Epilogue 1 – Eternal Rest
It was quiet.
Even the stones were mourning.
Torches were lit but they seemed dull.
Two days ago an old hero had died. The curse that had been slowly eating away at him for months had finally claimed his life. He wouldn't see how the houses finally buried the hatchet. Or maybe he would. He just wouldn't be amongst them to do it.
Harry looked out over the grounds. He had respected Dumbledore. He hadn't appreciated some of the things the man had decided in concerns to him and his life, but the old wizard had thought it was for the best.
Dumbledore would never learn that Harry held the control of the wards or that he was an heir to one of the founders. The ones who knew these things about the raven didn't spread it.
The funeral would be held that afternoon. In accordance to Dumbledore's wishes he would be buried on the grounds of Hogwarts.
Severus walked up to the young raven. "Everything is ready," he said. "We're waiting for a few more guests but you should come down now."
Harry stood up. He walked down to the grounds with Severus. They passed the teachers and stopped right beside the casket. Harry placed a hand on top of it. He looked out over the crowd. "You might find it strange that I am the one to precede over this funeral. There are many amongst you that have known Albus longer than I. There are many amongst you that liked him better than I," he paused. "Albus Dumbledore touched a lot of lives," he said. "In the history of Hogwarts no Headmaster has done quite as much for the school as he has. If I was to mention every good thing every difference he has made in this world we would be stuck here for a very long time," he chuckled and many in the audience joined in. "I stand here before you today not because of what Albus has done for me but rather because of his last wish. Albus wished to be buried here on the grounds and that is why we are here on this spot."
Harry turned around. "May the halls of our ancestors open to us. We ask to add another to your number on this day," he said and bowed his head.
The air in front of him shimmered. Then a mausoleum slowly became visible. Beautiful marble lion statues stood on either side of the door. Serpents slithered over the roof. A bronze eagle sat on the roof ridge its wings spread.
Harry turned back to the crowd. "This is the last resting place of Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, their descendants as long as they stayed here at Hogwarts as well as several descendants of Salazar Slytherin," he told them. "Dumbledore will be laid to rest with the Founders and their children."
The funeral was over and done with. Harry had answered as many questions as he felt the need to. He was tired. The walk down to Slytherin's quarters seemed unusually long that afternoon. All he wanted was to fall in bed – preferably with Link – and sleep for… a week sounded good.
There were so many things they needed to do. So many things needed to be handled and changed. The raven could only hope that Hogwarts teachers would be willing to stand behind him and help.
He sighed. He wanted to travel as well. He wanted so see more than just the small parts of Britain he'd seen so far. At least in Hyrule he had seen the sights so to say.
…
Harry walked into the bedroom. He smiled at Link, grateful that the blond was waiting there for him.
"Tough day?" Link said as he watched his lover undress.
Harry humphed in response. He dropped his shirt and pants on the floor before crawling in to bed settling against the blonde's broad chest. "Wake me next week will you," he said. His eyes closed slowly and as Link kept chuckling he fell asleep.
The blond lay awake for some time after that, running his fingers through Harry's long hair. 'Sleep sounds good,' he thought. He made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. His breathing even out and he soon followed his lower into the abyss.
Draco was walking through the hallways of Hogwarts. He was looking for Harry. Something had to be done about the Slytherin's now at once. They had been waiting way to long as it was.
"Harry we need to introduce my House to Salazar's portrait now or there will be trouble," he told the raven when he finally found him bent over his desk in Slytherin's study.
Harry blinked surprised and looked up. "Oh, shit," he said. "I knew I had forgotten something." He stumbled out of the room and walked up to Salazar's portrait.
Draco couldn't understand what was being said but whatever it was the result was that Harry picked the portrait off the wall. He followed the raven back up to the Slytherin dungeon shaking his head in amusement as they went. 'Poor Harry is overworking himself again,' he thought. At least he knew that Link would step in before it got to bad so he didn't need to do anything about it. "Oh, Harry maybe…" He didn't get to finish as the raven hissed the wall leading to the Slytherin common room open. He sighed and followed Harry inside.
