The Adventure Continued

Chapter 25: Doors that Open and Doors that Close

A/N: You must forgive me! I have finals this week (well, three tomorrow) and I have been working under the supervision of four strict professors. Not only that, but my great-grandmother of 91 passed away two weekends ago and I had to take some time off to visit my family and go to the funeral. So, this was put on hold until I could get away and finish it. Well, this wasn't exactly the perfect time, but it is now finished! I'm not sure if I want to make a sequel. There has been some support of it, but it will depend on whether enough people want a sequel for it to be worth writing. If not, then I might just write an epilogue. So, what are your thoughts? Hopefully you will enjoy this last chapter!

It didn't take too much longer than the following morning for the entire Weasley family to discover Harry and Ginny's engagement. Between eggs, toast, and red faces from all sides of the table, it was truly an exciting event.

"I can't believe you, Harry!" Ron had exclaimed in shock.

"You can't believe it?" Fred mocked Ron.

George looked aghast at Ron as if he had spent his childhood in a closet (who knows?). "About time is more like it!" George exclaimed, chucking a piece of egg at Ron.

"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley snapped, glaring at her two identical sons. "When will you two learn to grow up?"

"Did you hear that, George?"

"Sure did, Fred. She wants us to grow up!"

"Should we think about it?"

"Sure, why not?"

Each twin put a hand to their chins and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Never!" the twins laughed in unison and snorts were heard around the table.

"Children!" Mrs. Weasley huffed and piled more eggs on Harry and Ron's plate before exiting the room, not even acknowledging Fred and George's empty plates.

"What does she expect- a complete make-over?" Fred commented after Mrs. Weasley had left the room to take of the laundry.

Hermione looked angrily at the twins. "You know, you're twenty-four years old. You could really start acting your age."

"We are," Fred said defensively.

"Besides, since when did mature, adult behavior make loads of galleons?" George asked.

Hermione stood up from her chair and gave the twins a look that said "you're hopeless" before leaving the room. Ron and Ginny followed her before she decided to extend her bad mood onto them leaving Harry alone with Fred and George in the kitchen.

"Well, mate, business calls!" Fred announced.

"But before we go, we'd like to tell you…" George added.

"Good luck!" the twins clapped Harry on the back.

"We've been trying to tame Ginny since she was three- it's impossible," Fred said with an exaggerated sigh.

"We would threaten you if you ever hurt our dear baby sister, but Ginny by herself is a threat alone," George gravely, "and that is no joke. We'll be here anytime you need us; just send us an owl." The twins winked simultaneously at Harry and disappeared with a loud crack that echoed off the walls.

"Are they gone?" Mrs. Weasley poked her head into the room. After her statement was confirmed, she bustled into the room and began clearing away dishes with her wand. "Those two! Always up to something…Oh, Harry, dear! What are your plans today?" Mrs. Weasley said sweetly, turning to Harry.

"Er…" Harry hadn't thought too much on what his plans were. He had hoped that perhaps he could relax around the Burrow with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione and maybe play a Quidditch, but all of a sudden, that became the last thing he wanted to do. "I'm going to the ministry," Harry announced, jumping up out of his seat.

"You are?" Ginny appeared at the bottom of the stares. "I thought…"

"I have some things to take care of," Harry told her. When he saw the confused look on her face, he came over and kissed her on the nose before moving to her lips. "I'll be back for dinner."

"Dinner?" Ginny asked with a hint of disappointment.

Harry sighed, "Trust me, Gin."

"Alright, Harry, but if you-"

Whatever Ginny was about to say, it wouldn't have been heard by her fiancée. Harry was already apparating to the ministry where he appeared in front of the Auror office just as Tonks was leaving with a huge stack of papers in her arms. Unfortunately for both, neither noticed each other until the last moment when the two collided, sending papers all over the floor.

"Potter!" Tonks cried, half in surprise and half in anger.

"I'm sorry!" Harry answered, summoning all the papers into his arms and handing them to Tonks.

Tonks looked down at the disorganized stack in her hands and back at the black haired man before her. "What are you doing here, Harry?" she asked in confusion. "I thought we gave you the week off to recuperate."

"About that…" Harry began, but his voice failed him and his mind went blank. He couldn't find the words he needed and just continued to look intently at Tonks, hoping she could fill in the blanks.

