People had drunk their tea and settled themselves. Some began making hesitant movements. Wanting to see their homes. Wondering how different it would all be. The imminent threats they had lived under all this time had suddenly lifted though. None of them had realised what the constant pressure had done to them. They had spent years wondering if a bang was a Nazi or a Death Eater breaking in. Whether it would be their child kidnapped. Their mother beaten. To have that suddenly gone was going to take a while to acclimatise to. Most of all they just wanted their own beds and time away to heal with their closest family and friends.

The Founders informed them their homes were situated where they had been and after a long series of goodbyes many of the Witches and Wizards apparated out. The Muggle soldiers were escorted by Godric and Salazar back to their own homes. Albus was impressed that they had got to the floo network to work so efficiently.

'We have been here for a very long time,' Helga had told him. Albus could imagine.

The Greengrass family ambled up to the Grangers. Not many were left now in the great hall. The Weasley's had left to return to their own Manor.

Rowena had shown sensitivity and had informed James and Lily that they had rebuilt and restored Potter Cottage to its former glory but would understand if they didn't want to return to their home. Lily had opened the floodgates at their thoughtfulness. Both James and Lily wanted to return. Harry had been beside himself with happiness. He was going home with his mum and dad. Something he had given up on when he was little. He still had Sirius and Remus. He had his family. Riddle was gone. The nightmare was truly over.

They had invited the other James and Harry to stay with them until they decided what they wanted to do in this new world. There would be so many opportunities to begin again. They would need to lean on each other in the future but for the first time, there actually was a bright future ahead. It was an offer readily accepted. James had kept his wife very close however as the other James understood the gesture implicity and had accepted the terms. This woman wasn't his Lily but so much like her, it bought both him and his son great comfort. It was a new world for all of them and to have this safety net offered was a gift.

The Granger family decided to go home. The Smeg fridge swung it. They were also curious to see what the Founders had done to their town. There were many polite murmurings and thank you's to the Greengrass family for being wonderful hosts. The Greengrass family were told they must visit the Granger home as soon as they all got settled back in. It was all so very graceful and more befitting of saying goodbye after a dinner party that Albus could only gawp. One could hardly believe they had all been on the edge of the Abyss a short while before.

Eleanor and Dawn hugged each other goodbye as Albus and Minerva joined Hermione to apparate them. The Founders hadn't been sure if the Grangers required the floo network and hadn't wanted to overstep any Muggle boundaries. The Grangers were very polite and said they would indeed like the floo network set up at their home as they would like to drop in for a cup of tea on occasion with their magical friends they had made over the years.

They left with My, Cedric and the other Hermione.

Hagrid and Fang had set off for his hut with much jubilation. Valinor was still standing and was still just over the way. For now, Hagrid just wanted to sleep. Like all the others he was exhausted by the last few years. Till now, he hadn't realised how much.

The Greengrass family said their goodbyes too. Taking Fabio, Lavender and Parvati back with them as they all apparated back to Greengrass Manor.

The Bulstrode's left with Pansy and several house guests and headed back to their farm.

Sirius, Bella and Draco went back to Grimmauld Place to sleep it all off. They would be back the next day to wait for Iris.

The Tonks family and the two Remus's left for Burton. There was certainly a tension in the air there between the trio. Tonks was fairly quiet. Her expression deviating from confusion to a subtle smugness.

The Lovegoods, Longbottoms and Finnegans waved goodbye to the Hogwarts staff that remained.

Bit by bit most of the people left Hogwarts. The Black women. Albus's old, now new friends. The Professors made their way to their quarters. Professor Sprout especially needed to rest herself.

The Founders were busy taking everyone else home.

Hermione decided to stay in the castle and wait for Iris.

Eventually, the two Minerva's and Albus were the only three to remain in the Great Hall.

'Shall we retire to my office? I would like to see what the Founders managed to salvage for us,' Albus asked the pair of them.

Both Minerva's nodded in sync. Albus was quite amazed at their similarities to each other. They had clearly hit it off very well and were now rarely seen apart from each other.

