End of an Era…

"Have you heard the news? She's not very well at all"

"No" Harry shook his head, "She didn't look good when I spoke to her yesterday. Mind you, Mione, she's been under a lot of stress the last few years with one of her Grandsons running off with an American divorcee, the lies spread by the Malfoys about one of her sons and then losing her husband during a global pandemic" he shrugged.

"What did you speak about?" asked Hermione – his oldest and most dearest friend.

"How the country was being run, the issues we have with other magical governments… She offered her advice and gave me a few commands to carry out" he signed his name on some paperwork and then allowed himself to smile. "That takes care of the Malfoys impersonating the Duke of York" he muttered. The pair sipped tea as they worked until somebody came crashing through the door in a hurry.

"Sir" the Auror said, "You are wanted at Balmoral at once"

"Do we need to get Healers?" Hermione asked as she grabbed her wand and hurried for the door.

"No, Ma'am" the man replied, "There is no point. But the Prince would like you there at once"

"Tell him that we're…" Harry and Hermione skidded on their heels to a stop. "Sod it" Harry said as he realised what the urgent summons meant. Harry decided to throw caution to the winds and apparated himself and Hermione directly to Balmoral's hall and startled a member of staff who simply pointed upwards.

"Private room" he simply said and sat in a chair and started to sob. Harry grabbed Hermione and apparated directly to the Queen's bedroom to find the Prince of Wales, Princess Anne and one or two medical personal all surrounding the bed of the Queen.

"Minister. Miss Granger" Princess Anne nodded curtly before turning to the Doctors and telling them their sudden appearance was a state secret.

"Mr Potter, the Doctors have said that my mother has a few minutes left. However, she is still the Queen and summoned you to give her a report on the state of her magical citizens" the Prince of Wales spoke quickly.

"I see" Harry nodded in understanding as he and Hermione stepped forward. Though loving magic, both of them had remained true to their roots and remained loyal to the Queen – sometimes spending a few days at one of the private residences. As a thank you for their dedicated service to the United Kingdom in fighting – and in Harry's case dying – they had been awarded a Knighthood and a Damehood though of course it had to remain a closely guarded secret.

"I would advise to make it quick" the Doctor said before he was ushered out of the room.

"Your Majesty" Harry bowed as the Queen's eyes fluttered open.

"Ah, my favourite wizard has arrived with my favourite witch… After Camilla, that is" she added with a weak chuckle at her son's expression. Although they had settled that matter long ago, the Queen often found chances to remind her eldest son of the things he had done wrong in the past.

"Ma'am" Hermione curtseyed.

"I have asked you here because my Doctors have told me that I am not long for this world. I do not ask you to cure me of old age or to add some more time to my life, but you are the Master of Death and I ask you to use your powers to look into the next world and see for just a moment"

"Your Majesty" Harry said gravely, "That is interfering with all sorts of powerful and dange-"

"Consider that a Royal Command"

"Well, putting it that way…" Harry smiled. After the Battle of Hogwarts, he had changed his mind and kept all three pieces of the Hallows on him at all times because it was safest that way. "What am I looking for?" he asked and then suddenly turned his head as if listening to something only he could see. "Actually, what you want has been waiting" and he took out the Resurrection Stone and poured a great deal of his magic into it. There was a flash of light before a ghostly figure stepped forth from the misty either and smiled lovingly at the Queen.

"I've been waiting for you" said Prince Philip.

"Oh, Philip…" the Queen sighed. "I've missed you"

"I know" he replied. "I have been watching over you and doing what I can to protect you. However, its time we should be going. That magician of yours has only got enough power in him for a few moments more and I wanted to be the one to come and welcome you in person as it were. Margaret is there as are your mother and father and they told me that they had been watching you and guiding events so that you could be the great Queen we all knew you could be"

"Anne, I will see you again one day – know that I will always miss you"

"I will, Mother"

"Charles, it is my time… I charge you to look after my Kingdom and my Peoples and to do whatever you have to do to the best of your ability"

"Mummy…" the Prince of Wales whispered with tears running down his face.

"Well, come along, Cabbage" and there was a flash of light and the ghostly figure vanished and the Queen let out a relieved sigh and then fell back gently into her pillows.

