Lynne's AU Ending to The Marriage Stone

by lynned0101

One fan's take on how Josephine Darcy's abandoned but wonderful story, The Marriage Stone, might have proceeded. A powerful Harry, a surprised Severus, all the others, and a really bad Voldemort!

67. Ch 144 The King's Gratitude

Chapter 144 – The King's Gratitude

Harry was shocked how quickly the adrenaline from the events of the day had ebbed from his body. In just the few minutes it took for him and Severus to walk back to their rooms as the celebration in the Great Hall was winding down, he realized that he was exhausted.

As they walked, Harry tried to sort out the emotions running amok within him. He seldom did this, but he felt strangely out of sorts, and that bothered him. There was an enormous sense of relief, of course, and exhilaration and pride at having succeeded at his task. But there was something else, a nagging disquiet he could not shrug off, and it was enough to blunt the positive feelings.

Severus was not really worried, per se, about Harry, but he was amazed at how long the young man had lasted at the party, and how he drew on reserves of energy to remain a buoyant and cheerful part of the festivities. Likely, no one noticed anything different about Severus as he accompanied Harry about, but that was because of the generally lower expectations of his engagement with others. Severus was bone-weary, but damned if he'd let anyone know that.

The crowds thinned out quickly as they moved further away from the Great Hall. Even the portrait frames they passed were empty, as the images had all moved to join friends in more central locations, the better to see what was going on and to join in the festivities. One portrait took a different approach, unfortunately.

Sir Cadogan had decided that he would give Harry and Severus a final salute, as they entered their rooms. He had joined a clearly annoyed Salazar Slytherin (who he insisted on calling "Sally") to await their return, ignoring Salazar's glares and Nagini's hisses. Harry was his usual cordial self, greeting the man and snake he now regarded as his friends, and acknowledging the extremely loud celebration that Sir Cadogan was mounting on his behalf.

When the door finally closed, Harry heaved a sigh of relief.

"I am so glad to be back here. I'm knackered," he said, sinking into the couch. Severus swept into the room, noticing the deep chill that had settled in and flicking his wand to get a roaring fire going in the grate. He poured them each a small tumbler of brandy and placed them both on the table in front of the couch before sitting there himself.

"The chill will be gone in a few minutes. I suspect the weather changed again, and never thought to ask an elf to get a fire going here before we returned. A little brandy will warm you up, Harry," Severus suggested. He studied the young man's face, and added "You look remarkably distressed for someone who just succeeded in accomplishing his life's task. Are you alright?"

Harry just cocked an eyebrow at that. Discussing his emotions was not something he'd consider doing with Severus. He just said "No, I feel fine, tired. I just feel on edge for some reason, and I've no idea why."

Severus had spent his life suppressing his emotions, although had he ever taken a moment to catalog them, no doubt "feeling on edge" would be his normal state, he imagined. This had been a momentous day. While he had had precious few days of such accomplishment in his own life, he'd noticed others who had had similar letdowns after they had met a big challenge. "Harry, you're too tired to think clearly right now. After a good night's sleep, we can consider what will be coming next for us. You were totally focused on your confrontation with Voldemort for so long, you've never really thought or planned beyond that. We have as long as we need to get it right. To do that, though, we need rest. I'll get a fire going in the bedroom, and I suggest we spell ourselves into nightclothes. I fear we might fall asleep and drown in a bath, or end up sleeping standing up in a shower."

The worry seeped from Harry's face as Severus spoke, and Severus even got a small smile at the final attempt at levity as he stood.

It all became clear to Harry at that point. How would Severus feel, now that their task was accomplished? Would he be willing to stay? Granted, Severus was an honorable person, very duty-bound, and was as committed as Harry or anyone else to destroying Voldemort, but now they'd done that. He really did not have to stay around. The nagging feeling that was spoiling Harry's enjoyment of his accomplishment was his worry that Severus would want to leave. But he'd just said the future was his and Harry's, didn't he? A future for two, not Harry alone.

Harry took a final sip of the brandy – either it did really warm him up, or the fire was finally making a dent in the chill. In a matter of minutes, he was sound asleep, his head resting on Severus' chest listening to the music of Severus' heartbeat. As the two wizards relaxed in sleep, their magics intertwined, and for a brief second, a faint golden glimmer hovered over them before evaporating.

X

Albus finally retired to his office, where he was joined by all the dead headmasters before him, in their framed portraits. The events of the day were retold, rehashed, discussed and dissected, with each image having his or her own perspective and commentary. The portraits had all gone to different places within the castle to watch the events unfold, and Albus listened with interest to get the fullest version of the day, from a group he generally trusted.

The conversation was interrupted about midnight by the Minister of Magic, who bustled in looking upset. The portraits fell silent, and allowed their living friend to interact with his guest.

"Amelia, to what do I owe the honor of such a late-night visit," Albus began, as he gathered a bottle of brandy and some glasses, while directing her over to some just-conjured comfortable chairs with a table between them. "Here, we'll have a brandy to toast the success of the day."

