EPILOGUE

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With a flourish and sweep of her arm, Raven commanded the crowd's attention and the Great Hall fell to a hush.

Snape hid a smirk. His wife always did have a closeted taste for the theatrics, even if she wouldn't admit it.

Her brilliant purple eyes were alive with the excitement of having hundreds of witches and wizards staring at her, but she kept her face neutral and authoritative.

The large group of first year students stood nervously in a cluster near the huge double-doors and peered around each other to get a glimpse of the intimidating woman in white.

Her hood was raised up, but that was the only remnant of her former attire that still remained. After eleven years, Raven had adopted traditional witches robes - modifying them to keep her now-iconic peaked hood. And while her husband was still known for haunting the hallways of the castle all in black like a shadow, she was recognized for her choice of all-white. The Yang to his Yin.

The rumor which older students fed to the first years was that she was part Veela and constantly hid her face with the hood to stop male students from throwing themselves off the Astronomy Tower from her siren-like trance. But that myth was always debunked by the first week when they would catch her running around the Black Lake in white Muggle work-out clothes.

Clearing her throat, Raven addressed the room. "On behalf of the staff, faculty, and students, I would like to welcome this year's newest students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The hundreds of students at the four House tables erupted into applause along with the teachers and Headmaster at the high table.

Raven shot a look to her husband sitting behind her as if to say "This is it." He nodded slightly, also somewhat anxious.

This was the year, after all.

Despite having been reassured by Dumbledore, both Snape and Raven had awaited this day with a mixture of dread and anticipation.

"When I call your name, step forward and sit on the stool. I will then determine to which House you are best suited: the bold, brave, and reckless belong in Gryffindor; the clever, witty, but over-analytical in Ravenclaw; the loyal, selfless, yet naive belong to Hufflepuff; and the ambitious, shrewd, but manipulative in Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be your family, and like any family there are both qualities and defects that will enhance and challenge your education and development. Ackling, Davey Nicholas!"

A blond-haired boy approached her, trembling slightly.

She gave him a slight smile and pointed him to the wooden stool in the center of the room.

Davey sat obediently with wide eyes as Raven placed both hands on either shoulder from behind him.

The first years gasped and whispered in terror as they watched Raven's violet eyes cloud over into nothing but glowing white.

She dipped into his innocent young soul, viewing his temperament, emotions, and personality. After the first few years of doing this, she had learned how to read a person's true nature without invading their memories or thoughts. It had been a challenge initially, because people - particularly young children and teenagers - change. But fundamentally, at their core, the Empath discovered a deeper layer to people. The kind that never changed based on situations or life events.

Sometimes, though, it was impossible not to hear their thoughts, so forcefully projected to the conscious part of their mind. For example, young Mr. Davey Ackling was internally screaming "DON'T PASS OUT. DON'T THROW UP. MUM AND DAD WOULD BE SO HUMILIATED."

She smiled slightly. "Hufflepuff!" she announced.

The yellow and black colored table whooped and hollered as the young lad hopped off the stool and stumbled over gratefully.

"Biggs, Bartholomew Bright!"

He was a Ravenclaw.

"Crabbe, Angelica Belle!"

Snape's eyebrows skyrocketed as he observed the stocky, slightly masculine-looking girl stomp forward, and his jaw actually fell open slightly when Raven declared her a Gryffindor. He recovered quickly and silently snorted laughter into his glass at the thought of her parents' reaction when they heard the news.

Dooring, Mitzi Mae was next.

"Slytherin!"

The green and silver table clapped enthusiastically at their newest member.

On and on, Raven called out the names and Sorted the first years into their houses.

This year marked the start of the drastic increase of students entering Hogwarts, known as the Post-War Gemino Effect. Nine months after the Dark Lord's defeat, the Wizarding population had suddenly exploded. The preliminary wave of first-years eligible to attend Hogwarts started this year, but the full onslaught wouldn't be until the next. But this year was more important to Raven and Snape. This was the year he arrived.

As she progressed down the alphabetical list, her voice became a little more strained...not due to any vocal fatigue, but because she was getting closer to his name.

At last, it was time.

"Potter, Thomas James!"

Nobody else seemed to notice the Headmaster sit up straighter or the Deputy Headmistress stiffen slightly as the pale-faced, thin-nosed, black-haired boy strode forward confidently. If anyone had, they would've dismissed it easily enough, what with all the other teachers and students craning their necks to get a look at famous Harry Potter and celebrity Ginny Weasley-Potter's son.

