Mors et Tempus

by Madriddler

Scared about the coming war, Harry went to the Astronomy Tower to reflect. Magic, it seemed, has another plan and Harry has swept away from his present and landing right into Hogwarts in 1943. Stuck in Riddle's time, and now under the name of Harry Peverell, Harry must do his best to keep under the radar of Time. However, Riddle has other plans and wants the boy for himself.

32. World Born Anew

Chapter 32

World Born Anew

Harry and Tom stayed with the Rosier family for most of July. By Harry's birthday, Tom was able to find an apartment, a small place that is all their own, in Knockturn Alley. It was surprisingly cleaner than what Harry expected, however, Tom always reassured him that it would be temporary as he has plans to have Riddle Manor restored and made even more grand and beautiful to meet Harry's beauty. Harry liked the sound of the idea; however, he had a problem with how Tom was planning to pay for it.

"You cannot use the Imperius Curse on a whole construction crew to fix your home for free!" He yelled.

"Why not? Why waste money when we need our funds for other, more important things?" Tom asked. "We need a home—"

"We have a home, anywhere we are, as long as we are together is home," Harry said. "Besides, I'll be living there too. I have money."

"No," Tom said quickly. "No, we will not use your money. It is my job, my responsibility to find us a home." Harry just stared at him, shaking his head, and muttered under his breath. "Harry don't argue with me over this, I will take care of this, take care of you," Tom insisted.

"And I'm trying to make sure you stay out of Azkaban for something so stupid," Harry said. "Look, with the interest and five percent from the Potter Vault, I have more than enough to pay for the construction crew, as well as Vasil to start his research."

"Harry—"

"Let me finish," Harry demanded. "If you still want to stroke your ego and feel that you are in charge of everything, then do it."

Tom frowned, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Right now, my money is mine," Harry said. "It belongs, legally, to me because I'm… unattached. However, if I have a partner…" He glanced at Tom and gave a soft smile, "a loving Master who already owns my heart and body." He grinned when Tom's eyes shone with realization.

Tom took a step forward and took Harry's hand, getting to one knee. "Very well then my little snake," he said. "Then as your Master and lover, I ask for your hand in marriage."

"Are you doing this just to get my money?" Harry asked with a chuckle. Tom shook his head and kissed his hand.

"Of course not, my love," he said. "I'm marrying you for your mind, your soul, your body, and most importantly your love. I'm marrying you for who you are. My delectable, and adorably evil little snake. I promise you, the very second that union becomes legal in the foolish masses' eyes, I shall take you on the altar. Until then, my love and devotion for you shall be as everlasting and burning as the sun that hangs in our sky. And though until that second, our union will be ignored by the ignorant masses, that does not make my love and devotion for you any less."

Harry smiled and hummed, "Good enough, I accept," he smiled. "Though now that we're marrying, I guess we share our funds now."

"That we do," Tom chuckled.

"So, now you cannot even try to be a traditionalist because my money is our money," Harry went on, "and because the money is now ours, I can use fifteen hundred to pay Vasil to start his research on the fertility potion, and you can use our money to pay for a construction crew to fix our future home, and make sure that there is no hint of dark magic that can be traced to us."

"My own husband keeping me from being a Dark Lord," Tom said, shaking his head. "And doing so cunningly."

"No Master, your husband is making sure you're not taken to Azkaban for a stupid reason," Harry giggled. "I know that we'll need to use some Dark Magic in the future, why waste it over a simple construction?"

Tom laughed and took Harry, embracing him as they fell on the bed.

Construction began shortly afterward, and before either of them knew it, September was upon them with their final year of Hogwarts. The Knights all gathered together, and it felt odd for Harry. Rosier wasn't there, and Orion brought his cousin. There was a different attitude, a hopeful attitude, but still, Harry felt a little off even as everyone started to give their reports. As instructed, they all kept in contact with the other houses. Abraxas Malfoy and Alexander Nott kept in touch with the Ravenclaws while Jasper Lestrange and his boyfriend Castor kept up with the Gryffindors and the rest spent their summer befriending Hufflepuffs, as well as in general keeping in touch with their fellow Slytherins. Harry was pleased to hear their reports, as were Tom, who listened silently. Nobody brought up Grindelwald at all during the first day back. The Dark Wizard, in fact, was not brought up until almost two weeks later, where the Knights held an official meeting in the Room of Requirement. It was Abraxas Malfoy who brought the recently deceased wizard up.

