* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *

PART FOUR

Brave New World

Chapter 74: By the Order of Merlin

When the floo roared to life and Astoria's face appeared, Draco smiled politely, "Hey Astoria, what can I do for you?"

Astoria smiled weakly, "It was actually Hermione that I wanted to talk to Draco. Is she home?"

Draco frowned, "Uh yeah…she's just in the living room. I can get her-"

"If it's not too much hassle, could I just come through?" Astoria interjected.

Draco's frown deepened, "Yeah, sure," he said, granting her access and stepping back from the fireplace.

Seconds later, Astoria stepped through and dusted herself down, "Where is the living room?"

"Across the hall," Draco replied, "Is everything okay?"

"Not really, but I just need some advice from her before I make a big decision," Astoria said, stalking up the stairs in search of Hermione.

When she reached the living room, she knocked on the door before walking in.

Hermione looked up and frowned, "Hi Astoria, were you looking for Draco?"

"No, I need advice from you," Astoria said, sitting down in an armchair, "How do you learn to love dragons?"

Hermione smiled slightly, "Uh…well…if you don't like dragons, then there isn't much more to it than that, I'm afraid."

"No, I like dragons," Astoria corrected, "I find them majestic, beautiful even. I can even admit that pygmy dragons are pretty damn cute. But what I cannot live with, if Charlie and I are to move in together, is dragons eating at my dinner table."

Hermione made a face, "Yes, you are quite right. You will need to lay down the law, just like Daphne had to do with Dave."

Astoria frowned, "What do you mean?"

"When Harry brought Dave home, he was all for keeping him in the kitchen, and Daphne was having none of it," Hermione explained, "If Harry had it his way, Dave would probably have slept in their bed, but Daphne lay down the rules. You would have to do the same. No dragons in the house. It's not sanitary."

"Exactly!" Astoria exclaimed, "So I should give him an ultimatum then?"

"Oh no," Hermione said quickly, "No, that's a very Slytherin perspective. I simply meant have a conversation about it…you know, calmly?"

"Calmly?"

"Over coffee," Hermione finished.

Astoria frowned, "That seems very civil. I thought laying down the rules first then telling him it was me or the dragons would be more effective."

"Not against Charlie," Hermione said, deciding not to add her thought about how he would probably just pick the dragons.

"So…talk to him…over coffee?" Astoria said, sounding perplexed.

"Yes," Hermione said, trying to hide an amused smile.

Astoria, to her credit, tried to take Hermione's advice. She had invited Charlie over that evening, so when he arrived, she made him a coffee and sat it down slowly in front of him at the breakfast bar in her kitchen.

"So Charlie," She then said, crossing her arms over her chest, "Here's the thing; if we're going to live together, the dragons need to be out of the house."

"Uh…okay?" Charlie said, utterly bemused.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I like dragons. I couldn't have spent the last two months sleeping with you if I didn't because you do talk about dragons more than the average man," Astoria rambled, "And maybe they don't need to leave the house, but they need to be out of the kitchen because that is not sanitary. I understand that to you one man's dragon is another man's dog, but dogs don't eat at the dinner table, especially not when you have polite company over, like a girlfriend, for example?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "Fair point. You are saying you want to move in with me, though, aren't you?"

"Uh, no," Astoria said distastefully, "I do not want to move into that…uh, place…you call a house. However, you could move in here?"

Charlie scoffed, "Here? Why would I want to live here? There's nowhere for my dragons for a start, and there's too much glass. Not to mention the shiny-ness, why is everything in your kitchen shiny? What do you have against plain old wood?"

Astoria glared at him, "It is trendy and modern!"

"It's fucking ugly, and then there's the fact you never cook because you can't use that fancy oven. Just get a range and be done with it, love."

"Well, we didn't all grow up on a bloody farm!"

"Course love, I forgot you had house-elves to cook you up whatever you fancied."

Astoria growled, "I was right when I was talking to Daphne earlier. I should have just broken up with you!"

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her, "You could, or we could just buy a new place that would suit us both. You know, a cottage with a nice garden, so my dragons have somewhere to live since you stated very clearly that you don't want them in the house."

"You don't get cottages in London."

"Well, that's simple. I don't want to live in London," Charlie said, clapping his hands together.

"I like living in London, not to mention I work here!"

"Astoria love, you can apparate. You could live in the fucking highlands of Scotland, and it wouldn't make a damn bit of a difference!"

"Ugh, you are impossible, Charlie!"

"And you're a high maintenance pain in the arse!"

"Maybe we should just break up!" Astoria screeched.

"Maybe we should!" Charlie agreed irritably.

