AN: This is it, the end of the year. Thank you for all the follows and favorites and comments - I haven't replied to all of them, but I do appreciate every comment! I am planning on continuing with year 2, but I won't start posting that until it's been mostly written, so that might be some time yet.

***DNMCY1***

When Donna woke up, it was to find herself in the hospital wing again. She sat up, and saw Harry lying in the bed next to hers. Hermione lay on her other side, and one bed over there was Fred. Neville and George weren't there, but they were the ones who hadn't confronted Voldemort directly, so they'd probably slept in their own beds.

Madam Pomfrey came out of her office and saw Donna sitting up. "Miss Noble, good morning. How are you feeling?"

Donna moved a couple of her limbs experimentally. "Not bad, considering the smack I made against the wall."

"Good. Most of your bruises were external, so they were easy enough to fix. All in all, you were all rather lucky, except for mister Potter."

Donna looked quickly at Harry. "Is he ok?"

"He will be. He's been magically exhausted, so I'm leaving him asleep until his core has replenished."

"And Quirrell? Something happened to him when he grabbed Harry."

"Professor Quirrell... didn't make it. Miss Noble, could you explain what happened last night? After mister George Weasley brought in his brother, I sent a patronus after the headmaster. By the time it reached him and he returned, mister Longbottom had found professor McGonagall and given her something. We went down together, and found yourself and miss Granger trying to separate your friend and your professor. So what actually happened?"

"Look, Madam Pomfrey, if you carry around a Dark Wizard on the back of your head and bring him into a school, you lose all possible respect. So I'm calling him Quirrell, and I know nobody likes hearing said Dark Wizard's name so in fact I'm going to call him Quirrelmort. But I'd much rather do the telling to everyone who needs to know, if you don't mind? And preferably with the help of my friends, so I don't forget anything. I mean, except for Harry, obviously he needs to heal first."

So it was that, after Hermione and Fred had woken up, George and Neville were allowed in, and Dumbledore and McGonagall listened to their story together with Pomfrey.

"I feel like I owe you an apology," McGonagall said when they were done talking. "You shouldn't have gone into danger, but you did try to warn me first, and if I hadn't brushed you off you wouldn't have felt the need to. I even knew about your seeing Voldemort in the forest. I was stressed from grading exams, but that is no excuse. I should at least have listened. I'm sorry."

Donna smiled tightly at her and nodded. She could only hope that in the future, the professor would at least hear them out. Time would tell. She had a feeling that the danger in Hogwarts had only just started, for all that it was vaunted as the safest place in the wizarding world.

In the following days, as they waited for Harry to wake up, the rumour mill worked overtime. Everyone knew -something- had happened, they just couldn't agree on what exactly. Fred and George delighted in adding fuel to the fire by inventing the most outrageous details, and seeing how many people believed them. They did make sure to send anyone they trusted to know the truth to Donna, who explained everything to people who genuinely wanted to know, like last time. Slowly but surely, more students became aware that Voldemort was not as dead as people liked to believe. Nobody talked about it in public, but they knew.

Harry woke up just before the Leaving Feast. The headmaster was waiting when he did, and he had a discussion with him about their adventure, which he reported to his friends afterwards. Donna was suspicious about some of the answers Dumbledore had given, to say the least.

One, did he know Voldemort had possessed Quirrell, and if so why did he allow him near students for a whole year? Who knew what might have happened? If nothing else, it was a year where students had not received any sort of decent education in Defense against the Dark Arts. As she understood from older students, he was one in a long line of sub-par Defense teachers.

And second, the power of love? Really? That made a grown man spontaneously combust? Or smoulder, anyway, but still. She had her doubts, but there was little she could do about that now. Time enough to dissect all this information later, over the summer and with Jack's ready input. For now, they had a Feast to attend!

When they entered the Great Hall, it was to see it decorated in scarlet and gold. A lion pranced and roared on a large banner. McGonagall had awarded them points for their bravery, and since all six of them were Gryffindors, it had led to a comfortable lead in the house cup, easily beating Slytherin. Donna was glad they hadn't waited for the Feast before awarding the points, otherwise Slytherin would have one more reason added to a long list of griefs against Gryffindor, real and imagined.