It didn't take the raven long to get the portrait secured to the wall and protected by the wards. He didn't want anyone to be able to remove it from there or damage it in any way. He turned around and faced the Slytherin students. "This is Salazar Slytherin everyone and I am currently the Head of the Slytherin family. I've got a lot to deal with right now so any questions you have can be directed to either Salazar or Draco Malfoy they will be able to give you the answers you seek," he said hurriedly before heading back out of the common room.
Draco watched him leave. 'Two Galleons he shadowed as soon as he made it out of the room,' he thought. He looked out over the confused students. "What Lord Potter-Slytherin said is the truth and I will be happy to help where it is needed," he said.
"As will I," Salazar said from behind him. Draco turned and bowed to the Founder. Then he conjured a comfy armchair and settled down for what would probably be one long evening.
"You have to do something before he works himself to death Link," Ginny told the blond. "We all know that this is important but Severus can handle most of it; he knows about it too."
Link sighed. "I know that and I'll see what I can do but he feels really strongly about this," he said. "I can't just force him to stop and he's promised me we'll take off time as soon as he's done with this."
Harry was informing the teachers about the changes he'd done to the wards. All of them had taken a trip down to meet with Salazar a few days earlier. The students would be leaving soon and there was much that needed to be done during the summer.
The raven was also introducing the teachers to the scrolls that had been made to register offensive magic use. There were a lot of questions asked and answered during the meetings.
Every single one of Harry's friends had noticed how the raven seemed to slowly work himself sick. The only one who truly understood Harry was his lover. Link knew why the raven was working so hard with this. Harry felt very strongly about it and he wanted to make sure that all the staffs' questions would be answered properly. That was the reason he hadn't just let Severus deal with it.
Link also knew that Harry would be introducing some of his ideas for students born to non-magical families but which ones he'd start with the blond didn't know.
…
"Hey love, how is it going?" Link asked Harry when he made his way into their bedroom that evening.
The raven sighed. "I'm almost done. We're not meeting until in the evening tomorrow so I can sleep in some thankfully," he said tiredly. He smiled up at the blond when the taller teen wrapped his arms around him.
Link leaned down and captured the raven's lips in a soft kiss. "Let me take care of you tonight, love," he whispered. He ran his hands down Harry's back, grabbed the white shirt he was wearing and pulled it off.
Harry hummed in contentment as the blond kissed his way down his throat. He moved his arms so his hands could tangle into Link's hair and pressed himself closer to the blonde's touch. "Yes please," he moaned softly. He might be tired but Link made him feel amazing.
Clothes were discarded and they managed to somehow make it to the bed between kisses and caresses. Harry spread his legs and arched his back. He really wasn't up to a lot of foreplay tonight. He gasped as Link entered him slowly. The stretch of his muscles felt great and the weight of the blonde's cock was perfect. He rocked his hips letting his lover know that he was ready.
It was slow and sensual. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. The keening sounds Harry made as Link brushed against his prostate made the blond smile. He bent down and licked at his lover's collarbone before sucking at the skin leaving a red mark behind. He nibbled at the raven's shoulder as he kept moving inside his tight velvet heat.
Harry let out a shuddering moan as he came over his stomach. His muscles clamped down on Link's cock and the blond bit down on the skin beneath his teeth as he released his warm cum into his lover.
Link shifted and pulled out of Harry before lying down beside him. The raven sighed happily. He rolled over so he was lying against the blonde's side snugly. "You're the best you know that right," he mumbled.
Link chuckled softly. "I certainly hope you think so," he said. He reached down and pulled the raven up so he was resting against his shoulder. "You're not to bad yourself you know," he said.
Harry just hummed. Sleep was dragging him under. "After tomorrow let's go somewhere no one can find us for a while," he said sleepily.
"Yes."