"My lord, Harry, is it true?" he asked. "About Grindelwald."

Tom glanced at Harry, who nodded. "We will tell you the truth, a truth that will stay only with us," he said. "During the summer, your lords went out to do as we planned. We met and learned under Grindelwald for almost a month until on Midsummer, we've dueled and defeated Grindelwald." He pulled out the Elder Wand and held it loosely in his fingers. "The wand of legend is mine, along with Grindelwald's life."

"I heard there was something else, my lord," Avery said. "A skull and snake striking the sky."

Harry stiffened slightly, his eyes glancing at Tom who shook his head. "You are mistaken, my dear Colin. There was nothing up in the sky that day. Harry and I killed Grindelwald, took the Elder wand, and killed those who did not follow our commands." He glanced at Harry, who nodded in agreement. "However I did not call this meeting to discuss rumors surrounding Grindelwald's death. His war is over, as the Prophet declared, so let us focus on licking any wounds, and preparing for the future."

"Most of us are going to graduate this year," Harry said. "Our fight for change is just about to begin, however, we need to figure out what we are going to do about Hogwarts."

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.

"Well, we cannot leave Orion and Alphard alone as the only knights to take care of everything, now can we?" Harry asked, glancing at the two younger Slytherins. "Before the summer, I had a talk with Dumbledore. He made several good points, one of them being that the unity and peace we have made are fragile. We kept communications during the summer, yes, however that may not be enough. It definitely will not be enough when we graduate and long afterward. So, we must come up with something, a system, that will keep our group alive and the inter-house relations strong."

There was a low mutter as the group looked at each other. "How then?" Orion asked.

"I honestly do not know," he said. "I was hoping that someone here would have an idea."

"Then let us think," Tom said. "Harry is right, this is the most pressing matter. We need to figure out a way to keep our legacy."

The boys agreed and looked at each other in thought. "How about like something like the Knights?" Jasper asked. "A group that will keep the others in control?"

"A group like ours will be too secretive, too elite," Tom said, shaking his head. "We need something open, something that it feels anyone, and everyone can do or be a part of."

"Like they are giving a chance to become?" Nott asked.

"Exactly, yes," Tom nodded.

"Then how about our own version of prefects?" Nott suggested. "Two or three students chosen from each house during their fifth year. With two Heads leading them. Us, obviously, for this year however next year it will be Orion along with one other."

"Our own prefects?" Tom asked, sounding interested in the idea. "However will we choose?"

"Why not let the houses choose? With our supervision at first of course," Malfoy said, looking around. "The students choose who they want to represent and lead them."

"However to make sure they do not choose anyone, we must first set up guidelines," Avery said. "Rules so that these prefects, for lack of a better term, will follow our ideals and promote our beliefs of inter-house peace."

"That seems fair," Harry nodded. He thought for a moment, "Well, the first needs to be about promoting acceptance and equality between the houses," he said. "The Gryffindors will especially like that. However, we need to make sure that they would never abuse their power."

"Well, we shall obviously set parameters of their powers as well as keep a close watch," Tom said. "They will have two or so years with Knights members watching them."

"Exactly," Harry nodded. "If we go down this route, then it should be easy for us to keep control, even long after we leave Hogwarts until it becomes a tradition."

"Then we should now form those parameters of power these new prefects shall have, along with a name for them," Tom said. He thought for a moment and smirked. "We, my friends are the Knights of Walpurgis, so why not have these people our squires?"

"The Squires of Walpurgis?" Harry suggested.

"Maybe just the Squires? Like Prefects and Squires," Jasper said. The group agreed to that, and a great sense of excitement began to take over them. Last year, they brought the Houses together with the help of Harry, but now they are finally doing something lasting, making an impact on how the school will always remember them.

"Squires, our squires," Tom nodded. "They who uphold our rules, the rules that we made for Inter-House relationship and equality. They will need to be strict, but fair. Never showing preference towards one person or another, and always be willing and able to uphold our principles. As we change the world, gentlemen, and their views on magic, the people will look at Hogwarts to see what we have done. Let us make sure that we give them a peerless example of how our world should operate."

"Yes, my lord," the boys chorused, and Tom gave an egotistical smile.

