Disclaimer: You know already.

Disclaimer 2: The "muggle kid program" that Angelina is talking about is "Bananas in Pyjamas" and I have nothing against it.

This story is dedicated to my Grandmother, who passed away on 22-1-2005

This chapter is dedicated to my friend Jane, who gave me the idea for this chapter, thanks Jane!

Author's Note: This is NOT the last chapter of this story, so keep reading!

To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so back off, if you know what's good for you.

Thank you for your reviews!

leechka: Whatever

lizztigger, kpxiceboi: No, the next chapter is the last one

the writer café: (hands you a piece of tissue)

Kaydeek: Err…

Cat: Go ahead, I don't mind.

aislin: That's how the story goes…

rosesbleedto: I will write more H/Hr stories, unless the 6th book proves that H/Hr is wrong…

Chapter 33: Neville's Plan

Ron was still for a while before he closed the diary. "That's the last entry."

"That bastard, he didn't keep his end of the bargain!" said Oliver.

"Hermione remained as Mrs Krum until now!" said Fred angrily.

"Git." mumbled Neville.

Silence.

Ginny sniffled and changed the topic. "It was depressing to find out that they never make it to the New Year's countdown."

Ron sighed and put the diary down onto the table. "It's all in the past, Ginny. T-they are gone and that's it."

George sighed, fell back on the sofa, tilted his head up and covered his face with his hands. "Thanks a lot for reminding us, Ron." he said, his voice muffled.

"I have to," said Ron determinedly.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of bravery in himself; he needed to be brave enough to tell his family and friends that all of them, including himself had to face the reality that their good friends were dead.

"Guys, I know we are upset…" started Ron.

"Who doesn't?" asked Fred. "It's Harry Potter and Hermione Granger we are talking here! Our best buds for like 13 years!"

"… but that doesn't mean that we have to be upset forever!" said Ron in a louder voice. "I'm going to ask you guys what Dumbledore had asked Harry: Do you think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us?"

Silence.

"I don't think so." said Neville quietly.

Ron looked at his brother-in-law. "That's right. Harry and Hermione might have died, but they never truly leave us. They are still alive, in our hearts. They will only die when we have completely forgotten about them. We should look ahead and stop mourning about them."

George lifted his hands out of his face and sat properly. "Oh great, our youngest brother actually lecture us about looking ahead. You are starting to sound like Percy, Ron."

Ron was about to open his mouth to protest when George continued, "But you are right, Ron. We have to look ahead. They are dead in this world but they are still alive in our memories."

He smiled at Ron and for the first time, Ron truly that George had a mature, brotherly side after all. Ron smiled back.

Fred suddenly thought of something. "Hey, wait a minute. Who's the owner of this house after Harry and Hermione die?"

All of the people turned their heads and looked at Neville for answer.

Neville shrugged. "No idea. Harry and Hermione didn't even have the time to will this house. Maybe some people will buy this place or something…"

Suddenly an idea came to George's mind. "Wait a second…"

Fred looked at George and grinned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, George?"

"I think I am, Fred."

"It's buying time!" said the twins in unison.

"Will you two stop acting like those two big pyjamas clothed bananas in that muggle kids programme and tell us what you are thinking?" asked Angelina in annoyance.

"Fred and I have an idea." said George.

"Which is?" asked Alicia.

"We will buy this house." said Fred.

"All of us." said George and Fred nodded.

"We figured that we should keep this house in the memory of Harry and Hermione…" started Fred.

"…and the only way to do that is to buy this house for ourselves." ended George.

"What're we going to do with it after buying this place?" asked Lavender.

"Nothing, just make sure that all things are keep in good condition…" said Fred.

"I think Harry and Hermione would like that." said George.

"So how about it?" asked the twins together.

"Hm…" said Ron.

Silence.

"Neville and I are with you," said Ginny and Neville nodded. "We couldn't bear to see this place ended up with somebody we don't know."

"Oliver? Katie?" asked George.

"Go ahead." said Oliver.

"Ron? Lavender?" asked Ginny.

Ron and Lavender smiled slightly and nodded.

Since Fred and George had made their minds, their wives had to agree.

"Okay, then I will make the necessary documents so that we could buy this place." said Neville.

"All right!" said Fred and George.

"Harry and Hermione would be happy to know that their house was being bought by us and not by just anyone else." said Katie.

"I want to tell them." said Ginny suddenly.

"What?" asked Ron.

"I want to go and visit them." said Ginny. "And tell them that we know everything about them and we are going to buy this house."

Ron looked at his watch. It was almost 6pm. "Now?"

"Of course not, silly." said Ginny. "I want to go and see them after Neville have done the necessary documents."