Raven swallowed, forcing herself to relax.

The smug-looking boy plunked down on the stool and Raven placed her hands on his shoulders.

She closed her eyes for the first time to better focus on the input she was reading.

The first positive indication was that Tom Potter wasn't nearly as confident as he strove to appear. Internally, he was about to be sick. He hated the attention he was receiving just because his parents were celebrities.

Raven slowly let out a shaky breath.

Unable to stop herself, she delved further into his soul to take full advantage of this one-time opportunity.

Snippets of memories flowed past her like a river and she merely observed them as they flowed by - not dipping into any one of them, but merely watching their reflections as they passed. Raven was heartened to see a warm upbringing and a loving childhood. He was joined by two siblings by the time he was four and six, and they would be starting at Hogwarts in a couple years. Auror Harry Potter was a benevolent and attentive father, and though she became a mother at a very young age, Ginny was a nurturing and intuitive mother. Her fun, "cool" personality had translated beautifully into parenthood and Raven could see her flying with him, teaching him Quidditch and letting him try out different haircuts and colors. Harry would read bedtime stories to him and take him to the Muggle cinema to watch action movies.

As she delved further into his mind, Raven hit a wall. An impenetrable barrier that she remembered hearing about from Harry and Dumbledore shortly after the Final Battle at Malfoy Manor. This was the Fidelius Charm placed over the infant that would conceal his origin. Only Harry, Ginny, Dumbledore, Snape, and herself knew young Tom Potter was adopted, and who he had been previously. Even the other Order and DA members had consented to be Obliviated and their memories reconstructed to fit a believable scenario that would explain why Ginny's secret pregnancy and birth had been concealed.

For everyone else, truth of what occurred at Malfoy Manor remained a mystery. Upon word that the Dark Lord was vanquished for good, the entire Wizarding community was ablaze with celebrations, toasting, and widespread relief. Their curiosity and insatiable need for details led to speculations and rumors detailing and inflating Harry Potter's epic killing of You Know Who...all of which were neither confirmed nor denied by the Order of the Phoenix. This, naturally, was all the evidence they needed to confirm their suspicions, and within half a year, the Ministry had declared "Harry Potter Day" a national holiday.

Harry and Ginny's teenage romance had swept the tabloids and the revelation of her secret pregnancy and Dumbledore's cover-up had been the biggest scoop of Rita Skeeter's career. It was the Wizarding World's equivalent of the Kate and William royal baby craze, and the public just couldn't get enough photos of the secret war baby.

It had been difficult for Harry and Ginny to make a life together so early, but they had made it work. It had been their plan all along, after all, but unexpected circumstances had jump-started their marriage. The Weasleys had been incredibly supportive, and Molly made the world's best grandmother for baby Tom. According to Harry, if Molly couldn't keep Tommy on the straight and narrow, then nothing could. She smothered him in kisses and sweets...not to mention almost literally in her hand-made child-sized sweaters.

So far, Thomas James Potter was developing normally.

Suddenly, the Empath became aware of a mantra the young boy was chanting to himself.

Despite her disinclination to snoop, she couldn't contain her curiosity and mentally tuned into what Tom was repeating over and over in his conscious mind:

"Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin."

She was taken aback. Her breath caught slightly.

This was a sensitive boy, caring about his family and how he could live up to the family name, what with his father being the famous war-hero and auror Harry Potter and his mother the celebrity Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies Ginny Weasley-Potter. He knew all about how his dad fought and defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort all those years ago, and that he had belonged to Slytherin. He was terrified of disappointing his family. Of not continuing the proud Potter tradition. His dedication to his family's reputation and desperate desire to be worthy of the name pounded through his veins.

Tom was, in fact, embracing the values polar opposite of the traits he was assigned to Slytherin for fifty years ago.

Pure Azthranian power, of which Lord Voldemort knew not, may have caused his downfall...but love, it seemed, was the ultimate weapon that eradicated the last vestige of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

With a genuine smile of relief, and a slight wetness to her eyes, Raven opened them again to view the Great Hall.

"Hufflepuff!"

The room went wild, and Tommy Potter was enveloped in hugs and high-fives as he happily ran to his new House.