"Excellent. Then we shall begin recruitment right away. Harry and Jasper, you two take the Gryffindors again. Blacks, both of you shall work with me for Slytherin. Avery and Nott, Hufflepuff, which leaves Ravenclaw to Malfoy. Abraxas, I trust you can handle them alone?"

"I will not fail you, my lord," Abraxas said, giving a short bow and he smiled with pride to be solely tasked with Ravenclaw.

"I do not exact any of you to fail," Tom said. "Lord Voldemort expects his followers to never fail in their assignments. And if they do, they get my… disappointment." He chuckled softly as the others glanced around concerned. "Tomorrow we will go to the Houses. By the end of the week, I expect a list of students from fifth and sixth years to become our squires. We shall reconvene and make our decision during the weekend." The boys once again chorused an understanding, and Tom dismissed them, leaving Harry behind once again so they could 'celebrate' their successful first meeting.

The next night, Harry and Jasper found themselves once again being escorted to Gryffindor Tower by Castor Warbeck, who looked just as handsome, if not even more so than from before the break. As they entered, Harry thought that they would be booed at, or at least ridiculed once more, but instead found that the Gryffindors were surprisingly polite, if indifferent, to their presence.

"Hello," Harry said looking around. "Last time, we told you guys about our goals and you guys did brilliantly in Inter-house relations and keeping bullying down. This time, we want to go one step further." He looked at Jasper, who nodded. "Jasper's going to explain."

"Um hi, guys—Hi Boon, it's nice to see you again," he smiled.

"H-Hello."

"Like Harry said, we're actually looking for people to join us, not as Knights, but as something else. As you may know, Harry, Castor, and I are part of a group called the Knights of Walpurgis, and we are trying to bring old traditions back along with destroying any and all barriers, between people, between magic and muggles, and, most importantly, destroying any chance of dark wizards ever rising again." The Gryffindors all cheered at that and Jasper smiled. "Well, you all have been beautifully involved, however, I'm asking if you guys can go one step closer. Something that will last in Hogwarts even long after we are gone." He took a breath and said, "We want two of your fifth and sixth-year students to become Squires."

"What's that?" Someone immediately asked.

"I'm getting there, don't worry," Jasper said. He glanced back at Harry and Castor. Harry nodded while Castor just watched, interested. "Squires are our Prefects, in a way. They watch over the students and make sure that they're not bullying or showing any bias or hatred towards others based on anything. They report to us, the Knights, for the first two years we're setting this up, however afterwards, they'll report to our version of Head Boy and Head Girl. Lastly, while Prefects are chosen by the headmaster, our Squires are chosen, by you guys. Every year you'll choose two fifth years to be new Squires. We're just asking for Fifth and Sixth years to get a head start on our program." He looked around at the Gryffindors and thought for a second, "Basically, our Squires will be student-chosen Prefects tasked with being noble and keeping the peace at Hogwarts. You'll be Hogwarts' guardians."

The Gryffindors all grinned at that and several fifth years ran up, "I want to do that!" one said.

"No, me!"

"Choose me!"

Jasper shook his head. "We're not choosing tonight," he said. "Instead, what we're asking is a list. A list of students you think would make good Squires. Give us the list and by the weekend, we'll come back and tell you who is chosen."

"Stay here, "Boon demanded. "You snakes will see how great we lions are!" He pointed to two seats by the fire. Harry chuckled and sat down along with Jasper, who choose a small sofa to sit with Castor.

"So, is this the surprise you boys were telling me about?" the singer asked.

"Uh-huh," Jasper grinned. "We want to make sure that our changes last, even after we graduate."

"Smart," Castor hummed. The three relaxed and talked about anything that came to mind until, almost forty minutes later, the Gryffindors got their attention once more. "Peverell, here," one said, giving Harry a list filled with almost a dozen names.

Harry read through it quickly before looking up at them. "Uh, thanks you guys," he said. "Jasper and I will be back later."

"I'll walk you guys out," Castor said. The three left and waited until they were alone before Harry kissed Castor's cheeks.

"I'll talk with you two later, enjoy some personal time," he said, winking at Jasper who only blushed.

"Don't need to tell me twice, Daddy loves spending time with his babyboy," Castor chuckled as he took Jasper's lips with his own. Harry left and returned to the Slytherin dungeons where Tom was waiting for him.

"Where is Jasper?" he asked as Harry handed him the list.

"Personal time with Castor," Harry said. "This is the list the Gryffindors gave me."

