The next day dawned clear and bright, as if the world had been made anew. Harry woke to find Ginny smiling at him. He laughed quietly, "what are you grinning at?" he asked her.
"Just thinking that this stupid war could be over soon and I won't have to share you with the world anymore" Ginny said before kissing him heavily.
Harry returned the kiss and held her close to him. "I just hope we all live through it" he said wearily. "And I hope killing Tom doesn't destroy me."
"What if you don't kill him?" Ginny asked earning an incredulous look from Harry. "Just hear me out okay?" she begged. Harry nodded. "I know that you don't want to kill him for two reasons. One, killing tears your soul and you are afraid of what that will do to you." Again Harry nodded. "Two, you won't be satisfied with ending his life. He has caused so much pain and destruction you want him to feel the effects of his action in some manner. Right?" Ginny stared at Harry causing him to nod stiffly and the look at the wall away from her. She lovingly turned his face back to her. "I want that to Harry, wanting him to suffer for his crimes does not make you evil. On the contrary, it makes you more good and humane than the world deserves." She stroked his face, "Far more so than I deserve."
Harry immediately pulled her on top of him in a tight embrace. "Liar" he said. "I am nothing compared to you, I could never do enough good to deserve your love Ginny."
Ginny snuggled down into his chest loving the safe feeling his arms provided. "I have an idea for you" she said. Harry made an inquisitive noise that she felt in his chest. "What if you trapped him in a prison of true love Harry? You could force him to live with the ghosts of all those he killed and if he tried to escape the love in the walls would kill him." Harry seemed to consider her idea for a long while. "Either way his reign of terror will finally end" Ginny said tightening her arms around him.
"That's not a bad idea," Harry said thoughtfully, "in fact, that might be the best idea I've heard since we got married." Ginny just laughed at Harry's flattery as she raised her face to kiss him again.
Meanwhile Hermione had just found a note on the pillow beside her asking her to meet Ron in the garden for breakfast. She got out of bed and put on a warm and fluffy robe and walked out to find Ron seated at the white wicker table that sat a few yards from Harry's parents' graves. The table was loaded with her favorite breakfast foods and a large pitcher of juice. Ron stood up has she walked to the table and held out a chair for her. She sat down and enjoyed a private breakfast with Ron secretly hoping that one day they would do this everyday as a married couple. She had no idea that a beautiful engagement ring was currently tied to the flowers standing in the middle of the table because Ron had arranged them so that the ring was on his side. "How did you get that note into my bedroom?" she asked truly intrigued because she slept very lightly and didn't believe it was possible to sneak into her room without her noticing.
"Oh, that was easy" Ron replied, "I had Pig deliver it for me." He smiled at her shocked expression. "I finally trained him deliver letters quietly when needed" he said laughing quietly. "The hard part was getting him to arrange it on the pillow. I've been working with him all year." Hermione expression went from shocked to amazed.
"Why would you have spent that much time training him to do that?" she asked
"So I could do this" Ron answered picking up the flowers and coming around the table to kneel in front of her. "Hermione Jean Granger will you marry me?" He asked turning the flowers to show her the ring as Hermione stared dumbfounded at him. Ron waited patiently as Hermione continued to stare at him.
"Men usually want that question answered Hermione." Sirius' teasing voice floated over her shoulder. Hermione's head whipped around to stare at the house where Harry, Ginny, Sirius, Bellatrix, Remus, and Tonks stood.
"Oh go on Hermione" Ginny said lauging, "You know you've been dreaming about this for years, don't waste the chance now."
"Hermione smiled at her and turned back to her boyfriend, "Yes Ronald Billius Weasley, I will gladly marry you." Ron surged up from his knee to lift her bodily from her chair in a fierce embrace. She laughed as he swung her around in a circle before he set her gently on the ground and kissed her. She smiled up at him as he slipped the ring on her finger and then burrowed into his chest as the rest of the guests and the Potters came out to congratulate them both.
Dobby and Squeaky set about making a wonderful feast in celebration while Ron and Hermione apparated to her parents hiding place to give them the news before going on to the Burrow to tell his family. The two arrived later that day with Hermione's parents followed a few moments later by the rest of the Weasleys. The group enjoyed the feast that the elves had prepared and tossed ideas back and forth about when the wedding would happen. Mostly they teased the newly engaged couple about everything they could think of until Hermione's father stated with that he would not allow Hermione to marry in a time of war because such marriages were exceptionally hard on the couple. That almost started the fight of the century.
"Enough!" shouted Harry restoring order to his dining room. "Mr. Granger, I have known Ronald Weasley longer than you and just as long as I have known your daughter. I tell you now that no one in this world is more capable or determined to protect Hermione and see her happy as he is. Their relationship has been close enough over the last two years to be mistaken for an old married couple anyway and I don't understand why you object to anything that would bring your daughter this much joy. However, since it falls to me to end this war I will see to it before their wedding date."
