Disclaimer: not mine

When Harry and his friends woke up the next morning, it was to find the sun streaming through the windows. Harry wasn't sure when the last time was that he had slept this late. It had to be midmorning already!

When they arrived at the Great Hall, it was clear that they weren't the only ones who had decided to have a bit of a lie in.

The head table was about half full, with Dumbledore's chair being the most conspicuously empty.

Minerva was seated to the right of the headmaster's chair, and waited until the room was full before she stood up. "May I have your attention please?" It only took a few seconds for the room to quiet down, everyone was eager to hear any information the deputy headmistress would give them. "First of all, everyone who fought last night did a commendable job, and I assure you, any damages to the castle will be repaired. I want to assure everyone that Headmaster Dumbledore will recover, though he will need to spend some time in the Hospital Wing. For the rest of term, I will be filling his role." She paused and looked around the room. Every eye was turned towards her. "In light of recent events, the Hogwarts Express will be leaving tomorrow morning, rather than at the end of the week."

There was some muttering at that, but no one seemed particularly surprised. It would make sense, after all, to have the students removed from the school after a Death Eater invasion.

Minerva sat back down, and everyone returned to their breakfast.

When the meal was nearly over, Harry looked at Ginny and the others. "Can you get the others and meet in the Room of Requirement in a few hours?"

They nodded, looking confused. "Where are you going?" Hermione asked as he stood up and stepped away from the table.

Harry glanced back. "I'm going to talk to Aunt Minerva for a while. I'll see you later."

Hermione looked back at Ginny as Harry followed Minerva out of the Great Hall. "What is he going to talk about?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "He wants to get a more in depth account of how Dumbledore is," she replied. "Probably a few other things about the attacks on the castle and Diagon Alley as well. He'll tell us when we meet this afternoon. He wants to meet with all of us in the Room of Requirement, so let's tell the others. In the mean time, if we're leaving tomorrow, I need to pack."

Hermione nodded, and elbowed Ron, distracting him from the third helping of eggs he was currently inhaling. "Come on, Ron, we need to start packing." She didn't ask Ginny how the younger girl knew what Harry wanted, used to the level of understanding those two had through their soul bond by now.

Ron grumbled, but he followed Ginny, Hermione, and Neville out of the Great Hall, stopping first at the Ravenclaw, then Hufflepuff, then Slytherin tables to inform their other friends about the meeting that afternoon. Taking care to ensure no one else overheard, of course.

XXX

Harry and Minerva walked to the Transfiguration professor's office in silence. Once there, Minerva enacted several privacy wards before turning back to Harry.

"Albus will recover," she said. "He suffered several broken bones, including broken ribs and a broken pelvis, but Poppy assures me he will be right as rain in no time."

"That's good," Harry replied neutrally.

Minerva nodded slightly. "Poppy is hesitant to use too much magic to speed up the process, with his advanced age, but fortunately, his injuries will be able to heal the muggle way." Harry wasn't really sure what he felt; he didn't like the fact that he was somewhat happy that the headmaster had been injured, though he thought it was probably more because it had happened as a direct result of one of his cursed second chances.

Minerva pursed her lips. "I know you left some things out last night, Harry, when you gave Amelia your statement. Perhaps you didn't want to share everything in an insecure environment, but I would like you to tell me what you didn't say yesterday."

Harry sighed, and nodded ruefully, before telling Minerva about Snape informing him and Ginny of Narcissa's warning, their conversation with Fawkes, and his connection with the castle, getting Hogwarts to raise wards to prevent the younger students from getting hurt.

"Snape left us pretty quick after we left Dumbledore's office," Harry said, finishing his story. "I think he went to tell the other professors what was going on, because they arrived partway through the fight, but he couldn't be seen as helping us, so he stayed out of the way."

Minerva nodded. "I have already spoken with Severus, and he said much the same thing. I am glad that he was able to do what he did. It is because of him that you had warning as it is."

Harry smiled slightly. "Yeah, things definitely could have been worse." He sobered, thinking about what could have happened.

Minerva sighed. "You should go and pack. The train leaves tomorrow morning, after all. I realize it isn't much time, but the Board of Governors felt that it would be best to get the students home as quickly as possible, considering what happened."

Harry shrugged. "It makes sense. What happened at Diagon Alley?"

Minerva felt herself release another sigh. "We responded to the call for aide from Tonks, who was patrolling the Alley at the time. There were quite a few Death Eaters, but fortunately they seemed more interested in causing havoc than actually hurting anyone. The Alley was in a state of disarray by the time the Death Eaters left, but I have every confidence it will be fixed soon."