"Excellent," Tom said. He only glanced at it before pocketing it. "The Slytherins have given me a small selection as well. But let's not talk about that. I think Castor has the right idea."

"Oh?"

"Yes, how about we go upstairs, where I can spend some personal time with my devoted husband?" Tom smirked.

"I say we should already be in your bed, Master," Harry purred, hissing the last part. The two shared an almost childish smile as they stood and walked calmly to their dormitory, where they locked the door and spent an hour as Master and husband.

For the rest of the week, Tom and Harry have been pouring over the lists each House gave them, and on Saturday, Tom brought his Knights together once again in the Room of Requirement. "This will be short as we will immediately go to the Houses and tell our results," Voldemort said. "We shall begin with Slytherin. For the fifth years, we have decided upon Charles Crabbe and Winifred Goyle. The sixth years, Orion Black, obviously, as well as Selena Greengrass. For the Hufflepuffs, fifth year; Terrance Diggory and Velma Smith, sixth year; Alexander Heywood and Jane Court. Ravenclaw fifth years; Garrick Green and Maleficent Lovegood. …yes, that is her name, do not snicker, Avery. As for the sixth years, Zacharias Umbridge and Vivian Bagnold. Lastly, we have the noble Gryffindors. Unsurprisingly, they gave us the longest list. From fifth year, Harry and I have chosen Sophia Pickett and Trevor McClaggen. Sixth year, Noah McLaggen and Catherine Charmer."

Tom looked around for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Now we know who our Squires are, it is time for their induction. I have taken the liberty to write letters detailing everything they need to know." Tom waved the Elder Wand and several scrolls appeared, floating towards the Knights. "Go, give them these letters, and my congratulations. That will be all for today."

Harry, not a stranger to how Gryffindors like to celebrate, was not surprised that, when he and Jasper came back to deliver the news, the Gryffindors decided to throw a party. Some immediately went off to sneak into the kitchen for sweats and drinks and the two seventh years decided to stay for a time out of politeness. It still felt weird to Harry, being inside Gryffindor Tower while wearing his Slytherin robes. However, the weirdness ended as the celebrations took root and Harry quickly fell back into his old Gryffindorness as he celebrated with the others.

The rest of September flew by for Harry. He was immensely busy working with the Gryffindor Squires as they reported to him, Jasper, and Castor about everything they did and saw. He was always happy to hear whenever the four stopped fights and arguments, as well as genuinely helped any other student from other Houses. Noah McLaggen surprisingly impressed Harry as he told him how he spent an hour telling fourth years about the dangers of a Severing Charm which they tried to use to cut their hair.

Tom kept the meetings frequently, but Harry found that they were becoming more open. Instead of the Room of Requirement or an empty classroom, the knights met openly in courtyards or the Slytherin common room. Students started to greet them, and they greeted back. Everything wasn't perfect, naturally, there was still tension between the Gryffindors and Slytherins, a tension that Harry always kept an eye on as the Squires tended to barely ignore the other House. However Harry knew that progress was like the old saying, Rome wasn't built in a single day, so he decided to be patient. Especially because Samhain was coming, and he wanted to see an old friend.

Death was, as expected, annoyed that he was summoned once more, and this time by more people. The Knights decided to involve anyone who wanted to celebrate, which many Slytherins and a few Gryffindors did (The Gryffindors to only prove that they were braver than any Slytherin). Once again they performed the ceremony in the catacombs of Hogwarts, and as Harry sat in his small cell, he smiled as the room became cold.

"How long will you plague me, human?" Death demanded.

"I told you I would ask for you on Samhain, you really should have prepared," Harry chuckled. "I just wanted to talk with you."

"About?"

"Yourself, mainly," Harry shrugged. "I have no reason to fear you, my life is my own. I know at the end, I'll meet you once again, so why not familiarize myself with you, in a friendly manner of course."

"Then I should stop this foolishness," Death said. "Perhaps you would want me to tell you the times you've died at various timepoints?"

Harry laughed. "You're really bad at small talk, but it doesn't matter, we have time to practice." The cold air intensified as the small flame on Harry's candle flickered furiously. The seventeen-year-old, however, just smiled, even as he felt a hard pressure against his throat.

"Why do you persist?" Death demanded.

"Because you seemed lonely," Harry said, "and I want to keep an update on you, just to make sure that Tom and I are on the right track. I wouldn't want to steal any lives from you, after all."

