A/N: The final chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter Seven
The end of their seventh year at Hogwarts was coming to a close, and Hermione and Ron were finally awake. Exams at Hogwarts had been cancelled for the year. Hermione made no comment about this news. She seemed to be glad enough to be alive, and to see Ron.
The trio returned to school a week before it was to end. One thing they noticed was the absence of a certain Slytherin. They learned later that Malfoy had been taken to Azkaban shortly after the Ministry learned about what happened to Ron and Hermione.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for the end of the year banquet together. Waiting for them at the Gryffindor table was Ginny, Neville, and Seamus. Dumbledore was already standing and ready to address the group. He smiled at the three of them as they took their seats at their table.
"Hello everyone!" Dumbledore grinned. "We find ourselves at the end of another year at Hogwarts! Only a few announcements about next year before the House Cup gets awarded. A new class will be offered next year to fifth years and above. The class, called Herbal Remedies, will work in conjunction with your herbology class. The class will be taught by our own Cho Chang." Cho stood, and Dumbledore nodded at her. Everyone clapped, and she sat back down.
"Now, there are some last minute points that need awarding before I hand out the cup. To Ron Weasley, for supreme courage and loyalty in the face of danger...fifty points. To Hermione Granger, for use of excellent intuition and extreme bravery, I award fifty points. And finally to Harry Potter, for his driving determination and ingenious disregard for school property, I award fifty points." Dumbledore smiled at the three of them. There was a glint in his eye.
Professor McGonnagal stood, and Dumbledore smiled. "And now, for the awarding of the house cup." He announced.
"In fourth place, with 201 points is Slytherin." Professor McGonnagal pointed. "In third place, with 264 points is Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw comes in third place with 311 points, and first place is awarded to Gryffindor, with 516 points!" she smiled.
It was rewarding to win the House Cup again. The Quiddich cup had been a different story. With three of its players missing during key points in the season, the Quiddich Cup had been awarded to Hufflepuff, who had come from behind to surprise everyone with a win against Slytherin in the finals.
The good news did not end here, however. There was much more. Harry, with the help of Professor Lupin and Tonks, had arranged to start his training to become an Auror. He was to start a week after the next Hogwarts term began. Ron had secured himself a job in the Ministry of Magic's Magic Reversal Department. He was to marry Hermione in the spring. Hermione had gotten a job in the Ministry as well. She wasn't necessarily working alongside Ron, though. Hermione, ironic as it was, would be working directly under Mr. Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. After his near death experience, Mr. Weasley had been promoted to the head of his department.
Dumbledore enjoyed the benefits of a promotion as well. Starting at the end of Harry's seventh year, Albus Dumbledore took over as Minister of Magic. Professor McGonnagal took over as Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Lupin took in the benefits of full time employment as Hogwarts' newest Transfiguration teacher.
Harry packed what little he had from the Dursley's house, and quickly moved himself out onto his parents' land in Godric's Hollow. He had a modestly sized house built where his parents' house had once stood. It had three bedrooms and two baths. Harry didn't know why he had built it so big when it was only he who lived in it, but it suited him.
As for Number Twelve, Grimuald Place, Harry had decided what to do with it the moment he had heard about Ron and Hermione's engagement. Dumbledore called the Magic Reversal Department, who were able to undo the sticking charm that held Sirius's mother and other disruptive family members to the wall. Several members of the Order signed up for a different type of assignment: restoring the old house that had been left unused for so long. Tonks put her mother's household spells to the test. Moody enchanted the house with many different protection spells and charms ("Just to be safe," he grumbled.) Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione what he was doing. It was going to be a surprise. Their surprise. After all, he didn't get the chance to play matchmaker as much as he'd hoped, so this was his way of contributing. The one portrait that was left in the house was the large one of Sirius that hung in one of the bedrooms. Hermione had told him of her encounter with it, so he left it there.
In one of the closets, Harry found something that gave him quite a surprise. It was a box. The box was full of pictures of Sirius, Lupin, and his parents. Some went as far back as what Harry guessed had to be their first year in Hogwarts. He smiled as he filed through them. Below the pictures, but in the same box, was a small stack of yellowing parchment. Letters to Sirius from his parents. He looked at the first one, which was probably from his mother's fourth or fifth year at Hogwarts.
