A/N: Ok! Here's the finale! Now by no means is the story over, but in lieu of me uploading only sparingly and very randomly. I decided to finish the tale here and pick it up some other time. As rough as it is I'm happy with how my first fic has turned out, though it could use plenty of work (especially the first chapter). But everyone that has reviewed has been extremely helpful and I'd like to thank everyone that did.

Lets go!

Repercussions

Once he had tracked down Hermione, he couldn't help but smile. She was looking warily at something Ginny was rhapsodising about, with George nowhere in sight. He lightly tapped her on the shoulder. "Who next?"

She turned and seemed to study his face. "Hagrid? I haven't seen him in ages." The idea sounded good to him. Plus, seems like a good opportunity to snap the wand in the Old Man's face.

Ginny lifted her eyes from the fine print on the back of a bottle beside them. "You both are going to Hogwarts?"

Hermione turned to her. "Yes, do you want us to drop you off on the way?"

Ginny glanced furtively at the cashier desk, then let out a sigh. "Oh I suppose so." After finding and saying their goodbyes to George and Verity they apparated back to the Burrow to find it as empty as when they left. Now glad that they didn't have to break the news to Molly. Harry felt light-hearted enough to tease Ginny about Verity before he sent out Patronus messages to Andi and Minerva. Before he could get on the receiving end of at Bat-Bogey Hex, he grasped Hermione's hand and apparated to Potter Manor to pick up the Elder Wand, which had been sitting in his trunk. Then they used the floo to get to Hogwarts.

After sliding out unceremoniously on his arse, he felt himself pulled up roughly and set on his feet. He looked up at his welcome party and smiled. "Hey Hagrid." The half-giant pulled him into a bone-breaking hug.

"'Arry! Good teh see yeh." Just then Hermione stumbled out and ran into the both of them. Hagrid merely pulled her into the hug.

Minerva smiled from behind her desk at the spectacle. "It has been awhile hasn't it? What brings you two here?" As one, the pair broke from Hagrid.

Hermione took the lead. "Well we just wanted to let you both know before it inevitably hits the Prophet."

Hagrid seemed to have the wrong idea altogether. "What've they done now?" He nearly bellowed.

"Nothing like that Hagrid," said Harry. "It's just..." and in lieu of anything else to say, he grabbed Hermione's hand and held it. The elder occupants of the room simply stared at the pair until.

"WELL IT'S ABOUT TIME YEH TWO!" Bellowed Hagrid before he crushed them both in a hug again.

Hermione must have felt as uncomfortable as he was because he heard her muffled voice from beside him. "Why are you crying Hagrid? It's not a big deal."

As Hagrid released them, the Headmistress cut in. "Is it a big deal to you Miss Granger?"

He saw her glance shyly at him before replying, embarrassment written all over her face . "Very much so." Harry could feel a combination of heat rush into his face, and relief that she actually felt the same and that the last few days were not nothing to her. Because they had been everything to him.

Minerva continued. "It is a big deal to us, because some of us have watched from afar for years and felt that this arrangement was the only suitable outcome. Even," she gestured to the portrait of Dumbledore behind her. "Albus."

He looked at the Portrait and scowled. "Of course."

Dumbledore seemed to size him up. "You did not just come here to break the good news did you?"

Harry felt the heat drain from his face, could feel himself falling into the personality that the Old Man had carefully crafted since his birth. Cold. "No." He pulled the Elder Wand from inside his jacket, all the while staring at the Old Man. "I've figured out what I was going to do with this." He twirled the Knobbly Wand in his fingers, he wanted his former Headmaster to suffer.

"You're going to destroy it aren't you? It's a piece of Wizarding history, it deserves to be saved and studied."

He's pleading, good. "What? So somebody else can use it for the greater good?" The portrait was silent for a while.

"You are master of it Harry, it could never hurt you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Have you ever actually read the tale, actually realised what it meant?" He snorted, "You know the only difference between you and Voldemort was that he never lied about his version of the greater good. Your interpretation of the 'greater good' ruined me, and it had too. Why else would I willingly kill myself."

"Harry-"

"No! Enough, I'm done. I should silence you with this before I snap it, it would save future students from your lies, your cowardice." The Old Man's eyes widened. "If you apologise for what you did to me I'll spare you." The room fell silent after his pronouncement. The occupants and other portraits had never heard so much hatred for one of the most important figured in Wizarding History. Not even the Prophet could fathom what had occurred between the thought-of master and disciple. Everyone just stared back and forth between the two.

