Sorry I know I was going to try and post the ending of this story before DH came out but I seriously couldn't write a word, I was full of theories and I felt like my guts were made of Flobberworms. But seriously people I'm sorry I didn't get it finished in time for DH. I still have a few chapters left; DH inspires me. Also that's now my second favourite book after POA and I've now read it three times.

This chapter is dedicated to Amy, Jamie and the new friends that I made at the DH party on the 20th in Newcastle. I have never had so much fun conducting the Hogwarts school song with a broken umbrella at 11.30pm to a bunch of fellow Hogwarts nuts. Shouting Muggle at passing drunks and attacking blokes that look like a cross between Gandalf and Moses…

So this chapter is dedicated to new friends and old best friends reunited. And to Bella Lestrange I salute you. Your costume was amazing!


Hogwarts lay in the baking sun, the weather had turned for the better and the sun had cooked the once lush grass brown. By the lake small tents had been set up to shield the workers from the heat that bore down upon them. The Three Broomsticks and the Hogs Head had sent up more than enough refreshments to keep everyone in good spirits as the master operation went in to action.

Harry was silently watching the Twins as they lovingly tended to the portable swamp. It alone on that floor survived the onslaught of the Death Eaters.

"Got to say I would have thought that old Flitwick would have managed to get rid of it all." Said George prodding at a Firefly that was trying to set fire to the drapes.

"He left it to remind us all of you two." Said Harry wandering over to the window. Down on the lawn Ginny was organising a volunteer group in the removal of masonry from the lake, it should have been easy but the giant Squid wasn't taking kindly to its new found toys being removed.

"No one needs to be reminded of us-"

"We don't need to even remind ourselves." Said Fred.

Harry shrugged; he had things on his mind. Ron and Hermione had been so secretive lately they had spent a vast amount of time by themselves. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, at first he had thought that it was just because he was so used to having them around, but now he wasn't so sure. He hated himself for it secretly; he knew that they deserved to have time alone together but he couldn't help but think that they were keeping something from him.

"I think that when he snuffs it we should get him stuffed like that." Harry heard the voice of Fred beside him.

"If anything it'll stop the draughts." Said George poking Harry in the side. "What is up with you?"

Harry shook his head and tried to clear his mind.

"You two ok looking after this floor?" Harry said quietly.

"Yeah, although you may be the only one stupid enough to put us in charge of anything " said Fred.

Harry headed back down the stairs and found himself in front of the girls' toilets on the second floor.

He checked the corridor before slipping in.

He wasn't entirely sure what made him do it but… "Myrtle?"

There was a distant splashing and the sound of a nervous giggle.

"Oh, Harry is that you?" Harry whipped around; Myrtle appeared from the broken sink that hid the entrance to the chamber of secrets.

"Yeah, it's me, just thought I would come and see how you are." He said looking at the pale shape, she looked wrong, and maybe it was the smile on her face.

"I'm ok… I'm glad to see you didn't die, not that there is much room for you in here anymore."

"Er… thanks I think." Harry said noticing for the first time that Myrtle was not alone. "Hey William"

"Hello Harry, How's Hermione?"

Harry looked at the two ghosts "She's fine, her and Ron are at the hospital getting checked over, I'm sure they will be in to see you as soon as they get here, we didn't realise that you had got here to be honest with you."

"It was easy once I asked a few people…" He looked at Myrtle and smiled, "It's much nicer here than it was in that orphanage, everyone has been so nice."

Harry nodded; he knew fine well what it was like to suddenly be accepted for what you are.

"And Draco?" Myrtle asked hopefully

"Last I checked he was in the hospital but doing ok... well apart from the werewolf bites…"

Myrtle didn't even try and hid her look of shock and delight. Harry knew that other people's misfortune made her happy. "Oh, that's terrible, is he…"

Harry nodded, " Every full moon, regular as clockwork."

"How simply awful." Harry just knew she was dying to rush of and have a look for herself.

