Chapter 56 – Not quite the end, would I be that easy to kill?

"Miss me?"

Harry looked around those who were present, it was just Remus, Tonks, Moody, Bill and Shaklebolt.

They all were staring at him, he noticed Remus smile and walk to a side door. Harry walked over to one of the house tables sat up on it watching them, none of them made a move.

The doors were pushed open a few minutes later and 6 students ran in and stopped staring at Harry.

"Hey…" Harry waved and smiled, they all stared at him unmoving.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out but failed to move.

"Hermione, isn't it weird, we must be caught in a time turner accident…" Harry pushed himself off the table and waved his hand around. "We don't seem to be affected…perhaps a localised phenomena…" Harry said looking around, this seemed to startle them all out of their stupor.

All five of them rushed forward wrapping him in a hug.

"Wow, if this is the treatment I get for destroying a dark lord I should do it more often…on second thoughts maybe not…I already have a habit of that." Harry said as they each let go of him, and McGonagall took him in a hug, startling him slightly.

"Good to have you back Mr Potter."

"Headmistress."

Harry turned and looked around the room.

"So why all the shocked faces?"

"Harry you've been gone for over three weeks." Hermione exclaimed wiping her tears away.

"Potter was Voldemort eliminated?" Shaklebolt asked.

"Completely and totally nothing left…he won't be coming back…I saw to it personally."

"How?" Bill asked as he walked over shaking his hand vigorously.

"Ah…well…he's gone and he's not coming back…"

Bill stared at him.

"Where did you go Harry?" Moody asked setting down the pieces of parchment on the table.

"Well…that like all truly interesting questions I can't answer, a fair distance, a can guarantee he's gone, totally." Harry said looked around at everyone.

"What about a body?"

"There wouldn't be enough of him left to fill a fimble, let alone a coffin."

Harry walked over to the table pouring himself a cup of tea, warming his hands on it, he smiled at Remus.

"So why are you guys meeting here? Why is the order still active?"

"We're still finding small pockets of death eaters operating, minor things but the Ministry has requested that we stay on to assist in the clean up." Moody stated.

"Ah…so what does everyone else know?"

"Know?" Ron asked.

"Well they all weren't at the battle, thank you all by the way…" Harry addressed them all.

"All the bodies were taken by the Ministry and identified, those who were still alive have been sentenced…" Shaklebolt responded.

"And the events of the night?" Harry asked cautiously leaning against the Slytherin table.

"The Prophet reported that…that the battle that we were at was the last battle, that you were there and helped everyone fight Voldemort…" Hermione said carefully.

"And the official line Shaklebolt?"

"The Ministry have stated that with Voldemort's main forces at the battle, he was defeated through the combined effort of the Ministry, and a external intelligence group lead by top wizards." Shaklebolt gestured around him. "and another group of Hogwarts students one of whom was Harry Potter…the minister thought you would appreciate not being held up as…"

"The guy who destroyed the dastardly deadly dangerous dark lord…try saying that 6 times when you're drunk…" Harry chuckled.

"So you don't mind Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Mind what?"

"That the Prophet said you didn't defeat him."

"Goddess no, the minister did the right thing, a fantastic thing. I've done my part…now it's over…" He trailed off.

"How come you took so long coming back Harry?" Neville asked.

"Yes…that is something I'm sure we would all like to know Mr Potter…" the Headmistress asked.

Harry smiled and looked at Remus who shrugged.

"Remus said only that he'd know you'd be back." Tonks stated catching the look between them.

"Maybe Remus trusts me?" Harry sighed.

"Let's just say that I had to go…some distance to destroy Voldemort…I was injured quite badly during the battle…and it took me some time to return…"

"But why didn't you just apparated back or whatever?" Ron asked impatiently.

"I believe that Harry had to go further…deeper than any of us could…that it would have taken his toll and it was some journey back up to the earth for him to return to us…" Luna said simply, everyone turned to look at her.

