a lucrative trade in many popular joke shop items, but their best seller to this day is their replica of Voldemort's wand. It doesn't do anything.