Two days after Harry woke up from his extended nap they had the funeral. For a long time Harry debated whether or not he should even attend. He remembered a time just over a year ago, a different funeral, but it felt the same to him. The same anger, the same hurt, the same sense of loss, but it was different this time in one small but important way. This time he wasn't burying his mentor, his protector, this time he was saying good bye and thank you to the people who had given their lives so that he could continue to fight, those who had died so that Luna Lovegood could see her father again, so that Ron could wrap his arms around Hermione, so that Teddy Lupin could grow up and be loved, and to never know the fear his parents knew.

Harry was dreading the funeral because he was sure that he was going to be asked to say something, and he couldn't think of anything thing that would be even remotely close to what he felt needed to be said, the thanks the sadness, the joy. As he was walking to the graveyard, his fingers twined with Ginny's, he saw a small boy and his parents. The little boy was smiling and running around, his father was chasing him and trying to put his shoes on, his mother was laughing. At that moment Harry knew what he would say, should he be called upon.

Halfway through the service Professor McGonnagal asked if he would please come to the podium and say a few words. He rose and walked to her, his eyes on the white tomb behind her. He turned and faced the assembled witches and wizards, who waited intently to hear what he had to say.

" I would like to say something profound and fitting, something to ease the pain I see, but I can't because that is not who I am, what I can do is repeat the words of a great man, and hope that you all laugh, because laughter is a magic beyond all we do here. Nitwick oddment blubber tweek." There was a split second of complete silence and then suddenly everyone was laughing. Ron was laughing so hard tears were rolling down his face. As Harry passed George on his way to his seat George gave him a thumbs up.

"Good one mate" Harry sat down and Ginny kissed his cheek. Harry felt lighter inside, and for a moment he could imagine Dumbledore smiling at him. After the funeral everyone gathered into the Great Hall for a feast before departing. Prof. McGonagall stood and magnified her voice.

"I would like you all to raise your glasses in a toast to Harry Potter, who delivered us all."

"Professor I would really like to change the toast, I would prefer if we toasted somebody else, anybody else." Harry called out before the toast could be held. Ron sniggered, held up his glass and called out

"To Aberforth's goats!" Everyone laughed, but said in unison " To Aberforth's goats!" After the feast Molly got a hold of Ron by his ear.

"A historic occasion which will be written down and remembered for generations to come and you toast goats! Ronald Bilius Weasley what in the world were you thinking?!"

"Geroff me mum, you didn't yell at Harry!"

"Yes well… Don't do it again!"

"Yes mum, because we all know Ron goes to historic and important events all the time, and he's bound to be asked to make a toast that people will remember for generations to come." George quipped, but moved quickly out of his mother's arm range.

" I thought it was rather brilliant myself." Harry said smiling.

"Yeah, Dumbledore would have been proud" Hagrid added his two sense.

"Speaking of historic happenings" Hermione said. " For the first time Hogwarts will welcome back students to complete their seventh years if they school before they were finished, and I think it would be a good idea if we all came back and took our N.E.W.T.s." Ron groaned but Harry looked thoughtful.

"Well I have to come back, there's no way to become an auror if you don't take the tests, and that's all I can imagine doing with my life."

"Well damn, I'd forgotten we had to finish to be aurors." Ron said, looking slightly defeated.

"Harry you've already spent your life chasing and fighting dark wizards, why not do something else. I mean yes, you already have tons of experience fighting the dark arts, but wouldn't you want to do something more peaceful with your life, take a break from being in danger?" Ginny asked. " You could concentrate on quidditch this year and possibly go pro."

"If I've had enough of dark wizards and danger, then I've definitely had enough of being famous." Harry said, laughing, but inside Ginny's words had gotten him thinking. All his life he had to fight, to risk his life to protect those his loved ones, and in a lot of cases, his loved ones had given their lives to protect him. What if Ginny was right, why should he continue chasing down the evil in the world, he felt like he'd given a lot to the cause, and mostly only gotten pain in return. He thought through most of the day, not paying attention to what was going on around him. Ron had to smack him in the back of the head to get his attention.

"Oiy mate, you might want to pay attention, who knows where you'll end up if you don't do it properly." Harry looked at Ron, confused.

"Do what properly?"

"Harry! Haven't you been listening, we're going to apparate back to the Burrow!" Hermione's voice was an octave higher in her panic.