"You know how she works," Death said. "Even if a child is not born in this current strain of time, that does not mean they do not exist permanently."

"I know, but doesn't it get lonely? Taking the same person's soul and life over and over?" Harry asked. "How many versions of me do you know?"

"Just the one, you are the only one foolish enough to speak to me," Death said. Harry's smile grew.

"Then that means it is especially important that we work on your small talk, and our friendship," he said. "Tom and I are having someone work on a fertility potion, if it works then that means this strain of time will become much more interesting for you. Males will be able to create children with each other."

Death hummed, "It might be interesting, taking a new life as opposed to the many lives living on multiple strains."

Harry nodded, "Then focus on this future, I promise you, old friend, that it will become all the more interesting."

"I will be forever haunted by you, aren't I?" Death asked. Harry just giggled and smiled once more. The pressure faded from his throat and the room became warmer. Harry stood up and stretched before blowing out his candle. He didn't need it, he knew that Death was watching closely, as well as Time.

For the first time in Harry's life, he had a rather uneventful year at Hogwarts. There were the general meetings and forging of a new student body that self-regulate themselves to keep him occupied, of course, as well as general upkeep and tabs from Vasil and the other Dark Wizards that the two spared that summer. However, there was no mystery, no deadly presence, or hanging morality that usually plagued him. Instead, he just worried about normal teenage problems. Like zits. Or what to wear during a date to make it obvious that he and Tom are not on a date. Or, most troubling, that one zit at the bridge of his nose that he scrubbed relentlessly with soap before running to Castor for a solution.

November gave way to December, where the Knights all celebrated Yule together before welcoming the New Year with a declaration that they will make the country theirs before the year is out. January brought with it the anticipation of graduation, which started to loom ever closer, and that anticipation only grew and festered as February and March both flew by, before becoming excitement in April. May was almost done, getting ready to bow for June's appearance, when Dumbledore asked Harry to stay after class for a moment.

"Walk with me," Dumbledore offered. "It is a rather beautiful day, and I would hate us both not to enjoy it." He was telling the truth. The two stepped out to a lovely day with a bright blue sky and almost perfect white clouds that drifted along, not too closely, but close enough that there were periods of time where the sun was covered, and Hogwarts enjoyed a small period of shade. Dumbledore and Harry walked together silently, moving from one courtyard to the viaduct, a long bridge made of stone that crossed over a large chasm. It wasn't an awkward silence; however, Harry couldn't help but worry about what it is that Professor Dumbledore wanted to talk about.

"I want to begin," Dumbledore said suddenly, "but congratulating you on completing your studies. We both know that your time at Hogwarts was broken, quite literally, into two completely different phases of time! However, from what I have seen from my two years of knowing you now, and no doubt the colorful history we have in fifty years' time, I am confident to say that you have grown into a fine young man, Harry Peverell. And I truly wish you good luck in all of your endeavors."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

"That said, I have found that you have a tendency of falling into trouble," Dumbledore continued, chuckling softly. "Trouble that helped the school immensely in several ways from your stories, however, there is one trouble that deeply concerns me." He stopped and a somber expression fell upon his face. "I trust that you know, fully now, the complicated past that was between Gellert and myself," he said. His eyes lost the usual sparkle, instead, Dumbledore's somberness seemed to come through as the old man stopped and looked out towards the horizon. "It is hard to think that he is gone, truly. I had hope that he could be reformed, locked away, not for the world's safety, but his," Dumbledore continued on. "That would be a love's mercy, I believe." He again went silent. Harry joined him by the edge, leaning against the railing as he looked out.

"Harry, did you fall into your usual trouble this summer?" Dumbledore asked. "I will not judge you, however, I must know. Grindelwald's demise came as a surprise to the world, that one day he would be found dead in his castle, the study completely destroyed. I cannot help but wonder about how it is that he died." Dumbledore turned to Harry expectantly. The teen was silent, faltering as he tried to find his words.

