It's the final chapter! I can't believe we are here already.

What are you waiting for? Read the end!

Epilogue

2nd May 1998

Hogwarts was on fire. The mighty and beautiful castle that many called home was no longer warm and safe. Whole towers had already collapsed and more and more holes were being blown in the foundations of the ancient school. Whether everything could be repaired was beyond anyone's knowledge, but also not their priority.

Because there was a war raging through the school.

Aurors, members of the Order of the Phoenix and – most disturbing of all – students of all ages were fighting against Voldemort and his followers. There were bodies lying all around the castle. There was a pungent smell of blood and sweat in the air. People were screaming and crying.

Remus Lupin was in the middle of it all, trying his best to fight for what he believed in. He fought for freedom, for equality for all blood-status wizards and witches and he fought to avenge everyone that they had already lost in this war. Remus fought as hard as he could, hoping to make his deceased wife proud. He had lost her two years ago, and not a day had passed in which he didn't think of her.

'Moony watch out!'

Remus turned quickly to see that a Death Eater – still wearing his mask – was about to attack him. He was about to send a counter curse towards his enemy, but his lifelong partner in crime Sirius Black jumped between them and send a wild curse to the ceiling.

'Bombarda!' he yelled. The structure above the Death Eater collapsed on top of him. The two remaining Marauders jumped out of the way so they wouldn't be crushed too. When the dust started to settle they stood back up and looked around. The hallway was quiet for now.

'Thank you Padfoot,' Remus said in-between breaths.

'Don't mention it. Now, I think we should head towards the main staircases. I heard a lot of noise coming from that direction. If we are in luck we get to kill Malfoy. Or even better, Bellatrix,' Sirius said without standing still or looking his friend in the eye.

Sirius had been avoiding him for a while now. They were together almost all the time, and still Remus often felt like Sirius wasn't there. The only things he seemed to want to talk about was Order business and the war. They hadn't cracked a joke in ages.

Remus knew why, and he also knew it wouldn't be fixed until he said something himself. For a long time he hadn't been able to say what Sirius needed to hear, because in all honesty…he didn't mean it. Remus had hated Sirius for a while. And even though he had never told him, Sirius knew.

Remus sighed deeply and placed a firm hand on his friends shoulder before he could dart away and attempt to die again. Sirius had a death wish these days.

Sirius stopped and went rigid went he felt the hand on his shoulder. He didn't turn around though. 'What?'

'Sirius,' Remus said firmly, 'there is a big chance we are going to die today.'

Now he did look around with big, surprised eyes. 'Well of course. What did you think when we went to Hogwarts this night? That we would stun each other? Obviously people are dying Remus!'

'My point is this: I don't want to die without having talked out our problem.'

Sirius huffed and shrugged out of Remus his grip. 'Now? Now you want to talk about…'

'Yes,' Remus said quickly, 'because it is now or never. Listen to me Sirius.' He once more grabbed Sirius so his friend would look him in the eye and would not turn away. 'I want to be honest with you. When Alicia died-,'

Sirius made a whimpering sound and tried to break free of Remus his grasp, but he held on firmly.

'When Alicia died, I blamed you for it. She wouldn't have died if you hadn't tried to battle Bellatrix on your own. She walked into that fight almost knowing she was going to die so you could live. And that is unfair,' Remus told him.

Sirius stared deep in his eyes, but said nothing.

'And I know you felt the same. I know you have blamed yourself for her death too. I know you tried everything you could think of to change the past, to avenge her and to make her proud. I know you send a huge amount of gold to her family and I know you visit her grave every week to refresh the flowers. I know you are still fighting because she wouldn't want you to give up and I know you can't wait to die so the world doesn't feel so unfair anymore.'

He could see how deep these words hit him. He knew he was getting deep into his soul and reading it out loud.

'I know because I have felt very similar, Padfoot. I could have stopped her too. I should have protected her better. My priorities were with Harry that evening in the Ministry of Magic and she paid the price. So, the reason I'm saying all of this is because I'm going to say something to you. Something I couldn't say to you before, but I can say it now,' Remus said firmly.

'What is it?' Sirius whispered.

Remus looked him deep in his grey eyes and held firmly on to his upper arms. 'Sirius, I don't blame you for her death. You are not the reason she died. And I want you to stop feeling that way as well. I forgive you, like I should have done earlier. I'm sorry I made you feel like this for two years.'

Sirius smiled weakly. There were multiple emotions crossing his face before it settled into a look of relief. He sighed deeply.

'Thank you Moony.' Then he pulled his friend into a tight hug.

Moony and Padfoot embraced each other like the best friends they have always been, holding on tight to each other for support.