They made their way through the castle. They could see certain differences in some of the stones. The layout was the same. The castle looked bare but they all thought of the future. Over the years much would be added to it. It was a relief to each of them that the Founder's had done so much for them. They turned into the corridor into Albus's office as he gave a slight cry of cheer. His Griffin door was there. He wiped a tear from his eye as Minerva patted him.

'It's so beautiful,' he said to her, 'How kind of them to remember.'

'They are all very fond of you Albus. Even Salazar is,' Minerva said to him, 'You have made a real difference here. A good difference.'

They made their way up the steps and into his office. He gazed around as his face lit up. His Pensieve was there in the corner. The sorting hat was on his table.

Minerva approached the table and exclaimed, 'The magical register,' she gave a broad grin, 'They salvaged what was most important.'

'That they did,' Albus smiled.

The other Minerva was pursuing the bookshelves, 'They updated the Hogwarts rule book,' she said happily. There were some other books there, all related to Hogwarts. Fawkes flew onto his stand in the other corner.

Albus checked the drawers and chuckled.

'What is it?' one of the Minerva's asked. At this point, even Albus wasn't sure which one was which. Their mannerisms were even the same.

He drew out a bottle of scotch with three glasses and a note.

'From Godric. Thank you for all your hard work. Enjoy,' he read aloud.

The Minerva's sat down opposite with a smirk, 'How about you pour Albus.'

A few moments later they each felt the exquisite burn in their throats as the scotch flooded through them.

They looked out the window at the Hogwarts grounds in contemplation.

'I think it safe to declare us officially home, Albus,' Minerva said in her Scottish brogue.

'What an adventure indeed, Minerva,' Albus said with a smile.

'Mm. I think it safe to say that I for one am glad it's over. It shall be a relief to go back to planning lessons and plotting ways to win the Quidditch cup.'

The other Minerva gave a beaming smile, 'The Quidditch cup. Lesson plans. Music to my ears. It's been so long. I'll be glad to get stuck in Min.'

'And I'm very glad to have you,' Minerva said, 'It's so nice to be able to speak to someone who gets me.'

'Same to you,' the other Minerva said.

Albus relaxed completely. Hogwarts was in very safe hands with these two helping him run the show. Losing both Flitwick and Severus had been a blow. The new Severus was incredibly morose. Albus knew why. The man had lost everything and had endured so much pain. Now the threat of Riddle was over, Albus may suggest he start his own potions business up and hopefully, a new start may work better for him. Teaching potions to teenagers was probably not the best thing for improving his state of mind.

Albus's mind wandered to the new arrivals in Infinity with Iris. Each would need to adapt. A world like this though would make it easier for each of them. Albus knew Iris and Draco saw a Muggle therapist. Hermione's foresight had been valuable. Stronger minds than theirs had broken under such pressures they had been under. Albus would certainly suggest this to them. Draco and Iris had been there at the start and had seen it through to the very end. They had restored trust and genuine respect to the Black name.

The darker Witches and Wizards in their community had their eyes forced wide open to what black magic truly was. Lucifer and Iris had instilled that. It was strength and passion. Not Riddle's cruelty and evil. The balance was imperative for the future. Albus mused at Draco's fine mind. He knew he was Hermione's favourite study buddy. In that particular group, Albus had to admit that many of the other students were in no danger of troubling Origin later on although each of them had played their part.

Harry. Albus mused. He had been on a rollercoaster since the night Riddle had tracked him down. He remembered the distasteful Aunt Petunia. Although the circumstances had been audacious at the time he was glad that Sirius had demanded custody even if Albus had wanted to hex him into oblivion at the time for his aggression and gambling the blood wards.

Harry had grown up loved and wanted, and in return, had grown into a fine young man. And Iris. Albus thought of her. Everything, plus the kitchen sink, had been slung at her and she had kept coming back. He thought of the last time he had seen her. The fierce look on her face as she took one last look at Hermione and then the speed at which she had run into the mirror. Every part of her had exemplified the lioness at that moment and not the snake.

