Epilogue
A year and a half later, little had really changed in the Wizarding world. Voldemort was still killing Muggles and Muggle-born wizards and witches. Harry was now nearly 22 and had become even more powerful. Between the secretly revived Dumbledore and Snape, Harry was learning all manner of new spells and counter spells. Dumbledore remained hidden with the Order at Grimmauld Place.
On occasion, Hermione would join Snape at St. Mungo's, but mostly she stayed close to their six-month old son, Nathaniel at headquarters. As a Muggleborn, friend to Harry, and wife to the traitor Snape, Hermione and her child were always in danger from Death Eaters. In a devilish twist of fate, Neville Longbottom had finished his apprenticeship in Herbology and joined the staff at St. Mungo's. It galled Snape to have Longbottom in the same laboratory, but Neville did bring some new ideas with him.
"Master Snape?" Longbottom called to Snape who had been working on a faster fever-reducing potion on the other side of the laboratory.
"Take care, Longbottom. My wife says that I am not to be cruel to you as you are her friend, so think carefully before you ask your next question," Snape snarled.
Hesitantly then, Neville moved over to Snape and stood in front of him before addressing him, "Sir, can you check these…"
Without warning, Snape shrieked in sheer agony and collapsed onto the floor. He clutched his left arm where the Dark Mark was. Neville was stunned momentarily, but then he put aside what he had in his hands and attended to Snape. Snape continued to writhe on the floor, incoherently screaming then moaning until he was suddenly still and unconscious.
Quite by happenstance, Hermione had been with Harry when the deed was done. She held Harry as he died in her arms, only a few feet from where Voldemort had finally given up the ghost along with Bellatrix LeStrange who was caught in the overload. The final battle had been unexpected, swift, and decisive in the middle of the main street in Diagon Alley. Both Harry's and Voldemort's wands had overloaded with the power of each casting the killing curse simultaneously. Upon Voldemort's death, each of his Death Eaters felt the pain of his dying surging through his or her arm where the Dark Mark was. The sudden incapacitation of Death Eaters made it simple for the aurors to round them up and transport them to Azkaban to await trials.
Younger Death Easters, like Draco Malfoy, who were relatively new to the ranks, took the least amount of time to recover. While Death Eaters who bore the Mark longer were in comas for days. Over the next few weeks, many spells began to spontaneously reverse when their casters, having died in the final fight, had their bodies immolated by the Ministry's grand funeral pyre. Neville's parents began to come back around much to the jubilation of Neville and his "Gran."
When Snape finally awakened, his sight had returned. Hermione placed their son into his arms for him to see how much Nathaniel looked like his father. Harry was buried with his parents in Dumbledore's tomb. A phoenix was carved on the outside with the words, "To the Boy-Who-Lived, Loved, and Saved."
Snape decided to remain at St. Mungo's as the Head of Potions Department. In the ninety odd years he worked with Neville Longbottom, he never did give up nettling Neville. After a few years, it became more a sport than real animosity. After all, it was Neville who saved Hermione's life after she nearly died in childbirth with their fourth child. It was then that Ginny finally married Neville who had pursued her since the year after Harry's death. Snape had enjoyed harassing Neville about his attempts to woo Ginny. With that amusement gone, he turned to harassing him about trying to replenish the Wizarding population all by themselves.
The Longbottoms had a dozen children, stair-stepped, two years apart. Ron married Luna who gave him four children and her quirky whole-hearted adoration. After serving ten years in Azkaban, Draco left for the continent and his mother's family there. Pansy had waited for him; he had reluctantly taken her for his wife shortly before the trial. In correspondence with his godfather, Draco recounted every fight and slight that he endured with Pansy. Snape would shake his head and mutter something about what you get when you marry a Slytherin, which served to amuse Hermione to no end.
Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts and rebuilt it. Minerva McGonagall served as his deputy, and then as Headmistress when Dumbledore died in his old age. There was peace in the Wizarding World for centuries following the deaths of Harry Potter and Tom Riddle.