After a while they let go. Sirius looked around, looking for the right words. 'I'm sorry for being distant, Moony. We should have been together in all of this, and instead I was stuck in my own sorrow. Can you forgive me?'

'Of course,' Remus replied with a wink.

Sirius clapped him on the back. 'I don't know about you, but I can almost hear Alicia sigh in relief that we talked this through.'

Remus bellowed a loud laugh. 'I know what you mean. She would probably shout something like 'FINALLY!' And she would be right.'

They shared a meaningful look. A lot had happened since Alicia had died. Apart from both Sirius and Remus crashing down, she had impacted a lot more lives than just them.

Charlie Weasley for example. He had returned to the house where Charles the dragon was being treated. As by a miracle, he had pulled through and survived. Charlie was so happy, but also concerned when he hadn't seen Alicia show up. Surely she wouldn't forget about her soulmate, would she?

After her death Charles became uncontrollable. He seemed to be looking for his mother all the time and got more irritated by the day. He started scratching people, and that was when they knew he had to go back to the wild. Charlie, struck by grief as well, brought him back to Romania where he shared the news of her death with the people in the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. A statue was raised in her name. Charlie stayed there for the rest of his life, trying to forget about his sorrow.

Harry had been furious. After Alicia fell through the curtain he had run after Bellatrix and attempted to torture her. His life had continued on a rocky path of losing loved ones and making hard decisions. He never tried to talk to Remus or Sirius about her again. Remus knew deep down that he felt guilty. Guilty for being glad that she died instead of Sirius. Sirius had tried his utter best to be a father figure to Harry, and Remus knew it made a huge difference for the troubled boy.

When the news of her death hit Hogwarts, there was a day of mourning. Eventually her funeral had been on the Hogwarts grounds. It was a beautiful ceremony, crowded with people. Her parents had been there of course, along with some other family members that Remus never knew. The loudest crier that day was Rubeus Hagrid. He kept telling people how he didn't even get a chance to see her in her last year. How he had been so busy that he wasn't there when she needed him. Dumbledore among others tried to soothe him. What really surprised everyone, was when the centaurs and the merpeople came to pay their respects as well. Remus had been overwhelmed that day. But he had tried his best to remain strong. Sirius had been at his side throughout the entire ceremony.

Who also attended the funeral were Michelle, Sophia and Elena. The girls had cried their eyes out, not yet believing that she was gone. Remus had stood next to Michelle when she came up to Alicia's casket. She had placed her hand over Alicia's heart and promised to carry on the work she had started. Michelle became a fierce, ruthless fighter after that day. She captured many Death Eaters and saved many lives.

Alicia had left a gaping hole behind when she left. But the only way Remus knew how to avenge her, was to keep going with what he had left. And what she saved: Sirius Black.

Remus flinched out of his memories when there was a loud explosion down the hall. He and Sirius shared another look. Flashes of light and screams were coming towards them. Soon they would be back in the middle of the fight.

'Shall we do this together Moony?'

'Until the end, Padfoot.'

They stepped forward, back into action. The first person they found was a young woman with short raven black hair and blue eyes backing up in their direction. Her hand was raised with her wand at the ready. The sleeve of her robe was torn at the shoulder and her arm was covered in blood. Her lip was split as well and an old scar in her neck was bleeding again.

She looked up at the two men and eased a bit as she recognized them. 'Remus, Sirius. Dolohov and another guy are coming this way. I can't handle them alone.'

Remus placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. 'Don't worry Michelle, we've got your back.'

Sirius pushed her gently behind the both of them and winked at her. 'We'll protect you darling.'

Michelle laughed airily. 'There was a time, Black, when I was ready to kill you. But now I'm glad you are here.'

'Everyone's been there, Michelle,' Remus replied swiftly.

'Shut up Moony,' Sirius replied with his eyes on the hall ahead of them.

Soon enough, Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle came around the corner. Both men were rough, big and looked to be enjoying themselves. A wicked grin grew on Dolohov's face as he spotted his three opponents.

'Oh I hoped to be the one to kill Sirius Black. Traitor to your family and all pure-bloods,' he drawled.

'Yeah? Well at least you are already used to being a disappointment, so the shock won't be too big this time,' Sirius retorted right before he shouted: 'Stupify!'

A fight broke out between the two Death Eathers and the two Marauders. Michelle stayed behind them for now, trying to heal her arm. Remus and Sirius were skilled after years of working for the Order and fighting in two wars already, but Dolohov and Rowle were no easy match. Remus was opposed to Rowle, who had his tongue hanging out and smiling in a wild kind of satisfaction. He chuckled manically whenever he broke through Remus his defence.

