A/N: Wow! My last chapter garnered five reviews, which is about 14 of the total number of reviews I've received to date. It's rather momentous, don't you think?

This chapter probably isn't long enough to really be called a chapter. Still, it doesn't really fit anywhere and so it's being posted on its own.

Disclaimer: Me no own nuthin'.

Chapter Twenty-Three

There's No Place Like Home

Luminaire.

This light spell is the cornerstone of ensuring the integrity of the Fidelius. Only half a dozen witches and wizards have been able to execute this spell between the time of Merlin and Albus Dumbledore. The spell has no incantation; there is no pedagogical tool with which to describe the spell or pass on knowledge as to its execution. Some have theorized that this spell requires some innate or intuited understanding of magic that is not available to magical folk generally, while other theories posit a secret conspiracy designed to keep select key players in positions of power. Regardless, we the authors regret to inform you that we cannot tell you much about the internal workings of this spell or describe any of its properties. Even in the absence of this spell, the Fidelius Charm is still a formidable layering of spells that, while not impregnable, can still properly defend an area or object from all but the most powerful of wizards and witches.

April 1st.

Reflecting on it all, Harry had had a pretty crazy time of things. Between Dark Lords and horcruxes and fringe worlds with multi-coloured skies, quarter giants and parallel dimensions; the end of the world and the Paris air, he had had little time to wonder about just what the hell was going on the wizarding world. The real one, or at least, the one he belonged to. Whatever else there was out there to find about, to explore, it would all have to wait. It was long overdue for him to return home, and, after a month of careful self-examination, he decided that he was quite ready to do that. It was time for him to take down the last two horcruxes, and, finally, Lord Voldemort himself.

Harry stood at the edge of a great precipice. The skies were clouded over with a thick layering of fluffy, white clouds, darker ones looming ominously out over the ocean. Winds were blowing about incessantly, causing his robes to billow behind him, his shirt sleeves fluttering about despondently. It was really cold, he decided, standing at the edge of that great cliff, the Atlantic spread out before him. Still, he didn't mind. There was something incredible about nature, about its vastness, and it made Harry acutely aware of the wrongness of Lord Voldemort's arrogance. We are all mere grains of sand in this universe, he mused. We are so little that we try to take more than we deserve, to find ourselves, to give ourselves comfort. Yet it would be better to simply acknowledge our place and learn from it, lest we overstep our bounds and destroy ourselves. His thoughts probably weren't the most profound things in the world, but he didn't mind. All he knew for certain was that those thoughts spoke to him on some deep, internal level; they were important to him, and that was enough.

Kittie sidled up next to him, eyeing him from the corner of her eye as she pretended to watch the waves crash down against the rocks below. A gull cried in the distance, its voice barely audible amidst the din of rustling grass and breaking waves. "We ready to go?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I think we are."

Behind him, Marv and Minnie were packing a few belongings into the back of a Ford Anglia. For some strange reason, they had all decided to have a picnic near the cliffs of Dover. For each of them, it represented something different. For Minnie, it was a moment to enjoy their time together, just the four of them, like a timeout from the stresses they were all under. For Kittie and Marv, it was a way to feel closer to one another, like having a date. For Harry, it was a time to connect to himself and to the Earth, to the currents of magic riding the four winds.

Soon after, the quartet piled into the sedan, Marv driving, and they trundled away, leaving the peaceful tranquility of that solitary place to return to London, to the bustle of millions of people all working together in tenuous concert, keeping society running for as long as they could before entropy took hold and eventually eradicated them.

"Where to?" Minnie asked, resting her hand gently over top Harry's.

Harry gave Minnie a comforting smile and replied, "To Olivander's. There's something I need to pick up."

The return home was surprisingly uneventful, which seemed strange to Harry, since he had expected his return to be among one of the most difficult parts of his adventure abroad. After all, it hardly seemed that inter-dimensional travel was common enough for them to find books about it. Presumably, Tom had spent decades amassing enough financial power to research the subject so that he could properly make the trip. As it happened, however, the ability to return home was far easier than the ability to leave home, since they were already an aberration, since they already possessed a signature of the old world that would guide them back.

Except, of course, it wasn't all of them returning, as Harry soon discovered.