Silence.

"We'll go with you." said Fred and Angelina.

"Us too." said George and Alicia.

"Take us along." said Katie and Oliver.

"Tell you what," said Ginny, "why don't we all go when this whole thing is settled?"

All of the people in the group nodded.

Silence again.

The clock stroke 6 o'clock.

"Um, I think we should go now." said Oliver, getting up.

"Are we coming back tomorrow?" asked Lavender.

"I don't think so." said Ron, getting up with the rest of the people.

"It's weird," said George, "we come to this place since the funeral and today is the last day…"

Ron stared at Hermione's diary on the table. Suddenly, he picked it up and put it in his pocket of his windbreaker.

He walked to the door to join the others. He put his hand on the doorknob, stepped out and was about to close it when he turned his head and had a final look into the house. Who knows when he could come back to the place? He probably wouldn't be able to see it again for a long time…

After he had seen enough, he closed the door and Neville locked it. The group made their way down to the gate. Ron paused and looked back at the empty house again.

Suddenly he smiled and whispered, "Bye guys."

He left with the others, leaving the house behind.

It was night time. The atmosphere at the Longbottoms was warm and lovely. Neville was upstairs in Lethe's bedroom, reading a black and white picture book on the bed with his daughter. Ginny was in hers and Neville's bedroom, hanging up Neville's robes for the next day.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Ginny continued, thinking that Neville might go and answer the door. But the doorbell continued to ring.

"Coming!" called Ginny, putting down Neville's tie and going out of the door.

She went down the stairs as quickly as possible, since the doorbell was ringing urgently, and rushed to the door.

She opened it and gasped in surprise. "You! What are you doing here?"

"Now, what's this?" asked Neville to Lethe, pointing a picture on the book.

"Hose." said Lethe, trying to say the word "horse".

"No, it's actually a UNICORN. U-ni…" said Neville, pronouncing the word 'unicorn' when Ginny came into the room.

"Mummy!" cried Lethe, smiling.

Ginny smiled back and said to Neville. "You have a visitor."

Neville blinked. "Now? Who is it?"

Ginny looked uncomfortable.

"Um, just go, please. He's in the front room." she said. "I will take care of Lethe. It's her bedtime anyway."

Looking confused, Neville got out of the bed and Ginny took the book out of her daughter, saying, "All right, young lady, it's bedtime…"

Neville grabbed a dressing gown from his room and went downstairs. Once he saw who the visitor was, he frowned immediately.

"You!"

Viktor Krum frowned back, his arms folded. "It's not that I'm villing to come here."

Neville scowled slightly, but Krum was a guest after all, so he cleared his throat and said politely, "Take a seat."

Krum sat down on a chair and Neville sat down on his armchair.

"So… what are you doing here?" asked Neville.

Krum thought for a while and said, "I-I need your help."

Neville's eyes widened. Then he leaned forward on his seat and said, "What? What did you just say?"

"I need your help." said Krum impatiently.

Silence.

"I don't see the need of helping you," said Neville in a low, angry tone and leaned back onto his chair. "Do you realise who you are talking to? Not only I'm a lawyer, I'm also a friend of Hermione Granger, your so-called wife! You never loved her, you abused her, and you even forced her to sleep with you!"

"How did you know that?" asked Krum, surprised.

"Never mind how I knew," snapped Neville, standing up, his anger surged up within him. He had never felt this angry towards anyone, well, except Draco Malfoy.

"You always slapped her and called her 'bitch', you never regarded her as her wife! She and Harry died unmarried to each other because of you! Give me one good reason why I should help you?"

"Because I'm Hermy-own-ninny's husband, after all. And like you said, you are her friend." said Krum.

Neville growled and clutched his fist. "Keep talking about you being Hermione's husband and I will…"

"Look, I have to look for you, you are the only one who can help me!" said Krum, with a bit of desperate note in his voice.

Neville thought for a while. Maybe he could use this as an advantage…

"Ok, fine, tell me what has happened." said Neville and sat down again.

Krum sighed. "I got into a fight, at the Hog's Head."

Neville rolled his eyes. "And?"

"The person vhom I fought with is actually the captain of my Quidditch team, the Wigtown Wanderers. Now he's vants to sue me and vants me out of the team."

"Uh-huh."

"I didn't punch him on purpose! I was just feeling grouchy of losing the match against Holyhead Harpies, who are just a bunch of silly women…"

"Hey, give some respect to women, will you?" asked Neville irritably. He just couldn't understand why Hermione married him in the first place.

" Okay… Anyway, my captain kept on going on and on about me losing to a female Seeker and frustrated me so much that I stood up and smashed my glass of Firewhiskey on his head."

