A/N: Well, it's DONE!!! That would make this the second HP story I've finished, the first one being 'Trust Me'... I need to get my lazy butt in gear. ^_^ Thanks to EVERYONE who has read, especially all the wonderful people in the Albus and Minerva group, who put up with not only my stories and my writer's block, but ME as well! Bwa ha ha... and you thought you had it bad. ^_^ Okay, time for the epilogue. It's short, but it's got some pretty deep thoughts. Also, tomorrow (hopefully), I'll be posting another Grindelwald-era fic, tentatively titled '1945'. I rather like it so far. Be sure to look for it. Okay, I'm done. You may read now.
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EPILOGUE
~~~
Dumbledore was checked into a hospital and released late the next afternoon with some stiches, bandages, and a sling on his left arm with strict orders to keep it immobile until further notice. Grindelwald, even though he had not yet been revived, was in a maximum-security holding cell at the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry itself was in a frenzy. Noah McCarthy had travelled to Azkaban to personally see to Rachel Revueltas's release, and upon their return, Grindelwald was to be executed. He wasn't going to be a danger to anyone in his current state, and Tobias Hawkins and other Ministry officials thought it appropriate for her to be able to watch the execution of the man who had nearly destroyed not only her life, but the lives of countless others.
The execution itself was to take place in a courtyard at the Ministry of Magic at sunset. Five other Hogwarts teachers were there when Dumbledore and Minerva arrived: Warrick Larios, Natalie Cypher, Jennifer Hensley, Paul Fenner, and Geoffrey Poe. In addition, Hawkins and two Aurors, Alastor Moody and Tom Riddle, were there with the unconscious Grindelwald. "Glad you could join us," Hawkins said when the two newcomers were escorted into the courtyard. "McCarthy and Revueltas should be here any minute."
Dumbledore and Minerva walked over to the other Hogwarts teachers. Larios asked if they were all right. "Fine," Minerva answered. "A little worse for wear, but we'll be all right."
"What are we going to do about the school?" asked Natalie.
"We keep it open," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure Rachel will want her job back, so I'll step down as headmaster. Jennifer, are you up to being the full-time Charms instructor?"
Jennifer nodded.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "I believe all we have to do now is find a new Arithmancy instructor."
"How can you be so... calm?" Poe asked, searching for the right word. "You just caught the most dangerous wizard in the world, and barely escaped with your life. Are you trying to distract yourself?"
"No, I'm not," Dumbledore replied. "In an hour, Grindelwald will be nothing but a memory, and life will go on. The sooner this is behind us, the better."
"Here they come," Hawkins announced, and all eyes turned toward the entrance.
Coming into the courtyard were Noah McCarthy and Rachel Revueltas. Rachel looked horrible; she had lost a considerable amount of weight, her skin was pale and hung off her bones, and in her eyes was a glint that could only be described as a mixture of fear and fury. Her fellow instructors almost didn't recognize her. She recognized them, though, and when she did, she became visibly happier. She walked over to them as fast as she could, and embraced each of them in turn save for Dumbledore, as she noticed the condition his arm was in.
Grindelwald was to be executed with the Avada Kedavra curse, Hawkins informed them as he walked over. Moody and Riddle revived him, and while they did, Hawkins asked, "Do any of you have anything to say to him?"
No one spoke. Finally, Natalie broke the silence by saying, "I think he's already heard everything we've got to say."
Hawkins nodded. "Probably." He looked at Rachel. "Professor Revueltas, I apologize for what happened to you. I know we can never make up for what happened, but if there is anything we can do to-"
"Minister," Rachel interrupted, "there is something I would like to do."
"Name it."
She glared at Grindelwald, who was being dragged to the center of the courtyard by the two Aurors. "I want to commit the crime I was imprisoned for."
In spite of the situation, Hawkins couldn't help allowing the very smallest of smiles to cross his lips. "Which one?"
Even Grindelwald smiled. McCarthy looked at him and said, "What are you smiling for? You're about to be executed."
Grindelwald chuckled. "Do you really think killing me is going to change anything? Bring back everyone I've killed? Why don't you send me to Azkaban?"
Rachel shook her head. "No. You'd like it there."
The sun was sinking lower in the sky. Hawkins looked at McCarthy. "Give her the wand."
McCarthy looked a little surprised. "You mean - you're going to let her do it?"