Their eyes met, and the next thing they knew, they were kissing, and Charlie was pinning Astoria to the kitchen worktop.

When Astoria entered Potter Manor the following evening for dinner with Daphne, Harry and her father, she was greeted immediately by her older sister.

"So, how did breaking up with Charlie go?"

Astoria shot her sister an irritated look, "How do you think it went?"

"Knowing what I know about the dynamics of a relationship where one person is a strong-minded, opinionated Gryffindor and the other a cool, calculating Slytherin; I am going to hazard a guess that you fought, ended up having sex and now feel even more torn than ever," Daphne said calmly.

"I hate how right you are," Astoria grumbled.

Daphne smirked, "Does he know you love him?"

"I haven't told him if that's what you're hinting at," Astoria said. They reached the doors of the dining room, "And no mention of this in front of Dad."

"My lips are sealed," Daphne said, winking at her younger sister then stepping into the room.

Cygnus smiled when he saw them, "I do so love to see you two smiling together. Good evening Astoria."

"Good evening Father," Astoria said, kissing him on the cheek, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Cygnus replied warmly, "And how are you?"

"Great, my plans for the business are coming along brilliantly," Astoria said cheerfully as she took her seat, "We are building up a great staff now, which is going to help with implementing all of the changes that I plan to bring around."

Cygnus smiled, "And how does Charles fit in?"

"Charlie fits in brilliantly," Astoria corrected, "He brings a different perspective to the table, which is enlightening."

"So I hear," Daphne joked. Harry looked down to hide his amused smile.

Cygnus, of course, didn't notice.

"So, Dad," Daphne said. She clicked her fingers, and bowls of soup appeared at the table, "Why did you call for a family dinner?"

"Does there have to be a reason to spend an evening with my daughters?" Cygnus asked innocently.

"No," Daphne admitted, "Yet I still get the feeling that there is a reason."

Cygnus's smile turned a little more sneaky, "There was something I wanted to tell you all, but that was not exclusively why I called for a family dinner."

"Go on," Astoria said, narrowing her eyes at her father.

"I wanted to firstly thank you, Harry, for allowing me to recuperate in your family home," Cygnus said, smiling at Harry before turning to look at his daughters, "And I wished to inform you girls that I shall be moving out next week, now that I am virtually back to full health."

Daphne raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh Father, wherever could you be going?"

Cygnus fixed her with a stern look, "Do not be like that, Daphne."

"I completely understand. You want to live your life without feeling like a burden to us," Daphne said, raising her hands, "I am not offended in the slightest, but you could at least have the courtesy to tell us the truth. You are moving out because you woke up from your big sleep to a whole new world, and you had an epiphany."

Cygnus leant back in his chair, soup abandoned, and crossed his arms, "Did I?" he challenged.

"You did," Daphne continued firmly, "You realised that you had treated your daughters like shit and that things had to change. Then you realised that Lucius Malfoy was rotting on the other side of the world and that Narcissa Black, the first love of your life, was a poor sad little widow."

"Daphne-" Cygnus said. There was a warning tone to his voice.

"So you are moving out to go and stay with her," Daphne concluded, "Am I right or am I wrong?"

Cygnus looked steely, more like his old self than he had in a while, "While I do not appreciate the degrading view on my character, you are right."

"Exactly," Daphne remarked, "I knew it, Astoria knew, even Harry knew it, and Harry doesn't pick up on anything. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had Voldemort on the back of his head for a year, and Harry just thought he smelled funny because he didn't have great personal hygiene."

Harry snorted, "I didn't notice you running about telling everyone that Quirrell had Voldemort on the back of his head Daph."

"Well, if I had been best friends with Hermione that year, I would have noticed," Daphne pointed out.

Astoria chuckled, "In case you wondered Dad, Harry was the reason we had drama every year at school."

"I hardly caused drama every year," Harry argued.

Daphne raised an eyebrow at her husband, "Sorry, babe, but you did. I mean second year, the chamber of secrets was opened, and everyone started hating on Slytherins because Voldemort wanted to kill you."

"Not my fault," Harry pointed out.

"Third year, the best DADA teacher we ever had turned out to be a gay werewolf who was in love with an escaped convict who we thought was trying to kill you, but was actually trying to protect you because…plot twist, he was your godfather," Daphne continued.

Harry rolled his eyes at her description, "Remus wasn't gay, was he? We've adopted the child that he had with a woman."

"Yes, but your godfather, his long-time lover, was a man," Daphne pointed out, "Anyway, fourth year, drama galore because some wannabe Death Eater entered you into the Triwizard Tournament, which you royally sucked at and would never have survived without Hermione."