Harry didn't know why he had come here, maybe he was looking for something familiar, something to settle the unrest and all the changes. Seeing the change in Myrtle wasn't helping at all.

"So is it over now?" William asked Harry over the torrent of over dramatics coming from the Ghost next to him.

"Yeah it's over, or at least as over as it ever will be." Harry felt his hand close around the swirling silver thoughts in his trouser pocket, he knew what he had to do.


"So Miss Granger your turn." The Healer beckoned Hermione on to the table. Ron stood by the same table supported on crutches, he had just been given almost a clean bill of health, or at least as close to one as he could. Hermione grinned at him as the Healer hinted for her to take her glasses off.

"Right let's have a look at that head injury of yours. " said the Healer shining the light from the tip of his wand in to her eye, "follow the light with only your eyes." He said quietly. Hermione tried her best but she really did feel the urge to laugh creeping upon her.

"Well that all seams fine." Said the Healer smiling at her. "We just need to check your blood pressure." Hermione held up her arm and the Healer took her hand.

"That's a quite substantial bit of jewellery on your finger there, am I to take it that some sort of congratulations are in order?" The Healer asked looking from Hermione to Ron.

"Were getting married." Said Hermione smiling. "Only I think that you're about the only person that knows about it." She said sighing. Hermione's voice had almost fully returned although some times it drifted away again.

"You haven't told anyone?" The Healer asked.

"Oh we've tried to believe me" said Ron, "But what with pregnant French women and my brothers almost blowing up the shop-"

"And everyone else getting in the way-"

"We haven't had the right opportunity to tell anyone anything." Said Ron rolling his eyes.

"It would have been easier to elope." Said Hermione sighing.

The Healer laughed at the two of them. Hermione smiled apologetically.

"So what are you going to do just get married?" he asked.

"It could well be an option." Said Ron readjusting his grip on his crutches. "Its just a little annoying because… well we want it to be special you know."

Hermione gazed longingly at Ron, she wanted to let him know that she would marry him now no matter what, all that mattered was the fact that she wanted to be with him. But she knew that this was something that he had to do, he had to have his moment. Ron needed his day to shine.

"Well Hermione we can definitely say that your well on your way to a full recovery." Said the Healer helping Hermione down off the table. " Now I just want you to promise me that you wont over exhort Mr Weasley here, he's still delicate around the back area."

Hermione smiled and walked over to join Ron.

"If I was going to break him I would have done it by now."

The Healer shook his head, "That I don't doubt…Mr Weasley I need to see you again in about four weeks, Miss Granger you're fine, I'll Owl when I need you to come in for a test."

With that they understood themselves to be dismissed.

The walk down to the entrance hall took longer than usual, between Ron having to remember how to move properly and Hermione stopping to talk to old school friends it seamed to drag on forever.

When they finally reached the entrance hall, the welcome witch called out to them. Hermione had to stop herself from saying something sarcastic when she asked them both to sign her copy of the Quibbler.

"Nice ring." She said grabbing at Hermione hand to get a better look.

"Yes isn't it." Said Hermione pulling her hand away.

"So who did you go for in the end?"

Ron starred at the woman in front of him, how could one woman be so completely thick.

"Well considering that I've always been with Ron, id say Ron." Said Hermione shaking her head and stomping towards the exit where she paused waiting for Ron to catch up.


Harry stood outside the stone griffin and listed off every sweet he could think off, all came to no avail.

"I would try aiming for something a little less saccharin coated Potter." Said a friendly voice from behind him.

"Sorry Professor, Its just that well, I have something I want to put in a safe place, and that safe place is in your room." Harry didn't turn around he didn't want Professor McGonagall to see the look of desperation on his face, he needed to get rid of these thoughts they were weighing him down like nothing he had ever felt before, not even the prophesy had held so much sway.

"Than you shall have all the time you need, Harry." She spoke the name softly and more importantly as an equal. "The password is Haggis." Harry chanced a sideways glance at his old head of house; the laughter was in her eyes.