His guest was momentarily distracted by the ritual of pouring brandies and savoring the contents of the snifters, and she took a deep breath after enjoying her first sip.

"Thank you, Albus. I needed a reminder of how successful this day was."

Albus just nodded, assuming that she would explain why such a reminder was necessary.

"I've been dealing with such utter nonsense all evening. I wanted to give you a status update, as we have called our people in from the field outside. I am told that we have collected all those who were still living – they are either in Ministry custody or the Ministry infirmary back in London, or in your Infirmary here at Hogwarts. We've also collected the remains of all those who died today from within the Castle grounds, but we are apparently not sure if we've got everyone or everything from the field outside. I took the liberty of asking one of your house elves to charm all of Hogwarts' windows to look in the other direction tomorrow. I wanted to be sure you knew about that."

Albus quirked an eyebrow at that. He would have expected the clean-up to be finished by now, but he had heard that the weather had gotten progressively worse.

"The weather?" he ventured.

Amelia looked a bit disgusted and sighed. "I had tasked the Auror team with getting those who had taken the field for Voldemort processed back at the Ministry. We actually captured quite a few of them. I gather a large contingent of Voldemort supporters for whom apparation is a challenge were trying to escape through the forest. The centaurs had corralled them and held them for the Aurors. Most unexpected, but very helpful. In any case, the Aurors have all been busy, so I had to get other Ministry teams involved in the clean-up work. Apparently, a good warming charm is beyond many of them, as we have half a dozen cases of frostbite to address now. And as the weather changed and night fell, we needed some strong lumos charms, but those were not forthcoming either. As much as I hate to have to ask the Aurors to come back to finish up in the morning, we need to be sure this is done properly, and I'm afraid I must rely on them."

Albus just nodded. He'd made the point many times himself that very few witches and wizards had the temperaments and skills to be Aurors. Aurors not only had unique temperaments and skills, they had substantial training and experience. Of course, as a former Auror herself, Amelia would have a natural bias toward them, but perhaps she'd forgotten just how unusual they were. If she'd asked Ministry workers who had desk jobs to go out into the field, it was disappointing but not totally shocking that they were very rattled by being on a battlefield. All things considered, Albus was not really surprised that they were not able to perform spells that, under other circumstances, they would probably be able to do.

"Not to worry, my dear. With everything else going on, I doubt anyone will even notice that the windows are askew. But thank you for telling me."

It was clear that Amelia had something else on her mind, and she seemed bothered by it, so he waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts and proceed.

"Actually, Albus, I did want to discuss something else, very confidentially," she ventured. "When I became Minister, I replaced most of the Department heads. I did not want that old way of operating to continue under my watch. I might not have gone far enough. One of the people in the Press Relations department got an advance copy of tomorrow's Daily Prophet, and a few other employees back in the Ministry saw it. I gather Mr. Potter issued a press release of his own about the events here today, and there was quite a bit of discussion about it. It is possible that someone even dispatched a howler here, although I believe you have protections against those being delivered to Mr. Potter. I reminded the Ministry staff that British wizards are permitted to comment on the events of the day to the papers, if they wish. I only have second-hand information right now, but there definitely seems to be a sentiment among some that it is not appropriate for Mr. Potter to speak himself on certain matters."

"I see, Amelia," Albus nodded. "I did know that Harry and Severus wrote their own statement about the events of today, although I have not seen it. I agree with you, that is their prerogative, and I doubt that there is anything problematic about what they'd say. But I was going to counsel them that we need to clarify to the world how Harry sees his role going forward. He's had concerns about what was expected of him from the moment he was identified as the Wizard King. He truly is not someone who craves power, you know that. But it was Harry Potter, not the British Ministry or the British wizarding population, who was called to be the King. I can assure you that it is not going to be acceptable if someone tries to usurp any of Mr. Potter's prerogatives or tries to prevent him from speaking his mind. I had thought we had a bit more time, but it appears we do not. I really appreciate your sharing this information. I will encourage them to consider what they want to say and clarify once and for all how Harry sees his role going forward."

The two chatted on for a while, before the Minister stood to leave. As Albus walked her to the door, she patted his arm. "Thank you for the brandy and sympathy, Albus. I like the way you put that – it was Mr. Potter and not the Ministry or the British populace who was called to be the King. I think I might use that line myself, if you don't mind."

Albus was happy to agree. That had been his intention all along.

X

THE DAILY PROPHET Saturday Special Edition

Chudley Cannons Fire Coach – Details Page 36!

THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS

Exclusive coverage and photos begin on Page 2!

HARRY POTTER SPEAKS!

I am pleased to inform you all that Tom Marvolo Riddle, perhaps known to you by the name he adopted for himself, Lord Voldemort, has been defeated and banished from existence.