"True," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"Fifth year, you were suspiciously quiet because you were secretly running a freaking army and training Neville Longbottom up to be your sidekick," Daphne said with a wave of her hands, "Sixth year, you had that crazy phase when you thought you were in love with Ginny Weasley. I mean, honestly, what else happened that year besides that and Hermione thinking that Ronald Weasley was good enough for her?"

"Besides Dumbledore teaching me about Voldemort so I could kill him?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at her, "Oh, I mean, there was a battle, do you remember that? You know Bill Weasley, your new best friend-come boss, got mauled by Greyback and Snape freaking killed Dumbledore. Ringing any bells?"

"Alright, so a lot happened that year," Daphne reasoned, "Then seventh year was just royally awful because of the war and the Death Eaters running the school."

"It would have been much worse if you and your friends hadn't protected the younger Slytherins," Astoria pointed out.

Daphne shrugged, "What we did at Hogwarts was nothing compared to what Harry did."

"I didn't do much," Harry said with a shake of his head, "I owe the fact we won that war to Hermione. But what you guys did and what Neville did at Hogwarts…you kept the younger students safe, and that is far more noble."

Cygnus frowned, "I'm sorry, would you mind catching me up?"

Daphne sighed, "While I was in seventh year, the school was essentially being run by the Carrows, who just loved torture. Draco, Pansy, Tracey, Sadie, Theo and I, sometimes with the help of Blaise, tried to keep the younger students safe. It started that way anyway, but before we knew it, we were rescuing each other from the dark tower when the Carrows captured us, and it was…it was intense. Draco and Pansy were together, and I was still angry at Draco for taking the dark mark. But Sadie and Theo got closer that year…that was when they fell in love."

"So it wasn't all bad," Harry said, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand.

Astoria gave her sister a small smile, "Harry is right, but how about we change the subject to something a little happier? Like congratulating Dad on his new girlfriend."

Cygnus laughed, "Oh no, Astoria. Narcissa is a dear friend who has offered to take me in. There is nothing more to it."

"Right now," Astoria said, shooting her father a knowing look.

She could have sworn that she saw the faintest blush rise in his cheeks, and when she saw Daphne smirking, Astoria knew that she hadn't imagined it.

Come the 15th of January, tensions were rife in the Potter/Longbottom household. This was due to the Ministry Ball that those who were being awarded Order of Merlins would be attending that evening. As far as Harry was aware, those people were himself, Neville, and Hermione.

It was an official dinner, followed by an awards ceremony and dance. It would be Harry and Daphne's first outing as Marquiss and Marchioness Potter, so naturally, Daphne couldn't wait. Lilly, on the other hand, was positively dreading it.

"So, what are you wearing tonight?" Lilly asked as she lounged on a sofa in the drawing-room.

"I thought I would go for the classy but sexy look tonight," Daphne said. She used magic to bring the dress downstairs from her bedroom.

Lilly's jaw dropped, "You can't be serious."

Daphne immediately went on the defensive, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you cannot wear that," Lilly said incredulously, "You're going to look like a total slag."

"Are you calling me a slut?"

"No. I'm saying you'll look like one if you wear that! That slit goes right up, you turn at the wrong moment, and somebody is going to get a right view of your arse," Lilly said, suddenly sounding more like a Londoner than ever.

"I will look classy in it; it's sexy and classy," Daphne argued, "What are you wearing? If you're going to be so judgy today!"

Lilly rolled her eyes and levitated her dress out of her bag.

Daphne looked at it in horror, "You can't wear that!"

"Why not?" Lilly asked irritably.

"Because you'd be just as well going in a burlap sack!" Daphne retorted, "It's plain, dull and common. You can't wear it to a Ministry ball."

"Plain, dull and common?" Lilly fumed, "Is that what you think of me?"

"You know fine well, that is not what I think of you," Daphne said calmly, "But you are going to be Countess Longbottom one day. You have to act like a pureblood, even if you aren't one, and that means dressing like one."

Lilly scoffed, "I'm not going to pretend to be a pureblood. I'm proud of my roots."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Oh, you are impossible, sweetie."

By this point, their argument had drawn Harry and Neville to the room. They had heard the raised voices from the floor below, and as it was unlike those two to argue, they dashed up to see what all of the fuss was about.

"Oh fuck," Neville whispered from the doorway, "She called Lilly sweetie. The shit is about to hit the fan."

Surely enough, Lilly's face set and she said lowly, "What did you just call me?"

Daphne smirked, "I called you sweetie, sweetie."

"Don't call me sweetie again," Lilly said firmly.