'Dear Sirius, I hope you're having a good summer? You can come and stay with me if your mother gives you too much grief. My mother already said it was all right! And it's certainly all right with me...just don't bring James, okay? That boy gets on my nerves! He is so immature! Why is it that every girl in school is falling all over him?...Well, I hope I'll be seeing you sometime soon? Hang in there, Sirius! After all, it's only two months, isn't it? Love from, Lily'
Harry smiled and turned through several more letters. There had to have been at least ten more that were from his parent's school days. Several were from his father. He had always liked Harry's mother. His letters revealed it. He paused at a letter addressed a month after his birth, and began to read. This one was from his father.
'Dear Sirius, I do hope you get this letter, as I had to give it to one of those post office things. I'm hoping the Ministry will find it and send it for me, but I guess we'll never know. Dumbledore has put us under several protection charms. I don't understand what the fuss about Harry is. He's beautiful, Sirius...a Gryffindor for sure...but what makes him so special I have no idea. I don't really understand any of this. Lily says she isn't worried about it, but she cries in her sleep, Si. What should I do? I don't know what to say...I'm scared too, Sirius. I mean, I trust Peter...it was a great suggestion...but he's always been so...he's almost a Squib, Si. I'm trying not to worry about it...but every time I look at Harry...he's so small. It's not like he could protect himself if anything happened to us.'
Harry frowned. There were smudges in the ink in this area. He was having great difficulty reading it because of the droplets of water. Tears? Harry's brow furrowed. Sirius had felt guilty about passing up the chance to be his parents' secret keeper. He had told Harry he would've died...he wouldn't have told anyone where they were...the conversation brought a deeper frown to Harry's face. His cheeks were hot. He sighed, and continued reading the letter.
'I hope you got those pictures we sent you, Sirius. I didn't know Lily had taken so many. We have copies of every one...you can do that with Muggle film...so these are for you. Enjoy them until we can see each other again, okay? -Prongs'
"Found 'the box', did you?" Moody smiled.
Harry looked up. "Huh? Oh, you mean this? Yeah." He nodded. "I think I'm going to take it with me. I'm sure Hermione and Ron won't need it," Harry laughed as he took the box from the closet.
He turned around and nearly bumped straight into Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley laughed. "Don't worry, Harry. Ron and Hermione aren't here. I've given Hermione some unnecessary work to do at the Ministry, and I turned Magnolia Crescent, that road next to your uncle's house, into chocolate pudding. I daresay Ron has his work cut out for him,"
Harry laughed as a vision of Ron swimming through chocolate pudding flashed through his mind. He could only imagine the look on his aunt and uncle's faces had Mr. Weasley turned their street into a chocolate dessert. "Well, are you here to help, Mr. Weasley?" he finally asked.
"Yes. I believe I've been put on the decorating committee. I've brought this with me. I thought we could put it someplace special..." He pulled out a picture frame. Inside was the letter Ron had sent to the Daily Prophet. Mr. Weasley had somehow gotten hold of the original copy, and a copy of the issue it was printed in.
"Brilliant!" Harry smiled.
It took the group nearly two weeks to disinfect the large house. When they finally finished, Dumbledore helped them out once again, calling an emergency Order meeting. When Hermione and Ron arrived, they were surprised to find the house looking gorgeous and perfectly inhabitable.
"This place has changed!" Hermione gasped.
Harry grinned. "It's changed just for you and Ron. I couldn't think of anything to do with it, so I talked to your dad. Dumbledore and the Order have been helping me restore it for two weeks. We even called in your department, Ron...you were away on business, I'm afraid..." he laughed.
"Wait, this place...is for us?" Hermione covered her mouth to hide the fact that her jaw had dropped. "It looks beautiful, everyone!" She turned to Ron. "Ron, can you believe it?"
Ron shook his head. "Gee...thanks, Harry. I would've never imagined...this place is so big..." he marveled.
"Well, Ron...there is a history of twins in the family..." His dad smiled at Hermione, who visibly blushed.
A new year at Hogwarts had finally begun, which meant that Harry's training as an Auror was to begin as well. He ran into Cho Chang in the Magical Mishaps department. She was there with Professor Flitwick, who looked rather...green.
Harry raised an eyebrow and smiled. Cho turned around. "Oh, hi, Harry. The Professor ate one of my remedies. Thought it was a salad, I guess, and since there was nothing wrong with him..." she pointed.
