A/N: Well, here it is - the final chapter. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to all who took time to review and let me know what you did or did not like. I'm still working on a sequel to my LOTR story, No Mistake. Hopefully, I can finish that and get it posted sometime in March. Several people sent me ideas for plot lines and I am using elements of most of them, plus a couple of my own. As for Harry Potter and friends - the countdown begins to July 16th!

Chapter 22

Looking back, I think things came to a head a lot faster than anyone imagined they would. It was probably a good thing that it all happened before the students came back to Hogwarts for the new year. While the older students might have been some help, it would also have meant there were more people in danger who needed protection by the adults.

Voldemort seemed to think it important that he capture Hogwarts. Maybe he was really seeking to bring down Harry and Dumbledore and then have a clear path. Whatever his reasoning, in mid-August the school found itself under attack. It actually worked out well that the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix was located nearby. Order members could Apparate into the tunnel and were quickly on Hogwarts grounds to aid in the fight. All of us had our hands full, and there were injuries and losses sustained on both sides, though reassuringly we noted far more deaths among the Death Eaters than on our side.

After nearly a week of fighting, suddenly the Death Eaters seemed to fall back in disarray. No one was sure why until Professor Snape noted that the Dark Mark on his arm was fading away. That's when we knew that Harry must have beaten Voldemort. The only trouble was, no one had seen either Harry or Voldemort for the past day and a half, and no one knew where they were. I was in the hospital wing along with several others, including Moony. Madam Pomfrey and Cass had their hands full treating the injured. When Snape told us what was happening, naturally we asked about Harry, but no one knew anything useful.

Although I was cut and bruised, and suffering the aftereffects of two well-placed spells, I was well enough to realize what they were saying. Even though Voldemort appeared to be dead, we had no way of knowing if Harry was also. Immediately I struggled up from the hospital bed and moved toward the window. Cass made a grab for me, "Where are you going? Lay back down! They'll find him!" But I wrenched free of her grasp, transformed into an owl and was out the window.

Moony eased out of his own bed and went to stand beside her at the window, slipping an arm around her waist. "Let her go. She won't rest until she knows." Hard as it was for her, Cass did understand and reluctantly turned back to her work, urging Moony back to bed. Snape swept from the room and organized everyone available to begin searching for Harry, and Dumbledore who was also missing.

When it turned dark, most of the searchers returned to the castle to report their lack of success. Dinner was a somber affair as everyone waited to find out what had actually taken place, and who was alive and who was dead. Cassie's worry increased the longer I remained gone. She wasn't surprised that I stayed out longer than anyone else, but as the hour grew later her concern over the effect of my own injuries grew.

Hermione had sent Hedwig out looking for Harry as well, hoping that the keen vision of the owl, even in the dark, might be successful where human eyes had failed. But Hedwig returned around midnight and gave no indication she had found anything.

The first light of morning found Ron, Hermione and Ginny sprawled on the floor in a corner of the hospital ward. They had slept there during the night in order to be around if any news was received. Draco, having been injured, was in a bed nearby. Everyone awoke with a start when a loud yell was heard from the grounds below. Someone had spotted an owl returning to the castle, with a body in tow under the spell cast from a wand it was carrying.

I landed on the front lawn and Harry's body hovered slightly over the ground still under the Locomotive Spell. I transformed back to human form as eager hands of Order members reached for Harry and carried him to the infirmary, with me trailing slowly behind assisted by Tonks.

I wanted to stay awake and find out how severe Harry's injuries were, but my own overcame me and I passed out shortly after reaching the hospital. Maybe subconsciously I knew there was nothing more I could do for him, or perhaps my body had just reached its limit, but I didn't wake for about thirty-six hours. When I did, it was to be told that Harry was out of danger, though still unconscious.

Snape questioned me about where I had found him and if I had seen any sign of Dumbledore, since they had still not been able to locate the Headmaster. In a flash, it all came back to me and I whispered, "Dumbledore is dead. He was with Harry." I told them where I had found Harry and they sent searchers immediately to recover the body.

The war, for the most part, was over almost as quickly as it had begun. But we had paid a high price with some of our dearest blood. Professor McGonagall sent owls to all the students to inform them of a month's delay in starting the new school year. It was hoped the damage to the castle and elsewhere could be repaired in that time. Decisions had to be made, reorganization had to take place and we all needed time to grieve.

It took several days for Harry to awaken, and to this day I still don't think I know all the details of what happened in his final battle with Voldemort. Eventually all who were injured healed physically; school did resume with a memorial service for Dumbledore on the second day of the term. Professor McGonagall was made the new Headmistress.

And life settled down into the most order and normalcy Harry had ever experienced since coming to Hogwarts. It felt really strange, starting our final year, to try and just be normal teenagers, looking to finish school and planning our lives. I'm sure we weren't typical of the seventeen year olds who had preceded us, but we tried our best.

Later, there were marriages and babies, and even some happily-ever-after. Most of the world gladly relegated Voldemort to the history books, and resumed their everyday lives as though nothing had happened. But for a great many of us, we would be forever changed.

The End