"Sorry, sweetie."

"Right, I've had it up to here with you!" Lilly remarked. She reached for her wand just as Daphne reached for hers.

"Glacius!"

"Telum Magicum!"

The block of ice acted as a shield against the arrows that Lilly had shot from her wand.

"Predictable!" They yelled at each other in unison.

Harry bit his lip, "This could be dangerous."

Neville just nodded.

"Reducto!"

"Protego! Relashio!"

"Oi!" Harry objected, "Play nicely in my drawing-room!"

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Gelato Pedes! Tame enough for you, Potter?"

"Why does everyone revert to my surname when they're pissed off with me?" Harry asked Neville.

"I don't know, but people do it to me too," Neville chuckled.

"Aguamenti!"

"Glacius! Ovis!"

As the block of ice narrowly missed Lilly, Harry whispered, "Is it wrong that I'm getting turned on watching this?"

"No," Neville whispered back as Lilly took a step forward and threw a fireball at Daphne, "Because I am too."

"Protego!" Harry said as Daphne ducked the fireball, and it soared straight for a portrait of Nicholas Potter and Cordelia Cauldwell, "Guys! Tone it down!"

Daphne scoffed and took a step closer to Lilly, "Serpensortia!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Hey, dude. They are having a catfight. Just don't get involved, okay? I've got a cabin full of snakes out in the garden. You can go live out your days there instead."

"Thank you, kind human."

Daphne glared at Harry and was caught off guard, which Lilly took advantage of, "Ventus!"

"Who do you think is going to win?" Neville asked as Daphne got back on her feet before Lilly could disarm her. The two girls were duelling at close range now.

"I don't know," Harry admitted, "They're both good…and hot."

Neville nodded, "They are both hot…."

"I wonder if they'll have sex," Harry joked.

"What?" Neville snorted.

"Is it just me that does that then?" Harry asked.

"Duels someone then has sex with them? Yep, just you," Neville teased.

"Not everyone I duel, you arse, just Daphne," Harry quipped, "Don't you and Lil do that?"

"No," Neville said incredulously, "Lilly and I have never duelled. When we argue, we tend to just talk about our problems, have a cup of tea, then go to bed."

"Fucking hell Neville – right! No homemade curses in my drawing-room Lillian Moon! – you're so boring," Harry said.

Neville snorted, "Just because I don't have a kinky sex life like you and Daphne, or Draco and Hermione? There is nothing wrong with normal sex, you know? Theo and I were discussing this the other day and-"

He stopped talking because Daphne had just distracted Lilly with a trip jinx, which had made her fall forward towards her opponent. Daphne caught her and kissed her, silently disarming her as she did so.

Neville's jaw dropped, and Harry smirked, "Told you. It's how she wins duels, with subterfuge and sex appeal."

Neville didn't seem capable of words as he watched his fiancé kissing Harry's wife. It wasn't like it was a peck either, it was a full-blown kiss, and it made him wonder how many times this had happened since Paris.

Lilly was the one to break the kiss. She pulled back and took a step away from Daphne.

"Would you stop doing that?" Lilly asked irritably as she glared at Daphne, "You can't just kiss me every time you want to shut me up!"

"Why not? It works," Daphne said.

Harry smirked, "Who won?"

"I did," Daphne said, waving Lilly's wand above her head, "I kissed her, and then there was the disarming too."

Lilly glared at her and crossed her arms over her chest, "If you think you can just kiss me and get your own way every time we argue, you have another thing coming!"

Daphne threw Lilly her wand back, "Oh, I don't know," she said smoothly, "It's always worked in the past."

Tracey scoffed from her portrait, "Yeah, with me, but that girl has a lot more spirit. You're going to have to get better at apologising, Daphne."

"Your portrait best friend is right," Lilly agreed.

Daphne rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry. Will you please let me play dress-up with you and show you how hot you'll look as a pureblood Countess?"

Lilly fixed her with an irritated look, "You called me common."

"You are common. You called me a slag," Daphne remarked.

"You are a bit of a slag," Lilly countered.

Harry and Neville watched this play by play with interest, half-expecting another duel to break out.

"Are you flirting or fighting?" Neville asked cluelessly.

"I'm never quite sure," Lilly admitted.

"That's because it's both," Daphne chirped, "Come on, Lil, I've got loads of beautiful dresses. I'll have to shrink them all to fit you, but all the same, you will look amazing in them."

"Putain."

"Paysanne."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

Neville snorted, and Harry asked, "What did they just say?"

"My French isn't that good," Neville admitted, "But I'm pretty sure Lilly called Daphne a whore, then Daphne called her a peasant."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the girls, "So you're all good then?"