"Death comes to everyone eventually," he began. "It can be sooner or later, expected or unexpected, however in the end, he always comes in the end. He told me so himself. During the summer, Death and I traveled together, and we met with Time. I've learned a lot, mainly about why she, Time, brought me back here, but more importantly, I've learned that history isn't always certain, and our future is never set. Before I was set back here, you and Grindelwald did duel. It was a long duel that lasted for days but you won in the end. He survives and his castle is turned into a prison where he spends the rest of his life. The point is, one of the biggest things I've learned is that time, what we experience isn't a set course. We have full control over our lives and what we can accomplish. The most important thing in our life is that at the end of our journey when we can look back at the things we have done, see the good and our mistakes, and the lessons we have learned from both, that we are happy with what we did. Happy on what we have accomplished, and of the cornerstones that we have established. Then, when we see our lives spread out, Death will come, and we should greet him as an old friend. For there truly is nothing to fear from him."

Dumbledore watched Harry for a moment, nodding along before pausing. "Those are words wiser than your age, Harry," he said. "Most people your age, even up to mine, cannot truly know the deeper means of life, and our journey through it. However, I cannot help but notice that you did not answer my question, so I am afraid I must ask again but more direct. During the summer, did you play a hand in Grindelwald's death?"

Harry couldn't see any way out of this. He could not fully deny, it would make no sense, and Dumbledore was far too intelligent to see through it. He gave a heavy sigh and refused to look at Dumbledore as he answered, deciding on not a complete lie, but a modified version. "Yes, I did," he said gravely. "However, we did not go out to kill him. During the summer, Tom and I, we were staying with our friend Rosier. Grindelwald found us and kidnapped us. We tried escaping; however, it wasn't until near the end of June that we could. Grindelwald, he caught us again and we ended up dueling. Tom and me against him. We almost died, we were going to die, but we kept fighting. All I thought was getting Tom to safety. I didn't care what happened to me, as long as Tom got out, it was going to be okay. But the thing is, Tom had the same thoughts about me. So we kept fighting, even as the room around us collapsed. I tried sparing Grindelwald, just stun him long enough so we can run away, but in the end, we killed him. Tom and I." Harry took a shaking breath, "I always wanted a quiet life, Professor. I knew that if someone found us if they figured out what we have done, they would have either praised us as heroes or locked us away. I was scared of both, so we ran. Ran away, and left Grindelwald there. I'm sorry."

Dumbledore gave a soft smile. "Thank you, Harry," he said, his voice heavy with heartbreak, though he looked relieved. "It seems, in your quest to stop your Lord Voldemort, you have done something I never thought possible. You've taught Tom Riddle how to love."

"Sir?"

"I've met young Riddle before he came to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said. "I was the one who gave him his Hogwarts Letter and introduce him to our world. He was different than the young man I see now, radically so. He looked troubled, had a habit of collecting things from other children who all ignored him. It was clear to me that the child never knew love, nor compassion, or even kinship. I was concerned for him, and yet, to my neglect, I never kept an eye fully on him. The boy was brilliant, polite, and quickly adored himself to the other teachers here. I am sure you have heard many praises of him, as well as yourself, from Horace. I hoped that coming here, being among his own people, would help open the child, teach him empathy. But I was mistaken, and every year I looked at the boy and see a darkness that I cannot explain. That was until you, quite literally, fell into Hogwarts. The way the boy interacted with you; it was as though he was a completely different person. You taught him how to be a friend, Harry. How to show compassion and, ultimately, how to love. If it was not for your intervention, I fear to say that he, Tom Riddle, would have fully become the Dark Lord Voldemort. Am I correct?"

Harry looked at Dumbledore and gave a nod. "Yeah," he breathed. "Back where I am from, Tom became Lord Voldemort. He killed my parents, destroyed countless lives, and brought the wizarding world to war. But now, now he is simply Tom, my… my lover. I love him, just as strongly as he loves me."

"Love," Dumbledore chuckled. "Truly, it is a magic more powerful than any spell, and far out of anyone's understanding. It can make us make tremendous mistakes, the consequences of which shall live on for the rest of your days, however, it is also the same magic that can lift up a spirit to the highest peak and protect those they most deeply care about." Dumbledore nodded sagely at his own words and stroke his beard. "Never let go of those feelings, Harry," he said. "However, I am sure at this point, there is no worry that you ever will."

"You're right, sir," Harry nodded. "I'll never let go of it. Besides, Tom and I still have a lot of work to do. We still need to make a world where Harry Potter and everyone like him get to live as free as they can be without any judgment or expectations."

"Sounds like you will be quite busy," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "but we're ready for it."

"That is encouraging to hear," Dumbledore smiled. Off in the distance, they heard a loud echoing charm of a clock. "Oh dear, is it that late already? We better start walking back, I am sure we are both rather busy." He chuckled and pressed his finger against his nose before turning around to walk back to Hogwarts, Harry following him.