"What are you talking about, Hermione has been in terrible danger trying to help you in this war and now you say it was for nothing" Mr. Granger shouted turning almost as scarlet as Harry's uncle.
"Dad!" Hermione stood and stared her father back into his seat where her mother laid a comforting hand on his arm, "Ron and I will marry where and when we decide. You have no right to decide my life for me anymore. And Harry never said that my contributions were worthless, he said that it falls to him to end the war and it does. A prophecy was made before he was born that said Harry would be the only man capable of defeating Lord Voldemort.
"Then why hasn't he done it?" her father asked angrily.
"Why was Hitler not defeated sooner than he was? Why did the Scots have to fight so long for independence? Why does any war last longer than we like?" Hermione's mother was the one to fire these questions rapidly at her husband. No one expected him to answer but he did.
"Because it takes time to put people in place and to plan how to stop those people. None of those wars came down to a personal argument!" Mr. Granger said heatedly.
"Neither does this one sir" Ron piped up. "This war is about one man's obsession with immortality and power. Lord Voldemort fancies himself to be the most powerful wizard alive and as such is owed the service of every wizard in the world. He is not unlike Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Napoleon, Commodes, or any other dictator. The only difference is that he is a wizard and unfortunately a very powerful on at that." Ron paused and looked around for support. Hermione reached over and took his hand to show hers while his father just nodded. "Harry needed the help of many people to get to the point that we are at now. We are finally at the end of a long journey of preparation and soon the final duel will occur. Harry has accepted all of our help grudgingly because while he knew he could not do this alone he did not want to endanger any of us. We all knew that in the end there is nothing we can do to help him in the last duel but we have all tried in our own small way to help prepare him for the fight."
"Hermione's exceptional intelligence has been priceless in all of this Sir" Harry said quietly, "her contributions have been both of the greatest importance and least apparent." Beside him Ginny nodded her agreement while Hermione's mother stroked her father's arm.
Finally Hermione's father nodded, "I'm sorry, I just can't stand to see her in danger and couldn't bear to watch her heart break if something were to happen to you Ron in the war."
Ron smiled, "No offence taken sir, you love Hermione as do I." Mr. Granger stood and extended his hand. Ron shook it without hesitation.
"You have my daughter's hand whenever you ask us for it" Mr. Granger said as a single tear welled in his eye. "Hermione we love you and want you to be happy, I just worry for you as I have always done."
Hermione left Ron's side and embraced her father. "I will always be your daughter and I love you both" she said laying her head on his chest.
The rest of the evening was spent planning the wedding which Harry graciously offered to hold in his garden if they wished. Ron and Hermione thanked him but said they had another place I mind. Late that night Harry sat at the white wicker table in his garden facing the headstones of his parents silently in thought. Dan Granger stood with his arm around his daughter watching him from a window on the second floor of the house.
"He is remembering what he is fighting for" Ginny said in response to Dan's unthought-of question. Dan and Hermione turned to look at her. "He spends at least one evening in that chair every time we come home" she said. "He says that sitting there he can almost hear his parents telling him to be strong and finish the fight." She smiled lovingly at her husband as she stepped to the window and leaned against the frame.
"Shouldn't you go comfort him?" Dan asked confused.
Ginny turned her head and smiled briefly at him before returning her gaze to Harry. "No, he needs this time to himself" she said. Then seeing that Dan was still confused she explained, "Harry fights this fight so that no child will ever have to live as he has. His parents were murdered before his eyes when he was a year old, he was sent to his aunt and uncle's to live as a slave. His uncle was abusive both to Harry and his aunt, Harry has faced Lord Voldemort is some form or another more than any wizard in history and yet he survives as the humble man who will swear that his contribution to our world is minimal compared to that of his friends." Ginny smiled again as she nodded at Hermione, "I promise you that when this is all over Harry will demand the highest honor the ministry of magic can offer for Hermione, Ron, Sirius, Bellatrix, and me but will refuse his own awards saying that he did very little."
"Such men are rare Mrs. Potter" Dan said, "you are fortunate to have him."
"Believe me I am the luckiest woman in the world" Ginny said, "But Hermione is just as lucky." Dan raised an eyebrow at her, she laughed saying, "Harry considers her the sister he never had, and my brother has been his best friend for seven years. Harry has taught Ron by example to be the best boyfriend and husband in the world. I've watched Ron change from a quiditch obsessed little boy into a mature and loving man simply by being around Harry. I watched Hermione watch out for them both all through school and I've watched her grow close to Harry in a way I'll never understand. And I've seen the three of them do things together that most wizards and witches only dream of, what I would have given to do some of the things that Hermione has been a part of." She laughed again as Hermione teared up. "But I'm sure that I'll get to do a lot more with him now than she will" Ginny teased drawing a laugh from Dan and a grin from Hermione.