He smiled at her. He hadn't really spoken to her much since the end of his fifth year. He remembered she had always been pretty, but looking at her now...she was beautiful. "Hey Cho...when I'm done with this training program...do you...do you want to go out to lunch or something?" he couldn't believe what he'd just asked her.
"Sure," much to his surprise, she had accepted.
"Um...okay." He smiled. "I have to go!" he waved as he turned to run towards the Auror department.
Nearly six months later, Hermione and Ron were married, Harry was finally an Auror, and he and Cho had been seeing each other very steadily since the day after his training ended. In the next year, Hermione would have the first of five children, twin girls with her brown hair and Ron's eyes. Her other three children would inherit the flaming red hair that was characteristic of the Weasley family. Also in the next year, Ginny, the last of the Weasley children, would graduate from Hogwarts. Nearly a year after that, she surprised everyone, marrying Neville Longbottom. ("I never saw that one coming!" Hermione had exclaimed to Harry when she saw him at the Ministry.)
Harry and Cho's relationship progressed steadily. Harry finally asked Cho to marry him nearly seven months after Ron and Hermione's twins were born, and three after he triumphed over Voldemort. Cho moved into the house in Godric's Hollow with Harry. Harry was with Cho nearly a year later when she had her first baby. It was a boy.
"Are we naming him after your father?" asked Cho.
Harry nodded. "That would work, but what about a middle name?"
"I don't know..." Cho stared at the little boy in her arms. The stress of thinking really hard was starting to put a wrinkle in her forehead.
"What about Cedric?" Harry asked.
Cho frowned. "Harry, you don't have to...I was fourteen. I've dealt with it..." she smiled. "It's all right."
"It doesn't have anything to do with that, Cho." He shook his head. "Not really anyway. Think about it as a way of honoring Cedric's memory..."
"Oh..." Cho nodded. "People from our past...I see..." she smiled. "That's nice of you, Harry..."
"I love you, Cho," he smiled, kissing her and then kissing his new son, "and I love you..." he whispered in the baby's ear. James Cedric Potter was fast asleep in his mother's arms.... and Harry finally knew why his house was so big. His family...everything was complete.
A/N: Not too good at the endings...but I hope you liked it! Please read and review!
Chapter Seven
The end of their seventh year at Hogwarts was coming to a close, and Hermione and Ron were finally awake. Exams at Hogwarts had been cancelled for the year. Hermione made no comment about this news. She seemed to be glad enough to be alive, and to see Ron.
The trio returned to school a week before it was to end. One thing they noticed was the absence of a certain Slytherin. They learned later that Malfoy had been taken to Azkaban shortly after the Ministry learned about what happened to Ron and Hermione.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for the end of the year banquet together. Waiting for them at the Gryffindor table was Ginny, Neville, and Seamus. Dumbledore was already standing and ready to address the group. He smiled at the three of them as they took their seats at their table.
"Hello everyone!" Dumbledore grinned. "We find ourselves at the end of another year at Hogwarts! Only a few announcements about next year before the House Cup gets awarded. A new class will be offered next year to fifth years and above. The class, called Herbal Remedies, will work in conjunction with your herbology class. The class will be taught by our own Cho Chang." Cho stood, and Dumbledore nodded at her. Everyone clapped, and she sat back down.
"Now, there are some last minute points that need awarding before I hand out the cup. To Ron Weasley, for supreme courage and loyalty in the face of danger...fifty points. To Hermione Granger, for use of excellent intuition and extreme bravery, I award fifty points. And finally to Harry Potter, for his driving determination and ingenious disregard for school property, I award fifty points." Dumbledore smiled at the three of them. There was a glint in his eye.
Professor McGonnagal stood, and Dumbledore smiled. "And now, for the awarding of the house cup." He announced.
"In fourth place, with 201 points is Slytherin." Professor McGonnagal pointed. "In third place, with 264 points is Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw comes in third place with 311 points, and first place is awarded to Gryffindor, with 516 points!" she smiled.
It was rewarding to win the House Cup again. The Quiddich cup had been a different story. With three of its players missing during key points in the season, the Quiddich Cup had been awarded to Hufflepuff, who had come from behind to surprise everyone with a win against Slytherin in the finals.