"Ouch." said Neville.

"Now he's going to sue me. I don't have a lawyer and I will definitely lose the case if I don't have a defence lawyer to help me. I heard from some of my team mates that your debating skills are excellent and seldom lose a case…"

"So you think that you could come and ask me for help?" asked Neville.

"Yes, unfortunately." said Krum.

Neville frowned again. "If you want me to help, you better watch your mouth."

Krum didn't say anything.

"Ok, on the account of my friendship with Hermione, I will help you as much as I can." said Neville, standing up.

"I suppose I have to kneel down, bow to you and say thank you?" asked Krum before he could stop himself.

Neville gave a fake smile. "No. I will help, on one condition."

"Vot is it?"

Neville stared Krum in the eyes. "You will sign the divorce paper."

Krum's eyes widened. "No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Hermy-own-ninny belongs to me and I will keep her!"

"What's the use of keeping a dead person?" asked Neville, his debating skills at work. "It doesn't do you any good either!"

Krum thought for a while. "No."

Neville let out a noise of frustration. "Fine, let me tell you, signing the paper is the only ticket to my help. Take it or leave it!"

"…"

"If you don't sign the paper, you will get to keep your dead wife but your Quidditch career will be gone forever. But if you do sign, I guarantee your place in Wigtown Wanderers as a Seeker will be secure." said Neville, trying to hurry Krum to make up his mind.

Krum looked like he was thinking again.

"Now go home and tell me tomorrow whether you will sign the paper or not…" started Neville.

"There's no need." said Krum. "I have made up my mind."

"And?" asked Neville, trying not to look so hopeful.

Krum took a deep breath and let it out. "I vill sign the paper."

"Really?"

Krum swallowed and said, "Really."

Neville smiled, but he forced himself not to smile too brightly. "Good, I will take the paper now."

He waved his hands and a piece of parchment and a quill appeared on his hands. He stared at Hermione's familiar signature and the part where her tear had smeared (he forgot to fix it) and thought back the time when she and Harry were so upset by Krum's refusal of signing the paper…

"Hurry up." growled Krum.

Neville snapped out of his trance and handed the parchment and quill to Krum. Krum placed the parchment on his lap and studied the terms and conditions carefully.

Neville could hear Krum muttered the word "bitch" before he signed his name onto his and Hermione's divorce paper. He then handed it to Neville.

Neville took the paper and smiled. "Good, I will see you in my office at 1pm tomorrow then, we will discuss about you case."

Krum nodded curtly before he Disapparated.

After Krum had gone, Neville looked at the divorce paper and started to jump with joy, he tried not to give shouts of victory, because Lethe was already asleep upstairs. He made his way upstairs as fast (but quietly) as possible and to his and Ginny's bedroom.

"Ginny!" he cried after he had closed the bedroom door. "Guess what?"

Ginny sat up on the bed. "What? Does Krum come here to look for trouble?"

"No," said Neville, shaking his head. "He came to ask for help."

"And?"

"I said I will, on one condition."

"And what was that?"

"He will have to sign the divorce paper."

"Really?" asked Ginny anxiously. "And did he do it?"

Neville grinned slowly and showed the parchment to his wife. "Ta-da!"

Ginny gasped and snatched the parchment. She held it against the window as if she was trying to see whether Krum's signature was genuine.

"It's real." said Neville, continued to grin.

Ginny gave an excited scream and holding her husband's hands, she jumped out of the bed. Neville laughed and soon, the young couple started to do a victory dance, singing: "Hermione is free, Hermione is free, she and Harry could rest in peace…"

They kept on dancing and singing for like five minutes before they fell back and lay exhaustedly on their bed. Both of them just couldn't get the smile off their faces, they were so happy for their deceased friend, who finally had her last wish fulfilled.

"I'm going to show this to Harry and Hermione." said Ginny, looking adoringly at the divorce paper.

"Who don't you burn it at their graves?" suggested Neville. "I heard my grandmother saying that if you want to send anything to the dead, just burn the thing and they will get it."

"Hm, maybe I will." said Ginny. "But first, I want to show it to the rest first..."

Ginny threw her arms around her husband and hugged him. "Oh, Neville, you're brilliant!"

Neville blushed slightly and smiled. "Well, I'm a lawyer after all…"

"Make that a very good one…" said Ginny and she kissed him on the lips.

Neville was about to kiss her back when a very familiar voice screamed, "MUMMY! DADDY!"

The young couple groaned.

"Oh no, we have waked Lethe up!"

STAY TUNED FOR THE LAST CHAPTER!