"You mean he went under…." Draco muttered.

"I thought about not coming back, just going and hanging out somewhere…but then I survived 6 and half years…" Harry pulled Hermione into a one armed hug. "Plus I knew you'd give me such a yelling if I blew off the NEWTS."

Hermione chuckled softly.

Everyone had a bit of a laugh then.

"Potter…the minister asked me to…"

"Yes probably should go and see Mr Scrimgeour…Professor if you don't mind? I will graciously come back and sit whatever tests I missed…but I think I should go and see the Minister…" McGonagall nodded.

"I'll be back soon…probably for dinner…see ya..." Harry waved and walked off into the corner of the room, by the time anyone had decided to move to see where he'd gone, he'd already appeared inside the Minister's office.

"Minister." Harry said in a level tone. The minister jumped.

"Mr Potter…I thought you might be dead."

"I'm not the easily killed…as past experience has shown."

"Drink?" The minister said after a while.

Harry nodded, the minister poured himself and Harry a large firewhiskey. Harry and the minister moved over to the small fireplace where two chairs were. Harry took a long sip of his drink looking into the fire.

"Thank you for the even handed report of the events, you could have played up my involvement…" Harry started.

"I must say your plan whatever it was worked…but it did seem like a combined effort, and no one on our side would argue…I thought you would appreciate not being in centre stage for this battle." The minister said evenly.

"Yes…it is appreciated…"

"What happened to Voldemort?"

"He's destroyed, there isn't anything left."

"Not a body?"

"Nothing, he's gone, there isn't enough of his left that would fit on the head of a pin."

The minister raised an eyebrow.

"Should I ask how?"

"You can. But I won't give you a detailed answer."

"I see…you destroyed him…that is enough. If I might ask…"

Harry nodded.

"Where have you been? I met with your former protector Remus Lupin, he simply smiled and said he knew you'd be back."

"Yes…I think the official line should be that I was gravely injured in the battle, that destroying Voldemort brought me close to death, that I have spent this time away recovering…"

"Is any of it true?" The minister asked a small smile on his face.

"All of it…more or less. Would you like me to make this statement…to the public or something?" Harry asked curiously.

"It would help catalyze everyone…make it official…you can emphasise of course that it wasn't just you…of course."

"Of course…when…?"

"I can floo the Prophet and get someone from the WWN and others from some other departments within the hour…"

"Very well…" Harry nodded. "I think I'll go and see Mr Weasley, he's still on the…"

"Promoted."

"Promoted?"

"Misuse of Muggle Artefacts has a floor, up stairs."

"A floor?" Harry was admittedly a little bit amazed. "When did this happen?"

"Just after the battle, I had the paperwork in the works before that…it seemed to me one of the more busy areas, quite under funded by the former Ministry…with so much of ours and the muggle's world intersecting…"

"Interesting…"

"Plus it should keep Arthur busy, but it should give him something for him and Molly to retire on…" The Minister smiled. Harry nodded and walked out.

The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts was big, there were letters flying in every direction and it looked busier than any other section of the ministry, after wandering around passing several people he found Arthur Weasley's office at the back of the department, it was slightly smaller than the minister's and probably 5 times as full with objects and reports.

Harry smiled and said hello Mr Weasley was amazed, putting it lightly that he was alive and here, and took him on a tour of his department.

It turned out that there were many muggle artefacts that the ministry had to deal with, and now he had the resources to do it properly, he didn't have to stay in the office late and he didn't have to risk his life going into 'dark estates'.

"Not that" He added "there are many 'dark' estates left." But it turned out his department along with the rest of the ministry was leading the fight against the last of Voldemort's followers and supporters.

Harry returned to Hogwarts late into afternoon, he'd given brief interviews to the media, had simply said he was recovering from injuries away from the public eye and other such things.

