Chapter Twenty

Kate Bennett stood shakily, moving to the spot where Voldemort had stood. On the floor there was a body, hardly recognizable and surrounded by scorch marks.

"That doesn't look like Avada Kedavra. Does it?" the Harry-Projection said near her.

"No," the Draco-Projection agreed. "The body should be unblemished. This is odd."

Kate bent down and looked at the corpse. "Well, he's not alive at least." The house shook again. "I'll try to put you into your bodies again." She took a deep breath. "Reditus."

The Projections drifted back into their respective bodies. The boys returned to their solidness with sharp breaths. Using a simple spell and some spry finger work, Kate made quick work of the leather straps binding them to the tables. The boys rubbed their wrists where the straps had rubbed and they made their way out of the house.

There were neither guards nor Death Eaters as they left the Riddle House. It was empty. As they walked into another corridor, they glimpsed the real damage from Dumbledore's attack. An entire staircase had collapsed and the bottom floor was merely a heap of debris. A few bodies lie lifeless here and there, all unscarred from presumably suicide. The three of them climbed out of the wreckage and found themselves on a grassy plain. It was an ugly scene. More bodies littered the ground and these were not untarnished. Most were only bloody messes and one could see the Order had lost many wizards and witches. It had been a close fight.

The remaining witches and wizards stood in quiet gatherings, mourning their losses. They saw families both grieving and joyful. Kate bit her lip. Her grandmother was the only family she had left. The other two walked grimly beside Kate, fighting to stop the tears that came with bloodshed and loss. Emergency Center wizards wrapped them in blankets and slipped hot mugs of water into their hands.

Dumbledore spotted them and waved the trio over. His injuries included a limp and slit arm, a gash across his cheekbone, and a blackened eye. He smiled at them over the unbroken glasses they knew so well. "Well done. Well done. All of you."

"What happened?" Harry asked, looking around.

"We, the Order's forces, were behind. It was looking grim for us. But then, a bright light from the house stunned most of the Death Eaters and we pulled ahead. I assume that was Hope you let out."

Kate nodded. "Yes. Is Voldemort really gone?"

Dumbledore's smile faded from his jolly face. "Yes. I was just inside. And it is all because of you and your efforts to work together. Your strengths," he addressed all of them. "The Hope you led out is the opposite of what gives Voldemort strength. It overwhelmed him and defeated his will to live in the face of all that goodness."

"Is my grandmother--Helen--alright?" Kate asked nervously.

A tear slid from Dumbledore's bright eyes. "Kathleen, I'm so sorry. She's gone."

Kate held her grandmother's black lace glove in her hand. Draco held his arm around her shoulders and Harry was close too. They were at the funeral of Helen Graham. Kate had already given her teary speech. The only thing Kate regretted was thinking of her grandmother as selfish and materialistic. Not of the good things. The things that Kate loved best about her entire family that were carried on in Helen.

It was a sunny and cheerful day. The ceremony had been held at Hogwarts, home of the Garden and the Temple and the Arca. After the tearful service, Kate stepped into the bright sunshine and knew she should be celebrating. She knew it was what Helen would have wanted and pushed on Kate herself. They had defeated the Dark Lord and rescued the Arca. Now, the Box rested safely on its shelf in the Temple Garden, where it belonged. Now, Kate realized the Box was never meant to leave the Garden. Her mother did, Draco did. But it was home there and home was where the Arca was safe. Helen would be proud of her life. Kate was. She had passed on the responsibility of the Arca and the Temple. Her soul was free to go.

"Kate? Can we talk?" Harry asked as the three of them strolled through the Garden. "Alone?"

Kate nodded. Draco let her hand go reluctantly and watched them walk away. He knew it was okay. He and Harry Potter had gotten an understanding, at least, in the weeks since the attack. There was bickering. They weren't friends, of course. The two once-enemies could never be that. But they understood each other. The three of them did. They had seen and done something so traumatic that only they could understand one another.

Harry led her only a few feet away, just out of Draco's hearing. He didn't touch her, not in front of Draco. "Kate…I just wanted you to know I'll always love you."

Kate looked over his shoulder, remembering. "I'll love you too. Always."

"But if I can't have all of you, I don't want you at all."

Kate nodded. "Okay."

"But that's okay with me, you know? I know you and Draco belong together. It's like a feeling I have. I don't really get it, but it's there."

Kate nodded again. "Thank you, Harry. For understanding. I want to be your friend, though. If you'll let me."

Harry grinned. "I'd like that." He hugged her.

Kate hugged him back. When he pulled away, she kissed him. It was a nice kiss: a goodbye to 'them.' "I'll see you around, Harry."

He smiled. "Goodbye, Kate. For now." Harry walked past them both, leaving the Garden. It wasn't his place anymore. But that was okay. It truly was.

Kate walked back to Draco, grinning ear to ear. He grinned back. As they walked back to the crowd of the funeral, holding hands, they knew everything was good.

"Do you know what we have to do know?" Draco asked.

Kate smiled. "Yes. We must keep the Arca safe and pass on the Guardianship. We join the line of those before us."

"And we live."

"Yes," Kate agreed.

As they crossed the threshold of the Garden, Kali at their heels, a single bird started to sing.