A/N) THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed this story over the years. This is the final proper chapter as there is just the Epilogue to post which will be added on Thursday. Enjoy!

Chapter Eighty: The End Of It All

Monday 3rd November 1996

"So, let me get this straight, you were the seventh Horcrux, the one Voldemort never intended to make?" Sirius was sitting up in bed in the Hospital wing, his chest and back heavily bandaged from top to bottom. The multiple curses, resultant throws from his cheek and insults, carrying Harry's 'dead' body through the forest, followed by another frantic battle hadn't helped the injury: it had only aggravated it further. The damage was severe enough that he would have to spend several weeks recuperating in hospital resting followed by a course of physiotherapy designed to stimulate the muscles. It was likely he would suffer some nerve damage, enough to confide himself to a desk job for the rest of his professional career. Kingsley had already informed him that he would not authorise him for field missions, no matter how much Sirius kicked up a fuss.

At least having a normal desk job meant he'd be able to see his godson more often.

Harry sat up straighter in his chair. "Yeah, I was a Horcrux. That's why I had to die. I had to let him kill me."

Sirius pulled a face. "I wish I hadn't of had to see that."

"I did try to give you a hint I was alive."

"I thought you did, but I was unsure." He folded his arms. "Perhaps you can explain to me how you survived a second Killing Curse?"

Harry grinned, his hair sticking up in all directions. He hadn't had the chance to brush it since he had defeated Voldemort. "When he took some of my blood to revive himself at the end of my fourth year, he made a grave mistake in doing that. He tethered me to life. Mum's sacrifice continued to live, so I did too, but I had the choice to either come back or go onwards..."

"You chose to return."

"I did. Dumbledore told me I stood a chance of defeating him for good. I took the risk. My sacrifice, willingly walking to my death, protected anyone else from him. Neville wasn't even hurt by the Sorting Hat! He couldn't harm them, his curses wouldn't hold. I did what mum did to save me." Harry had already explained to Sirius how he had entered some sort of limbo – the space between life and death – and spoken to Dumbledore there, where everything had been explained to him.

"I guess that makes sense," sighed Sirius. "What about the Elder Wand? I was slightly out of it as I'm sure you realised. My understanding of what happened is rather hazy." He looked rather sheepish. "It's just my luck that I miss witnessing the final confrontation between you and Voldemort."

Stifling a laugh, Harry continued: "I was its true master. It refused to kill me. I warned Draco Malfoy that he was in danger when I confronted him. I didn't intend to disarm him but he fought back and I had no choice. I just grabbed it from his hand, removing it against his will. I wasn't sure if I had truly won the wand, but I had to take the gamble," he shrugged, as if defeating Dark Lords was something he did on a daily basis, "so, Voldemort killed himself by not understanding or fully appreciating how wands work. He thought killing the current owner was the answer, granted Snape died because of Voldemort's belief that he was the true master but it doesn't always work like that..."

Despite his hatred of Snape, Sirius couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He had died helping Harry, in the name of Lily. It didn't seem fair. "He should be honoured for what he did," he added quietly.

"He will," said Harry with conviction, "I'll make sure of it. He may have hated me but he still helped to save my life, all because of my mother."

"I never even considered the reason he would be on our side would be because of Lily. I know they used to hang around a lot, but never thought that Snape loved her..."

Harry inclined his head. "Always." He bit his lip. "Perhaps that is why he hated me, because whenever he looked at me he saw my father, but saw mum in my eyes. I was the last living reminder of what he had once lost." Within Snape's memories he had seen his father act like a bully, which had led Snape to call Lily the most unforgiveable name, thereby breaking their friendship. Harry had already discussed his father's (and Sirius') actions with his godfather and understood that James Potter just hadn't matured at the age of fifteen.

"It's possible," replied Sirius sadly. "So Dumbledore's last plan worked in your favour then?"

"Yeah, though with a few minor details not going as he hoped, it still worked out right in the end. I'm just glad this is over."

"If you think you're going to have a quiet life from now onwards, kid, you're in for a big shock!"

Harry could only stare horrified at his godfather.

In the proceeding days after Voldemort was defeated, the Ministry of Magic was being rebuilt with Kingsley Shacklebolt named as the Minister. Death Eaters had either surrendered or fled however the Aurors were quick to track them down. The Malfoy family hadn't participated in the final battle, and thanks to both Harry and Sirius' support, they were granted leniency, though they would have to work to rebuild the reputation they had lost. They helped with tracking down old comrades however one remained virtually unaccounted for was Peter Pettigrew who had completely vanished.