Albus had seen it in her since she was little. A little of Riddle was in there but a lot of Sirius. Albus smiled. She had out marauded the Marauders. The vicious streak that she had inherited from both Sirius and Tom had, on many occasions, disturbed him, but as he looked at the big picture it had been an essential trait. The Slytherins had seen something in her they could understand. A hardness they could relate to and the same darkness that resonated with them.

With age and maturity, Iris had learned to control her darker impulses better. Albus had been relieved. The black magic could have consumed her. Never before had the Wizarding World needed to stand so united. Their very survival had depended on it. And they had stood together as one. The day came that Luna Lovegood stood with Pansy Parkinson on the battlefield. All fighting together against a common enemy.

Albus gave a sombre look out the window. How long till the next Riddle came along? How many times had this world been resurrected? He sipped some more of his scotch and looked at the two Minerva's fondly. His eyes went to Fawkes who was peering at him. They nodded to each other as Albus held his drink up to the phoenix. For now, though, it was over. The Earth had centuries before such a catastrophe happened again. Albus could finally live his life the way he truly wanted.

Gareth Greengrass sat at the living room table in Greengrass Manor with the dreamiest smile on his face. Everything inside was how it had been left. The view out the window was different. More flowers and trees were there but it only enhanced the beauty of the property. His family were all here. He had two new daughters who he was rapidly becoming very fond of. Iris would be back soon and his entire wine collection was untouched.

Like the others, he had been prepared to give it all up for his family's lives but it warmed him greatly to have his home comforts returned to him. He supposed that was why they had done what they had for them. His family had meant so much more to him than riches. It had been a rough road. The sleepless nights. The calamities. When he had seen the despicable future in the Pensieve he had thought it was all over. Death would have been preferable to that nightmare.

Dawn came into the room and sat down beside him. They sat in the quiet for a moment as the birds outside seemed to be more joyful than they had in the past. She put her hand over his in comfort as he gave her a tired smile.

'We're safe,' Dawn told him. She said it aloud to confirm it to both of them.

'Years. We have had this hanging over us all for years,' Gareth seemed quite surprised. 'I hadn't realised what a weight this was on all of us. I finally feel free.'

'Me too,' Dawn said as they looked around their home. The air smelt fresher. The whole atmosphere seemed lighter. Not so oppressive.

'The Founders have done a marvellous job,' Gareth said, 'Change but for the better. We can have a proper Ministry now. A fair system. We have our infrastructure. It won't take long to get things up and running. We can focus on what actually matters now. No more hiding from Muggles. We can help each other. We can all pull together. All those other countries in the world. We're all finally on the same side. No more war.'

Dawn rested her head on his shoulder, 'No more war,' she whispered in reverence.

Gareth gazed at her as he kissed her forehead, 'All these years with the shadow of Tom in the background. He's gone for good now. You and our daughters will have a future worth living.'

'All four of them,' Dawn smirked, 'And don't forget your sort of granddaughter niece. Iris.'

Gareth gave a broad smile at that, 'Our little black sheep. Although, she is more like us than she realises.'

'She has a little of all you in her,' Dawn said diplomatically, 'Thank Merlin. That ring was playing a dangerous game. In the wrong hands, I perish the thought of what might have been.'

'I don't think the ring was playing a dangerous game. I think the ring chose who would understand it the most,' mused Gareth. 'Hayley is too nice a person to wield the ring in the way the ring intended. It wanted vengeance against true evil. Hayley is too gentle. Iris understands intuitively that sometimes mercy works against you. She had enough of Sirius in her to get this done. She had enough good in her to not be tempted to join Riddle's twisted darkness. She saw as a toddler what Riddle and his followers were. You don't think Albus regrets letting Gellert survive now? All the damage and pain Gellert continued to inflict on the helpless when he escaped. The children who suffered. The strength he emboldened in Riddle and Hitler. The damage they have done together. All those people who never had the chance to lead a good, full life on Earth because of them. The destruction of our planet. The ring knew who it needed to work through.'