"I think so," Daphne said, catching Lilly's eye.

Lilly nodded in response.

"How often does that happen?" Neville asked curiously, "The kissing thing? Cause it looked like it might have happened more since Paris."

"Just once," Daphne said, smirking at Neville, "On my unofficial hen night."

Harry snorted, "You two better get a move on. We've got three hours, and I know how long it takes you to get ready, Daph."

The two girls dutifully disappeared, and Harry turned to Neville, "I'm so glad Teddy's at Andromeda's. That would have been a fun one to explain to a baby."

Neville laughed in response, "Do you think we genuinely need to worry about this kissing thing?"

"Nah, they just like kissing each other. They're not going to run off together, don't worry about it, Nev," Harry said, clapping his friend on the back.

When the girls joined their other halves in the entrance hall, they were both wearing different dresses from their intended ones. Daphne still looked classy and sexy but without the 'major' slit that her previous dress had had. Instead, she wore a skin-tight pink dress, decorated with dark pink sequins in flower patterns. The back was open and crisscrossed over her flawless skin. It was relatively low-cut, but Harry wasn't complaining. As usual, she wore sky-scraper heels and her signature red lipstick.

"Looking gorgeous, as usual, babe," Harry said, holding out a pale pink shrug for her.

"Wait until you see Lilly," Daphne said, flashing a grin Neville's way.

"Nobody is going to see me because I'm going to fall down the stairs in these stupid shoes," Lilly's voice said.

They all looked up, and Neville's eyes widened. He had seen her in nice dresses, in fancy dresses, in bridesmaids dresses even. However, he had never seen her wear the kind of thing that Daphne tended to wear.

"This is a Yule Ball moment," Harry whispered to Daphne, "You know when we all stared at Hermione and realised she was a girl?"

"We all know Lilly's a girl," Daphne said, shooting Harry an amused look, "You think she's hot."

"I think I said cute."

"Pretty sure you said hot."

Harry snorted and nudged Neville, "Help your fiancé down the stairs before she breaks her neck, Nev."

Lilly looked stunning. The dress that Daphne had chosen for her was made from off-white lacy material, adorned with sequins that caught the light every time she moved. It had a darker, golden peter pan collar, and it pulled in around the waist with a ribbon in the same colour. It stopped just above her ankles, and it was plain to see why she was struggling to walk because the heels Daphne had put her in were at least four inches high.

"You look…amazing," Neville said when he reached her atop the staircase. Her dark red hair had been pulled up into a styled bun with a few curled strands left loose at the front.

"I feel like a little girl playing dress-up," Lilly muttered.

"Daphne's right, though," Neville said, "Unfortunately, you do have to look the part. The press will be there."

Lilly nodded, "I know."

"Come on, Lil," Daphne called from the bottom of the stairs, "We'll be late."

Neville held out his arm to her, "I won't let you fall," he promised.

The ball itself was a grand occasion. They sat together for the meal to avoid making small talk with the others there. It was a Wizengamot occasion because the Wizengamot were the ones who handed out the Order of Merlin. That meant that all of the 'big' wizarding families were here.

As they mingled after the meal, Harry's eyes scanned the room with interest. Howard Abbott was here with his daughter. Hannah had been giving Lilly evils all night, to which Daphne had whispered, "Bet you're glad you wore that dress now, huh?"

Lilly had just shot her a playful look and told her to shut up. Draco and Hermione were here, partly because the Blacks had a seat on the Wizengamot but chiefly because Hermione was being gifted an Order of Merlin tonight. Susan was here too, as were all of the Weasleys. Harry didn't think he had ever seen them so smartly dressed. Molly looked very proud, if a little uncomfortable, to have her family back in a position of honour. The Cauldwells and Notts were all here; Sadie was arguing in hushed tones with her mother while Sorenson glared at Theo, so all seemed to be as per usual there. Daphne's Uncle Julian seemed to have embarked on a mission to drink his way through the free bar. Daphne rolled her eyes when she saw this and endeavoured to ignore him for the remainder of the evening.

Daphne's father and Astoria were both here, now that Cygnus had taken his seat on the Wizengamot. They were currently talking with the Parkinsons while Charlie tried his best to slink away to get back to his own family.

"Don't you scrub up well? I almost didn't recognise you."

Lilly grinned, "Clara!"

Clara smiled at her, "You look great."

"So do you," Lilly countered. Clara wore a slim-fitting, green sequined dress and had her make-up and hair done.

"A far cry from our usual look when we're rescuing daft baby Aurors, isn't it?" Clara said, shooting said 'baby Aurors' a grin.