"I'm sorry." Dumbledore sighed finally. "For what you've become. I always will believe what was done was necessary. But I will always be sorry for what I did, I did forget you were human on occasion."

Harry nodded slowly. "Good, I hope you stew on that." And with eyes only for the Old Man, he held up the Elder Wand and snapped it." He saw the flash of hurt and regret on that wizened face. Good. He lay the pieces on the desk, "Could you send these to Ollivander please Minerva? I'm sure he'd like to study them."

Minerva replied numbly. "I'm sure he would." After this, an uneasy silence fell over the room. The founders themselves seemed to be waiting for what Harry would say next. His noticed none of this, his thoughts elsewhere as his conundrum once again rose to the surface of his mind.

"Minerva? I just like to ask you something else if you don't mind?

Her primness returned. "Go ahead."

Hermione seemed to recognise his tone and conjured herself a chair in front of the headmistress's desk then, settled herself in it. After raising an eyebrow at her and receiving a steely gaze back, he pressed on. "When we had our career's discussion, I mentioned becoming an Auror and you didn't suggest any alternatives. Do you have any?"

The elder woman stood straight-backed and sized him up for a moment, reminding him vividly of Hedwig. "Then? No, you seemed predisposed to join the Auror's and I saw no reason to stop you. Now? It's really a matter of choice, with at least an E in your Newts you could join their ranks, even if you weren't Harry Potter." She added with a wry smile. "Considering your fifth year, I would also suggest teaching. Of which you seem to have a natural affinity for." He looked away embarrassed, only to catch Hermione's eye, who was smiling at him.

"Hermione helped too."

The girl in the chair huffed noticeably. "YOU taught Neville how to fight. With a wand that wasn't even his!"

He moved over and leant on the back of her chair, arms resting over the top. "YOU were helping him before the D.A. ever existed." She turned in her chair to argue back before Minerva interrupted.

"You do have a point Harry. Did you ever think about teaching Hermione?"

Harry watched in amusement as the suggestion seemed to send her mind awhirl, until her face set once more. "Not really, I'd planned on going into the ministry."

Minerva considered this. "I'm sure you would excel in any occupation you choose. But you do seem to share Harry's affinity for teaching come to think of it." As Minerva, Hermione and Hagrid broke into discussion Harry's mind was elsewhere. His mind drifted back to the D.A. sessions. The rush of pride when someone who was struggling, finally got the hang of a spell. And just of much everyone had improved. He may still feel guilty about leading a group of teens into the department of mysteries ambush. But they had all come through alive, partly because of what he had taught them. He HAD made a difference, through his own work and skill, he'd helped others survive. This thought struck a chord deep within him, he could be teaching the next batch of Auror's.

"I'll do it." His announcement silenced the raging discussion instantly as three pairs of eyes stared at him.

Minerva recovered first. "Are you sure? I'm sure you could do it but I'd rather you have a Mastery in whatever you teach-."

"I have one, in Defence."

She now looked even more shocked. "But no one has achieved a Defence Mastery in-."

"Decades yeah they told me."

"Well. In that case I'd like to offer you a full-time teaching position here. You don't have to accept now, let me know by August."

"Thanks, I will." His feeling were buoyed by Hermione's hand that reached up grasped his arm in support.

"And likewise to you Hermione, ideally in Trasfiguration as you achieved an O in your Newt and I cannot teach the subject with my Headmistress duties." The hand dropped from his arm and he could imagine the look of surprise on her face, his happiness increased. "Although, you would not be able to teach above OWL level without a Mastery. You could apprentice under myself to achieve it if you were willing."

Her reply made Harry smirk again, thankful she couldn't see his face. "I... I. I'll think about it."

He decided to save her. "Thank you for the offer Minerva, we're both going to have to think about it. Mind if we wander around the school a bit before we go?"