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry I'll pay attention now." Harry gave himself a mental shake, and told himself to pull it together. He couldn't go wool gathering now, he might end up half way to china and not know how he got there. When it came his turn, he doubled his focus and concentrated on the Burrow. As he turned on the spot he felt the familiar sensation of being crushed by his own body. When he could breathe again he was standing in the lane, looking at his favorite place in the entire world. He walked hand in hand with Ginny into the Burrow, feeling like he was home at last.

Late that night he sat up thinking again, about his future, about Ginny's. He knew that whatever he did with his life, it would affect her life. For the first time since he found out about aurors in his fifth year, he considered other careers. A quiet conversation with Hermione had provided him with the information he wanted. He considered first working in the ministry, but he quickly rejected that idea. He would never get over his distrust of the ministry. He knew he didn't want to work as a healer, and owning a shop didn't sound like it would be right for him either. With a sigh he ran a hand through his hair. Ron groaned and sat up in the other bed.

"Mate it's almost 2 in the morning, what are you doing awake?"

"Can't sleep, thinking don't worry, go back to sleep."

"Thinking about what? What could be so important that you're sitting up here in the dark sighing to yourself?" Harry briefly argued with himself about telling Ron what he was actually thinking, he didn't want to make Ron mad, because Ron had his heart set on becoming an auror. He decided that, as his best friend, and Ginny's brother, Ron deserved to know about Harry's second thoughts.

" Ron… I'm not sure I want to be an auror still." Harry braced himself for Ron's anger, but was surprised when Ron gave a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you're thinking it too. When I first heard about it, I thought it would be great, because of all of our adventures and stuff, but this past year, on the run, no family…"

"and no food" Harry added with a laugh.

" And no food, it's made me think too, and honestly I've had enough violence. So… what are you thinking? Not the ministry we wouldn't be happy there."

"What if I want to do something you think is stupid?" Harry was a little surprised that Ron had decided that they would be together til the end.

"Then we'll do something stupid and laugh everyday. You're not thinking of breeding blast ended skrewts are you?"

"No, for a while now I've had this idea in the back of my mind, but you're going to think it's stupid."

"So what if I think it's stupid. Would it make you happy? More importantly would it make Ginny and Hermione happy?"

"I don't know. I think it would, it wouldn't involve danger or monsters or life or death battles."

"It already sounds great."

"I was thinking, maybe after we graduate school… well of opening an orphanage for wizards, a place so people like Riddle and I don't have to grow up feeling unwanted, feeling like freaks."

"An orphanage… with like babies? I don't know mate, have you ever been around babies? They drool and spit up and have messy nappies." Ron's tone was so serious, but Harry couldn't help laughing. Ron joined in. They didn't know how loud they were being until Molly came through their door, looking like she was going to hex them both.

"You boys better have a good reason for waking the entire house with your laughter at 2:30 in the morning!"

"Sorry… mum… Harry… changing… nappies!" Ron managed to get out between laughs and gasps for air.

"Harry doing what?! Why would Harry need to change nappies?" Molly whipped around and Harry noticed her wand was pointed straight at his heart.

"It's not what you're thinking Mrs. Weasley!" Harry said hurriedly, somewhere in the back of his mind he could see the next morning's prophet headline: "BOY WHO LIVED, KILLED BY MOTHER OF 7"

"No mum, Harry and I were talking about what we wanted to do after we graduated, and Harry suggested opening an orphanage for wizards." The look on Molly's face changed so fast Harry wasn't sure he'd even seen it happen. She sat down on the end of Ron's bed.

"Oh Harry… I think that would be a wonderful idea, but it takes a lot of money to raise one child, let alone several, and it's a big responsibility. You would be raising children, and that is one of the hardest jobs there is in this world. Not only do you have to worry if they're eating their vegetables and doing well in school, but you worry if some bad person is going… is going to take them away from you." Molly's voice trailed off and Harry could tell she was crying.

"Mum… shh it's okay," Ron looked at Harry with desperation, Harry slipped quietly from the room and quickly found Mr. Weasley and explained what was going on. Arthur gently led Molly from the room, an arm around her shoulders. Both boys sat in their beds uncomfortable, both still grieving but unable to express it. Eventually they both lay back down and fell into an uneasy sleep.