"Good password. "

"Yes I do think Albus would have appreciated it, after all it is in his mind set, although I never did have that much of a sweet tooth."

As they watched the Griffin swung to one side.

"As I said… take as long as you like, I shall go join the others." And with that she left Harry to ascend the spiral staircase to the Head Teacher's study.


Neville almost crashed in to them as he rounded the corner, wheelbarrow in hand and mud all the way up his robes.

"Hey Neville." Said Hermione carefully wrapping the hand with the ring on it in to her pocket. Ron watched her is silent resolve, he wouldn't let her shy away any longer things had to done properly, and if his family were all to busy he would do it for himself.

Neville turned the wheelbarrow and the mud out on to the pile next to the two of them.

"We got the all clear." Said Hermione subconsciously pulling her hair behind her ear with the hand that she had tried so desperately to hide.

"What is that!" Neville mouthed grabbing at her hand. Ron shook his head and pulled Neville out of earshot of Dean who was looking over at them with a look of interest on his face.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, well not yet." Said Ron looking at him,

"Were getting married." Said Hermione barley hiding the smile on her face.

"You and Bill are the only ones that know, we keep meaning to tell people but-"

"Someone always gets in the way."

Neville gave them both a look that read, 'you two let something get in the way? Never' he even rolled his eyes for comical affect.

Hermione shrugged.

"Just let us sort it out." Said Ron.

Neville just shook his head, Hermione could tell that he was dying to tell someone but other than the obvious reason that he couldn't talk, the stubborn Gryffindor streak that he had developed over the last few years wouldn't let him betray a friend.

The three of them headed across the sun lit grounds taking things slow so that Ron on his crutches could keep up with the other two.

"Where's Luna?" asked Ron scanning the crowed, many of whom were watching the arrival of Hermione and Ron with intrigue.

"With her dad at the their house." Mouthed Neville.

"Working on the paper?" Asked Hermione.

Neville nodded, diving in to his robes and pulling out what looked like a fresh of the print copy of the Quibbler.

Hermione let her eyes scan over the picture on the front cover Harry, Ron and herself gazed back from the cover. She quickly turned to page six to read the interview.

"We read our own interviews now do we?" Said the drawling voice that Ron had become accustomed to hearing during his stay at St Mungos.

He turned almost ready to pull out his wand, out of nothing more than sheer habit. Draco Malfoy sat against the wall of green house three his hands busying themselves with plans of the castle as he gave the people around him orders.

"Really Weasel King you're going to curse me?"

"Sorry, You know how it is." Ron watched as Malfoy stored his own wand away in to his pocket. "I thought that they were keeping you in?"

"They released me this morning…I had nowhere else to go." He said looking up at the castle. Ron was not entirely sure what he felt. Thought that maybe it was pity. At least he still had his family. Malfoy had nothing.

"It's not long till the full moon." Said Hermione storing the Quibbler in her jacket pocket. "Have you found anyone to make you the wolfsbane potion?" she asked him cautiously. Malfoy looked at her for a moment or two, the two of them seamed to be coming to some sort of quite resolve. He shook his head.

"I can have a go, but Flure is quite good at it now, as is Tonks. I'll ask them when we go home." She said looking from Malfoy to Ron. "You can't go home?"

Malfoy looked up at the castle. " I am."


Harry tipped the silver thoughts in to the Pensive; they rose like a wave and crashed around the sides of the bowl. The portrait of Albus watched him from behind the high thrown like chair, Harry was trying his best to avoid looking at it, had Dumbledore known how much heart ache he was going to cause Harry, how much of his life was going to be ripped in tiny pieces.

"That's it. It's over now right?" he said turning to the figure in the golden frame.

He simply nodded over the top of his half moon glasses and smiled.


a.n sorry that chapter was a little pnurp... DH was so much of a offputter lol anyway R+R you know you want to.