A/N: And here is the final installation of this story...a bit of a surprise ending also! The usual disclaimers that none of the HP characters and places are mine, much as I wish dear, dear Harry was...enjoy!
FlooJacked!
By: CNJ
PG-13
Epilogue
Harry:
"Our first few weeks of the summer fading fast," Ron leaned back after finishing a huge double-dip cone of multi-flavored ice cream at the table we sat at that mid-June. My friends and I had met here in Diagon Alley to spend the day and now we were having a late day ice cream snack.
More like a mid-evening since it was around nine in the evening and the sun was low in the sky. Just one more year at Hogwarts, I thought.
At Grimmauld Place, we'd had our memorial for Arabella Figg, another somber, bittersweet affair. She had played a major part in keeping my sanity intact the time I spent staying with the Dursleys'. If only I'd gotten a chance to tell her.
I was looking forward to starting work at the Flourish and Blotts bookstore in Diagon Alley. Hermione was working at Papers Parchments and All, an office supply store also in Diagon Alley. Ron would be working on the filing in his mum's office. Ginny and Luna still have one more year to go before they're old enough to work.
It's nice to be earning my own money. I still have reserves of the money my parents left me, but I plan to save it for my last year of Hogwarts, for college and until I got financially sound.
More and more, I know I want to be an auror, class B, which is the equivalent of a barrister in the muggle world. I also spend at least an hour a day playing my bariol and sometimes, I played the violin my mum had left to me.
We were almost done with our ice cream when we heard someone familiar...Snape? Sure enough, he was nearby talking to someone just outside of the Apothecary. I guess we saw each other at the same time because his eyes widened a bit and he came slowly over.
"Hello..." he greeted with an actual hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"Hi..." We responded.
"So, what brings you out here, Professor Snape?" Luna asked.
"Lots of things, mainly getting supplies for a research position I'm starting in Ireland after Voldemort is finally defeated," Snape told us.
"Research position...?" I asked, puzzled.
"Yes, I will not be returning to Hogwarts this fall," Snape announced. "I will still be working with all of you through the Order, but just not teaching." We were quiet, I think surprised for a long minute.
I always knew Snape wasn't happy teaching, but it was still a surprise that he actually stepped down from his Potions position, not to mention head of the Slytherin house. "Surprised?" Snape asked.
"I...guess so," Hermione nodded.
"After so many nights thinking about this and discussing it with Professor Dumbledore, he decided it was safe for me to venture outside of Hogwarts." Snape told us.
"Oh...hey, that's good that you'll finally find a career you'll enjoy," I said softly. I really meant it.
"I think I will," Snape actually grinned this time. "This research position is secured, promises good pay and will be much more to my liking. So, I bid all of you good luck and I will see you at the next Order meeting." With that, Snape stood and started off.
"Bye, Professor Snape..." "See you..." we called after him as he slowly vanished into the crowd.
"I suspected he wasn't really a bad bloke," I told my friends as we got ready to head home. "It's good to see him get into something he'll enjoy for a change."
"Even when he asked you those bizarre questions you couldn't answer that first day at Hogwarts?" Ron asked.
"I guess...at first I didn't know what to think."
"I wonder who'll take his place?" Hermione wondered as we headed down the street to the nearest floo fireplace. The floo networks were back up, but had undergone revamping to make it more tamperproof.
Walking through the streets of Hogsmeade, we could see that many of the damaged buildings had been rebuilt and people were coming back in droves.
It was as if people were fighting back and refusing to let Voldemort or any remaining death eaters disrupt their lives. There were still no leads to Voldemort yet and it was suspected that he was in hiding and would try again to get more followers in an attempt to rebuild his power base.
But for now we had a reprieve and the Order Of Phoenix would be on the lookout for any signs of Voldemort coming out again, especially since even alone, he could still pose a threat.
The Parliament of Magic selected an Aranus Beckley as the new Minister to replace Fudge. So far, we've heard very good things about him.
There was the gaping hole that Arabella Figg's and Remus Lupin's deaths had left. It was healing, though. Bit by bit, we could remember and talk of them without breaking down.
In early July, the Order and Young Order will be meeting again at Grimmauld Place to finalize our plan for the final defeat of Voldemort.
I'm formulating an idea just now about the spell my late mum, Lily used to protect me the night she died. If there is a way to conjure it from my subconscious, I suspect it will be a tremendous asset to the Young and Main Order. I plan to bring it up to Aunt Miranda, then at the upcoming meeting.
As for my friends and I...seventh year was on the way and when it came we'd make the most of our final year before departing for the universities and adulthood, Voldemort threat or not. It was something to build on.
Storyline Copyright 2003 by CNJ