I am so sorry this has taken so long, I've had it written for ages with absolutely no way of updating.

But finally here it is, the last chapter.

Chapter 44: Endings

Harry stared out across the lake towards the Dark forest. People were slowly making their way across the lawn below him.

Harry pressed his cheek against the cold stone wall beside him, trying to keep hold of the blankness in his head, trying hard not to think. There had been too many funerals in the last two days.

At the end of the battle it had been decided that everyone who had died would be given a place of honour within the grounds of Hogwarts. At first Harry had been determined to be present at every funeral, to honour each individual the only way he had left.

But after Tonks funeral first thing this morning, Harry had found he couldn't face another. Watching Lupin standing dumbstruck as she was laid to rest had hurt more than any of the other deaths. Harry had come back to the balcony and watched the last few from a distance.

There was a rustle of movement above him and a shadow fell over Harry's face. He looked up into Kilgharrah's golden eye. "Why do you stand alone young wizard?"

Harry sighed. "It seems so much harder now than before the fight."

"You have lost a great deal in such a short time, you must allow yourself time to heal." The dragon advised.

"We would have lost a lot more people if it hadn't been for that spell of Merlin's. Why didn't he use it sooner?" Harry asked. He had wanted to ask Merlin himself that same question, but the sorcerer was still unconscious. Apparently summoning the spirits of the greatest warriors in living memory had nearly killed him.

Kilgharah bared a long fang. "Merlin's powers are great, but it is only in a time of great peril that such a breach of the laws of magic may be permitted." The dragon lowered his lip and blew a hot sigh over Harry's head. "No true victory may be obtained without loss."

"It just seems wrong that so many people had to die to finally defeat him…I guess I always hoped that in the end it would just be me and him. That no one else would ever have to get hurt."

Kilgharrah chuckled and stretched out his wings. "And thanks to your bravery young one, no one else will ever have to." With a blast of backwashed air the dragon took to the sky.

Harry looked down and saw the Weasley's trailing across the lawn, the broad shouldered Arthur in their midst. The King had attended every funeral as well. Harry kicked the stone wall and pushed away from it, ready to head down. Arthur was a lot stronger than Harry would ever be.

Merlin woke up the morning following the last of the funerals with a headache that belonged to a much larger head.

He slowly eased himself into a sitting position and looked around. Arthur was asleep in a chair next to his bed.

Despite himself Merlin coughed loudly enough to wake his friend. "Keeping a tearful vigil for me sire?"

Arthur jerked away and glared at him. "Don't be stupid." The King leant back into his chair and examined Merlin critically. "Are you alright?"

Merlin smiled and then winced. "Magical backlash, I'll be fine. Is everyone alright?"

"Forty dead, all buried now. You slept through that. Otherwise almost everyone is uninjured." Arthur's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

Merlin knew he was talking about the spell. Even thinking about it made him feel queasy. "I called for help and they came, like they always did. You're their King and dead or alive they will always serve you."

Arthur picked at the bedspread. "I think I have a lot to learn about this new…world, time…whatever this all is."

Merlin leant back into his pillows. "A bit, but you'll manage alright. You're the King."

"Exactly, so we need to talk."

The last two days had been much better than the previous two days.

This time when Harry was standing on the balcony overlooking the Dark Forest, Hermione and Ron were there too. Merlin was awake and had recovered enough from his spell to come down to dinner last night and breakfast this morning.

With the funerals behind them Harry had felt the dark cloud lifting. The whole wizarding world was still stuck in that awkward place between mourning the lost and celebrating a victory. Harry had decided, just after Merlin had reappeared and greeted him with a broad smile that the best way he could honour their fallen was to celebrate their victory. So that's what he was doing.

"So what now?" Ron asked. Hermione looked at him in confusion so he continued. "Well You-Know-Who is dead, the Death Eaters are either dead or imprisoned. What now?"

Hermione sniffed. "We still have one more year of school left."

Ron and Harry both groaned, though that had more to do with what Hermione expected of them than actual dislike. It would be nice to have a school year without the threat of impending death hanging over their heads.

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes at them both. Any further conversation was stopped by the door opening to admit Ginny. "Harry, Merlin and Arthur want to see you. They're in the Entrance Hall." There was something about the way Ginny said it that sent a stab of panic through Harry's chest.

He ran past her, Hermione and Ron on his heels.

When he arrived in the Entrance Hall he wasn't the only one there. McGonagall and Snape were standing talking to the King and his Sorcerer. The doors to Hogwarts were wide open, sunlight streaming through.

Harry looked between Merlin and Arthur. The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder in the gleaming sunlight. Despite everything that had happened in the last couple of days both of his friends looked happier than he had ever seen them. Merlin in particular looked as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Arthur extended a gloved hand towards Harry as he arrived panting. "Well done Harry." He said with the bright, lop-sided smile Harry was now familiar with. Distracted by Merlin's unconsciousness Harry hadn't really had a chance to talk to Arthur since the battle.

Harry took the offered hand and returned the Once and Future King's firm grip. "Thank you. Is there something wrong?"

Merlin flashed his white teeth in a smile. "No Harry, nothing wrong." It was only as Harry turned his gaze towards the sorcerer that he noticed the bags slung over his lean shoulder. "Are you leaving?" Harry asked. He knew that almost everyone who had fought in the battle of Hogwarts had been hoping the two men would stay. Harry himself had been sure that his new found friends would stick around.

Arthur flicked a glance in Merlin's direction. "Sorry Harry, but we can't stay here."

Harry opened his mouth to beg them to stay, but before he could utter a sound…

"Where will you go?" The sound of Snape's voice over Harry's shoulder made the young man turn his head. Snape now bore a nasty scar across his left cheek from the curse which had nearly killed him. Harry realised that McGonagall and Snape had probably already tried to stop the two of them. Harry didn't think he could make a more compelling argument than the two Professors.

Arthur shrugged. "No idea, but from what I have heard there is a lot of catching up for me to do. I'm still the King, and it is about time I got to know my people again." Arthur turned to meet Merlin's eyes. "All of them."

Merlin beamed and hefted the bags a little higher on his shoulder. "Goodbye for now Harry, I'm sure destiny will bring us together again someday."

"Bye Merlin, and thanks again for everything."

Arthur clapped Harry firmly on the shoulder before turning to stride off towards the gates of Hogwarts. "Come on Merlin, stop dragging your feet." The King's voice boomed out over the grounds.

"Yes sire. Are you sure you're going the right way this time?" Merlin's voice danced with laughter.

"Shut up Merlin."

High above, perched on the crumbling turret of Gryffindor tower, the Great Dragon smiled.

"And so it begins."

And that ladies and gentlemen, is it. When I started this chapter it was going to be really long and look at everyone, but when I came to writing it I had a major episode of writer's fatigue. I realised that it didn't much matter what happened to everyone, it only really mattered what happened to the central characters. So everything ended up being much shorter than I thought.

It's been a wild ride, despite the word count this story has been my longest running. The fault of full time work and a lack of wifi, but it is done, finally done.

I hope you have all enjoyed, for those of you who have stuck with me through the long silences thank you. The knowledge that you were there waiting for an update gave me the push I needed to keep writing.

Unless inspiration strikes violently, I think this will be my last story for a long while.