Over seventy witches and wizards had died in the final two battles combined; their bodies laid out in the Great Hall in memoriam. Voldemort's was taken away from the school and locked in a secure cell at the Ministry of Magic. But the core group had survived. Remus had received minor injuries but had quickly been healed and had swiftly started going about helping clear up the rubble and mess that littered the Great Hall and Hogwarts grounds.

The prisoners that had been sentenced to Azkaban were released immediately; Bill Weasley joining his immediate family at Hogwarts, while all the Muggle-borns persecuted under the reign of Voldemort's controlled Ministry were sent straight to a wand-maker and given new wands, as well as being paid compensation for their unjust treatment.

Harry had decided to place the Elder Wand in the tomb of Albus Dumbledore. He didn't feel he needed to use it. If he died a natural death then the wands power would be broken forever. The object that had been hidden in the Snitch, Harry had decided to not go searching for it again.

In the limbo state Harry had visited, he had learnt that the Headmaster had figured that Sirius would take the Sword of Gryffindor upon his death but had arranged for a fake to be made and installed in a hidden compartment in case the Ministry decided to take it. Neville had called the sword to him by standing up to Voldemort, not daring to back down. Drawn by the courage, the sword had presented itself to Neville, which had allowed him to kill the snake.

Harry did not feel bad about seeking out Griphook at Gringotts a week later and handing him the sword. He knew what would happen if a true Gryffindor would ever need it, summoned by courage and bravery; it would always be there whenever a Gryffindor needed it. He had no quarrels about giving it to the goblin now that knew that.

Grateful that Harry had kept his word, Griphook had taken the sword and said something that a goblin had never uttered to a wizard before: the words 'thank you'. He doubted if a goblin would ever say that particular phrase again.

Wednesday 5th November 1996

Padfoot,

I know I lost the right to call you that a long time ago, but I wanted to tell you that it was I who told the Order where you and the Muggle-born girl was being held a year ago. I have hated myself for what I did to our friendship and sought to help, unable to break away from my master. I gave you my wand as a last act of defiance against him. I knew you had no means of defending yourself. I wanted to help you. What I did to you all those years ago was terrible, but I was scared and afraid of death. I do not know if I will ever come to terms with what I did to our friendship.

I do not intend on coming out of hiding at this present time. I have a lot to think about. You know how I can hide myself, don't look for me, maybe one day I will return and face the punishment that I should bear. I saved you in the hopes that you could find it within your heart to forgive me for what I have done.

Wormtail

Sirius was surprised to receive the letter, angered at Wormtail's insistence that he had gone into hiding and to not look for him. He hadn't replied straight away, Harry had stopped him, for his godson had been there when the letter had arrived. He had asked Sirius to think about the letter logically.

Finally he had constructed a reply, not knowing if it would ever reach its intended recipient.

He didn't dare use their old nicknames. Peter had forfeited that right when he had betrayed Lily and James.

If you truly want forgiveness from me, you have to earn it. Stand up for what you did to James, Lily, Harry and I. Saving Hermione and I, and giving me your wand doesn't constitute my forgiveness. I ceased being your friend a long time ago, Peter.

It was blunt but Harry had agreed (out of all the drafts Sirius had written) this was the best reply his godfather could write. When it came to Peter Pettigrew, no one knew, but months later, the rat returned and paid for the crimes he had committed, earning at last, Sirius' forgiveness to some extent. He could never truly let go what Pettigrew had done but him eventually surrendering had helped deflate the anger Sirius had towards him.

Sunday 30th November 1996

Since Hermione and her parents had been reunited a few weeks before, Sirius and Harry decided it was time to pay the Dursleys a visit. Protected by the Fidelius Charm, they had been living like this for nearly a year now, stuck inside, unable to venture outside just in case they were attacked. As Secret Keeper for them (passed onto him by Albus Dumbledore's death) only Sirius could lift the charm.

The last time the Dursleys had seen Harry was when he had been thirteen years old, just after he had blown up his Aunt Marge. He had never returned to Privet Drive after Sirius had gained custody of him. His godfather and Remus had collected what little belongings he's had possession of. He had known that Sirius' presence had scared them witless, especially as they knew of him as a murderer.

They Apparated to a quiet village in the middle of nowhere, the last place you'd expect people like the Dursleys to be living. Harry found it odd walking up the street, beside his godfather, who was still limping slightly due to his spinal injury but was recovering quite quickly, especially since the physiotherapy seemed to be helping. They followed the lane round until they came to a close where six cottages sat, spaced out from one another.

They all looked the same, covered in flowers and plants, the cottages gardens tidy. Thatched roofs covered the top. Sirius continued walking towards the third cottage. There was no one else about on this chilly day; a cool wind was in the air. Leaves scattered the ground from the trees surrounding the little glen.