The good news did not end here, however. There was much more. Harry, with the help of Professor Lupin and Tonks, had arranged to start his training to become an Auror. He was to start a week after the next Hogwarts term began. Ron had secured himself a job in the Ministry of Magic's Magic Reversal Department. He was to marry Hermione in the spring. Hermione had gotten a job in the Ministry as well. She wasn't necessarily working alongside Ron, though. Hermione, ironic as it was, would be working directly under Mr. Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. After his near death experience, Mr. Weasley had been promoted to the head of his department.
Dumbledore enjoyed the benefits of a promotion as well. Starting at the end of Harry's seventh year, Albus Dumbledore took over as Minister of Magic. Professor McGonnagal took over as Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Lupin took in the benefits of full time employment as Hogwarts' newest Transfiguration teacher.
Harry packed what little he had from the Dursley's house, and quickly moved himself out onto his parents' land in Godric's Hollow. He had a modestly sized house built where his parents' house had once stood. It had three bedrooms and two baths. Harry didn't know why he had built it so big when it was only he who lived in it, but it suited him.
As for Number Twelve, Grimuald Place, Harry had decided what to do with it the moment he had heard about Ron and Hermione's engagement. Dumbledore called the Magic Reversal Department, who were able to undo the sticking charm that held Sirius's mother and other disruptive family members to the wall. Several members of the Order signed up for a different type of assignment: restoring the old house that had been left unused for so long. Tonks put her mother's household spells to the test. Moody enchanted the house with many different protection spells and charms ("Just to be safe," he grumbled.) Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione what he was doing. It was going to be a surprise. Their surprise. After all, he didn't get the chance to play matchmaker as much as he'd hoped, so this was his way of contributing. The one portrait that was left in the house was the large one of Sirius that hung in one of the bedrooms. Hermione had told him of her encounter with it, so he left it there.
In one of the closets, Harry found something that gave him quite a surprise. It was a box. The box was full of pictures of Sirius, Lupin, and his parents. Some went as far back as what Harry guessed had to be their first year in Hogwarts. He smiled as he filed through them. Below the pictures, but in the same box, was a small stack of yellowing parchment. Letters to Sirius from his parents. He looked at the first one, which was probably from his mother's fourth or fifth year at Hogwarts.
'Dear Sirius, I hope you're having a good summer? You can come and stay with me if your mother gives you too much grief. My mother already said it was all right! And it's certainly all right with me...just don't bring James, okay? That boy gets on my nerves! He is so immature! Why is it that every girl in school is falling all over him?...Well, I hope I'll be seeing you sometime soon? Hang in there, Sirius! After all, it's only two months, isn't it? Love from, Lily'
Harry smiled and turned through several more letters. There had to have been at least ten more that were from his parent's school days. Several were from his father. He had always liked Harry's mother. His letters revealed it. He paused at a letter addressed a month after his birth, and began to read. This one was from his father.
'Dear Sirius, I do hope you get this letter, as I had to give it to one of those post office things. I'm hoping the Ministry will find it and send it for me, but I guess we'll never know. Dumbledore has put us under several protection charms. I don't understand what the fuss about Harry is. He's beautiful, Sirius...a Gryffindor for sure...but what makes him so special I have no idea. I don't really understand any of this. Lily says she isn't worried about it, but she cries in her sleep, Si. What should I do? I don't know what to say...I'm scared too, Sirius. I mean, I trust Peter...it was a great suggestion...but he's always been so...he's almost a Squib, Si. I'm trying not to worry about it...but every time I look at Harry...he's so small. It's not like he could protect himself if anything happened to us.'
Harry frowned. There were smudges in the ink in this area. He was having great difficulty reading it because of the droplets of water. Tears? Harry's brow furrowed. Sirius had felt guilty about passing up the chance to be his parents' secret keeper. He had told Harry he would've died...he wouldn't have told anyone where they were...the conversation brought a deeper frown to Harry's face. His cheeks were hot. He sighed, and continued reading the letter.
'I hope you got those pictures we sent you, Sirius. I didn't know Lily had taken so many. We have copies of every one...you can do that with Muggle film...so these are for you. Enjoy them until we can see each other again, okay? -Prongs'
"Found 'the box', did you?" Moody smiled.
Harry looked up. "Huh? Oh, you mean this? Yeah." He nodded. "I think I'm going to take it with me. I'm sure Hermione and Ron won't need it," Harry laughed as he took the box from the closet.