Hawkins nodded. "It's the least we can do for-"
"Don't think you're letting me do this for me," Rachel interrupted. "My life wasn't the only one he almost destroyed." She looked over her shoulder back at Dumbledore. "Albus, do you-"
"No, Rachel," he said. "He's all yours." He and Minerva joined hands. Riddle glared at them. They pretended not to notice.
Without any further protest, McCarthy reached into his robes, pulled out a wand, and handed it to Rachel. She thanked him and stepped toward Grindelwald. "On your knees," she ordered.
"Never," he returned.
Moody struck him hard across the back of the head. Grindelwald cringed and slowly sank to his knees. Rachel looked at the two Aurors. "Stand aside."
Riddle and Moody both stepped back.
Grindelwald knew nothing could save him. All he could do was accept his defeat. They had won the battle with him, but others would follow in his footsteps. That was the way it always was, and the way it would always be. The struggle between good and evil would never end. To date, good had always triumphed, but evil always rose again. And someday, there would rise an evil so strong that nothing could stop it. That was the way of things. The good were strong. That was how they always won. The day would come, though, when someone came that was even stronger than all of them put together, and they would be brought to their knees.
"I'm just a messenger," he whispered, mostly to himself.
"Any last words?" Rachel asked.
"Yes." Grindelwald looked at each of them in turn, first Rachel, then Hawkins, Dumbledore, Minerva, Natalie, Jennifer, Poe, Fenner, Larios, Moody, and last, Riddle. He looked at Riddle a bit longer than the rest, and then turned his gaze back to Rachel. "There will be others."
Riddle tightened his already clenched fists.
Rachel pointed the wand at Grindelwald.
He smiled ever so slightly, closed his eyes, and bowed his head.
"Avada Kedavra."
The look on Grindelwald's face after the green light from the Killing Curse faded was not one of terror, as was typically found on those killed by it. His eyes were closed, and he was still smiling. He almost looked content.
Rachel looked at him for a few seconds, then turned away. She returned the wand to McCarthy and walked over to the other teachers. Moody and Riddle picked up Grindelwald's body and carried it out of the courtyard. McCarthy was close behind. Hawkins followed Rachel.
"Well, it's over," said Natalie.
Dumbledore shook his head. "It's never over. He's right, you know. There will be others." He made eye contact with each of them. "We can't stop them from coming, but when they come, we will be ready for them."
~~~
In many ways, Grindelwald was right. Evil did not rest, and no matter what they did to stop it, it would always come. What they could do, though, was fight back and never lose faith in themselves or their cause. The flame of the smallest candle could pierce all the darkness in the world.
~~~~
FINITE
~~~
EPILOGUE
~~~
Dumbledore was checked into a hospital and released late the next afternoon with some stiches, bandages, and a sling on his left arm with strict orders to keep it immobile until further notice. Grindelwald, even though he had not yet been revived, was in a maximum-security holding cell at the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry itself was in a frenzy. Noah McCarthy had travelled to Azkaban to personally see to Rachel Revueltas's release, and upon their return, Grindelwald was to be executed. He wasn't going to be a danger to anyone in his current state, and Tobias Hawkins and other Ministry officials thought it appropriate for her to be able to watch the execution of the man who had nearly destroyed not only her life, but the lives of countless others.
The execution itself was to take place in a courtyard at the Ministry of Magic at sunset. Five other Hogwarts teachers were there when Dumbledore and Minerva arrived: Warrick Larios, Natalie Cypher, Jennifer Hensley, Paul Fenner, and Geoffrey Poe. In addition, Hawkins and two Aurors, Alastor Moody and Tom Riddle, were there with the unconscious Grindelwald. "Glad you could join us," Hawkins said when the two newcomers were escorted into the courtyard. "McCarthy and Revueltas should be here any minute."
Dumbledore and Minerva walked over to the other Hogwarts teachers. Larios asked if they were all right. "Fine," Minerva answered. "A little worse for wear, but we'll be all right."
"What are we going to do about the school?" asked Natalie.
"We keep it open," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure Rachel will want her job back, so I'll step down as headmaster. Jennifer, are you up to being the full-time Charms instructor?"
Jennifer nodded.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "I believe all we have to do now is find a new Arithmancy instructor."
"How can you be so... calm?" Poe asked, searching for the right word. "You just caught the most dangerous wizard in the world, and barely escaped with your life. Are you trying to distract yourself?"
"No, I'm not," Dumbledore replied. "In an hour, Grindelwald will be nothing but a memory, and life will go on. The sooner this is behind us, the better."