All he wanted was to wipe that sickening smile of his face. Remus advanced suddenly and quickly, and managed to throw Rowle backwards. He slid over the ground and hit his head against a stone pillar. His body didn't move.

Dolohov, angered by this, decided to leave Sirius for the moment and cross over to Remus. Remus was still looking at the body of Rowle when the other Death Eater raised his wand and shouted two lethal words:

'Avada Kadavra!'

Remus Lupin his lifeless body fell to the ground. His green eyes stared up at the ceiling in surprise.

'NOOOOOOO!' Sirius screamed, louder than he had ever screamed before. 'I WILL KILL YOU FOR THAT!'

'Oh shit no! Sirius watch out!' Michelle shouted. She had managed to heal herself enough to wield her wand and both of them started attacking Dolohov.

'First the half-breed, then you traitors! Ha ha you will all die today!' Dolohov laughed.

He was so wild that he actually managed to hold his ground against two Order of the Phoenix members. He send a quick curse towards Michelle's legs who fell backwards on her bottom.

Sirius jumped in front of her and out of sheer anger he managed to push Dolohov back a bit, away from the girl he could still save and the body of his last remaining friend.

However, Dolohov was too good and too wild. His spells went everywhere which meant that Sirius couldn't move anywhere. He was rooted to the spot and finally Dolohov used that to bring Sirius to his knees. While he felt down, he sent a Severing Charm to his opponent and managed to slice into Dolohov's face.

While he was distracted, Sirius crawled towards Remus. He checked, because he just had to. He had to check. But when he felt no pulse he knew for sure what he had already known when he heard the curse and saw Remus fall. First Prongs, now Moony…

Sirius couldn't take it anymore.

He looked up to see Dolohov standing over him with his wand pointing between his eyes. In that moment Sirius knew that it was over…for both of them. Because Sirius had been enough distraction for Michelle to creep up behind Dolohov. She was holding her wand to the back of his head in the same way, but she looked uncertain. She was doubting whether she could do it, kill him.

But this was war. She had no choice.

Sirius laughed. 'You won't win, Antonin. You will never win.'

'The way I see it,' he said while twisting his wrist and pressing the tip of the wand to Sirius his forehead, 'I have already won.'

'That's your problem. You only see things your way,' Sirius said defiantly. He looked at Michelle for a moment, who was watching him with fearful eyes. She knew it too: she couldn't save him anymore. Sirius would die here, right next to Remus.

'Do it,' Sirius said to both of them.

He heard the curse spoken through two different voices.

'I think I can see them!'

'Oh for the love of Merlin! Don't be so impatient.'

'It has just been so long ago. And I know they will be here any moment. Finally…we will be complete again.'

'Tell me Lily,' Alicia asked while chuckling, 'how did you deal with this for all this time?'

The red-headed girl that had died at almost the same age as Alicia had rolled her eyes and sighed. 'Don't even ask. But I guess he is just excited to see-,'

'THERE!'

Alicia, together with James and Lily, stood up from the grassy hill next to the Whomping Willow. Out of the opening under the roots emerged a figure. He scrambled awkwardly but managed to pull himself out. He hardly had time to look around before James crashed into him.

'Whooh! James?'

'Hey Moony!'

Remus smiled widely as he hugged James back. 'Hey Prongs. It's been a long time without you, my friend.'

'I know Moony. I know.'

After James allowed him some space again, Remus looked up at the two women. He held a hand to cover his mouth.

'I-I can't even…'

Alicia and Lily looked at each other and giggled. Then Lily stepped up to him first. She hugged her old friend tightly. 'Hey Remus. I missed you so much.'

'I missed you too, Lils,' he whispered into her hair.

'We took good care of her for you. We were right there to catch her when she fell through,' Lily said as she looked him in the eye again.

Then he looked at her. Alicia didn't know how this 'afterlife' worked, but apparently your conscience could choose how to portray you in this world. Remus had chosen to look like his twenty-year-old self again. It was a version of him Alicia had never seen in her life, but she recognized him without trouble.

'Hey Remus,' she said with a huge smile, 'I like the look.'

Remus took long, quick strides over to her. He didn't slow down as he neared her and crashed both of them into the gras. Alicia had no time to react. Remus was holding her as tight to his body as he could manage. His face nestled in the crook of her neck for a moment. Then he kissed her all over.

'I missed you too,' Alicia laughed.

She held onto her husband tightly. They were embraced like that, eyes closed and enjoying the feeling of being together.

'It's good to see you two together again,' Lily said proudly as she and her husband stood next to the entangled couple.

'I've been saying it from the beginning Moony: this has always been the perfect girl for you. I knew it when you two met. Didn't I say so, Lily love?' James said smugly.