Standing outside the phone booth entrance to the Ministry, the four intrepid heroes kept together, the warm spring sun contrasting with the chill breeze, the taste of exhaust in the air, the clutter of humans and noises assaulting their other senses. Kittie kept her hands in her windbreaker and was pressed up against Marv, who kept one arm around her waist. Minnie seemed somewhat at a loss, eyeing the happy couple from time to time, with a look that Harry could only describe as wistful. He himself was leaned casually against the phone booth, taking in the sounds and smells of the streets, for once having the time to relax and pay attention to his surroundings.

"I guess I didn't really think about it all that much," Harry admitted, a serious expression on his face. "I mean, yeah, I knew I had to kill you, but..." He trailed off, not quite sure how he was supposed to finish that statement. Six months ago, he probably could have done it, albeit reluctantly, but, now, after all they had been through, it was downright inconceivable. He could no more kill Marv than he could kill Ronald Weasley, or Hermione Granger.

"So what then?" Kittie asked, clearly disturbed by the whole conversation. "If we stay, then you don't have to kill him?"

Marv nodded. "That's pretty much what I'm saying. Tom must have understood that the bonds that tie souls together will not survive between dimensions. The threshold will cut it like a magical scythe."

"Which means I never really killed Tom," Harry finished, sighing. "I knew it would be too easy."

"But you don't really have to worry about him anymore," Marv said, shrugging. "It doesn't matter now."

"Yeah, now, maybe. But what if he returns? The last thing I need is to be putting the finishing touches on Voldemort and having him show up." Harry scowled at the thought of having a horcrux reappear uninvited.

"It's doubtful," Marv said. "He's too smart to screw up his chances at a new life. Besides, you smashed the receptacle, which means he would probably be assimilated back into Voldemort's body or be annihilated upon re-entry."

"You're just making that up," Harry accused.

Marv merely smiled. "Pretty much."

Harry blew out a long sigh and fixed his gaze to a medley of teens that were running afoul the notice-me-nots and turning away, slightly confused expressions on their faces. How he wished for a brief moment that he too could just wander away with nothing more than a slight headache, never to know about the complexities of war and horcruxes and Dark Lords. But, just as quickly as that thought came, it went, replaced by the visions of all the people who died for him, not the least of which was his mother, who, in addition to him having memories of her echoing screams, now had a face, an image, a scene, set in an isolated hospital ward, half-demolished by a gruesome battle between himself and Lord Voldemort.

"And you're going to stay here with him," Harry said, turning to Kittie, his voice betraying no emotion.

She merely nodded, silently scuffing the tips of her shoes against the cement.

Of course she is, Harry thought. They love each other. "And you?" Harry asked, turning to Minnie. "Where do you fit in all this?"

For a moment, Minnie looked helpless, like a deer caught in the headlights, but, with all three gazing at her expectantly, wondering what her decision would be, she resolved to be firm about her decision, to have strength. She said, "I'm returning to help you fight your war, Harry." And then, with less certainty, she added, "If you'll have me, of course."

There was something unmistakably pleading in her eyes that Harry couldn't quite identify. He supposed it was longing; the need to attach herself to somebody, her desire to have a sense of place, a sense of love and belonging in what was otherwise a rather cold world. Harry suddenly found himself the object of Marv and Kittie's intense scrutiny, both of them curious as to what Harry's decision would be, both of them silently pushing him to take Minnie with him, to make her happy, to fulfill that role that Jack had once filled. Harry, who, a year ago, would have balked at the idea or, at least, felt a little bit uncomfortable by it, felt oddly touched that someone needed him the way she did. Shrugging, he said, "Yeah, sure. Just try to duck and find cover the second spells start flying, all right?"

Minnie smiled beatifically and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and half-laughing, half-weeping into his neck, saying, "Thank you, thank you! I promise I won't be a burden and I won't disappoint you!"

"Er, right," Harry said, tentatively extracting her from his neck, partly in the hopes of returning the blood flow to his head. "We've made it this far together, we can do it a bit more. No worries."

Minnie let herself be extracted and then pressed herself into Harry's torso, as if making to disappear, causing Harry to instinctively put his arm around her shoulders, effectively mirroring Kittie's and Marv's stance.

