--In Memory of Harry Potter--

Author's Notes: I think this will be the last chapter for tonight, I am sooo tired and I have work tomorrow, so enjoy. :)


Suddenly his heart beat seemed to be the loudest sound in the room as his old friends gaped at him as though he had just pronounced Voldemort's retirement from black magic. He sighed and looked at Malfoy who looked entirely too happy. 'Thanks a lot' he thought as he stared at the ghost.

"You better show them" Malfoy said to Harry who currently was reminding himself that Malfoy was already dead, and there was no point in firing the death curse at a ghost.

Harry sighed at the thought before nodding then pulling out his wand. After a few words a bright light surrounded him, blinding the others. When they looked back though there was no longer a brown haired brown eyed man, but a handsome raven haired man with sparkling emerald green eyes and a scar on his forehead which proved that he was none other than Harry Potter.

"Daddy?" Jessica asked slowly looking at the person that was once James. Her face flickered with emotions until a look of deep thought that was similar to her mothers crossed her face. The thoughtful expression remained on her face for a few moments after which she obviously decided that this unlikely outcome was very welcome and she flew into Harry's arms.

Harry inwardly sighed in relief, then grinned as he pulled Jessica into a tight hug for the first time as her father, rather than a friend. He lifted her and twirled her around causing her to giggle. "I'm glad your my Daddy James, I mean Harry, I mean dad, cause your nicest person I've ever met" She said innocently, grinning widely.

Harry smiled at Jessica's acceptance then looked straight into the eyes of his love. Hermione regarded him with unshed tears in her eyes. "Is it really you" she asked in barely more than a whisper.

Harry just gazed at her in response. For the first time in a long time he was suddenly stuck for words. Without thinking his hand moved to her face and brushed away a strand of hair which was obstructing his view of her. It wasn't until she threw herself into his arms that he realised that this gesture proved it was him in a way that words could have never done.

"I've missed you so much, I- I'm sorry I didn't tell..." Hermione started, but Harry moved a finger to her lips.

"I understand" He whispered then pulled her back into an embrace

"I- When they told me you were dead, I didn't want to believe, I wanted you back" Hermione muttered into his shoulder as she attempted to choke back the tears of love and relief that continued to flow.

Harry moved so he could look into her eyes. "Hermione, there wasn't a day that passed when I didn't think of you" Harry said honestly causing Hermione to smile. He kissed her gently on the forehead then looked down a Jessica who was making a disgusted face.

"Gross" She said which broke the icy silence as Sirius started laughing.

Harry grinned, "And what am I going to do with you," He said looking at Jessica fondly, "I'll tell you now, if you ever burn anything of mine, you find it easier to like Professor McGonagall."

Jessica looked up at him sheepishly then giggled as she saw the grin on her father's face.

"I don't suppose you'd care to explain where you've been for the past four years." Snape said in his usual manner. Harry sighed, he had welcomed the love of his family and friends that came with exposing his true identity, it was a pity that reality, no matter how harsh it was, was always an aspect in his life.

"You don't think you could have tried to understand the feelings of happiness for a moment more could you?" Harry asked, his voice thick with sarcasm. He turned and looked at the potions master who was now smiling at him. "Oh this has to be a bad omen" He said causing Sirius to burst out laughing.

"Welcome back Potter" Snape said. Harry rolled his eyes as he realised that the original question was a test.

Harry nodded at Severus then turned back to Hermione and frowned, "I do owe an explanation" He said inwardly disappointed that he hadn't been able to spend a longer time with Hermione. "And I suppose now is as good as any other time to start" He said looking up at Malfoy who nodded in agreement. Harry sat down in a large purple arm chair, allowing Jessica to sit on his knee then after taking a deep breath he began the story that he had hidden for so long.

"It all began on that night four years ago, the so called final battle"

[flashback]

"I'm telling you Draco, something big is going to happen." Harry said distracted by a noise in the bushes. He looked at the shrubbery so intensely it was as if he expected someone to jump out and kill him.

"Your an idiot, it's just like every other night... Cold, dark and boring." Draco replied kicking a rock on the path.

"You know, the nightmares that I have to suffer with, aren't like Trelawny's predictions" Harry said looking at Malfoy who seemed very laid back for someone who was a prime target for an attack.

"Your getting paranoid" Malfoy replied shrugging

"Yes, well... hold on why aren't you! Nothings happened in a week! No attacks no nothing, don't you think that's something to be paranoid about" Harry exclaimed looking out towards the full moon that hung low in the sky.

"No, I actually think its something to celebrate, but the rest of the world tends to think like you" Draco said disappointed, "I can just imagine the huge party we could have, but alas, as I just said... everyone thinks like you"

Harry sighed, "I wish it was something to celebrate about, but thinking about it logically Draco, when Voldemort doesn't show himself in a while it means he's up to something."