The rest of the school year was too quick for Harry's liking. He found himself gazing longingly at places, the reality that he will never again walk into Hogwarts or sit in its classes slowly sinking in. He would stare at the lake, or the spot where Hagrid's hut will soon be and allow memories to overtake him. He would stare around at the Slytherin common room, smiling at the nooks and crannies where he and Tom stole secret kisses and touches. Even classrooms earned a long look from Harry as his classes ended and his final exams began. The N.E.W.T. examinations went rather well in Harry's opinion, much better than his O.W.L.s. Tom made sure that the group focused on studying so that, by the time they finally came, the exams passed just like any other test. Harry felt that he was living on fast-forward and wanted time to stop as each exam went by. He wanted to savor the moments, live in the anxiety, and revel in the blissful nights of him and Tom together in the dormitory. However, almost like a cruel joke to get revenge on Harry, time move on and on, and before he even knew it, his graduation was tomorrow.

Hogwarts Graduation was held on the very last day of the school year. It was a rather sunny June day, and while the rest of the school spent it lazing around and getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express during the early afternoon, the seventh years were making final preparations for the morning service.

The Great Hall was reorganized. The four long tables were gone, replaced by golden chairs spaced evenly apart, each one having a student's named written on its back. The graduating Seventh years all wore a special version of their school uniforms. The house symbols were bigger, and the stripes were more pronounced. Friends and families were, as always, invited to come however Harry did not really think about that. He had everyone he cared about right here, graduating with him. The only people missing were Rosier, who has already graduated, and Orion, who still has only one more year.

Each House was led in by their Head of House one by one. First was Gryffindor, followed by Ravenclaw, then Hufflepuff with Slytherin being the last. They walked in rows of two, just as they did when they first came to Hogwarts during their First-year. Tom and Harry walked together, with Jasper and Avery behind them followed by Nott and Malfoy. Harry looked around as they followed Professor Slughorn and couldn't help but grin when he saw Rosier sitting with his family. He pointed him out at Tom, who just simply nodded. The Slytherins took their seats, and Slughorn walked up to the rest of the professors, who were all dressed in their most fashionable robes, sitting not behind the staff table, but on equally ornate chairs. Headmaster Dippet, who wore a plain black robe, took a few steps forward and addressed the crowd.

"Friends, family, we are here to celebrate the accomplishments of our Seventh years, our graduating class of Nineteen-Forty-Five!" Headmaster Dippet said. "It has already been seven years for all of us, why I look at your young bright faces and I see the innocent gazes of back when you all were eleven, innocent-eyed and scared. But now we have grown older, and hopefully a little wiser. However we are not here to listen to your hold Headmaster tell stories, no, we are here to for one final step, one grand conclusion for your time at Hogwarts…" He started into a long speech about the years that went by, and how they all have changed and grown in Hogwarts' halls. When he was done, Dippet took a step back, and Dumbledore stood up.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those marvelous tales," he said. "My dear graduates now is the moment you have been waiting for. One by one, you shall walk up and accept your diploma, afterward you shall walk along and return to your seat." And so, without any long speeches, Dumbledore began calling names by Houses. Harry felt nervous when Dumbledore called out, "Harry Peverell." He stood up and walked towards him and Headmaster Dippet. Dumbledore smiled brightly as he shook Harry's hand while Dippet remained neutral. "Congratulations Harry," Dumbledore said.

"Thank you, sirs," Harry said. He walked along, stopping to shake Slughorn's hand who gripped was surprisingly iron-tight. Harry returned to his seat and held his rolled-up diploma on his lap. It was tied with a purple ribbon. Tom was called up, and Harry clapped the hardest of his friends as Tom moved with grace. He was the last be called and Dumbledore joined in with the applause as Tom took his seat. "Congratulations to all of you. And now, a moment to celebrate with our loved ones. When you are done, we shall all reconvene through the door to our left," Dumbledore indicated to a door on the side and went back to his seat. Harry's friends immediately stood up and went to their families. Harry and Tom, meanwhile, just sat in their seats, looking at the diplomas on their laps.

"It must be nice, having a family," Tom said. Harry looked at him for a moment and reached for his hand. Tom took it and the two smiled.

"Would you want one?" Harry asked, "a true family. With children, I mean."

