Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it is the property of the brilliant J.K Rowling. This story is the product of her marvellous characters and world and my imagination.

As this is the last chapter of the main story and I know some of you won't read the Alternate Ending (because Tom wins in it) I want to thank all of you who have reviewed this story, it was great to hear your lovely comments and suggestions. Keep an eye out on my profile because once this chapter and the Alternate Ending are uploaded I will be putting up the first two chapters of my new story, 'Heir to the four founders', a Hermione centric story. Enjoy this chapter.

Epilogue

Eight and a Half Months After The Final Battle

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh," Ginny was screaming loudly, she had been for the past three hours and Harry didn't know if his eardrums would ever recover from it. Who knew that giving birth could be so hard, he did hope the baby would come soon, his hand had already been broken and fixed three times over.

Another two hours and Ginny Potter gave birth to a baby boy with her warm brown eyes and Tom's jet black hair. That was good, no one would doubt the lie that Harry was his father, especially since the baby had facial features almost identical to Ginny, but in a masculine mould.

As he had vowed, in the Witch Weekly Article the three posed for a week after the birth, Harry announced his delight at being a 'father' and expressed his wish to have more children with Ginny.

The boy was names Severus Albus, after the man who had given over half his life to the war by spying for the light and also for the man who had saved so many lives, mentored so many and without whom the triumph would not have been possible. Both Ginny and Harry were pleased with the choice of name, they were names important to both, especially to Ginny, Severus had been her only contact with the outside world. But it also meant that they were free to use the names of Harry's parents and friends for their other children, for to name the son of Voldemort after James Potter would be a terrible thing.

The rest of the Order, the only ones to ever know of Sev's heritage, accepted him wholeheartedly, though a little hesitatingly at first. However, once it became clear he was not the spawn of the devil and his mother's son in every way but hair colour, they warmed to him.

The newly free wizarding world was now under the guidance of new Minister For Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Some of Kingsley's first changes were to remove corruption in the Ministry and repeal the anti-werewolf laws. Everyone agreed he was the best thing to happen to the country in years.

Life was starting to get back to some semblance of normality, everyone was learning what it was like living under a rule not tainted with war, but still grieving about the losses that had come from the final battle. But time heals all and though it still hurt everyone learnt to live for the now rather than linger in the often painful past.

Five Years After The Final Battle

Sev was now five years old and already showing many signs of powerful magic, not surprising considering his parentage. Harry had Ginny now had two of their own children; James Sirius was now three years old and Lily Luna was nine months old. The two younger children had shown the occasional spark of magic, but not as much as the older Sev.

Ron and Hermione had a two year old daughter, Rose Grace and Hermione was expecting their second child very soon, a boy they had decided to name Hugo Fabien.

Remus and Tonks' twins were four years old and named Teddy John and Maia Andromeda. They had both inherited their mother's metamorphagus abilities which was often confusing and to their father's relief there was no trace of the werewolf gene in either.

Sirius remained a playboy for a good few years after the war, until he finally met his match in Libby. They didn't have any children yet, but Sirius couldn't wait to pass on his marauder genes to another generation.

As for Ginny's other brothers, only Charlie remained single and content to be an uncle to his sibling's children and remain out with his dragons in Romania.

Bill married a lovely witch called Elizabeth, who Ginny much preferred to Fleur. Their daughter, Lydia Molly, was two years old and a favourite with her grandmother Molly Weasley.

Fred and George married Alicia Spinnett and Verity (from WWW) respectively. The twins remained working at their shop, which became even more successful once the threat of war was over. Both couples had just discovered that they were expecting a set of twins each.

Fifteen Years After The Final Battle

Sev, as he was nicknamed, remained oblivious of his heritage until his parents told him just before he was to go to Hogwarts. He was shocked and a little upset, but came to realise that it was not genes that mattered, but the people who raised him. Harry was his father in every way but genes and never let Sev forget it. He was a great favourite with Hermione and Remus, due to the studious nature he had which matched their own. Ginny had also given birth to their final child, a boy named Gideon Remus.

Sev was now fifteen and in his fifth year of Hogwarts, he had a talent for potions cultivated by his mother and his godfather and namesake, Severus Snape. James was in his third year and had shown his father's talent on the quidditch pitch as a seeker and his godfather Sirius' talent as a troublemaker. Lily was in her first year and a little shy, a difficult trait with such conspicuous red hair. Little Gideon wasn't at Hogwarts yet, being only eight years old, but he was looking forward to it and begged his brothers and sister for stories whenever they returned home.

Rose was in her second year and already known to the teachers as a mini Hermione, much to everyone's amusement. Though she looked like her mother, to Hermione's relief Rose's hair had gentle waves rather than bushy curls and her teeth were perfectly straight. Hugo was in his first year and reminded everyone of Ron as much as Rose reminded them of Hermione.

Lydia was also in her second year and great friends with Rose. Much to her parent's worry, but Charlie Weasley's amusement, she had shown signs of wishing to follow in her favourite uncle's footsteps and become a dragon tamer.

Sirius and Elizabeth now had two children, both beautiful, clever and extremely mischievous children. Regulus Padfoot, was now nine years old, while their daughter, Odette Juliana, was five years old and a complete daddy's girl. Sirius was already teaching both children about pranking, quidditch and the importance of making sure they were in Gryffindor house when the time came for them to attend Hogwarts.

Fred and George's twins were now fourteen years old, in their fourth year at Hogwarts and already giving their fathers a run for their money with reputation. The teachers were often at their wits ends, Fred and George had been bad enough, but now there were two sets of Weasley twins. Fred and Alicia's were Nicholas George and Lindsay Olivia. George and Verity had identical twin boys to make even more mischief and named them Matthew Arthur and Liam Fred. All four children gained the trademark Weasley red hair.

All the children of the Order were Gryffindors, unsurprisingly. Many of them, especially Sev, Lily, Rose, Maia, Odette and Regulus, were incredibly intelligent and could have been in Ravenclaw, but they all had such a sense of adventure and trouble that every one ended up in Gryffindor, much to their parent's delight.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They all remained happy, slowly grieving from any losses they had been dealt and moving on with their lives and families. Harry's scar never bothered him again, though his fame and Rita's acid quill continued to harass him. Ginny managed pretty well and after a few years her regular nightmares of Tom almost completely vanished, though she occasionally woke with a start after a rare one, even years later.

But she moved on, her only reminder in her son, who looked so unlike his father that he scarcely reminded her of him. Yes, she was very happy in her life and she wouldn't have traded it for the world.

As for Tom, well he was in a place to hellish to be described, trapped within boundaries, unable to use magic or violence. He was in the place reserved only for the most evil of magical beings and he would never be able to haunt Ginny again. She was finally safe.

Thanks for reading my story, for those of you who want to read the alternate ending, it should be up a few hours after this chapter and then this story is finally complete. Once again, I shall shamelessly plug my new story, 'Heir to the four founders', a Hermione centric story. The first two chapters will be up later today.