Thank you, as ever, for the reviews, follows and favourite!

One reviewer was unconvinced by Harry and especially Ron volunteering to test the Device. My view on the matter was that they were being the leaders who don't ask anyone to do what they're not prepared to do themselves. I think that James knew that volunteering to do it would shame them into offering to take his place. Also, once Harry had volunteered, I don't think Ron had any choice but to share the risk: He's the one that's been insisting it's safe and controllable, not being willing to be a test subject would indicate that he had doubts.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER TWENTY: Restoration

It was the press conference that no-one had believed would ever happen. Harry and Ron stood side by side in the Ministry press room, cameras popping as disbelieving journalists recorded the moment. "The Purification Device has now been fully tested,"Ron announced. "Two test subjects had their magic removed and then restored."

"And who exactly were those test subjects?"Jacqui Langer demanded.

"You're looking at them."

The journalists looked about as shocked as either man had ever seen them. "We decided that we couldn't ask anyone else to take the risk,"Harry explained. "Or to be precise, the younger generation helped us see what we had to do."

"What of the reports of a war?"Zara Mills asked. "Of a pitched battle between the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix in this very building?"

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance. "Mistakes were made,"Ron replied. "Things happened that shouldn't have done. The Purification Device proposal was sound but the way it was implemented was not. There should have been proper testing and consultation. The fact that this didn't happen meant unnecessary tension."

"And some of us overreacted,"Harry continued. "We saw the threat the Purification Device had posed in the past, not the uses it could be put to that would benefit our whole society. And we didn't trust those we should have trusted. Those who have proved themselves in the past to want the best for all witches and wizards."

"There's no point holding onto the bad feeling that nearly tore our society apart,"Ron concluded. "Therefore, I am issuing a full ministerial pardon to all members of the Order of the Phoenix who may have committed a crime during the recent unrest, and look forward to working with them on rebuilding trust in our society."

Nymphadora, Bradley and Gemini sat cross-legged on the bed in the Head of Gryffindor's quarters, watching an image of the press conference. Gemini smiled. "Good old Grandad. He did the right thing in the end."

"I guess everyone did,"Nymphadora replied. "We're just lucky no-one arrested us."

"Well, why would they? We saved wizarding society as we know it."

"So…everything's going to be all right now?"Bradley asked. "My grandma and my aunt and uncle… they're all going to be released?"

"That's what Uncle Ron said,"Nymphadora confirmed.

"And we did it! Us! We're like…a new Golden Trio!"

"Beverley and Maxwell had a hand in it too,"Gemini pointed out.

Bradley looked as though his hopes had been dashed. "Golden Quintet?"

"Maybe we're still Dumbledore's Army?"

"I think James is going to close that down,"Nymphadora replied. "The civil war's over and everybody won."

Bradley nodded. "Something tells me this isn't the last scrape we're going to get into though."

"You're probably right."

At that moment, the door to the room was flung open. Hermione looked at the three junior school students sitting on the bed and raised an eyebrow. "Did you get lost?"

Nymphadora jumped up and flung her arms round her. "I've missed you, Mum."

Hermione softened. "I've missed you too, Dora. All of you. Maybe even you, Bradley."

"But what are you doing back here, Grandma?"Gemini asked.

"Well, since your grandad decided on the pardon, Professor Longbottom told Harry and I we could have our jobs back as soon as it was official."

"What about Professor Souvren…and Professor Weasley?"Bradley asked.

"Professor Souvren is quite happy to go back to being retired. And I believe Lisa has been offered Professor Ramos' position as Head of Ravenclaw and Astronomy Professor. He's leaving to take up a job with the Ministry's observatory."

"But what about James?"Nymphadora asked. "It'll be tough on him to lose Head of Gryffindor."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Don't worry. He'll get his own reward."

In their cottage, James was sharing a lengthy hug with Emily. "I've missed you,"he told her quietly.

"I've missed you too,"Emily confirmed.

"Can you try not to run away and be a fugitive again?"

"I'll try." Emily softly kissed him. "Anyway…I guess if I do, I can count on you to put things right."

"I'm still astonished that it worked."

"It did though. We owe you a lot."

"Yes, we do,"agreed a voice from the doorway. They both looked round to see Harry standing there. "Emily, can you give us a moment alone?"

Emily nodded, and kissed her husband on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

James watched her go, then looked back at his father. "They let you out then?"

Harry walked into the cottage and let out a deep sigh. "I'm getting old, James. I don't know what the right thing to do is anymore. When you're young, you think that adults know everything. You trust them to make all the decisions, to get you out of a problem. Then you get a bit older and you decide that adults know nothing. That they're past it, that they don't understand modern society, that they should stand aside and let the young run things. Neither of those is true, of course. People of every age are fallible. They get it wrong sometimes, right other times. But then you become one of those old people and you look around and you realise it's not your world anymore. People don't have the same values you had, don't do things the same way. Because that's what happens, things change. But that's hard to accept sometimes. Some people still want to do things the old way, or worse they want to tear down this new world and bring back their own. That's how the Death Eaters started."

"You're not a Death Eater,"James told him.

"No, you're right, I'm not. But I have done everything wrong. Maybe I was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, maybe I just forgot that not everything needs to be solved by fighting. But I'm not the one that should be leading the light side anymore. You are. I'm standing down as leader of the Order of the Phoenix in your favour."

James gaped. "I…I actually don't know what to say."

Harry held out his hand and James shook it. "Leader of Dumbledore's Army, eh? I think he would have been proud of you. He learned the hard way the dangers of thinking you know what's best for the wizarding world. Thanks for making sure it wasn't that hard for me."