"Maybe one day," Tom hummed. "Though I have to say the image of you heavy with our children, that is a sight I would love to see and touch." He chuckled and glanced around before putting a hand on Harry's stomach. The two shared a look and grinned.

"Then we should work Valis to the bone making the potion," Harry whispered.

"Maybe," Tom said, "but first, I think we should focus on other things."

The two stood up and Harry looked around for a moment. Their friends were still with their family, even Rosier was with them. For a moment, Harry thought that he and Tom would join them, but instead, Tom started walking towards the door. Harry hesitated for only a second before following.

The door led to a stairway that led down. Tom and Harry walked down the stairway, which turned at one point, and Harry thought he could smell the lake. They met another door that opened at the touch and Harry looked around as they stepped into an underground dock with small wooden boats waiting in neat rows. Headmaster Dippet and Dumbledore were waiting for them. "That was fast," Dippet commented. "All done with your goodbyes?"

"No, we have no goodbyes to give," Tom said. Dippet just hummed and looked at the boats. "This was always the weirdest tradition to me," he said. "Too sentimental for my taste."

"This is how the Seventh years are the first to get on the train home," Dumbledore chuckled. "You entered Hogwarts with these boats. It is only fair that you leave her halls with them as well. Harry, Tom, good luck with all of your endeavors. I know that you both will do wonderful things."

Soon the others arrived, and they all boarded the small boats. Harry and Tom, obviously, shared the same boat. Dippet stood up and addressed them all once they were safely inside. "You came into Hogwarts in these boats," he said. "It is only right that you leave her in them too." Dumbledore chuckled and shared a knowing look with Tom and Harry. "As these boats take you home, I hope you all remember your time at Hogwarts, remember the lessons you've learned both inside and out the classrooms, and always remember that no matter what happens in our lives, we will always find a place called home in Hogwarts. Goodbye, my fellow witches and wizards, and good luck all of your lives." He pulled out his wand and pointed it towards them, "FORWARD!"

Fireworks launched from his wand, soon joined by Dumbledore's as the fleet of boats all moved. The vines that covered the cave opening parted ways, giving the seventh years a clear view of everything they are leaving. The fireworks followed them, exploding in the sky. Harry looked back behind him and watched as Hogwarts slowly diminished, never fully going out of sight, but appearing further and further away as the boats sailed on until they stopped far away on the opposite shore. The Seventh years all chatted animated with each other, but Harry was quiet. He kept glancing back at Hogwarts, at his home for seven years, and as he turned the corner, he watched it disappear.

One last time, Harry and his friends boarded the Hogwarts Express. Harry kept glancing out the window, looking at Hogsmeade and watching the younger years finally come and board. He held Tom's hand openly and his heart raced as the train pulled away. He didn't get how everyone else could talk so normally. Job offers and plans, where they were going on vacation this summer. It all felt strange to Harry and he just took a backseat until asked directly. "Harry, what are you going to do?" Jasper asked.

"Huh?"

"During the summer, what are you going to do?" Jasper asked. "Castor and I are going to a home he has in Italy, we'll even have a private beach!"

"Ohh, I don't know," Harry said honestly. He looked at Tom for help.

"We have our home we need to move into," Tom said. "However, afterwards, I wouldn't mind visiting Spain, does that sound good, my love?"

"We're going to Spain, Jasper," Harry nodded. Jasper grinned at that and brought Harry out of his shell, talking about everything he can do in Spain. The train seemed to move quicker than usual. The countryside turned into towns which transitioned into London as the Hogwarts Express pulled into platform nine and three quarters. Harry looked at the crowd and gotten a very Gryffindor idea. He whispered it in Tom's ear, who only grinned.

"Of course, my love," he said.

Harry shrunk their trunks easily and pocketed them before taking Tom's hand, holding it proudly as they stepped out of the compartment and onto the train platform. There, surrounded by everyone, Tom took Harry into his arms, kissing him deeply and passionately. Onlookers noticed gradually and disgusted sneers and gasps surrounded them, but that only encouraged the two to continue kissing. When they finally separated, they smirked at themselves, "I think that was a good way to start our campaign," Tom chuckled. "Come along, my lovely little snake. Time to come home." They kissed one last time on the platform and Harry held on tightly to Tom as he twirled the Elder Wand. They disappeared in a spectacular rainbow cloud which spread out over the crowd.

A/N: Final Chapter on Friday.