I'm sorry this took so long! I've had it written for ages, but I didn't have internet and couldn't post it. I'm sorry! T.T
Well, here's the epilogue. I cried when I wrote it, I think. You probably won't, I am a sappy, sappy person. :)
Harry and Professor Dumbledore talk about how Harry's isn't like Riddle; Malfoy storms in and Dobby is freed.
After a night of rest and recovering, Ginny, accompanied by Professor Dumbledore and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, went to a small private hearing with Madam Bones at the Ministry of Magic, where she was found not guilty of being an accomplice to the murder of Penelope Clearwater. She finished the rest of the school year in a subdued, but content state, sharing many private conversations with the grieving Percy.
In the light of the Prefect's death, however, Harry, Mr. Weasley, Ginny, the newly freed Dobby, and Professor Dumbledore all testified against Lucius Malfoy, causing him to be sacked as Governor and sentenced to five years in Azkaban for his part in the murder of Penelope Clearwater.
Professor Lupin had been transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies almost immediately, where he was in a long-term ward, but expected to fully recover...although not in time for the next school year, much to everyone's disappointment. Harry told Ron and Hermione (who, it turned out, had already known) about Lupin's lycanthropy, but no one else.
The biggest change for Harry though was that, for once, he was not dreading the return home. Professor Dumbledore had explained to him that, although he still had to spend a week and a half with the Dursleys, he could spend the majority of the summer with his newly released godfather, who he was going to meet for the first time when he got off the platform.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny got a compartment to themselves on the ride home on the Hogwarts Express. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks and practiced disarming each other by magic. Harry was getting very good at it.
Harry said goodbye to everyone and stepped, with Ron and Hermione, walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.
The crowd on the other side was large and bustling, but Harry could clearly see Mrs. Weasley standing and waving. Harry said another goodbye to Ron, then did the same with Hermione, who spotted her parents soon after.
He peered around the crowds, looking for someone resembling the laughing man from the wedding photo in his album that a newly restored to Hogwarts Hagrid had pointed out.
He had to wipe his hands on his pants multiple times and could feel his heart thumping, he was so nervous. What if Sirius Black had forgotten? What if he'd decided he'd just gotten out of jail and didn't want to deal with a kid while enjoying his new freedom?
"Harry!"
He turned his head and saw a man with black hair down to his shoulders, his skin a slightly unhealthy color and his clothes outdated and loose on his thin body. He was smiling wide though, and Harry could see that he was the same man from the wedding photo.
"S-Sirius?"
"That's me," said Sirius Black, beaming at him. "I was beginning to think I'd never find you...I got here way too early, so I went to find something to eat and got all mixed up with the Muggle money and the prices, which have really skyrocketed in the last ten years, you know that? By the time I found my way back here the Hogwarts crowd was already out and I couldn't see you."
"That's okay," said Harry nervously. "I wasn't waiting too long."
"Good. Where do you wanna go? I thought I might take you for ice cream or something like that. And then, if you want, we might go visit Remus...Professor Lupin, I guess you'd call him."
"Y-Yeah," stammered Harry. "I'd like that."
"He's awake now," said Sirius cheerily. "Although he's groggy and not saying much, but Dumbledore says you like him and he doesn't have any visitors except for me...in fact, if you're okay with it, I thought he might come and live with us once he's out of St. Mungo's, since we were really close friends before...well, before Voldemort, and he's been having a tough time since your parents died and I went...away. What do you say?"
Harry was speechless. He felt his throat constrict like it did when he looked at the pictures of his parents and thought he might cry. He nodded hard, so that Sirius knew he was okay with the idea.
"Hey...you're okay, right?" said Sirius, sounding worried and bending over to get a closer look at Harry's face. "Oh, wow, you...you look like James."
And suddenly and with little warning, in the middle of King's Cross Station, Sirius Black hugged Harry Potter and started crying. They both understood.
They both knew it was going to be okay.
Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this, and special thanks to everyone who reviewed it. :) I hope the ending was satisfying and you don't regret clicking on this fanfic. Don't forget to review, one last time! :)