Harry Potter and the Wrath of the Horcruxes

Chapter 6: A Cause for Celebration

As Harry smiled at his friend, standing there in a barely-triumphant fashion with a new scar identical to his own, he wondered vaguely how Neville knew about the Horcruxes, and that the destruction of one would mean the destruction of its concealed spirit Voldemort. But his wonder was swallowed up in his joy of this against-all-odds conquest, and for now he simply wanted to take in the moment.

The former victims stood all around the young heroes, and they too were smiling broadly. When Harry looked around at them, he spotted Dumbledore, and meant to ask him if they could finally rejoice in the return of the dead. Dumbledore seemed to understand without a spoken word, for he simply grinned at Harry's inquisitive expression, and nodded. Despite, Hermione actually was the first to burst into tears of joy, but couldn't seem to decide who to hug first. After pivoting in several different directions, she finally grabbed Dumbledore by the midsection in a warm embrace, bawling all the while. Harry and Ron, not even caring how girlish it was, did the same with Sirius, nearly bowling him over.

"My word," said Harry's godfather. "You two have certainly grown!"

"Sirius," Harry choked. "Why did you do it? Why did you leave No. 12 Grimmauld Place?"

Sirius simply smiled back at him before answering. "Harry, you were my responsibility. I was entrusted to be your godfather, after all. I felt I had to make up for those twelve years I wasn't there for you, and dashing into the Ministry to rescue you from the Death Eaters was the least I could do."

"BUT YOU GAVE ME SUCH A DAMNED ULCER!" Harry shrieked at him. "And that was even before you were killed! I… I… failed my History of Magic O.W.L. thanks to you!" he added, at a lost for blame. There was a silence, and then Harry, Ron and Sirius all laughed heartily. The tears came like hot rivers. Then they all turned to Neville. Sirius barked, "C'mere, you little devil!" and grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up on his shoulders. "Let's hear it for Neville Longbottom!"

The cheers that came after were earsplitting. Neville was in total disbelief, and breathing heavily for it; but all the same, Harry had never seen his dear friend happier.

It turned out that Neville had roused himself while Voldemort wasn't looking, and performed a silent healing spell on the back of his head to mend his skull, which, unbelievably, had only been slightly fractured. He then picked up Gryffindor's lamp, and without a second's hesitation, raised it high above his head and brought it crashing down to the basement floor. Amelia Bones, keen to get rid of the dead body, buried Dolores Umbridge in some loose earth found in a side room. Without holding a funeral for her, the throng simply lit their wands in answer to the fast-falling night and sat down. Harry could finally speak face-to-face with his parents - not an image in a mirror nor Priori Incantatem doppelgangers, but his real parents. Lily Potter, Harry's mother, was still in tears long after everyone else had dried theirs.

"Harry… my son… my dear son…" she choked, and unable to contain herself any longer, brought Harry into an embrace that felt like an eternity. Harry could hear her sobbing wildly, and found that he himself was on the verge of the same. If his eyes had been clear, he would have seen that everyone around them was watching them and bawling themselves as they realized the magnitude of this moment. Harry was embracing his long-dead mother.

"Mum…" he gasped, "…you protected me! And because of that, Voldemort wasn't able to kill me! Mum…." and now Harry was shrieking, "I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU! I NEVER KNEW YOU, BUT I COULD ALWAYS FEEL YOU THERE!"

"Oh, my dear," Lily choked softly, "what else could a mother do? Even after death, I continued to watch over you. I was your guardian angel." With this words, they came apart, though still grasping each other by the arms, and Lily made full eye contact with her son as she continued: "And it wasn't easy becoming your guardian, either. It was only when I reminded the Higher Power that you, my son, have a destiny to fulfill, for the hope of not only wizard kind, but also of the entire human race, that I was granted the privilege of ensuring that you stay alive until this final year. Naturally, He was already well aware of your destiny, but I think He was waiting for me to bring it up," she said with a smile.

Silence fell. The joy that had been swelling up inside Harry seemed to get caught in his throat at this reminder of his apparent doom. Fortunately, he didn't have long to think on this before another person spoke.

"So our house fell prey to old Dumb-bridge, of all people?" said Harry's father James. "I never did like her. She was the mother of a really snotty Slytherin girl when your mum and I were at Hogwarts."

"Wow, I guess nobody escaped being affected by her!" mused Ron. "The old bat."

The crowd then took turns in talking, catching up, or just plain reminiscing among themselves., for hours on end. Harry knew from that moment that he would remember this for many years to come, as the happiest moment of his life.

Not until the sun began to show itself dimly through the window did the crowd separate. They were destined for the homes they had in life, Harry knew, and their families would soon be feeling the same joy he had known for the past several hours. He remembered Amos Diggory and his wife, and how devastated they were at the death of their son Cedric. Briefly, Harry wondered if any of these families would take those returned to life to be their own madness, imposters, elaborate hoaxes, or concoctions of the devil. But then he remembered how he had reacted to seeing them, and knew that the feeling they gave off was unmistakably the genuine article, so he no longer worried that any of the former victims' families would react in any way but good.

Harry decided to live with his parents in the house which had been built over the old wreckage of the former Potter home. This time, he thought, the school year will be unbelievable, and a whole lot easier to bear whatever may happen, now that I know my parents are back.