He turned around and nearly bumped straight into Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley laughed. "Don't worry, Harry. Ron and Hermione aren't here. I've given Hermione some unnecessary work to do at the Ministry, and I turned Magnolia Crescent, that road next to your uncle's house, into chocolate pudding. I daresay Ron has his work cut out for him,"
Harry laughed as a vision of Ron swimming through chocolate pudding flashed through his mind. He could only imagine the look on his aunt and uncle's faces had Mr. Weasley turned their street into a chocolate dessert. "Well, are you here to help, Mr. Weasley?" he finally asked.
"Yes. I believe I've been put on the decorating committee. I've brought this with me. I thought we could put it someplace special..." He pulled out a picture frame. Inside was the letter Ron had sent to the Daily Prophet. Mr. Weasley had somehow gotten hold of the original copy, and a copy of the issue it was printed in.
"Brilliant!" Harry smiled.
It took the group nearly two weeks to disinfect the large house. When they finally finished, Dumbledore helped them out once again, calling an emergency Order meeting. When Hermione and Ron arrived, they were surprised to find the house looking gorgeous and perfectly inhabitable.
"This place has changed!" Hermione gasped.
Harry grinned. "It's changed just for you and Ron. I couldn't think of anything to do with it, so I talked to your dad. Dumbledore and the Order have been helping me restore it for two weeks. We even called in your department, Ron...you were away on business, I'm afraid..." he laughed.
"Wait, this place...is for us?" Hermione covered her mouth to hide the fact that her jaw had dropped. "It looks beautiful, everyone!" She turned to Ron. "Ron, can you believe it?"
Ron shook his head. "Gee...thanks, Harry. I would've never imagined...this place is so big..." he marveled.
"Well, Ron...there is a history of twins in the family..." His dad smiled at Hermione, who visibly blushed.
A new year at Hogwarts had finally begun, which meant that Harry's training as an Auror was to begin as well. He ran into Cho Chang in the Magical Mishaps department. She was there with Professor Flitwick, who looked rather...green.
Harry raised an eyebrow and smiled. Cho turned around. "Oh, hi, Harry. The Professor ate one of my remedies. Thought it was a salad, I guess, and since there was nothing wrong with him..." she pointed.
He smiled at her. He hadn't really spoken to her much since the end of his fifth year. He remembered she had always been pretty, but looking at her now...she was beautiful. "Hey Cho...when I'm done with this training program...do you...do you want to go out to lunch or something?" he couldn't believe what he'd just asked her.
"Sure," much to his surprise, she had accepted.
"Um...okay." He smiled. "I have to go!" he waved as he turned to run towards the Auror department.
Nearly six months later, Hermione and Ron were married, Harry was finally an Auror, and he and Cho had been seeing each other very steadily since the day after his training ended. In the next year, Hermione would have the first of five children, twin girls with her brown hair and Ron's eyes. Her other three children would inherit the flaming red hair that was characteristic of the Weasley family. Also in the next year, Ginny, the last of the Weasley children, would graduate from Hogwarts. Nearly a year after that, she surprised everyone, marrying Neville Longbottom. ("I never saw that one coming!" Hermione had exclaimed to Harry when she saw him at the Ministry.)
Harry and Cho's relationship progressed steadily. Harry finally asked Cho to marry him nearly seven months after Ron and Hermione's twins were born, and three after he triumphed over Voldemort. Cho moved into the house in Godric's Hollow with Harry. Harry was with Cho nearly a year later when she had her first baby. It was a boy.
"Are we naming him after your father?" asked Cho.
Harry nodded. "That would work, but what about a middle name?"
"I don't know..." Cho stared at the little boy in her arms. The stress of thinking really hard was starting to put a wrinkle in her forehead.
"What about Cedric?" Harry asked.
Cho frowned. "Harry, you don't have to...I was fourteen. I've dealt with it..." she smiled. "It's all right."
"It doesn't have anything to do with that, Cho." He shook his head. "Not really anyway. Think about it as a way of honoring Cedric's memory..."
"Oh..." Cho nodded. "People from our past...I see..." she smiled. "That's nice of you, Harry..."
"I love you, Cho," he smiled, kissing her and then kissing his new son, "and I love you..." he whispered in the baby's ear. James Cedric Potter was fast asleep in his mother's arms.... and Harry finally knew why his house was so big. His family...everything was complete.
A/N: Not too good at the endings...but I hope you liked it! Please read and review!