Harry bit his lip. "Were there any injuries?"

Minerva knew what he was really asking, and smiled sadly. "A few major injuries, and two deaths. Most injuries were minor, though." She paused. "I did see Percy Weasley fighting at one point, and I think I saw him talking with Arthur, Fred, and George after the battle."

Harry nodded slightly. "I hope he's coming around. I know how much it's hurting the whole family that he hasn't tried to patch things up."

Minerva nodded as well. "It is unfortunate, but I believe that Percy may be realizing his error. We shall have to wait and see." After a moment of silence, she took in a deep breath, and then let it out. "Go pack. What will come will come. Let us hope that it will work out for the best, but worrying about it does nothing."

Harry smiled. "I'll see you later," he said, before leaving Minerva's office and heading up to Gryffindor Tower.

XXX

After lunch, Harry and his friends all met in the Room of Requirement, where Harry told them what had happened on the Astronomy Tower.

Blaise rolled his eyes at Harry's Gryffindor tendencies. "Seriously, Potter, what is it with that 'saving people thing' you've got going on?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You think I should have let Dumbledore die? What would that do for our side of the war?"

Daphne tilted her head to the side. "You aligning yourself with Dumbledore now?"

Harry shook his head. "Not at all. But Dumbledore is still an important figurehead, and Voldemort fears him, for good reason. He's a powerful wizard, whatever other issues I have with the man. And whatever else he's done, I don't want him to die." He smirked. "I want to see the look on his face when we win, without him."

Blaise and Daphne mirrored his smirk, while the others smiled or rolled their eyes.

Harry sighed. "Aunt Minerva said he'd be all right, a few broken bones and all that, but he'll recover. Apparently Madam Pomfrey is hesitant to perform too much healing magic, due to his age, so he'll probably be laid up most of the summer."

"I shouldn't be happy about someone else's misery, but I find that I don't care enough to, well, care," Hermione commented.

Ron grinned and kissed his girlfriend's cheek. "That's what I love about you."

Hermione blushed, and the others laughed.

When they quieted down, Harry told them what else he had learned from Minerva earlier that day.

Ron frowned when he heard about his third oldest brother. "Not that I'm not glad that Percy seems to finally be seeing the light, but how do we know he's really changed?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm just telling you what Aunt Minerva told me. You'll probably have a chance to speak with Percy soon, you can make your own observations."

Ginny nodded. "Sounds good," she commented. "If Percy's really sorry, then I'll be happy to have him back in the family. You know how upset mum and dad were when he chose Fudge over us, Ron."

Ron grimaced, remembering his mother's sobbing from that day, as well as his own anger over the things his brother had said, both about his dad and Harry.

"Anyway," Blaise shattered the awkward silence that was developing. "We're going to be having those lessons with Sirius again this summer, right?"

Harry nodded. "Of course. I think we'll also do some more research on the horcruxes. Ginny and I are going to talk to Sirius and Aunt Minerva about checking out the place where Voldemort's mum lived, so that will probably happen as well." He bit his lip, considering what he was about to say. "I had a thought."

Ginny snorted. "Well, you were overdue."

Harry glared at her as the others laughed. "I'll have you know I have many thoughts. Important ones."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, dear." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he smiled slightly, knowing that she was just playing. "All right, Harry, what was your thought?"

Harry huffed, and then got serious. "Well, I was thinking, Voldemort gave the diary to Malfoy, right?" Ginny supressed a wince, and nodded. "So what if he gave some other horcruxes to his Death Eaters as well?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "It's an idea," she said thoughtfully. "Whom did you have in mind?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Which Death Eaters would he trust more than others?"

"The Lestranges, perhaps Nott or Avery," Susan mused.

Ginny nodded slowly. "If we had to guess, my money would be on the Lestranges. They've always been in his inner circle, and you know Bellatrix is his right hand woman."

Neville growled at the mention of the family that was responsible for his parents' fate, but Harry's cautioning look stopped him from doing anything more.

"You're right, Gin. I would bet anything that Voldemort gave them a horcrux to hide. He probably didn't tell them what it was, of course. He never told Malfoy what the diary really was, or the prat wouldn't have given it away the way he had." He looked over at Neville. "We might need your help for that as well, Nev. You up for it?"