Dawn pondered this. She knew Gareth's words to be true.

Gareth sighed, 'We have this second chance because of the ring. Because we all pulled together and fought for it. Because of Iris.'

Dawn felt a slight smile pull at her lips, 'What do you think of her very close friendship with Hermione then?' she asked in a much too casual a voice.

Gareth grinned, 'I've known about those two for a while now. I'm happy for them. The magic when they are together is sublime. Hermione keeps Iris grounded and I think Iris is good for her too.'

'Do you think some in the Wizarding World may be against them, you know, because of the nature of their relationship?' Dawn asked. They had grown up in a very traditional environment and these types of relationships were discussed in hushed voices.

Gareth shook his head, 'After what they've done for all of us, no. The world has changed too. It is who you are as a person. Not what that matters now. It only matters that they are happy. Anyway, the world has changed for the better. We all saw traditional Pureblood ideology and fascism took to their logical conclusion. The one per cent bullying the rest of us. I don't think many of us wanted to live in that world. Those that did have gone now.'

Dawn nodded at this.

'I wonder what the new arrivals will be like?' she asked after a few moments.

'I don't know,' Gareth said, 'Many will be traumatised most likely. It's a lot. Not just what they most likely have lived through but to move to another planet will take time to adjust to. It will be better here for them. Iris only saw two other worlds which were functioning and they were both grim. But look. Our new Daphne and Astoria are making progress here already. They have a life here now. A future. I think the others will see that in time.'

'We all have a lot of work to do,' Dawn said.

'We do. But this is good work. It means something. We build a world together,' Gareth smiled. 'People always say they are looking for a meaning to their lives. Well. This is it. We make this world a better place for the next generation.'

They moved to the sofa to cuddle down. The evening was starting to drift in. They looked at the view.

'I didn't think we would ever be here again,' Dawn admitted. 'We'd all packed enough for an expedition.'

'I think that's why,' Gareth said slowly. 'We were prepared to fight against Riddle and his followers and give all this up for the greater good. I believe Albus is a fan of that ideology.'

Dawn snuggled down, 'I wonder. With the new arrivals, how many more Cedric Diggory's will be with them?'

Gareth looked confused, 'Why Cedric Diggory?'

'Well, I know Astoria has set her sights on Draco. What about our other daughters? My is clearly smitten with her Cedric. I can see why. He is such a gentleman. Most crucially though, his hair is amazing.'

Gareth smirked, 'I have to admit, his quiff is impressive. Fabio was so complimentary about his locks too.'

'Just think. With that hair gene mixed with the Greengrass hair gene. Think of just how good the children's hair will be. Also, his cheekbones are flawless. Have you noticed?'

Gareth nodded and grinned, 'How could one not.'

Dawn smiled at him, 'Of course. There are sure to be many fine young men and women arriving amongst them. They would have been fighting against Riddle or Gellert and their barbaric ways so we'll know they have at least some moral fibre. It would be nice for them to connect in a more civilised environment.'

Gareth's mouth twitched, 'What are you suggesting, darling?'

'Well, once everyone's settled in and recuperated, I suggest we start hosting those Balls of ours again. We had so much fun when we were younger with them. A little bit of music, moonlight and romance. We should bring some glamour back to people's lives. It is, after all, what we're best at.'

Gareth was beaming now, 'That is an absolutely marvellous idea, darling. None of this smart-casual nonsense either,' Dawn nodded vigorously, 'Tuxedos and gowns only. Won't it be refreshing to see everyone dressed up properly again? We'll need to see which designers are reopening. The jewellers. Not to mention the perfumery departments. We'll need to see what this season's must-haves are looking like. I'll contact Ramund in the morning.'

Gareth and Dawn felt the first flickerings of genuine excitement at this proposal. It had been a long time since they had hosted a Ball.

The Greengrass duo began to plot. It began to feel like old times at the Manor.