"I think we need the Doctor" Hermione said softly and quickly got him from where he was outside. He took the Queen's pulse and checked responses to a small torch in her eyes and then closed the eyes and pulled the covers over her slowly. Standing straight, Doctor Glass turned to the two oldest of the Queen's children.

"The Queen is dead"

"LONG LIVE THE KING!" Hermione and Harry both snapped to attention and proclaimed it to Charles who was overcome with emotion. He simply nodded in mute weeping as Anne tried to keep her own emotions in check.

"Shall I inform the relevant people?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes"

"Very well, Your Majesty" the Doctor bowed and then left the room to tell the rest of the medical team and the staff of the Queen's death.

"Mr Potter" the King turned to Harry and Hermione still standing at attention. "I command you to form a Magical Government of my peoples and my lands wherever they might be"

"I will most gladly do so, Your Majesty" Harry bowed. "On behalf of Your Majesty's Magical Government, might I offer condolences on the death of your mother, the Queen?"

"You may and it is thankfully received. I know you brought peace to her lands that are now mine" the King turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, might I ask you to stay by the side of my mother until plans can be carried out?"

"It would be my honour" Hermione replied – tears were spilling down her own cheeks. She took out her wand and adopted a ready position in case anything should happen as Harry cast his Patronus and out appeared a magnificent stag.

"Impressive" said the King.

"I never get bored with watching you do a display of magic, Sir Harry" Anne remarked.

"Go to the Ministry" Harry said. He was trying to keep his emotions from spilling over at the death he had just witnessed – one of the few things that had given him comfort over his time at Hogwarts had been keeping up to date with what the Queen had been doing. After he had defeated Voldemort and joined the Ministry as an Auror and rose quickly through the ranks, it was something he had kept a close touch on. "Go to the Ministry and tell them that 'London Bridge has fallen'. That's all" and to their surprise, the spectre nodded, turned and bowed deeply to the Queen's body before galloping away to the task it was given.

#

After all of the parades, speeches and ceremonies, Harry and Hermione stood in their robes of deepest black with a blood red trim – given only to those that had been at the Battle of Hogwarts and put their life on the line. In the chamber stood the King, his siblings and his family as a coffin came through held by a group of Goblins in their finest and most highly polished armour – they might be a proud race, but they had always bowed to the will of the Queen and this was their own way of paying tribute and saying goodbye to one of the only humans they ever feared as they still told tales of the Queen that had kicked their leader around the bank floor to this day to their children.

Harry and Hermione would loyally serve King Charles III and then William V and then George VII until they both died short of their 200th birthdays and being the first two magicals to be buried in Westminster Abbey – flanking the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior as they had done what he had done… Dedicated their lives to defending the country against all sorts of enemies and serving the crown so that all may have a better life.

A/N:

No guess as to what this is in reference to…

When I got a phone call to put the news on, my heart sank and I was devastated to see the breaking news of the death of my beloved Queen. I know she was as human as any of us, but she was one person that I thought would live forever and ever and ever…

I watched as various ceremonies took place, followed her journey from Scotland via plane back to London to be greeted by the people she had both served and led in the pouring rain and in the cold. I saw that tiny coffin holding a giant of a woman lit with internal lights make its way through the dark streets to Buckingham Palace with people lining the roads and even the Motorways and A Roads to pay their respects. After she had been taken to Westminster Hall to lie in state, I took an overnight coach to London and then queued for over 13 hours in sunny skies and dark, in the dry and the rain… All to say my own personal thanks to a woman that was my beloved Queen and Lady Sovereign. It was an honour to be able to walk past the coffin and bow to it in the most terribly loud silence I have ever experienced. As I came out of the hall, I actually tripped and I was being helped back to my feet by a policeman just as the new King and family arrived to mount a guard – despite the agony of falling over and the hours stood standing and walking without a chance to sit down, I stood and called "God Save The King" to which the King stopped, looked at me and then nodded. If I never see him again that close, I shall never forget the moment when I gave my deepest condolences to the King who said a few kind words to me and then left to do duty to his mother.

Well, you don't want to hear any more of that so, like and review

Regards,

Pixel and Stephanie Forever