"Here they come," Hawkins announced, and all eyes turned toward the entrance.
Coming into the courtyard were Noah McCarthy and Rachel Revueltas. Rachel looked horrible; she had lost a considerable amount of weight, her skin was pale and hung off her bones, and in her eyes was a glint that could only be described as a mixture of fear and fury. Her fellow instructors almost didn't recognize her. She recognized them, though, and when she did, she became visibly happier. She walked over to them as fast as she could, and embraced each of them in turn save for Dumbledore, as she noticed the condition his arm was in.
Grindelwald was to be executed with the Avada Kedavra curse, Hawkins informed them as he walked over. Moody and Riddle revived him, and while they did, Hawkins asked, "Do any of you have anything to say to him?"
No one spoke. Finally, Natalie broke the silence by saying, "I think he's already heard everything we've got to say."
Hawkins nodded. "Probably." He looked at Rachel. "Professor Revueltas, I apologize for what happened to you. I know we can never make up for what happened, but if there is anything we can do to-"
"Minister," Rachel interrupted, "there is something I would like to do."
"Name it."
She glared at Grindelwald, who was being dragged to the center of the courtyard by the two Aurors. "I want to commit the crime I was imprisoned for."
In spite of the situation, Hawkins couldn't help allowing the very smallest of smiles to cross his lips. "Which one?"
Even Grindelwald smiled. McCarthy looked at him and said, "What are you smiling for? You're about to be executed."
Grindelwald chuckled. "Do you really think killing me is going to change anything? Bring back everyone I've killed? Why don't you send me to Azkaban?"
Rachel shook her head. "No. You'd like it there."
The sun was sinking lower in the sky. Hawkins looked at McCarthy. "Give her the wand."
McCarthy looked a little surprised. "You mean - you're going to let her do it?"
Hawkins nodded. "It's the least we can do for-"
"Don't think you're letting me do this for me," Rachel interrupted. "My life wasn't the only one he almost destroyed." She looked over her shoulder back at Dumbledore. "Albus, do you-"
"No, Rachel," he said. "He's all yours." He and Minerva joined hands. Riddle glared at them. They pretended not to notice.
Without any further protest, McCarthy reached into his robes, pulled out a wand, and handed it to Rachel. She thanked him and stepped toward Grindelwald. "On your knees," she ordered.
"Never," he returned.
Moody struck him hard across the back of the head. Grindelwald cringed and slowly sank to his knees. Rachel looked at the two Aurors. "Stand aside."
Riddle and Moody both stepped back.
Grindelwald knew nothing could save him. All he could do was accept his defeat. They had won the battle with him, but others would follow in his footsteps. That was the way it always was, and the way it would always be. The struggle between good and evil would never end. To date, good had always triumphed, but evil always rose again. And someday, there would rise an evil so strong that nothing could stop it. That was the way of things. The good were strong. That was how they always won. The day would come, though, when someone came that was even stronger than all of them put together, and they would be brought to their knees.
"I'm just a messenger," he whispered, mostly to himself.
"Any last words?" Rachel asked.
"Yes." Grindelwald looked at each of them in turn, first Rachel, then Hawkins, Dumbledore, Minerva, Natalie, Jennifer, Poe, Fenner, Larios, Moody, and last, Riddle. He looked at Riddle a bit longer than the rest, and then turned his gaze back to Rachel. "There will be others."
Riddle tightened his already clenched fists.
Rachel pointed the wand at Grindelwald.
He smiled ever so slightly, closed his eyes, and bowed his head.
"Avada Kedavra."
The look on Grindelwald's face after the green light from the Killing Curse faded was not one of terror, as was typically found on those killed by it. His eyes were closed, and he was still smiling. He almost looked content.
Rachel looked at him for a few seconds, then turned away. She returned the wand to McCarthy and walked over to the other teachers. Moody and Riddle picked up Grindelwald's body and carried it out of the courtyard. McCarthy was close behind. Hawkins followed Rachel.
"Well, it's over," said Natalie.
Dumbledore shook his head. "It's never over. He's right, you know. There will be others." He made eye contact with each of them. "We can't stop them from coming, but when they come, we will be ready for them."
~~~
In many ways, Grindelwald was right. Evil did not rest, and no matter what they did to stop it, it would always come. What they could do, though, was fight back and never lose faith in themselves or their cause. The flame of the smallest candle could pierce all the darkness in the world.
~~~~
FINITE