"Or maybe he just decided to retire" Draco suggested watching a fox creep through the bushes

Harry nearly fell over laughing at the thought of Voldemort retiring. "Yeah right, Voldemort retire, good one Draco"

"Well its just a suggestion, and a valid one, why everyone has to think he's up to something when he's quiet I will never know."

"Its called being prepared"

"How can you be prepared for something when you don't even know what it is."

Harry blinked, "That actually makes sense, in a strange, depressing sort of way. How did you come up with that"

"Because I'm superior" Draco grinned

"More likely you were actually using more than one brain cell for once in your life" Harry said, "Well come on then, lets get this over with"

"What is it with you and that bloody graveyard" Draco started but Harry had already apparated away.

Draco landed next to Harry in the dark empty cemetery. "See I told you he'd retired, lets get out of here, this place gives me the creeps"

Harry remained quiet. "Something's wrong" and within seconds Harry and Draco were diving out of the way of hundreds of flashes of light.

Harry looked of at Draco who was crouching behind a tomb stone. He opened his mouth to say something but Draco cut him off. "Yeah, I know, you told me so, right" He said causing Harry to grin at him "Stop smiling," Draco growled in barely more than a whisper. "How can you grin when we just walked into an ambush"

"How can you crack jokes when we just walked into an ambush" Harry countered

"That was a really good comeback" Draco said as he peeked over the top of the tombstone. "You know, we are in deep shit" He said frowning,

"How many" Harry said from behind the tree he'd dived behind.

"At least fifteen, and that's a fair few seeing that's there's only two of us" Draco said,

"Well were going to have to do something I mean this poor tree wasn't meant to take curses" Harry said

"Well they didn't just set up the ambush to stand and through heaps of curses at tombstones and trees did they."

"No, I think there buying time for something" Harry said carefully

"Well while their buying time I vote we leave."

"No Draco, this time were not going anywhere, this time we fight" Harry said powerfully

Draco looked at Harry "Have I ever told you, your MAD!!" The last word echoed throughout the graveyard, Draco threw his hand over his mouth. It had gone silent at the same time he had put emphasis on the word.

"Harry Potter" Voldemort's voice echoed through the silent grave yard. Harry stepped out from behind the tree.

"Voldemort" Harry said in a similar tone. The two locked eyes momentarily neither daring to break the stare. A small smile crossed Voldemort's face and in the blink of an eye a curse was sailing towards Harry.

Draco could hardly believe that Harry had had the speed to get out of the way, but the curse went straight into the tree that Harry had been hiding behind. It split straight down the middle, but Harry really had no time to think about how close it had been before he was reflecting other curses from the death eaters while trying to worry about the powerful unforgivables that were flying towards him from Voldemort.

"A little help would not go unappreciated" Harry called to Draco.

This was the one thing out of the entire battle that caught Voldemort of guard. He never thought that there would be someone with Harry, let alone Draco Malfoy. "If I die, I'm going to haunt you" Draco shouted standing up from his hiding place and started sending curses towards the death eaters.

"Oh come off it, I know you were waiting for me to ask for your help" Harry said.

"WILL YOU TWO STOP HAVING A CONVERSATION AS THOUGH THIS IS AN EVERYDAY THING" Voldemort screamed.

"Oh calm down Tom" Draco said earning a death glare from Voldemort "Harry did you catch that last episode of the bold and the beautiful"

"Voldemort,... thanks to you this is an everyday thing, Draco... I can not believe you know what the bold and the beautiful is, and furthermore that you actually watch it! Not to mention that you'd bring it up in a duel against Voldemort of all peopl.....err ex-people"

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort screamed, Harry moved a second too slow and the curse sent him sailing back through the air and into the ground.

"That had to hurt" Draco said dodging curses.

Harry quickly struggled to his feet "LUMINO" Draco had never even heard of this curse before but as soon as he saw Voldemort fly back and hit the ground harder than Harry did, he was sure it should be an unforgivable, mind you everything is forgivable when its being aimed at Voldemort.

For the first time in the fight Voldemort looked scared, he'd woken up to the fact that the blow to Harry had just made him become serious, and that Voldemort did not want to being on the receiving end of a serious Harry's wand. Harry and Voldemort stood staring at each other wands up. Both were breathing as though they had just run a marathon, and were covered in dirt and dust from the ground.

"GET HIM" Voldemort screamed and Harry froze, suddenly he was surrounded by about forty death eaters which had come from all directions.