The Deputy Headmistress readjusted her white hood as she turned to see her husband fighting hard to restrain the grin threatening to take over his face. Other students around the room nudged each other and nodded up at the High Table, shocked to see the normally stern Headmaster losing the battle with his smile.

After the feast was over and the students were safely tucked away in their respective dormitories, Raven and Severus sat in his office sharing a bottle of celebratory brandy with their guests.

"Hufflepuff?" Harry repeated for the eighth time. His wife had initially thought he was disappointed when he'd asked a third time, but by the fifth, it was clear he was delightedly shocked.

"If you think about it," Severus commented, "it truly is the literal opposite of Slytherin in every way."

"You should be proud," Raven added to Harry, smirking at Snape's glare.

Dumbledore sat beaming at the Potters.

Harry shook his head almost violently. "I can't articulate how happy this makes me. Sure, Gryffindor would have been swell too, but to be completely honest, I think I prefer it this way, considering."

"I do too," Ginny agreed.

"Blimey," Harry breathed, letting out a laugh, "if only Voldemort could see himself today."

Ginny swatted at his arm. "That isn't him, Harry. He's our son."

"I know, I know," Harry smiled wanly.

"And speaking of our son, we'd better get back home to get our other two girls before Hermione goes insane."

Dumbledore twinkled madly. "Ah yes, the reluctant babysitter is doing very well for herself as Minerva's Senior Undersecretary. Did you hear she and Mr. Krum just bought a summer home in Dubrovnik?"

Raven chuckled. "Only what I read in the Quib."

"Such a scandal," the old wizard giggled happily, relishing the gossip. "She's next in line, you know. Already causing a fuss within the administration because of her tenacious ideas and impertinent proposals. I can't wait," he popped a lemon sherbert in his mouth giddily.

The former Headmaster of Hogwarts had mellowed considerably since the war ended and he'd folded up the Order. But that may have also been due to his sudden announcement and subsequent marriage to Minerva McGonagall...much to nobody's shock. His "surprise" announcement had been met with unanimous responses such as "About bloody time," and "Are you sure you're ready? Only been 50 frickin' years." Sirius had gone so far as to mention how old they both were and that his wedding gift would be a joint-headstone.

The newly-elected Minister of Magic (also unanimous) and her new husband had moved to London where Albus was thoroughly enjoying retired life...taking young Tom out on day trips and to his mother's Quidditch games to watch her play. As Thomas Potter's surrogate great-grandfather, he took his role very seriously - trying to make up for his failure to the boy in his past life.

"May England survive her tenure," Headmaster Snape drawled.

His appointment to Hogwarts' Headmaster upon Dumbledore's retirement had been a controversial one, to put it lightly. It had taken a solid two years before parents and students realized the school hadn't changed much at all, and that Headmaster Snape wasn't nearly as nasty a headmaster as he was a Potions professor. In fact, it was almost as though Snape himself wasn't nearly as nasty.

This was due both to his marriage to Raven and that his job was in management and not constantly in direct contact with the dunderhead teenagers invading the castle. Severus was never cut out for teaching. As Headmaster, he had more free time to devote to his passion for researching and developing new potions and writing articles for academic journals.

He also had more free time to devote to his other passion: his wife.

The pair had grown together and learned how to be whole people after having had such a late start in life. They understood they'd never be fully functional or "normal" comparatively speaking to the rest of society, but they accepted that. And they accepted each other exactly where they were on their journey at each stage.

They both had a lot of recovering to do in the immediate aftermath of the Battle at Malfoy Manor...Especially Raven, who had to contend with the murder of her best friends in addition to adjusting to life with emotions and without her father's constant presence.

Rather than a public announcement of the slaughter of an entire team of superheroes, news of the Teen Titans' disbandment was met with initial shock and concern in Jump City. After considerable thought, Raven decided it best not to track down and inform the (very) few distant relatives...none of them had been on good terms with her friends, nor shown any care or concern for their wellbeing their whole lives. They did not deserve the courtesy, and would be better off believing their extended nephew, third cousin, estranged sister, and former ward were simply enjoying an early retirement. Meeting at Titan's East, Raven held a vigil for her former family, and passed the torch of responsibility to the B-Team, who accepted the mantel with the utmost reverence. Time had matured the team, and she felt them finally ready to protect the city.

Goodbyes said, and business completed, Raven had returned to Hogwarts at Dumbledore's invitation...or rather, the Potion Master's insistence. At her behest, the nature of her services to the Order was kept confidential, and she was vaguely explained away as an American superhuman "contractor" brought in for special assignments in support of the Order.

