It took me over a year to finish this story, and I only started last night and suddenly I'm finished (at the expense of not completely any class work yet). Anyway, it's done, so now my goal is complete, I've finished all the stories I at least started. I wish I had time to start another one, but I doubt I will. I think my days of fanfiction are at least for now over, maybe between graduation and working out in the real world I'll have time to start another. Also if anyone is confused, I started most of my writings around the fourth book, so I don't have any of the newer information from after the Fourth book in my series, this one especially since I altered a lot and left many of the characters from the books out (such as some of the Gryffindor schoolmates: Dean, Seamus, Lavendar, etc.) out of the story. I didn't have time to go in depth on even some of the normal main characters either (Dumbledore, Harry, Ron especially, and a few others). I had the idea for this story floating around my head and I didn't really plan on most of it, I just wrote whatever came out into words on the computer screen (you can notice the many typing errors from not proof reading). Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews over the years, and if you have time read my other story: A Face in the Shadows, I've had some good feed back on that one as well, and follows more of the normal story line compared to this one with altered religions and great powers, and all that. Well enjoy the finale (REMEMBER I DID PROMISE A HAPPY ENDING, except for Dumbledore and McGonagall, IT WILL BE HAPPY!)
"It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had."
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Epilogue
She had the sudden sensation she was falling endlessly, but when she opened her eyes she was back to the very woods that her Ancient self guided her to, what her elder self claimed would be her resting place until she could be reborn again in another time of trouble for the planet Earth.
"So I guess I died in the end anyway." Hermione stated to herself, if she still refer to herself as Hermione anymore. Over the years she was sure her name has been changed around to go with the changing of time and civilization. She looked down at her once magnificent gown which was now replaced with a simple white gown and slippers, her hair once again its normal shoulder length riotous curls it used to be.
"That has not yet been determined. You are merely in holding my child, all is not finished just yet." A voice exclaimed from the shadows of the trees before her. She walked in direction of the sound to where a small waterfall flowed into a windy creek. There across the rocks from her was the white unicorn once again.
"What do you mean? Did Harry defeat the Dark Lord? Are the others safe?" She asked the ethereal creature.
"My daughter, you can awake from this and find the answers to the questions yourself. However, there are consequences for using the powers of the Goddesses, which is why there is so little known about your powers and abilities in books upon Earth."
"What do you mean?" She asked the creature, suddenly realizing that the voice of the Great Mother Spirit was infused in the creature.
"The powers of the Goddesses was used many times over the last few centuries, it was even attempted during Voldemort's first run of power, however, the sisters were not strong enough nor organized to defeat his attack, and with the death of my power within Lily Potter, there would have been no unification of the four powers to stop him. Once the Four are discovered they unleash their power and defeat the evil, but then return to Earth with no recollection of the events, they know there was evil, but no one knows how it is defeated. It is merely written down in the history books as having a normal wizard defeat the creature and life continues as it was before the events took place, the sisters or brothers, the holders of the Goddesses powers remember nothing of each other or their abilities."
"So who will be accredited for the death of Voldemort?"
"Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall will be recognized for his downfall."
"Then they are truly gone? They cannot be brought back as the rest of us can?"
"Yes they are gone, they died long before the battle was finished, but they will forever be heroed as the defeaters of the evil Dark Lord Voldemort. This protects you and allows you to come back when you are needed again."
"What will happen to us? I was stabbed, shouldn't I have died, a weapon of the goddesses even used on each other is deadly unto itself."
"Yes it is, you were hurt, but Harry, still infused with your combined powers, placed what powers he could to sustain your life force long enough for everything to be washed away and reborn."
"Am I to return now, to earth? Will I not even remember this conversation?"
"You will recognize your friends, your sister and brothers simply by the mere connection you have with them, but no, you will not remember anything until your time on Earth is finished and you return here to await your next life. Go now, daughter, and live free."
She was falling through the darkness again.
Eleven year old Hermione Granger walked onto Platform 9 3/4's excited about starting out in a new school. Who would have thought, the daughter of two dentists was actually a witch! Her parents left minutes ago after a tearful farewell wishing her a great school year and promises to keep them informed of everything.
Because she was so early, a habit ingrained into her mind since childhood, she walked over to where a confused dark haired boy stood waiting to get onboard with a family of redheads and a thin dark haired man.
"My names Hermione Granger, it's my first time to Hogwarts." She introduced herself.
"I'm Harry Potter, and this is Ron Weasley." The dark haired one introduced, the red headed boy shyly nodded his head in greeting.
"My names Ginny. I'll start school next year." Ron's younger bubbly sister announced as she shook Hermione's hand in greeting. Something about the look in the redhead's eyes made Hermione seem like she met the younger girl before, as if long ago…
"They'll be boarding soon, you three head inside, good luck children." Ron's mother excitedly exclaimed as she wished her youngest boy and his new friends off towards the train.
"Goodbye Harry, and goodluck!" Sirius shouted as he watched his godson get onboard the red train.
Most of the carts were full, but they found one cart that had a pale blonde haired boy reading one of the text books and decided to join him.