If anything had helped Voldemort at that moment it was the surprise, Voldemort had always been a serious dueler and would not stand for interruptions of any sort, let alone calling in his death eaters to help. Harry did fight back, using spells that would throw at least ten death eaters back at a time, but more and more came.

Draco was having his own problems, Harry wasn't the only target for the death eaters it seemed, but Draco who had already been sending curse sailing towards the death eaters was a little more prepared and managed to keep a few more back, until.

"CRUCIO" Voldemort screamed

This time it wasn't Harry that went flying back, it was Draco. He slammed in the ground. 'How does he get back up' His mind cried as his body shook in pain. 'How does he do it" He thought as he struggled to return to his feet. It didn't matter though suddenly he was lifted into the air, by one of the death eaters.

"Hello son" whispered a rough voice that sent a shiver down Draco's spine. His father, who had levitated him into the air turned him around revealing his face.

"Draco, Draco, Draco... you turned out so wrong" He sighed.

"Yeah well, so did you I guess it runs in the family" He said which earned him a hard slap across the face.

"I'd shut up if I were you" Harry said and suddenly Draco realised that Harry was floating next to him. There was blood running down the side of his face and well he didn't look to good.

"You look terrible" Draco said

"Thanks Draco, but do us a favor and for the first time in your life, Shut the hell up" Harry snapped. And at this point in time, Draco thought that obeying Harry's orders might be the best thing to do.

"Lovely wand Harry" Voldemort grinned "A lot like my own, very powerful, and the core, if I'm not mistaken, is the same as mine" he said absolutely delighted at the position of power he was in.

Draco had to restrain himself from making smart ass comments, and just gave him a dirty look, while Harry looked completely unaffected by the fact that Voldemort had his wand. "There actually from the same bird, but you should know that, that's why we can't duel properly"

"Ahh you mean when the golden thread appears" Once again Draco was restraining himself, and he thought Harry was easy to make jokes about.

"Yes" Harry answered. Draco began to wonder why Harry was so relaxed. They were actually in a very bad situation, even if he had just realised it himself. Harry was right, he really needed to start taking things seriously.

Harry didn't take his eyes of his wand as Voldemort twirled it around his fingers, he hated using magic without his wand, it was harder to control, and he wasn't sure if he'd mastered it well enough to use it yet. Although thanks to the situation he wasn't going to have much choice so he figured the less he worried about it the better he'll concentrate on getting it right. Anyway if he missed he was more likely to hit one of the death eaters than Draco.

Voldemort pointed Harry's wand at Harry. "I fear that the boy who lived is finally to die" The Dark Lord laughed darkly.

Harry emerald eyes flashed with power and before Voldemort could even mutter the murderous spell he went flying backwards along with the death eaters. Harry's wand flew to one side and landed dangerously close to Voldemort.

"How" Draco started but Harry was already sprinting towards his wand, he'd already used too much energy in the last attack that to even try and summon his wand to him might cause something to go terribly wrong.

Harry threw himself at his wand hitting the ground about a foot too short and in seconds he found himself sailing backwards after a crucio was performed by the dark lord.

"HARRY!!!!!!!" Draco shouted as he stared at his friend. Harry had hit the ground hard, and already looked as though he had run around the Hogwarts quidditch field for two hours without a break.

Draco had to admire Harry's strength and determination as once again he pulled himself up off the ground after being struck by Voldemort's powerful curses. In didn't take long for Draco to realise that Harry wasn't going to try and block the next attack with or without a wand, and he suddenly found himself running towards him.

"Draco, what are you doing!" Harry cried as he realised that Draco had just thrown himself between him and Voldemort. In a flash of Green Light Draco was dead, and everything went silent.

Voldemort stared at Draco's form that lay still on the ground looking disgusted, "What a waste" He said but when he looked up at Harry he knew he had made a terrible error.

A bright gold light began to surround Harry and green flames danced in his eyes. "You will pay for this Voldemort." He roared before sending all his remaining strength, determination, anger, and courage in a spell. The death eaters were thrown miles in all directions while the intensity of the power threw Harry and Voldemort backwards directly into the ground, both unconscious, both completely exhausted, but both alive, even if it was only barely.

[end flashback]

"And that's the story of the final battle" Draco said still flying above Harry's head. "I found him later and woke him up, he asked me if he was dead and when I said no, he swore and looked as though he was ready to murder the next person to get in his way. "

The others gave Harry a strange look at this. "You see if I was alive it means that Voldemort was too. There wasn't enough strength in me by the end of the battle to be able to channel my magic effectively enough to kill Voldemort, though I weakened him enough to keep him quiet for a long while."

"And thus he remains" Draco said, "But he's growing stronger, you can tell through the increased activity of the death eaters."