Neville frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

Harry leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, understanding, and amusement. "If the Lestranges do have a horcrux, the safest place for them to hide it would be Gringotts. Their Manor was seized by the Ministry after their arrest, since there were no heirs, but their vault is still in the care of the Goblins. Because of that they did to your family, you could make a claim to the Goblins for satisfaction. Under the Old Laws, the Goblins would likely honor your request, and would let you choose from their vault. If there's a horcrux in there, you could take it."

Neville nodded slowly. "You think it would work?"

Harry shrugged. "There's no way to be certain there's even a horcrux in there, so it could be all for nothing."

"But you don't think so," Ginny observed sagely.

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't. My gut is telling me that there's something to this theory. I think we need to check it out."

Neville nodded grimly. "If it strikes at the Lestranges, then I'm all for it. I definitely owe them a few knocks."

Harry looked pained as he turned to his friend. "I understand, Neville, but don't let yourself become consumed by revenge. They're not worth it."

Neville grimaced. "I know, Harry. But like we've said before, sometimes you need to put the rabid dog down. That family needs to end, and I would consider it an honor to be the one to do so."

Harry sighed, but didn't comment. He knew he would want to help Neville with that task when the time came. And they would deserve every bit of pain afforded to them.

Susan coughed. "So… it's going to be another busy summer, huh? Wonder what it's like to have an easy life."

That did it. They all started chuckling, and then laughing. It felt good to let out some of the stress of their situation.

After a good five minutes, they finally calmed down, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing in their animagus forms.

XXX

The next day, everyone was up early, packing last minute items they had missed or forgotten. The train was due to leave right after breakfast, so they needed to be ready to go.

As the meal drew to a close, Minerva stood up, drawing the attention of the room. "Just a few words before you all depart for the summer." Her stern gaze swept across the Hall, seeming to catch each and every student's eye. "I know that you are all looking forward to a relaxing summer, but I do hope that you will find some time to get some studying in as well." Several people let out amused chuckles, and Minerva smiled slightly. "As you are all aware, there is a war on." Everyone sobered immediately. "I know you want to be able to enjoy your summer, but I must implore you to use necessary caution, and know that we are here if you need help. If anyone has any safety concerns, please do not hesitate to contact myself or any of the other professors." She looked around the room again. "That is all. Have a good summer everyone, and we will see you next term. Now, the train should be departing within the half hour, so you should all go collect your belongings and get down to the station."

There was a sudden increase in noise as everyone stood up and left the Hall.

Harry and his friends all returned to their respective Houses to grab their trunks, before meeting again in a compartment halfway down the Hogwarts Express.

The journey back to London was nice and quiet.

Most of them had books that they spent the trip reading, so talk was sporadic.

"It's interesting how much quieter things are without Malfoy around," Harry commented after a few hours of silence.

Ron snorted. "This was a quiet year for you?"

Harry glanced at his first friend and shrugged. "Well, yeah. At least, right up until the Death Eaters tried to take over the castle."

They all laughed.

Ginny snuggled into Harry's side. "I do understand what you mean, though. Things got a lot calmer between the Houses after we formed the DA, but Malfoy still made things difficult. It was a pretty quiet year, all things considered."

"It's nice to see someone actually stepping up to ensure discipline is carried out," Hermione commented. "I know Dumbledore is the headmaster, but it's just so horrible that he wasn't going to do anything until Amelia stepped in and took the decision out of his hands."

Harry nodded. "Amelia's a good person to have on our side."

Susan beamed. "She is pretty awesome, isn't she."

Harry chuckled, but nodded again.

Luna smiled, looking up from her copy of the Quibbler she had been reading. "I find that I much prefer this Minister to the previous one. Perhaps because she shut down Fudge's operation to bake the Goblins into pies. I suspect the Goblins are happier as well."

No one spoke for a moment, and then everyone burst out laughing.

Blaise gave his girlfriend a kiss, still smiling.

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but managed to contain herself.

Luna glanced around at her friends – even after all this time, she still felt the shiver of happiness run down her spine at the realization that she actually had friends. They were all looking at her with varying degrees of amusement.

Except Harry. He still had traces of a smile on his face, but now he was studying her thoughtfully. "You do it on purpose, don't you," he said suddenly.

Luna pasted a look of confusion on her face. "Pardon?" she asked innocently.

Harry smirked. "You throw out these crazy theories and mythical creatures on purpose, just to see us react."

Luna's expression grew mysterious, with a hint of a smile making its way across her face. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Hermione gasped. "You really…?"