"Right, well you two lovebirds best be getting on your way, then," Kittie said, smirking. Minnie just smiled, and Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh that's mature," Kittie said in a derisive tone, and then promptly stuck her tongue out at Harry.

"And to think I actually dated you," Harry said, and they both burst into laughter, Marv and Minnie still smiling.

"Ugh, you were always so tense," Kittie said, scowling as she remembered that time. "It's like nobody'd ever really given you a chance to breathe."

"I don't think anyone really ever did," he agreed, wandlessly conjuring a cup of hot chocolate for himself and for the others, who gladly caught their respective cups out of mid-air as they floated gently toward them.

"That is soooo cool," Minnie said. "Are you sure you can't teach me to do that?"

Harry shrugged. "Never say never. Why don't we look into it when we get back. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some dark arts blood magic transfer type stuff around."

"Marv nodded, confirming Harry's words. "There is, but it has side effects. I doubt you could give her more than the most rudimentary of magical abilities. Probably no more than seeing the Leaky Cauldron and weathering notice-me-nots and the like. That is, without severely changing her both mentally and physically. Changes which would seriously not be for the better."

Harry too nodded, accepting Marv's words. "Yeah, well, I wasn't too invested in the idea. Just figured I wouldn't shut it down outright."

"Of course, of course," Marv agreed. "You're welcome to look into it."

"So this is it then," Kittie said, looking between Marv and Harry.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I suppose we'd better get going. No sense prolonging the inevitable."

"I'm going to miss you," Kittie said, moving forward and giving Harry a long hug. "Both of you," she amended, turning to Minnie and doing the same. "If it weren't for you, Harry, Marv and I may never have gotten together."

Harry smiled a comforting smile and merely said, "Glad I could help. You take care of yourself and have a bit of fun. See the sights, don't get into too much trouble."

"I won't," she said, still smiling, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "I'd say the same for you, but it would be a bit hollow, wouldn't it."

"Just a bit, yeah," Harry agreed. "Still, the sentiment's appreciated." Harry then turned to Marv and said. "Well, good luck with it all then. Keep her safe and all that."

"I will," Marv agreed, shaking Harry's hand. "I'm glad I got to know you, Harry."

"Likewise." The two soldiers stared into each other's eyes for a long time before looking away, a silent communication about loyalty and trust passing between them. Marv then did something incredibly unexpected and drew out a locket on a silver chain from underneath his shirt, pulled it up over his head and gave it to Harry.

"Here," he said, handing it over. "When you get back, smash it to smithereens."

Harry took the locket with great delicacy, surprised by the gesture. "You said you weren't sure about that whole inter-dimensional disconnection thing. What if destroying this in turn destroys you?"

"Then I'll know I died for a good cause," he said, shrugging, both of them aware of Kittie out of the periphery of their vision. "We've already discussed it," Marv added, gently squeezing Kittie's shoulders in reassurance. "Neither of us would want me to survive if it meant letting the monster that killed your parents roam free."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully, placing the locket around his own neck and tucking it underneath his shirt. "I can't tell you how much that means to me."

"It's okay, we know," Kittie said softly. "Sometimes, you wear your heart on your sleeve, Harry Potter."

Minnie and Harry finished exchanging their good-byes and then, just the two of them, descended the lift to the Ministry atrium, Harry dialing the number for magic.

"State your name and business," came the pleasant female Ministry voice.

Harry just said, "Harry Potter and Minnie-" He looked questioningly over at the blonde attached to his arm, who just shrugged. "That's all I got."

"Er, well," he continued, "Harry Potter and Minnie. We're here to blow this pop stand."

Two badges came out, stating their names. HARRY AND MINNIE POTTER, INTER-DIMENSIONAL TRAVELLERS.

"Bloody legilimans," he muttered as they disappeared into the world of magic once again.

"So we're sure this thing's going to take us back?" Minnie asked, eyeing the creepy looking arch-thing.

"That or we'll find ourselves being shredded like mozzarella cheese," Harry replied, shrugging and stepping forward, not knowing that he uttered the same phrase Marv had done when following after Harry through Tom's portal the previous summer.

Minnie joined him, and, despite the sounds of aurors telling them to halt, having finally twigged into the unlawful entry, they continued forward, walking hand-in-hand into the veil. Harry was finally coming home.