After exchanging farewells, which included an extended hug from an emotional Hagrid. They exited the office, his feet guided them out on their own. His mind distracted by a time less joyful, along a route taken on the night of the Final Battle, after viewing Snape's memories. After learning that his own demise was all part of the plan. All his dreams of a future, family and normalcy were shattered and had lain on the floor of the office since that night. He glanced at Hermione next to him, it all still felt surreal. The life he'd lost he might have just found again, as if dropping by the headmaster's office was just because he'd left something behind. Maybe I can have that future with Hermione? He wanted it, like nothing he'd ever wanted before. But, inside the deepest part of him, was a feeling that he wasn't good enough. Like he never deserved anything, a freak never did. But he wasn't a freak anymore, Voldemort was gone and he'd never live with the Dursley's again. Maybe, just maybe, he did deserve someone like the person next to him.

He took note of his surroundings and realised that they were nearing the spot where he had said his final goodbye to his long-time friends. He had to distract himself. "Mione."

"Hmmm?"

He struggled with words for a moment. "What do YOU see in me? Err, not that I'm not happy you're with me now, I just wanted to... you know."

Her face broke into a familiar expression. "What on earth were you just thinking about?"

"I err, just you know. I was thinking about when I watched Snape's memories. Before I found out I had to die, I... Dreamed about a future, it was what kept me going, gave me hope. It's just crazy to think that I might... be able to live it now." The look they shared seemed to get his implication across, for she blushed slightly.

"Ah I see. And you aren't sure about us?" Before he could splutter and deny her assumption, she put her hand over his mouth, surprising him. "No, I understand. You haven't had the most stable childhood. What do I see in you?" All he could do was mutely nod. "Well we've always got on well, even our fights were only about something important. You were the first person to care enough to look past what others thought of as a naggy-bookworm. You're humble and we're actually quite similar in some respects, and um... I REALLY like you're eyes, not in the same they're-your-mothers-eyes way." She turned even redder, which was then bathed in sunlight as they entered the courtyard. "What do you see in me?"

Harry paused at the centre of the courtyard. "Am I allowed to talk now?" She smirked and nodded. He took a breath to steady himself. "I can't really explain it, I just... I trust you with my life, and have on many an occasion." He smirked in spite of himself, which she shared before he continued. "You're just so incredible, loyal, smart and gorgeous. Even your faults are just part of you and I couldn't live without them."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell about my faults."

Harry sniggered, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Your need to know everything could be seen as one. Like even right now you want to accuse me of being blind because you couldn't possibly be gorgeous, then you'll ask why and promptly ignore whatever I say." Her mouth opened and closed. Gotcha there love.

She recovered quickly. "Then by all means. Try convince me."

"Of course, I'm not one to give up so easily." He spun her gently around and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. He could smell her through the mass of bushy hair. Perfect. "It's your eyes, whether there's a fire nearby or not, they're just so warm and inviting. You've got a cute nose and its covered in freckles, I love them, I've tried to count them but... I get distracted." He could feel himself going red. "And don't say a word about your hair, you wouldn't be YOU without it. I reckon we just fit easily together, and we've still got the rest of our lives to be together... surprisingly enough. I can't wait." He squirmed. "I probably forgot something now I'm under pressure."

He'd been staring at the rose-tinged greenery that lay beyond the courtyard when a hand suddenly pressed clumsily over his face. Hermione squeaked and turned, breaking free from his hold. "Oops, sorry Harry. I intended to silence you."

He could only snort with laughter at this. "You ARE a witch you know."

"Shut up. I was going to say that you can tell me later if you think of something."

Of course I will, and I'll tell you everyday until we die. "Hmmm, I'll do that. It seems we've got a lot to think about. But what did you want to do now?"

She placed her hands on his chest. An incredible experience in itself. "It's getting late, how about we go home."

"Sure, which home?"

He watched her ponder this for a while. "The Manor, it has a bigger bed."

Harry blinked as his mind raced with the implications of a 'bigger bed'. He coughed. "Well. Can't argue with that logic." Still thinking hard, he studied the myriad of colours that streaked through the low cloud. Normally he would be distracted by Hermione's innuendo, but the view distracted him. The flashes of wreckage and bodies strewn about no longer invaded his minds-eye, with it came the realisation that he was IN the future now. He just might have gotten through everything, he's ready to live the rest of his life now whether that be in the Auror Office or in the DADA Classroom. And... He looked down into her face, now realising she'd been watching him he squeezed her with an arm.

Hermione. She'll be right there with me.

... FIN...

...FOR NOW...