Once a year, members of the Order gathered at Number 12 Grimmauld Place (now Sirius and Remus' home) for reunions, but the meet-ups were always kept fun and light. The returned Defense Professor had become something of a friend to Severus, though Snape would be hard-pressed to label anyone "friend." They had moved passed their differences and had a amiable working relationship that would occasionally involve double-dates in town.

Meanwhile, the Potters and Dumbledore eventually Floo'd to their homes, leaving the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress alone in his office.

"Well, Mrs. Snape."

"Yes, Professor Snape?"

"It seems I have ingested more brandy than my liver can adequately process in a timely manner. My judgement appears to be impaired, so I delegate the decision-making to you in the interim."

The white-cloaked sorceress sashayed around the desk, lowering her hood to reveal her purple hair up in a flattering, messy twist. Sweeping her robes to the side, she slid into his lap. "And what decisions are you faced with now, Headmaster?"

Severus's black eyes glittered as he stared into her face, and he reached up to let her hair down. With a nonverbal flick of his hand, the violet locks came tumbling down in layers reaching the tops of her breasts. "A few," he rumbled, his other arm snaking around her waist and pulling her further onto his lap, letting her thigh grind against the hardness in his trousers. "Such as whether I should wait until we reach our chambers, or strip you naked and claim your body right here on my desk."

She raised an eyebrow. "With all these portraits of your predecessors watching? Headmaster Snape, I never imagined you to be an exhibitionist."

"I'm not. What I am, however, is in dire need of your delectable womanhood, and am at the undefinable stage of intoxication that renders me incapable of giving a solitary shit who sees us."

A voice from high up on the wall piped up. "Go on, then!"

"I concur!" another past headmaster contributed. "It's been hundreds of years since we've seen any action..."

"...any worth watching," another portrait said with a shiver of disgust.

Snape, who had buried his face in his wife's neck, growled in warning. "Phineaaas!"

Headmaster Black sniffed disdainfully. "You both are the youngest couple to hold this office in centuries...you can't blame us for being unopposed to observing your wife's taut figure after what we had to go through during Umbridge's brief, but saggy occupancy."

Snape choked.

"Good lord, Phineas!" spoke one of the other portraits, "Don't remind us!"

"I had half a mind to demand Dumbledore Scourgify my eyes from the canvas! You can't imagine what it was like with Dolores and Filch going away at it in here..."

"On the desk, in the chair, over the stairs, on the floor, against those shelves..."

Raven felt her husband dry-heave.

"ENOUGH!" Snape roared. With huff of rage, he hoisted his bride into his arms and swept toward the door that led to the Headmaster's private chambers. "You'll excuse us before I lose what's left of my erection..."

He banged the door open and carried Raven up the spiral staircase out of sight, where he salvaged the mood - much to Raven's pleasure...multiple times.

...

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...


Author's Notes: I sincerely want to thank each and every one of you for your steadfast support throughout the TEN FRIGGING YEARS it took me to finish this story! This fanfiction would never have seen completion if it hadn't been for your loyal reviews and the emails I get notifying me that someone has "favorited" or "followed" the story.

To ANiteOwl - from the beginning, you've kept me going with your undying praise and encouragement and patience! You reviewed every one of my chapters from the moment you started reading, and grew from loyal reviewer and fan to a friend in real life. I'm dedicating this epilogue to you, because without you, it likely never would have seen creation.

Special thanks also to Sierra, Dedishado, and many others whose persistent reviews spurred me on during the many moments of "F this S" I experienced while writing this fanfiction!

Last but not least, here are a couple clarifications pertaining to the story:

- Gemino is referring to the Gemino Curse in the books that multiplied the coins and cups in the Lestrange's vault upon touching it. Inspired by the "Baby Boom" after WWII.

- Last chapter, Raven's pure Azthranian power is directly inspired by the Teen Titans cartoon episode The End pt. 3 where Raven defeats Trigon using the same power of purity instilled in her from the monks of Azerath.

- Additionally, turning Voldemort into a baby was also inspired by the Teen Titans cartoon episode The End (pt. 2 and 3) when Raven herself was reduced to a small girl due to Trigon's portal being opened through her. I just wanted to clarify that it wasn't a completely random element I pulled out of my ass :)