"Do you really want to quit, Harry?" Tonks asked, reading the expression in his eyes. "I thought you really wanted to be an Auror. What changed your mind?"

"I did," Harry replied to the first question, now trying to avoid Tonks' eyes. Why was it so hard to explain this now? Why didn't he wait to do this some other time when Tonks wasn't there to make him feel so guilty?

"I just can't," Harry finally spoke. "I thought catching dark wizards could be my career because I have been involved with them since I can remember. I have found my purpose, though. I'm sorry, Tonks." Harry handed his notice- not a two week notice, not a three day notice- an immediate one.

"We're going to miss you, Harry," Tonks commented sadly as she looked up from the letter. "But I guess this is for the best. Good-bye, Harry. I'm sure we'll see each other again- like tonight for dinner at the Burrow."

Harry smiled awkwardly. "Er…yeah, we will," Harry agreed. "See you later, then?" Tonks nodded and walked past him down the hall and turned left out of sight. Harry took a deep breath and finally felt the blood circulate through his body again. However, his mission wasn't finished yet. He still needed to see one more person…

Harry stood in the hall in front of the Headmistress' office at Hogwarts. There, standing guard as usual, were the gargoyles that glared at anyone passing by. However, unlike the gargoyles, they weren't responding to the password, "hippogriff talons" and Harry was becoming more and more impatient as minutes went by.

"Licorice Licks? Chinese fireball? Flubberworm stampede?" Harry tried desperately.

"Potter, what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall asked in her usual, strict tone, coming down the corridor on Harry's left. Harry immediately backed away from the gargoyles and let McGonagall stand between him and them.

"Er…I wanted to talk to you, Professor," Harry muttered.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "That was quite obvious. Come into my office, Potter. I changed the password to keep the ministry out, which right now, includes you."

"I quit the ministry, Professor," Harry announced once the two had reached her office door and walked in. "I left my notice this morning. I don't want to work as an Auror anymore."

McGonagall looked quizzically at Harry as if he might go crazy at any moment. "Are you sure about that, Harry? I thought that's what you really wanted to do. You have always been good at that- well, with your past there is no doubt to why. Why did you change your mind?"

"I want to stay here and teach at Hogwarts," Harry blurted, finally getting to the one thing he wanted to say all day. "I never realized that I would enjoy teaching so much until the ministry assigned me here- now I don't want to go back. Please, Professor, let me keep my job."

The two stared at each for a few moments- a pair of stern, discerning eyes looking into pleading ones. The silence would have overwhelmed even the most desperate beggar to give up, but Harry was more than determined to keep his position as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher- to not be dismissed at the end of the year like the ministry had sentenced him.

"You can't be a student again, Potter," McGonagall warned. "Teachers do carry more responsibility than most professions. You have the children of the new generation soaking up your every word. Do you think you can handle it?" The smile on the older woman's face told Harry she had given in.

"Yes, Professor," Harry answered quickly, hardly caring what he agreed to at the moment, but more excited that McGonagall was letting him stay at Hogwarts.

"Good, then there's one more thing I must ask of you, Harry," McGonagall added and Harry's heart almost skipped a beat, "and I will really think that you might be up to it…what do you think?"

"That depends, Professor, on what you're asking."

"Would you fill the position of Deputy Headmaster?" McGonagall offered.

Harry's heart almost stopped beating and his eyes popped out of his head. This was definitely the last thing he expected for McGonagall to ask. "Professor?" Harry questioned in shock. "Why me?"

"You are dedicated to this school, as much as Dumbledore himself was," McGonagall smiled. "I was planning to offer this to you after the year was finished and you would go back the Ministry. Nevertheless, now seems very proper to ask."

"I don't know, Professor…What about Ginny? She is more dedicated than I am to this school," Harry questioned, scratching the back of his head and still not coming up with a good answer.

"I have already discussed this with Ms. Weasley, Potter, and many of the other teachers. They all agree that you would be excellent for the position."

Harry still was unsure of what he would be getting himself into. Could he really one day be the Headmaster of the place he called home more than any other place in the world? Harry smiled broadly and realized that they were right- this was almost a dream come true.

"Yes, Professor."

"Harry? Please call me, 'Minerva.' I might be three times your age, but if you will be my Deputy, you must learn to address me on more familiar terms."