Luna looked at her. "It does you good to be challenged, Hermione. You are a muggleborn, who finds herself living in a world of magic. Shouldn't you be more open to the unknown? After all, once upon a time, magic wasn't real to you either."

Hermione gaped, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "I…" She looked down, suddenly ashamed. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry, Luna."

Luna's smile widened. "I believe that not everything can be proven. Sometimes, you need to go on faith, and just trust."

Hermione looked suitably chastised, and the rest looked intrigued. Luna was right. Weren't they all living in a mythical world? Surely it wasn't too outside the realm of possibility for there to be things out there that none of them knew about.

A short while later, the train pulled into Kings Cross in London, and the students began to depart.

Harry and his friends all exited together, looking for their families.

It was easiest to search for the famous Weasley red hair, and after only a minute, Harry directed them to a large gathering near the exit to the muggle world.

Mrs. Weasley was there with Bill and Fleur. Standing with her were Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Cyrus Greengrass, Druella Zabini, and Augusta. Slightly off to one side, but still a part of the group, were four Aurors, clearly there for protection. Astoria caught up to them as they joined the party of adults.

Molly smiled at the group. "Welcome home, dears. Luna, you're coming home with us, your father will pick you up this evening. Hermione, we've been in contact with your parents; they agreed to stay at home, due to the unstable climate, so they'll see you shortly."

The two girls nodded, and the group of friends spent a few minutes saying goodbye to each other, even though they knew they would see each other again the next day.

Neville and Susan kissed, causing Augusta to smile approvingly. Next to them, Ron and Hermione also said their own goodbye, as did Ginny and Harry, and Blaise and Luna.

Daphne looked on, a little jealous, but genuinely happy for her friends. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she should step up her relationship with Colin, but she couldn't quite make herself commit. Colin was a nice guy, but she wasn't sure if he was really the one. And if she was going to go around enacting nauseatingly cute public displays of affection like her friends, she wanted to make sure it was with the right guy.

Astoria sighed wistfully at the sight. She wished she had a boyfriend. Daphne nudged her sister, and sent the younger girl a knowing smirk. Astoria huffed and crossed her arms.

A moment later, the couples broke apart, and they all made their way through the barrier to the muggle side of the train station, hurrying towards the Floo access a short distance away.

The Aurors formed a tight perimeter around their main assignment. Namely, Susan, Harry, and Sirius. The rest of the group stuck close as well, and they reached the Floos with no issues.

Molly smiled tightly at Harry. "Harry, dear, you should go through first. Then Susan."

Harry knew why she wanted them to get to safety first. He and Susan were, objectively speaking, the most important members of the group. With his status as the Boy Who Lived, and Susan's status as the Minister's niece, they were high targets.

He gave Ginny one more kiss, and stepped through the Floo. Susan followed soon after, and then the rest of the teenagers, all bound for their own homes.

Cyrus, Druella, and Augusta were the next through, and then Fleur, Molly, and Remus. Sirius was the last one left, and he turned to look at Tonks and the other Aurors. "Thank you for your assistance. Let Amelia know we're all home and safe, and I'll see her tonight."

Tonks nodded. "Got it, Lord Black," she smirked when Sirius rolled his eyes, and dodged him when he tried to ruffle her bright pink hair.

"I'll see you later, Nymphadora," Sirius responded, smirking.

Tonks growled, but Sirius was already through the Floo.

XXX

Harry bounced nervously on the balls of his feet, trying to calm his nerves at what he was about to do. Minerva had returned home just a little while ago, and it was nearly time for dinner. Amelia would be working late, so Susan had managed to strong-arm Sirius into letting her go over to Neville's for supper, and Sirius himself would be joining Harry and Minerva for the meal.

Harry knew he needed to talk to his guardians, but he really wasn't sure how they would take his plans. He didn't think they'd doubt him, but he was unsure if they would be willing to let him participate, and Harry knew it had to be him. He had to be there. It wasn't a want or a desire, it was a need. It was necessary.

He steeled himself, and pushed open the door to the sitting room, where his guardians were both whiling away the time before dinner.

Both adults looked up as Harry entered.

The teenager took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

How's that for the biggest most awful cliffhanger ever?!

But you guys are going to be so happy... Stay tuned for the first chapter of the final story in this saga... next week! Yup, that's right, I've already finished it! I'm just doing some final revisions, but that shouldn't stop me from posting next Saturday! An end of summer (back to school for those of you to whom that applies) present from me to you.

And of course, please review!