Sirius pulled out his wand (Remus had recovered his wand from the grounds at Hogwarts after the final battle, thereby allowing Sirius to dispose of the wand Pettigrew had lent him) from his jeans pocket. Since they were in a Muggle neighbourhood both wizards had elected to wear traditional Muggle clothing, though it was something Sirius wasn't used to since he mostly wore robes in his everyday life, though traversing through the countryside for a few months had meant switching from Muggle clothes to robes all the time.

He stopped in front of the cottage and raised his wand, pointing it directly at the thatched cottage. "Finite Incantatem."

There was a shimmer in front of them, as if something magical was collapsing. The air stopped wavering and Sirius walked up the path. He tucked his wand back inside his pocket and pushed Harry to the front, motioning for him to knock on the door.

Harry raised a fist and rapped loudly, swallowing nervously. This would be the first time he would have seen the Dursleys in three years. How much would they have changed by? He was willing to bet that they wouldn't be pleased to see him.

He was right.

Vernon Dursley opened the door. His face lit up angrily at the sight of Harry, standing on the doorstep. His eyes looked like they would pop out of his head. "You! What are you doing here?"

"It's nice to see you too, Uncle Vernon," said Harry sullenly. He wasn't going to have this conversation standing outside.

"We need to come in, Mr Dursley, if you don't mind, unless you want to stay here for the rest of your lives?" said Sirius, earning a filthy glare from Vernon Dursley.

Grunting in annoyance, the rather large man moved backwards, his moustache twitching as he allowed the wizards into the hallway.

Sirius walked into the living room, preceded by Harry.

Aunt Petunia and his cousin, Dudley, sat watching the television. Still thin and with a horse-like face, Petunia's face turned to one of horror as she saw her nephew. Dudley turned his fat, wobbling chins towards him, let out a squeak and hid behind the sofa.

Harry sighed.

"Now, come on, get this over with so you can leave us be!" ordered Uncle Vernon.

Sirius placed his hands behind his back, fighting back the anger that he felt at how these people could treat Harry like a piece of dirt. They had never loved him. "You are free to return to Privet Drive."

"What about the protections?" asked Aunt Petunia, her voice high as a horse.

"They are no longer needed. I've deactivated the charm. You are no longer in danger."

Vernon's piggy eyes narrowed. "How come?"

Harry sighed. "Voldemort is no longer a threat. He died a month ago. All his followers are being rounded up and imprisoned. There is no need to keep you safe from them. I thought you would appreciate knowing that you can return to your normal life."

"Humf!" growled Uncle Vernon. "I hope you people realise that you have cost me my job at Grunnings! Placing us in protection: nothing happened!" he spat.

"That's because only Professor Dumbledore or myself could find you," answered Sirius. "No one would be able to attack you unless we told them where you were. If you had stayed at Privet Drive then you would be dead by now. We had watchers on your old house. There were several sightings of Death Eaters around your property, no doubt looking for you." He narrowed his gaze. "As for your job, Mr Dursley, we have modified the memories of your boss and colleagues. They do not know that you have been missing for the last year. All information you will need to catch up in your job will be filed on your desk a week on Monday. Your job is safe. You can return to it. The same applies for your son's school."

"You can carry on from where you left off. The only people you would need to worry about is your neighbour's," continued Harry, "but since you were very good at – I presume – explaining why I no longer lived with you, I'm sure you can come up with another good explanation as to why you haven't been around."

There was silence around them, and Sirius and Harry began to glide out of the living room, however Dudley's terrified voice stopped them.

"So, this – Lord Voldey-something, really is dead then?"

Harry's eyes bulged. Was his cousin really asking about the magical world? "Yes."

"Did you kill him?"

Harry could see the eyes of his aunt and uncle swivel towards him in curiosity, which was an emotion Harry had never witnessed in their eyes before. "Sort of." That was the only proper answer he could give. "It's hard to explain." Sirius had told him that the Dursleys knew the bare basics of why they had, had to go into hiding and that Harry was to play an important role in the war. They probably hadn't expected him to survive.

"Oh, ok." His cousin looked fidgety, as if he wanted to ask more, but Harry had already turned away.

He felt rather uncomfortable being here, among people who loathed him. "You're free to leave whenever you want," he said. "Privet Drive has been left as you would have wanted it to be." Harry didn't give them the chance to respond to that. He wanted to be out of this setting, back in the world where he belonged.

"You know where to find Harry if you ever need to speak to him," said Sirius.

"As if we'd want to speak to the boy again!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

Bigot. Sirius rolled his eyes but the reason for his comment had been the looks in Dudley and Petunia's faces. Being Lily's sister, Petunia would always know how to contact the magical world. If they ever desired to speak to Harry, all they would have to do would be to send a letter.

Even a letter through the Muggle postage system could find its way to the magical community, especially since they always had people working undercover there. Walking away from the cottage that had protected the Dursleys, Sirius found Harry looking back.

