Chapter 19
Carlos and I followed Remus through the castle to the Great hall. We stood by the door, awaiting our orders. McGonagall got the students and staff prepared for a battle. Harry brushed past us to sit with Neville Longbottom and his friends. Hermione and Ron were noticeably missing.
The shrill voice pierced the castle again, "You now have fifteen minutes to turn over Potter."
"He's right there," a girl wearing Slytherin colours announced.
"Horace, I would ask you to remove your students from Hogwarts at once. All students under the age of seventeen, please follow your house leaders. They will ensure your safety as you leave the castle. Students over the age of seventeen have the choice to stay and fight or leave with your house," Minerva ordered.
When the younger students left, Minerva gave people quadrants within the castle to protect. She gave a few more assignments to give Harry time to locate the object he had entered Hogwarts to find. Harry was shocked when she snapped at him to hurry up and collect the item.
I exited the Great hall with Carlos. He pulled me behind the statue to kiss me. "I love you, Babe," he whispered against my lips.
"As I love you, Carlos," I reciprocated. "Remus said to go this way." I led Carlos down the path leading towards the greenhouses. Neville ran past me with a group of students. I laughed when he scooped various plants to use as weapons.
Carlos and I took our positions on the other side of the greenhouse. When the hour expired, the death eaters stormed the grounds from the forest. I killed the man who sent the killing curse towards Carlos. Fortunately, he had missed Carlos by several feet and hit the man aiming a curse at me.
I felt something slash my arm. Carlos ran to my side and positioned himself at my back. We remained back to back, covering each other's blind spots. What felt like an hour later, Voldemort ordered everyone to stop fighting. "Collect your dead. Harry Potter, you have one hour to meet me at the clearing in the woods," he said.
We helped Neville and other older students carry the dead students and adults into the Great hall. They shoved the deceased death eaters into the room off to the side, away from our friends. Nobody wanted them near our friends and family. I found Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny hugging near the Weasley family, crying over their lost friends and family.
Harry had slipped away while I hugged my daughter. She cried into my shoulder over Fred Weasley's death. I looked beside the boy to see Remus and Tonks. Carlos held me as I cried for our friends. "Let me heal your arm, dear," Madam Pomfrey said. She pulled me towards the other injured witches and wizards. I drank the potion as she healed my arm.
"Thank you. Carlos and I should help the others," I said. Pomfrey nodded and let me leave. I hoped Harry didn't go into the forest. Everyone fought too hard to lose him now.
We returned to the grounds to bring the other injured and dead into the castle. I dropped the boy I was carrying when Rubeus Hagrid appeared with Harry Potter draped over his arms. It was over. Voldemort had won.
I'm not sure what Voldemort was doing when he called the sorting hat to get placed onto Neville's head. He wanted everyone to follow his leadership as they ruled over the muggle population. I would sooner die than live under his rule.
A few things happened at once. We all chanted as Neville swung a sword I didn't see him grab to decapitate Nagini. Harry dropped from Hagrid's arms, very much alive. Spells and curses flew throughout the grounds. Carlos and I did notice that none of the curses cast by Voldemort had any effect on us.
Many death eaters died as everyone fought with newfound hope in our minds. "Which witch cast the forunuculos curse?" George Weasley asked.
"I did," I replied as I cursed the man behind George.
"Huh, I guess the forunuculos and expelliarmus spells don't mix well," he stated. I shook my head and kept fighting.
Molly yelled, "Not my daughter." She threw a curse at Bellatrix Lestrange. Voldemort screamed as he watched his most loyal death eater die.
"None of your spells work, Tom Riddle. You see, I had died to protect them as my mother had died to protect me. Give up now," Harry ordered.
"I will rule you, Harry Potter. I have done everything possible to tether myself to life. You can't kill me," Voldemort snapped.
"The locket, the diary, the ring, the goblet, the diadem and Nagini are all destroyed. Your Horcruxes are gone. You destroyed the one that you had unknowingly attached to me," Harry stated.
Voldemort looked scared briefly. "I must kill the boy," he shouted when his death eaters moved closer.