"Do you mind if we sit here with you?" Harry asked the boy. The boy glanced up from his book, and with a nonchalant shrug he closed his book to greet his cart-mates.
"My names Draco, Draco Malfoy. You guys all first years too?" He asked the group.
The three introduced themselves to the boy and sat down in the comfortable train seats.
The small group began talking amongst themselves; that is until another presence poked their head in.
"Do you mind if I join you? Everywhere else is packed full." A pale dark haired boy asked. He was tall for his age, and he too seemed familiar to the young Hermione, just as Ginny and Draco did when she first saw them.
"The names Gavin, Gavin Snape. My dad's a teacher at Hogwarts, he teaches potions. He was involved in the battle that killed the Headmaster years back."
"I read about that in one of my books. Headmaster Dumbledore and the Transfigurations Professor, McGonagall were killed many years ago from a guy they called the Dark Lord Voldemort." Hermione exclaimed to the group.
"My dad applied and became the Headmaster not long after, I think he's the youngest Headmaster in a hundred years I'm told. My older brother Bill teaches Transfigurations too." Ron explained to the group.
The small group talked amongst themselves and became close friends throughout the school year. They talked about their friends and families, Gavin told the group how his mum died many years ago and he came to live with his dad near Hogwarts so he could still remain a teacher. Harry talked about the little cottage he shared with his godfather, Sirius, and the fun he had playing Quidditch with his godfather during the summer as well as his parents' deaths long ago from the Dark Lord Voldemort. Draco's story was the saddest of them all, his father was arrested and sentenced to Azkaban before he was even born for helping Voldemort during his terror, his mother passed away not long after his birth; he was raised by his Grandmother on his mother's side and lived along the coast, but he didn't mind, he had a peaceful childhood and his grandmother taught him a lot about healing magic since he was very young.
"She's a strong healer, works part time at St. Mungo's Hospital, but mostly practices around the village where we live. I think I'm going to be a healer too after I graduate here." Draco announced to the group.
"I think I might be a teacher." Hermione replied offhandedly to the group.
"I want to be a famous Quidditch player!" Harry shouted excitedly.
"Me too, I'm gonna try out as soon as I can for the House team." Ron chirped.
"What about you, Gavin, what do you want to be when you leave here?" Hermione asked her dark haired friend with a smile.
"I don't know, I guess I'll just have to wait and see." Gavin replied with a smile back.
From that moment on, even though they were all split apart in the different houses, the bond the group formed that first day was unbreakable. They met after classes in the library and outside and spent hours just talking about anything and everything, their lives were very peaceful and perfect.
The next year Ron's sister, Ginny, joined the close knit group and she was happily accepted by everyone as a member. The professors and other students found the bond the group shared so unusual and different, most students befriended those only from their house, but this group was split between three houses and yet they were as close as if they've known each other for many years before Hogwarts.
Time passed by uneventfully for them all, relationships formed between four particular people: Hermione and Gavin, Ginny and Draco, and both couples already had plans for their lives after Hogwarts.
On the day of graduation Hermione walked down the corridors she knew for many years, dressed in her best robes and sprouting a small emerald on her finger, she turned towards Ron's father's office and saw a picture she never fully glanced at before. It had an older couple in it, both of whom looked happy, content even. On the bottom of the painting the names 'Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall' were gracefully etched in black ink. She didn't know where the tug of sorrow came from, but she was suddenly saddened by the portrait of the no longer living couple.
"Thank you." She whispered to the slightly animated couple.
"For what dear?" The woman asked the young woman before her.
"I don't know why I said that, I guess thank you for risking your lives so that we can live in peace." Hermione replied back.
She turned to walk back to her dormitory and out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw the figure of Albus Dumbledore wink at her, but surely she must have been seeing things.
"You guys are gonna go and leave me all alone!" Ginny pouted to her boyfriend and best friends.
"You'll be fine, it's only a year left then you can join us." Hermione replied as she joined her group of friends.
"Everything okay?" Her boyfriend, Gavin asked, as he caught the look in her eyes as she neared the group.
"Yes, I just had an odd feeling come over me moments ago, at the portrait of Dumbledore and McGonagall, like I met them before long ago." She told him.
"Yeh, I had that feeling before too, like déjà vu. They died not long before I came to live with my dad, so I never really met them. My father did though, he said they were wonderful people, he thought of Dumbledore almost as a father."
"Hey guys, we're gonna be late for our own graduation!" Harry and Ron shouted as they ran down the hallway towards the Great Hall.
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other, as close as sisters, and smiled at the lives they have created for themselves. Everything was perfect in their lives, but somehow Hermione couldn't get over the tug that the portrait gave her that day, so after the ceremony was over, her and Ginny decided to pay respects to the graves of two long dead heroes. They laid two sets of flowers on their graves, roses and lilies.
"Thank you, for saving us all." Hermione exclaimed one last time before leaving to set out on her own life with her love.
Somewhere in the distance the waves crashed loudly and a blonde haired woman smiled. The Earth trembled and a brown haired figure smiled from her forest. The wind blew swiftly and an amber eyed woman bowed her head from her place in the clouds. And from the depths of the candle flames two sets of ashen eyes flickered in merriment. Their world was safe once again.
The End