The face of Aunt Petunia was watching him from the downstairs window.

"Well? Are you ready?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

Together, they Apparated back to the magical world, possibly leaving the Dursleys behind forever.

Friday 5th December 1996

Remus Lupin leaned back in the chair, stretching his arms above his head before resting them on the arm rests of the chair. They were back at the home of Tonks' parents (Ted had returned from France a week after the final battle, bringing Dean with him), staying in the house only until Godric's Hollow was ready for Harry and Sirius to return to.

Hermione remained with her parents in their home, with Ron by her side. The rest of the Weasley family remained under the roof of the Tonks's. The Ministry had prioritised the rebuilding of the Barrow for them but that wouldn't be ready for another week or so. They could have gone to Grimmauld Place but the Weasley's had preferred the home comforts of the Tonks household, and Andromeda Tonks didn't mind allowing them house-room.

"So, what are you planning on doing, Harry, in the New Year?" asked Remus, biting into a piece of chocolate.

"Going back to Hogwarts," he answered. "When I can I've been studying sixth year material that I've missed. I may have been given permission to perform underage magic, but I think I should finish my education, though Kingsley has said I could go straight into the Auror department if I wished to."

"Are you going to take your NEWTs?"

"May as well. I think I deserve to have at least a peaceful year at Hogwarts for a change."

Remus laughed. "I can't fault you there."

Harry looked back down at the book he was reading. Catching up on all the work he had missed was proving a chore. He could have waited until next September and joined Ginny in her sixth year, but Minerva McGonagall had explained that she would make special allowances in accepting Harry, Ron and Hermione into sixth year, providing that they at least made the effort to catch up on the work they had missed.

Despite Hogwarts being under Death Eater control, the school's curriculum hadn't changed, save for the part about insulting Muggle-borns in Muggle Studies, a subject that neither of the trio was going to take. Hogwarts hadn't reopened since the final battle, but was due to again in January when the spring term started. The exams for the OWLs and NEWTs for the years involved were to be specially altered to take into account the end of the war. The pass barrier was to be lowered, but only for that one year.

"What about you?" asked Harry. "Got any special plans coming up?"

"Sirius put you up to this, didn't he?" groaned Remus.

Harry chortled. "No. Everyone can see it, Remus. You and Tonks. There is something going on between you two. Through the war you've been spending a lot of time together, everyone can see it. You even fought side by side."

Remus glared, but couldn't hold it for long. "I've had this conversation with Sirius several times already. My answer will stay the same: I will consider it and then talk to the relevant people involved. Being a werewolf does have its problems."

"There shouldn't be any problems," replied Harry. "You're a good man. Your condition shouldn't stop you from finding love."

"Neither of you will be happy until I ask Nymphadora out will you?" sighed Remus, his forehead in his hands.

Harry grinned. "Nope!"

"Sirius really has rubbed off on you, Harry." Remus shook his head.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Harry chuckled lightly, his eyes dancing with light.

"I'd say it was a bad thing," was the werewolf's only response.

Tuesday 16th December 1996

Snow was falling from the sky as they Apparated onto the close where the 'Potter-Black' cottage stood. Small and quaint, it was home to them. They had not been back there since Voldemort's return in 1995, it having been deemed too risky for Harry to set foot there. Grimmauld Place had become his home and protection.

Together, Harry Potter and Sirius Black pushed open the gate and walked up the garden path. Producing a small key from his pocket, Sirius inserted it into the lock, opened the door and walked inside. He waved his wand once and lights brightened around them.

It had been left exactly as they remembered it.

Harry walked around the cottage, his eyes running over everything that remained.

Above the mantle-piece was the official wedding portrait of Lily and James Potter. They smiled down at their sixteen year old son, happily smiling and waving at him. He felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"They'd be proud of you, you know that, right?" said Sirius quietly.

Harry had not told anyone about his parent's walking him to his death. He wanted to keep that to himself. Not even Sirius had known that the ring Horcrux had been the second Deathly Hallow. Perhaps one day he would tell him, but for now, James and Lily's appearance to him in the forest was something he wanted to remain private.

"I know they would be." Harry smiled. "I'm glad I'm home, Sirius."

Sirius ruffled his godson's hair. "So am I, so am I."

They were truly home.

Technically The End

Please let me know what you think!

I was considering not posting the Epilogue as it is just my own version of the Nineteen Years Later part at the end of Deathly Hallows, but I'm going to go ahead and post it on Thursday, but if you didn't like the Epilogue originally, this chapter can technically be the end of this story, though a few small things are mentioned and cleared up in the Epilogue that are not mentioned here :)

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me since the beginning of this story :)

Until Thursday,

the-writer1988