"Stay back," Harry yelled. "It has to be me." Everyone stopped fighting as we watched the duel between Voldemort and Harry.
Voldemort shouted, "Avada Kedavra," when Harry yelled, "Expelliarmus." We watched Voldemort disintegrate into ash and dust before he blew away in the wind. The remaining death eaters disapparated when their leader died.
Carlos grabbed my arm to twist me into his arms. His lips slammed against mine as we celebrated the end of Voldemort's reign of terror. Hermione hugged Neville, Ron then Harry. She left them for a few minutes to embrace us. "We'll see you at home, Hermione. Spend time with your friends," I whispered.
"Thank you for believing in me, mom. It means the world," she quietly said. Carlos hugged Hermione one more time before releasing her. Hermione held up a finger, asking us to wait.
"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Harry Potter. Harry, my mom Stephanie Manoso and my adoptive dad, Carlos," Hermione said.
Harry was polite as he said, "Nice to meet you. We'd have to get better acquainted at a later date. I have a few things to settle before I return home."
We watched Harry entwine his fingers with Hermione and walk towards the castle. "Do you think they'll get married?" I asked.
"Only time will tell, Babe," Carlos replied.
Nineteen years later…
Hermione asked Carlos and me to accompany her and Harry to King's Cross Station. Her youngest son, and middle child, Albus Severus Potter was going to Hogwarts. He was nervous and Hermione thought we would help settle his fears.
James Sirius had started Hogwarts the previous year. Albus Severus was afraid he wouldn't get placed into Gryffindor like James. My granddaughter, Lily Luna held my hand. "When do I get to go, grandma?" Lily asked.
"In a couple of years, sweetie," I replied. She waved at her friend, Freddie Finnigan, Ginny's youngest child. Freddie and Lily attended the same school for young witches and wizards.
I saw Ginny standing with her husband, Seamus Finnigan, and their daughter, Molly, as they waited for the train to arrive. Ginny looked at Hermione with Harry's arm wrapped around her waist and grimaced. She was disappointed that Harry didn't pick up their relationship where they had left off after their sixth year at Hogwarts.
Ron Weasley had married Parvarti Patil after Hermione got married to Harry. He was disappointed when Hermione didn't want to date him. Pavariti and Ron's twin daughters, Lavender and Rose, are attending their first year at Hogwarts with Albus and Molly. He was standing near Ginny and her family.
Hermione's friendship with Ron and Ginny suffered when she started dating Harry. She had explained that Ginny hoped to marry Harry and Ron marry her so they'd be one big family. It was ridiculous to think Hermione would marry Ron after everything he'd done to her at school. Hermione was the first to forgive her friends, but some hurts required more time to heal.
"Dad, what if I get sorted into Slytherin?" I heard Albus ask Harry.
"Son, you are named after the two greatest headmasters at the school, Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. If it really matters to you, ask the hat to sort you into Gryffindor," Harry explained.
"Does the house consider your opinion?" Albus asked.
"It did for your mother and me. I almost got sorted into Slytherin, but I asked for anything but that house. Your mother chose Gryffindor over Ravenclaw," Harry quietly said. Albus hugged his dad as he thanked him for making him feel better.
When Albus hugged me, I whispered, "Give your uncle Neville and Mason a hug from me."
"Grandma, I can't hug the Herbology professor or the headmaster," Albus groaned.
"You know what your grandmother means," Hermione said, grinning. Albus hugged his sister and mother before getting onto the train. Harry helped James pull the trunk into the car.
I was proud of my son Mason. He was the youngest wizard to become headmaster at Hogwarts. Hermione was head of the department for elvish welfare at the ministry. Harry worked in the Auror department of the ministry, while Ron took over his father's job in the misuse of muggle artifacts department.
Carlos and I retired from Rangeman. We moved into the house I inherited from my grandpa, William Granger. My life was full of family and love. I wouldn't have had it any other way.
A/N: Yes, I am aware that I did not pair Hermione with Ron. I didn't like Ginny with Harry or Ron with Hermione.