"These baby Aurors are getting Order of Merlins, I would thank you to know," Harry joked.

Clara raised an eyebrow at him, "Have fun, guys. I'm off to rescue Theo from Sorenson; the poor boy must be on fire under that glare."

Harry laughed as she disappeared. All of the Wizengamot families were here, the Jones', the Corner's (Michael Junior kept making eyes at Lilly and Neville was not happy about it), the Cornfoots, the MacDougalls and MacMillans. Not to mention the Fawley's.

Daphne shot the filthiest glare across the room when Stuart dared to look at her. He was with his sister Annabella who stood with her husband, Kevin Brown. Also standing in a group with them were the Smith's.

"Look at the scum sticking together," Daphne muttered.

"Kevin Brown isn't scum," Lilly whispered.

"He is. He votes against every law we try and pass," Neville whispered, "I think it's because he blames us for Lavender's death."

Lilly squeezed his hand as a dark look passed through his eyes upon those words.

Harry changed the subject by gesturing at Sally-Anne Perks, who was currently trying to flirt with Graham Montague, "Never stops, does she?"

"Girls like her don't," Daphne said with a roll of her eyes, "They just keep trying to sleep their way to the top."

Harry said nothing as he contemplated that comment. Kingsley was locked in conversation with Slughorn, and the Zabini's were mingling throughout the room. Ophelia was here with her brother Oliver, and she was sticking with Blanche, Blaise and Ginny.

Harry bit his lip to hide his grin when he saw that Belinda was talking to Bill, and Charlie had just joined them, "Astoria's going to go on the rampage," he whispered.

Daphne laughed, "Would you quit it? You are such a gossip."

"Sorry," Harry said, grinning sheepishly at her.

"I think it's about to start," Neville said, nudging Harry as Kingsley gathered the highest-ranking of the 'lords' together. Harry and Neville were excluded because they were getting Order of Merlins, but all of the Earls were being shepherded onto the stage. This group included Kingsley himself, Howard Abbott, Oberon Parkinson and Cygnus Greengrass.

"Welcome, everyone!" Kingsley boomed, quieting the hall down instantly, "To the year 2000 and thus, the annual Order of Merlin Awards Ceremony."

They all clapped dutifully.

"We are a little late in handing out the awards that were earned during the war. Due to the rebuilding of the wizarding world and the modernisation of the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot, there was no award ceremony last year. We shall begin by handing out the third class medals," Kingsley explained, "Would you do the honours, Earl Abbott?"

"Of course," Howard said, smiling easily and stepping forward. On the podium in front of him was a box full of medals, all with different coloured bands.

"The Third Class Order of Merlin, as I am sure you are all aware, is awarded to individuals who have contributed to our store of knowledge or entertainment."

The room was hushed. Harry, Neville and Hermione had all been informed that they were to receive an Order of Merlin, but nobody else had been, and they expected there to be more than three.

"On this occasion, we shall award three Third Class Order of Merlins," Howard spoke clearly, "One post-humously, unfortunately. For giving the magical population of Britain hope during our darkest hour. For informing people of the deaths of their loved ones. For keeping the magical population aware of Voldemort's whereabouts and keeping them alert with information about Voldemort and the taboo on his name. The Wizengamot award a Third Class Order of Merlin to the creators and hosts of 'Potterwatch'; Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Lee Jordan."

Harry felt a lump rise in his throat as he looked at George. Tears swam in his eyes as he automatically looked to his right where Fred should have stood. Angelina kissed him and nudged him towards the stage. He dabbed his eyes on his way up and forged a smile as he stood next to Lee Jordan.

Howard Abbott pinned a golden medal that resembled the sun on Lee Jordan's dress robes. The medal shone brightly and hung on a white ribbon. He then placed one of George's chest that had his name emblazoned proudly on it.

"Would you allow me to pin your brothers on this side?" Howard asked, gesturing to the left of George's chest, "Over your heart?"

George nodded tearfully and looked down at the medal, which had Fred's name engraved onto it.

Howard held out his hand to George, who took it and shook it firmly.

"My daughter and I learned about my wife's death through your radio station," Howard said, loudly enough for the audience to hear, "It gave my daughter hope while she kept the rebellion afloat at Hogwarts. We cannot thank you enough for the service you provided the wizarding world or for the sacrifice that your brother made."

George could only nod. Lee placed his hand on his friend's arm and guided him off the stage.

Daphne grabbed Harry's hand as he wiped his eyes hastily.