The minister did most of the talking, mostly honest words, nothing like the gigantic whoppers of lies that Fudge used to be able to spin at a moment's notice.

Harry walked slowly up from Hogsmede enjoying the fresh air, the open space, and yet missing the closeness of the ASCS Flinders, the people around him…it was weird he reflected enjoying and both missing and longing and…

"Urgh…" Harry muttered to himself as he climbed the path, towards Hogwarts.

A snapped twig made him fall into a defensive stance.

"Potter!" Harry spun around as a figure that once probably stood high and tall, powerful with long white hair…now, he had what was probably an infected and diseased leg his robes were ripped and his hair smeared with blood, dirt and who knew what else.

"Hello Malfoy." Harry said slowly going for…

Bugger…

Harry didn't have any of his stock standard guns with him.

"Where is the Dark Lord?" Malfoy was about 5 meters from Harry still slightly off the path, and off his head, he muttered to himself slightly walking forward towards Harry.

Harry looked back towards the castle, the doors were closed and he was about 8 meters from there.

"Destroyed Malfoy, Dead."

"Stupefy!" Harry held his hand out and backward, Harry felt the spell his hand with a bit of power behind it, he felt it pass through him and out through his other hand and impact on the doors with a thud.

Harry tickled his fingers creating a large fireball behind his back making it grow in intensity while he reached into his pocket feeling around for the knife he had in there.

"Afraid to draw your wand Potter?" Malfoy stepped forward Harry stayed where he was.

"Fear makes companions of us all Malfoy." Harry said it gave Malfoy pause for consideration.

"You are afraid, the great Harry Potter…"

"I'm not afraid of you Malfoy, I wasn't afraid of Voldemort, he was evil…"

"Don't day his name Potter...Avada Ked…"

Harry chucked the knife at his hand and simultaneously spun around throwing the huge fireball at Malfoy, the knife hit crippling his wand hand, the fire hit with enough force to push him back and burn him alive, Harry ducked down as whatever part of the spell came at him.

He heard a shout from behind him, followed by a scream.

At the doors of Hogwarts were open, some 4th years had seen it, the teachers were moving them aside rushing forward.

"Never a calm moment with you around is there Mr Potter." Professor Calvert offered his hand so Harry could get up.

"No Professor…hopefully it should calm down soon…or else I'm going to have to take relaxing into my own hands, maybe you could bake me a cake…" Harry smiled at the Professor who at least looked puzzled for a second before Harry smiled knowingly at him before he grinned and went back to sorting out the children.

"Headmistress you might want to floo the Ministry…another Death Eater has turned up…" Harry said as Remus and Professor Shea finished putting out the flames.

"He's dead, whoever he was." Remus said putting his wand back in his robes.

"Lucius Malfoy…" Harry said turning back to the castle. "Have you started dinner yet?"

"Only you can go from being attacked to asking about dinner." Remus muttered.

"There's nothing like a good hunt to get the adrenalin pumping Remus, you must come out with us during duck season, or rabbit hunting…" Professor Shea trailed off. "You're welcome to come as well Minerva, we've been trying to open it up…it's a marvellous experience, even in the lead of to Christmas there are some hunts…gets the blood moving on a cold morning."

Harry smiled as he saw McGonagall attempting to find an expression, she settled for a smile of interest.

"I must join you…in the summer, I prefer to stay indoors with a nice brandy in the winter, Latasha, Remus can you see to the students, I shall floo the ministry." McGonagall walked off back into the castle.

"Harry you should also join us…I hear if not for you Remus would never have got…"

Harry held up his had smiling.

"I'm just happy Remus here could go and help others, that he can sit outside and watch the moon rise…plus I don't need another hyphenated titled to add to me name the-boy-who-lived…plus duck season…me avian…"

"I'm sure you could make yourself look imposing." The Professor said as he opened the door for her.

"Occasionally, I scare people." Harry said lightly.

"Usually for the wrong reasons." Remus muttered.