Well, I guess that's it.

II(:

Epilogue

'You are, aren't you?' Luna said to Neville as they walked out of the forest afterwards.

'What?'

'Oh, you know,' she lowered her voice 'I thought you didn't want me to talk about it?'

'Then don't,' Neville said simply.

'Other people will, though.'

'I only pulled an ancient sword out of a hat, Luna. Any wizard can pull things out of a hat!'

'I know,' she said 'but it doesn't stop the rumours.'

Neville considered this. And then he had an idea. It wasn't a nice thing to do, but it was the only way.

'Oh, all right,' he said 'Go on and talk about it. But do me a favour.'

'Yes?'

'Add a Crumple-Horned Snorcack to the story. Or maybe a Blibbering Humdinger…'

Maybe if enough people didn't believe Luna, the rumours would stay rumours.

XXX

McGonagall had to admit, if only to herself, that she wasn't quite sure how magic circles worked. She had heard one way of opening one was to dance around it naked on a full moon night. She didn't really know how to seal one. Maybe she had already done it. She spent the night (which luckily wasn't a full moon) standing in that clearing perfectly still and fully dressed. Just to be sure.

XXX

The next morning Neville was rather brutally woken up by Ron Weasley.

'I thought we didn't have classes today?' he muttered sleepily.

'There's a goblin at the door,' Ron said 'He says he wants to talk to you.'

'Oh, all right,' Neville said.

He got up and walked over to the door, trying to look as friendly as it's possible for someone who has just been dragged out of bed on a Sunday morning.

'Good morning, Mr Griphook,' he said to the angry-looking creature outside 'What - ?'

'You have taken something that is not yours,' Griphook said 'I have come to retrieve it.'

'Oh. The sword?' said Neville 'Of course.'

He walked back to his bed and picked up the sword from under it.

'Wizards…' the goblin muttered angrily. The word was followed by a few words Neville did not understand. They sounded like curses, but then again most words in the goblins' language do (Some people who don't speak the language, but know a few goblins suspect it is because they are. In fact, goblins have many very creative ways of insulting people without having to resort to swearing.).

'I just borrowed it,' Neville said apologetically 'It was an emergency.'

'It wasn't supposed to be possible any more,' said Griphook reproachfully 'Spells have been cast to prevent it.'

'I'm very sorry,' Neville replied, handing the weapon to the goblin and backing away slowly 'It won't happen again, I promise.'

XXX

Marie Suzanne O'Doome was expelled. It was a very good word, McGonagall thought. After that everything went back to normal at last. Winky told McGonagall that Luna Lovegood had returned the frying pan to the kitchens. It was safe now. She didn't need it.

Harry Potter started to seem a little bored, now that there was no need for heroes any more. He really did have a saving people thing, as someone had put it… Ah, well, McGonagall thought, he'll find himself a nice dangerous job and get on with his life. And he did. McGonagall congratulated him when he finally became an Auror and watched, mildly amused, as he moved up in their ranks at an impressive speed.

Neville Longbottom returned to Hogwarts a few years later, to replace Professor Sprout when she retired. He soon became the Head of Gryffindor House and won the Most Liked Teacher Award for 48 years in a row (He just had that effect on people. Nobody knew why, although, since it seemed to be that sort of story, McGonagall suspected). When the Headmistress died, he was offered the position of Headmaster, but (since she was not there to force him), politely refused.

XXX

And this is somewhere else. A woman who looks a lot like Marie Suzanne O'Doome walks slowly through the snow. She is not cold. She never is. She is disappointed, though. She is still wearing her pointy black hat. Somewhere else, maybe, a sudden gust of wind would have blown it off her head (Because this is what should happen. But then, reality rarely cares about what should be.), but this is her world and she thinks that maybe she has the right to wear it here.