"You aren't the only one, babe," She said softly, gesturing to the Weasley's. Every single Weasley had tears in their eyes. Ginny was hugging Bill tightly. She had been one of the most severely affected by Fred's death in the aftermath of the battle.

"Thank you, Earl Abbott," Kingsley said with a small smile, "Could I please ask Earl Parkinson to award the Second Class Order of Merlins?"

Oberon Parkinson, a greying, older man who had once been platinum blond, stepped forward, "As you will all be aware, the Second Class Order of Merlin is awarded for achievement or endeavour beyond the ordinary, and in the aftermath of such a brutal, bloody war, there are more of these than average being handed out this year."

He picked up a medal which was the same as the Third Class, only with a purple ribbon. He said, "For his role in the defeat of Lord Voldemort, including the defeat of one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, we award a Second Class Order of Merlin to Ronald Bilius Weasley."

Ron looked stunned. Charlie grinned and nudged him to his feet, and he walked onto the stage with bright red ears. Harry grinned proudly and caught Hermione's eye. They clapped louder than anyone else in the room.

When Ron reached the stage, Oberon pinned the medal onto his dress robes and said, "We all thank you for your bravery, loyalty and commitment. You were integral in the defeat of Lord Voldemort, and the entire wizarding world owes you our thanks."

"Thank you," Ron said, blushing furiously as he left the stage.

Oberon continued, "For extraordinary achievement, being the mastermind behind Harry Potter who enabled him to hunt down Voldemort's Horcruxes and defeat them. For remaining strong in the most difficult of times and always keeping a clear head in a crisis. We award a Second Class Order of Merlin to Hermione Jean Granger."

Hermione smiled nervously as she walked up onto the stage. Oberon smiled at her and pinned the medal onto the beautiful deep red ballgown that she was wearing, "We owe the brightest witch of her age a great thanks. Undoubtedly, without your aid, the war against Voldemort would not have been won so quickly and successfully. The wizarding world owes you our thanks."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said shyly.

She left the stage, and Draco put his arm around her, smiling down at her proudly as the Weasley's and Harry's clapped until their hands hurt.

"For the defeat of Lord Voldemort's right-hand in the heat of the final battle and thus, for undoubtedly saving many lives. We award a Second Class Order of Merlin to Molly Weasley," Oberon continued.

Molly froze in shock. Arthur smiled and gave her a little shake, and Harry felt his eyes well up. Molly had been integral; it had all ended because of her. Harry had taken the invisibility cloak off to protect her. She had been the reason he had gone into that final duel with Voldemort.

Bill and Charlie caught each other's eyes and nodded. They each hooked their arms through their mother's, and they led her up onto the stage. She looked stunned as she stood there with tears in her eyes, "Me?" was all she could say.

"You, Molly," Oberon said with a smile, "You are not an Auror, nor an advanced dueller. You were a mother looking out for her child, and you defeated one of the most powerful dark witches we have seen since Morgana Le Fay. You deserve this."

He pinned the medal onto her dress, and she looked down at it in disbelief.

"Congratulations," Oberon said kindly, and it sounded like it came from the heart. Harry wondered if they knew each other, then Daphne whispered in his ear, "They were in the same year at school. Oberon was in Ravenclaw, and he and Molly were friends."

Harry frowned, and Daphne whispered, "The Parkinsons have never been a dark family. They weren't involved in either war. The closest they get to the Death Eaters is through Hyacinth, Oberon's wife. Her brother was the Death Eater Rowle, but she cut all ties with him after being married. Pansy was just a bit of a stuck-up bully."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and looked over at Molly. She was sitting down now, and she still seemed to be in shock.

"For protecting Hogwarts and its students in its time of need. For her role in the evacuation that saved hundreds of young lives and for the extraordinary ability that she showed in her defence of the school, we award a Second Class Order of Merlin to Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

McGonagall hadn't expected this either. Kingsley smiled and gestured at her to come onto the stage. She cleared her throat and held her head high as she did so.

Oberon shook her hand and said, "The parents of every child in your care, thank you for the role you played in evacuating them to safety during such a troubled time. You went above and beyond your duty of care, and your efforts are profoundly appreciated."

Harry wondered if that was hard for Oberon to say because McGonagall hadn't protected his daughter. She had died on school grounds in the course of the battle.

McGonagall bowed her head, thanked Oberon and left the stage.

"Finally, for running an underground faction of Aurors during the war. For aiding not only the magical population, but the muggles during this time, and for doing so at the expense of his own family, we award a Second Class Order of Merlin to Senior Auror John Sheppard."