"Yes, well you treat my adopted brother right and I won't have to protect him anymore" Hermione said
"Same to you" Ginny said as she turned to the door, "I think that I will go join my husband now." Father and daughter smiled at her as she left. Moments later they watched as she walked to the table and sat beside her husband laying her head on his shoulder.
"Have you really done so much with him Hermione?" Dan asked his daughter.
"I suppose," she answered thoughtfully, "It just isn't something that the three of us think of often. We did what we had to. Ron and I have been through a lot to protect Harry, but I wouldn't change one thing. I will always have some truly amazing memories and stories to tell."
Her father hugged her to him for a moment before asking, "Do you think he would mind if I went to apologize to him for my behavior at dinner now? I don't want to intrude."
Hermione smiled at her father, "He won't mind, but he won't require an apology either."
Dan did step into the garden briefly to apologize to Harry and was utterly shocked when Harry simply dismissed the whole affair. Everyone went to bed that night content except Ron who was worried about Harry saying he would end the war before he and Hermione wed.
Harry woke the next day and met Bellatrix in his dungeon basement to destroy the Horcruxes. It took little time to do and neither Harry nor Bellatrix ever spoke of it again. They just released the bit of Tom Riddle's soul then repaired the artifacts as they were all historically significant objects. Harry met his guests and wife in the dining room that morning with a grim determined look on his face.
"Sirius, Bellatrix and I are going to Hogwarts today" he said quietly. "You are all welcome to come if you like but you should know that it is very likely that Tom" he glanced at the Grangers, "or Lord Voldemort will attack the school today."
"Why today Harry?" Dan asked.
"Because he destroyed the horcruxes this morning didn't you Harry?" Hermione asked with tears in her eyes.
Harry nodded, "It's time to finish this" he said firmly. Everyone left to prepare, Hermione explained what the horcruxes were and there significance to her parents while she packed.
"What should we do Hermione?" her mother asked fearfully.
"Whatever you feel is right, Harry has a plan and I'm certain it's a good one" Hermione said. "He wants this to end quickly and wants to keep us safe. He's going to Hogwarts to protect it by stopping Voldemort before he starts an attack."
Meanwhile in his study Harry was quickly writing to Minister Diggory to tell him to have every Auror he could spare at Hogwarts within the hour. Precisely one hour later Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked down from a high window in the castle of Hogwarts along with the entire school and the Weasleys as Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Bellatrix, Remus Lupin and Tonks stood before the castle and faced the army of Death Eaters advancing on the school led by Lord Voldemort himself.
The army stopped yards from Harry with their wands drawn as Harry and Voldemort sized each other up. Harry, Ginny and Bellatrix walked forward as Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange advanced to meet them. They met at the Gates of Hogwarts where Harry conjured a large table and the six sat to negotiate the terms of the battle.
"I will accept nothing but the complete surrender of the Wizarding World to me" Voldemort said in a high cold voice.
"To pursue such an end will mean the death of many Tom" Harry said dismissively, "we both know the prophecy Tom, why waste good wizarding blood when we can resolve this war between us?"
"What do you propose?" Tom asked warily
"A one on one duel" Harry said staring Voldemort in the eye. "You and I meet at a neutral location and settle this in the ancient manner. A champion for each side fights for all, the winner takes all."
"Intriguing" said Voldemort, "What conditions would you name?
"Only that if you lose your Death Eaters surrender to the Ministry" Harry said.
"And if I should win?" Voldemort asked
"Then you would be invincible and the Ministry would be foolish to try to oppose you" Harry said.
"What rules shall we set on the duel? Any curses you'd like to ban?" Voldemort teased.
"One rule" Harry said grimly. "No interference. Face me in a fair duel, one on one and I will allow any curse that comes to mind."
Voldemort was surprised but he accepted the duel quickly. The two agreed on a deserted island north of England to be the site and they agreed to wait two weeks so that the Ministry could construct a stadium and put the word out. With the negotiations complete Bellatrix cast a bonding charm to ensure that the two would keep their word. As the two parties left Harry heard one short and final argument. Rodolphus was trying to convince Bellatrix to come home with him as he was her husband.
"That is not true anymore Rodolphus" Bellatrix said firmly, "My head of house filed my divorce from you yesterday and it was granted this morning. I am Bellatrix Black and have no desire to submit to your abuse again."
Rodolphus made a fatal error next, he tried to curse Bellatrix with the imperious curse only to be cut down by Voldemort himself.
"This meeting has been an honorable meeting and the divorce was filed in the proper pureblood way" Voldemort sneered at him. "It is not Bellatrix's fault that you were a sorry excuse for a husband. You will not taint this hallowed ground with treachery." Voldemort finished by casually waving his wand and the familiar flash of green light flared leaving Rodolphus dead. "I appologise for the dramatics" he said to Harry, "but this is the site of our meeting before the fight of the age. To commit such a crime as his on such hallowed ground can only deserve death." Harry said nothing but turned and walked back to the castle closing the gates magically behind him.