The following day they received their exam results. Thanks to their study sessions, they all had quite good grades. Hermione was best among the first years, of course. Donna very carefully didn't point out that this was including the time to relax in her schedule. Hermione was a smart girl, she'd probably already factored that into her possible study schedule for next year.

The train ride back to London passed in a blur. They laughed and joked together, talked about their summer plans and anything else that caught their fancy. Donna also made a little trip up and down the train to say goodbye to her other friends – Susan and Hannah, Dean and Seamus, Lavender and Parvati, even Daphne Greengrass. Just because they weren't quite as close to her as the others, didn't mean she was going to be rude to them.

She made a list of telephone numbers, for anyone who possessed a telephone, and Floo addresses for anyone who didn't. She was sure she could get Archie to let her use his Floo access, and his owl if she wanted to send letters.

And then they were back at King's Cross station, where they all felt this year's adventure had started. Neville was the first to leave, as he wasn't crossing to the mundane side with them. His grandmother picked him up on the wizarding side and brought him home via Floo, as platform 9 ¾ had an access point.

There was an old wizard letting through muggleborns in little groups. Once he deemed it safe, Donna went through the gateway together with Hermione and Harry. At least the people who picked up their children on this side had an idea of how to dress to blend in, so they didn't draw as much attention as they might have.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione said suddenly. "Come meet my friends!"

A couple – Donna judged them to be in their late thirties or early forties – came up to them.

"Well hello there! You must be Donna and... Harry or Neville?" Hermione's mum said.

"I'm Harry," he replied. "Neville is already on his way home."

"Nice to meet you. We've heard so much about you!"

She was a lovely woman, with tanned skin and dark curls that had only a hint of Hermione's bushiness – although even Hermione's curls were a lot more manageable with magic.

"Dr. Granger, how do you do," Donna said, extending her hand.

She laughed, although she did shake hands. "So formal. Please, call me Emma."

Donna smiled at the infectious laugh. "Alright then, Emma. I'm Donna, like you already guessed."

Just then, two hands covered her eyes. "Guess who!"

Donna really laughed this time. "Davros!" she yelled.

The hands released her and Jack's pouting face came into view. "Really, him? I'm way too handsome!"

She rolled her eyes affectionately. "Really, be happy I didn't say Voldemort, he can give Davros a run for his money. Granted, he doesn't have that third eye thingy going on, but then he also doesn't have a nose."

Jack laughed and turned to the politely puzzled looking Grangers.

"Doctors Granger, good evening. I'm Captain Jack Harkness, Donna's honorary older brother. How are you?"

He flashed them his customary smile, but Donna could tell he was trying to keep himself in check, so she didn't stop him. Really, it was basically a lost cause. Flirting was just his way of communicating.

Hermione's dad stuck out his hand. "Dan," he said. Jack shook his hand, and then Emma's when she introduced herself.

They were hardly done when they were interrupted again, this time by a whale of a man with no neck and a mustache. "Ready, are you?" he said to Harry with a disgusted look on his purple face. Donna raised her eyebrows. Charming.

"You must be Harry's family," Jack said with the same smile that had charmed the Grangers moments before. It had no effect on the walrus, or the woman behind him who could only be aunt Petunia.

"In a manner of speaking. Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day," he grunted at Harry, before walking away with his wife.

Harry hung back for a moment, so Donna took the opportunity to hug him. "Write to me soon," she said, "or I'm calling the police."

Harry laughed and hugged her back. "I'll be fine, Donna, but thanks. We might not be allowed to use magic at home, but they don't know that. I can have some fun with Dudley this summer!"

"Ha! No wonder the Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin!"

After a hug from Hermione, Harry trailed after his uncle. They waved at him until he disappeared in the crowds.

"Emma," Donna said when they'd rejoined the grown-ups, "would it be ok if I came over to sleep once or twice this summer, or if Hermione came over to my place?"

Emma smiled happily. "Of course, Donna. I'm glad Hermione made such good friends at school. We want to go home now and hear everything about the school and magic, but give us a ring any time and we'll see about a date, ok?"

Donna hugged Hermione too, and then there were only Donna and Jack left in the station.

"So," she said, looking at him, "my big brother, are you?"

"Honorary big brother, I said! … aren't I?" Jack looked suddenly more uncertain than she'd ever known him. She smiled happily and hugged him.

"Yes, Jack. You really are. Come on, late dinner, I'm starving!"

Together they left the station, ready for the summer.