Sheppard looked up in surprise, and Harry bit back an amused smile. Elizabeth Weir stood by his side, looking almost unrecognisable in a dress rather than standard training gear. She nudged him and murmured something in his ear, and he made his way onto the stage.

Neville whispered to Harry, "Told you they were married."

Harry just laughed.

Oberon pinned the medal onto Sheppard's dress robes and shook his hand, "I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to put your wife and children into a safe house and leave, not knowing if you would ever return to them. You sacrificed a year with your family to help those in need, and the wizarding world sincerely thanks you for your sacrifice."

"Thank you, sir," John said proudly.

Oberon bowed his head, and John left the stage. At this point, Oberon took a step back, and Kingsley boomed, "Finally, to award the most distinguished medals of the evening, I give you Earl Greengrass."

Harry looked up in surprise. He had known that he would be getting an Order of Merlin, but he hadn't realised that his Father-in-Law would be the one awarding it. Daphne had because she was smirking.

Cygnus looked so much healthier. He stood at the podium without the use of his cane and took a medal from the box. It was slightly larger than the others, and it hung on an emerald green ribbon.

"The First Class Order of Merlin, as I am sure you are all aware, is the most coveted award that a witch or wizard can achieve. It is very rarely handed out because acts of outstanding bravery or distinction in magic tend to happen once in a blue moon," Cygnus paused for breath, "But on this occasion, I am proud to hand out two medals."

Harry smiled at Neville, who stood by his side.

"Outstanding bravery is the only way to describe what this man did. He ran a rebellion inside a school run by Death Eaters. He turned a group of students into Healers and warriors. He risked his own life, time and time again, to help those less fortunate than himself. Then, when all hope was lost, he stood up to Lord Voldemort and gave everyone hope with the words, "I'll join you when hell freezes over – Dumbledore's army." I am proud to award this First Class Order of Merlin to Neville Frank Longbottom."

Lilly had tears in her eyes as Neville let go of her hand to walk to the stage. Daphne put her arm around her best friend and murmured, "Bringing back memories?"

Lilly cleared her throat and nodded, "Not all good ones, either."

"I know, honey," Daphne murmured softly.

On the stage, Cygnus shook Neville's hand and placed the medal on his dress robes. Neville smiled nervously, and Cygnus said, "The wizarding world owes you our thanks. The role you played in the defeat of Lord Voldemort will never be forgotten. You have done yourself and the Longbottom name proud. Congratulations."

Neville smiled and looked out at the crowd, desperately wishing that his parents or grandmother could be here to see this. But he saw Lilly, with tears streaming down her face, Daphne's arm over her shoulder while she fought tears herself. Daphne's other hand was in Harry's, and he was grinning from ear to ear proudly. Neville's smile felt a little more genuine as he looked at them; they were his family.

He left the stage and pulled Lilly into his arms the moment he reached her.

Back on the stage, Cygnus smiled once more, "This is the last award of the evening and, of course, the most significant. This man was only a boy when his mission began. None of us can imagine how it would feel to have a destiny thrust upon us at one year old, to be a hero before we could even say our own name. Most of us feel that the second war with Voldemort began in 1994, but for this man, it began in 1981. He defeated Voldemort countless times before that final, fateful showdown in the Battle of Hogwarts. He lost many a friend, family member or loved one in his quest to defeat Voldemort once and for all. I am incredibly proud to award a First Class Order of Merlin to the man who defeated Lord Voldemort, my son-in-law, Harry James Potter."

Harry smiled a little tearfully. Cygnus was a great public speaker, even after his ordeal, and his words had really touched Harry. Daphne kissed him on the cheek, "Go on, babe."

Harry stepped up onto the stage and shook Cygnus's hand. The older man pinned the Order of Merlin onto his chest and said, "The wizarding world thanks you for all that you sacrificed to bring about the end of Lord Voldemort. You have undoubtedly made this world a better, safer place for your children and their children after that. The wizarding world has emerged from the ashes of the battle stronger than ever before, thanks to you and your sacrifice. We are all eternally grateful, and your name shall never be forgotten."

Harry felt a little embarrassed as the room erupted into cheers and applause. He blushed profusely, and Cygnus smiled, "It's good to see your still modest, son."

Harry managed a weak laugh, "Thank you, Cygnus," he said, shaking the man's hand again.

Kingsley shook Harry's hand too. Then he was able to escape from the stage.

Daphne kissed him properly when he returned, and Harry, who normally would have been outraged by such a thing, didn't even care when he heard photographers snap their cameras in their direction. He broke the kiss and took her hand, entwining his fingers through hers, "Thank you," he said simply.

"Thank you," Daphne countered with a relaxed smile.

* ~TBC ~ *