"Yes, Prof- I mean, Minerva."

The Weasleys had gathered around the table for dinner at six just as they did every night when the children were younger. Every Weasley family member was there along with Lupin and Tonks, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and a few other guests. Well everyone was there except for Harry.

Dinner had passed into dessert and still Harry hadn't come back to the Burrow like he had promised. Ginny kept looking up at the large grandfather clock in the kitchen every ten minutes, but only to remember that Harry didn't have a hand on the clock. "That's what I will have to get him for Christmas next year," Ginny thought to herself, "a hand for the clock. Then he will really be a part of the family."

"Isn't it enough that you're going to marry me?" Harry whispered in her ear as though he somehow read her mind.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, turning around. Every pair of eyes looked up and welcomed Harry's presence in the room. "Where have you been? We have been so worried!"

"You mean, you have been so worried," Fred corrected.

"I've been busy," answered Harry mysteriously and fitting himself into the space between his fiancée and Hermione. "I'll tell you later, ok, Angel?"

"I think I know now," Ginny replied with a grin. "You took the job, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" asked Harry with a puzzled expression.

"What job?" Ron cried for the entire room to hear.

"Harry is going to be Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts," Ginny announced as she embraced him happily. "I knew you would! This is going to be great."

Tonks scratched her head and turned to Lupin who was had their son, Maolo, sitting comfortable in his lap. "You know, for people who wanted to kill each other a few months ago, they seem really happy to work with each other again."

Lupin shrugged and pulled his knife away from his son's hands. "I heard they were engaged, too. Talk about mystifying the world. Reminds me of James- I never quite understood that part of him."

"Well, I think it's absolutely splendid, dear!" Mrs. Weasley ignored Lupin's comment. "Congratulations!"

"Harry? The Headmaster at Hogwarts?" Fred looked baffled at George.

George looked sad. "I can see the walls crashing down already."

"Yeah, and the lake drying up-"

"-and the Hogwarts Express crashing-"

"-and-"

"Boys!"

"Sorry, Mum."

One night a few weeks later after everyone else had finally left to go to bed, Harry and Ginny stayed up talking until three in the morning. Despite Harry still not having a surplus of energy, being with Ginny made him want to stay awake for the rest of the night if it meant they could keep talking together.

"Really, Harry, it's amazing how things are working out. Less than a year ago, I wanted to kill you," Ginny remembered with a laugh. "And now we'll be working together and in a year, we will be married! Why now, though, Harry? I still don't get it." Ginny looked at Harry next to her. Both were lying on the couch with Ginny's head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

Harry shrugged and peered down into Ginny's brown eyes. "I didn't realize what I had been missing all these years until I spent over half a year with you," Harry half joked, but then grew serious. "My mum reminded me why- when I was still dead, you know. She told me there was a girl out there that needed me more than anything. That's when she gave me that ring. I thought it really was a dream when I woke up, but I found the ring later wrapped in a handkerchief in my favorite robes." Harry dug into his pocket and pulled out the handkerchief. In the corner of the handkerchief "LP" was stitched in red and gold. "I'm still just as confused as you are, but I knew that his had to be a sign; that she wanted me to give it to the girl I loved."

Ginny smiled happily and tightened her arms around Harry to show that she understood. "So, you gave it me," Ginny finished his thought.

"Yes," Harry smiled contentedly. "And I quit the ministry today because I want to marry you more than go out there to save the world all over again. I will save that destiny for someone else. You and Hogwarts are my real purpose, Gin." Harry kissed Ginny, long and passionately, before footsteps were heard above them making each of them jump.

"Harry? Ginny? Are you two still up?" Hermione walked into the room, still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"No, 'Mione, we're still sleeping," Ginny replied sarcastically. "You're just dreaming."

"You are?" Hermione looked unbelievably.

"No, we are awake," said Harry with a laugh, "but we're on our way to bed. Come on and we'll take you."

"Ok," Hermione answered, following the two up the stairs. "You know, it's about time you two got together…"

"We know," Harry and Ginny replied in unison before turning off the last light in the house and leaving the place in pitch black darkness. However, even darkness could not dampen the joyfulness that Harry and Ginny were feeling as they each drifted off into dreamland, both looking forward to their future and what was to come…

Finally,

The End.