'Yes dear. You are a little cupid,' Lily said as she squeezed his hand.

Remus lifted his head first to look down at Alicia. Then he sat up on his knees and pulled her up with him. 'I knew it too. I just didn't dare to claim you, because you were my student. But if you hadn't been my student I would have advanced much quicker.'

Alicia giggled as she kept staring at him. 'Yeah that never stopped me though. I had my eyes on the price.'

They all laughed.

'Guys,' Lily said as she looked over her shoulder, 'I think someone else is coming.'

Remus pulled Alicia back to her feet and the four of them walked back to the tree. Sirius, also looking like his twenty-year-old self, clambered out of the dirt while swearing.

'Only Padfoot would arrive into the afterlife while swearing,' Alicia said fondly.

He looked up and noticed the four people standing there. He gasped loudly and dramatically before he zoomed forward shouting: 'PRONGS!'

'PADFOOT!'

They crashed into each other and rolled in the grass together, laughing hysterically. They were talking quickly to each other, like they were having a conversation of an hour in two minutes. But they hardly needed to finish their sentences; they already knew what the other was thinking. Alicia had never seen a bond quite like it.

'Oi, Black. There are more friends here waiting for you,' Lily said with her hands placed on her hips.

Sirius looked up and walked up to them. He went to Lily first and held her tightly.

'Have you been taking good care of Prongs for me?' Sirius asked her with a smile.

'As well as you have been taking care of our son, Sirius,' she replied. 'Thank you for that.'

Sirius smiled another radiant smile before he moved on to Remus, who he hugged tightly too.

'You didn't wait very long, did you?' Remus said with a grin.

'All the cool kids were dying, so I figured I might as well join.'

They released each other and Sirius stepped in front of Alicia. He stared at her with an unreadable expression.

'Nessie Lupin,' he stated very officially, 'How dare you die for me?'

She crossed her arms over her chest. 'Padfoot Black. How dare you question my decision.'

'You left him behind,' he said while waving his hand in the direction of Remus.

'And I asked you to look after him,' she replied simply. 'The truth is, Sirius, that he would be broken losing either of us.'

They both looked at Remus, who shrugged. 'Yeah I think that is true.'

'But that's in the past now,' Alicia said, looking back at Sirius, 'Do you think we can forget all this and…well…move on?'

'Of fucking course you idiot,' Sirius said with a smile as he pulled her in a hug and lifted her feet off the ground.

'We all can now,' James said as he stood in-between Lily and Sirius and held his hands on their shoulders, 'We are all together now, as we should have been. Finally, the real Marauders are complete.'

'I couldn't agree more,' Sirius smiled, as he held onto Alicia.

Alicia did the same with Remus on her other side, who held onto Lily.

'I know this will be a huge cliché, but can we…say that thing?' Alicia asked, thinking about the message she wanted all of them to see in their heads. Everyone laughed when they saw it.

'I don't think it's a cliché,' Remus said while he looked at her with love in his eyes, 'I think it's an ending.'

Alicia and Remus kissed. When they drew apart everyone looked at each other to say their final words.

'Mischief managed.'

First of all, I want to thank every single one of you for reading my story. When I started writing this story a year ago already I never thought there would be so many of you reading, liking and getting absorbed in the story! I really appreciate you taking the time to read what I created. Thank you!

When I wrote down the very first chapter of Alicia Doreen and the Werewolf Professor I already knew how this was going to end. All this time I've been building up a story knowing that Alicia was going to die saving Sirius. I peppered the story with foreshadowing and was afraid it would be obvious by the time it happened. Well…that was not the case. I think I shocked you all a bit! However I personally thought it to be very fitting. The biggest reason for this is the following:

Alicia never wanted to fight in a war. We knew that since Chapter 11: a glimpse into the future. She has never been a fighter, always the carer. If the war hadn't happened, she would be happy in Romania surrounded by dragons that she can protect. She only fought because she was afraid to lose the people she loved. So yes, she might be good at duelling, but she is nothing compared to a crazy blood-thirsty Death Eater. If she had been strong enough to survive this war then it would feel too easy.

Well this meant that the only 'happy ending' I could give them was in the afterlife. It is bittersweet, just the way most of the story has been :)

But I'm really curious to hear from you! I will be answering questions and reacting to reviews. If anyone wants to go into a deeper discussion you can message me on Tumblr, username CrazyRapunzel.

This story is completely finished now. No new sequels. I am however writing a new book that I will soon start uploading. It won't be Harry Potter, but Doctor Who, featuring the 10th Doctor and an OC. The writing style is quite the same, but I suppose you should have watched Doctor who series 1-4 first.

Once more, thank you for sticking around and I really hoped you enjoyed the story!