Dumbledore sighed. "This does make sense of many unanswered questions, although you still haven't explained why you stayed hidden for all those years Harry"

"I don't think anyone but he knows the answer to that Dumbledore" Draco said looking at Harry, "But I doubt that whatever is in that head of his is about to be revealed now, I think there's a certain time when we'll here the entire reason for his disappearance, and now is not it."

"Now I understand why you stopped asking me that question" Harry muttered "Anyway, what's happened in the past cannot be changed now, its the future that worries me. Its incredibly important that no one outside this rooms discovers who I am. Voldemort is lining up Hogwarts for his next attack, and it's important that this occurs"

Sirius nearly choked on the drink that he had pulled out of thin air earlier. "You want Hogwarts to be attacked!!" he cried.

"Yes, but you must understand that this is the best place for a battle. The children can be hidden Sirius, but the magic of this place is so incredible that I will be able to use it to help me, for I will be protecting it and it will allow me to use it, but if Voldemort tries to pull magic from around him, the guardians will not let him."

"The guardians??" Jessica asked.

"The four guardians of Hogwarts" Draco muttered. "Hidden in the walls they will remain, while Hogwarts remains free of pain. At times of peril when danger is near, the four of Hogwarts have no fear. Again they shall appear when times are low, knowing everything yet nothing of their foe. Friends they will welcome into their hearts, their magic is theirs should they ask, yet if you be evil do not dare demand, because severe punishment shall cause the end of your plan."

"The light of a Princess protects the south, while the darkness of a Mage watches the West, the knowledge of the future you will find in the Maiden of the East, as for the past you should look to the Knight of the North. Nothing you can hide from the four, from beginning to forever they will see all."

"I can't believe you remember that" Hermione stated in awe.

"I don't understand" Sirius said looking at Hermione "Where the hell would he remember that from"

"Its a rhyme we made up in seventh year when we were attempting to study for a history of magic exam" Ron explained, Harry hadn't even realised that his best friend had joined them. "And I'm with Hermione, I can't believe you remember that"

"Don't look at me like that, I wouldn't have remembered it if he didn't say it in his sleep" Draco said pointing at Harry.

"I wondered how they had come into my thought" Harry thought out loud.

"I don't understand, does that mean that there's people in the walls" Jessica said.

"Yes and No" Hermione said.

"The souls of people are in the walls" Draco said

"That's not entirely true either" Harry said thoughtfully "Its hard to explain the concept of the guardians, the magic that put them there is so old and complex that nothing has been performed like it for years."

"Apart from the spell that Harry's mother performed" Hermione said. "The magic used came from their love of Hogwarts"

"And Magic" Ron added. "But why they would want to trap themselves in the walls of this place forever I will never know"

There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone listened to the walls as though someone was going to laugh at their confusion.

"Do you know when they will attack?"

"It won't be for a while. They have another target which they wish to get out of the way first" Harry said his eyes moving to Jessica.

"Me!" She cried suddenly aware that she was in danger. She looked around uncomfortably

"Unfortunately Voldemort has decided that having any Potter alive is a bad omen" Draco said, "But if you had seen Harry at the end of that battle you'd probably agree with him."

"He hasn't actually tried to..." Ron started but then looked at Jessica deciding that this was nor the time or place to have this conversation.

"Wormtail is here, I haven't sensed his presence while we have been in this room specifically, but somewhere in Hogwarts he is. And I'm sure the four are watching."

"I'm confused, if there are such a four how come they never protected you when you were at school and Voldemort tried to hurt you" Jessica said.

"They knew I didn't need their help, I assume," Harry said thoughtfully. "I'm not an expert in the ways of the guardians but I'm sure if knew before the battle started how it was to end."

"We could do with an expert on the subject" Ron said looking at Hermione

"To find information on the Guardians you would have to search books from the time of the founders but even then it would be hard to find much... The Guardians are a secret in themselves and as such, you will find hardly anything on them." Hermione said

"We found plenty" Draco said, "Yet that was primarily on their lives rather than the magic they possessed,"

"You can learn much from the lives of people, you must tell me the stories you read, but it will have to be at another time. Its late and we all need sleep so I'm off" Dumbledore said though his eyes showed that he was caught up in thought.

"Oh no," Draco sighed and Harry grinned

"Sorry Draco, you'll have to go find peeves"

The others gave them questioning looks.

"Did you know that Ghosts don't sleep" Harry said trying to hold back laughter. Hermione and Sirius smiled while Ron snorted.

"I warn you all, it peeves suggests water bombing people I know exactly who will be first!" Draco exclaimed looking straight at Harry. They all laughed, then went their own directions to their rooms, all apart from Hermione, Harry and Jessica.