I must thank my bondmate, Severus Snape, for his invaluable assistance and the knowledge and skill I was able to access, which was essential to this outcome.

This was not just a small battle between me and Riddle, however. A large contingent of witches, wizards and other magical beings took to the field outside Hogwarts in his support, and many joined me to oppose them. I acknowledge and thank Mrs. Augusta Longbottom, who served with great distinction as my champion, ably coordinating the many groups who came to Hogwarts to assist me in my task. My allies from the Winter Lands fought with bravery and valor, as did the Black Wyrms, the dragons of the Winter Lands. My fellow classmates, as well as the teachers, staff and house elves at Hogwarts, and our parents and friends, also contributed mightily to this outcome.

We must also recognize the invaluable contributions of the British Ministry of Magic, for its support as we prepared for this battle, for coordinating the many foreign Auror organizations who sent their people to assist, and for the boldness and bravery with which Ministry representatives defended the castle and, when the battle was over, stepped forward to assure that those who supported Riddle were apprehended. I am also indebted to the many witches and wizards from around the world who came to Hogwarts to provide their own unique skills and abilities to us in our time of need, to help us defeat this enemy.

While we celebrate this victory, remember that the defeat of one dark wizard does not mean that evil is gone from our world. We must all be as vigilant as ever, and as committed as ever, to identifying the evil in our midst and doing all that we can to dislodge it before it can grow to the proportions that Riddle's movement did. I call on witches and wizards everywhere to do what must be done to prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again.

Enjoy the celebrations and to the many who contributed to this outcome, bask in your accomplishments, but remember that we all still have work to do.

Harry Potter

X

Even though it was a Saturday morning and many had been too excited to get right to bed on Friday night, the Great Hall was filling with breakfasters soon after daybreak. Some were Ministry workers, getting a quick bite before resuming their work outside, others were castle residents who wanted a bit more time to share the excitement of the battle with the broader community. Too many things were going on and no one wanted to miss a minute.

Severus swept in the back of the Great Hall and took his usual seat at the Head Table, where the Headmaster seemed to be waiting for him, while Harry had to take a longer route, through the tables, passing many of his classmates who still wanted to offer congratulations. When he finally got to the table where Ron and Hermione were making room for him, he was really ready for a cup of tea and some breakfast.

Unfortunately, he immediately saw that Hermione had the Daily Prophet spread before her, and the look on her face told him that she had something to say about what she'd read.

"Honestly, Harry, what possessed you to do this?" was her greeting, as Harry poured himself a tea and selected some toast and marmalade to go with his eggs and bacon.

He looked around, and noticed that Draco, sitting with Charlie across from them, seemed as interested as Hermione in the answer to that question.

"What exactly is 'this', Hermione" he asked, hoping her answer would buy him time to get a bit of his food eaten. He was also looking for a clue: was she angry about what he did, or just expressing genuine surprise?

"Well, you had to know that this statement from you would be the headline. Is this what you wanted to see?" she answered.

Harry quickly swallowed the mouthful he'd taken. "Actually, issuing the statement was the Headmaster's idea. Severus and I wrote it, but he thought I should speak myself on this. Is there a problem with it?"

The looks Draco and Hermione exchanged suggested that this had been the point of discussion, or perhaps active disagreement, before he arrived. Clearly, more information was in order, so he expanded on his statement.

"OK, OK. I'll walk you through how we came up with this. First, I wanted to thank Severus publicly. He wasn't happy, but I insisted. Then was the issue of who got thanked by name. Once we started thinking who had to be thanked, we gave up on that. What if you left someone out? And in what order do we put the names? No way. We agreed that I'd just name Mrs. Longbottom, and then mention the groups. Severus suggested starting with the Winter Lands people. They've been here for so long, and have dedicated themselves so totally to protecting me. Then everyone associated with Hogwarts, of course, and the Ministry came next, and then everyone else who came to help."

Harry clearly thought the logic worked and his explanation of the thought process that led to the order of recognition would resolve the discussion. No such luck.

Draco couldn't contain himself any longer. "Potter, anyone can issue a press release – my parents do it all the time. But when people see you've thanked house elves, and the Wyrms, ahead of the Ministry!"

Harry looked genuinely surprised. "Really? The Wyrms have been around since they helped me get back here after that spell thing from Voldemort, nearly as long as the Winter Lands warriors. They helped whenever anyone attacked the castle, even before Voldemort attacked. They made perfect sense as the second group in this list. Like I said, the Hogwarts group came next, although I suppose an argument could be made that they should be first – this ordering of the groups was a big problem. But when I looked around at what groups within Hogwarts needed to be called out, students, staff, and so on, of course the house elves are in the mix! They were planting bushes in Voldemort's camp, and went out on the battle field bringing messages, for Merlin's sake – how could I not include them? The Ministry needed to be recognized, and they've done lots to help, but to me, they fall either next-to-last or last in the order we thanked everyone. The Ministry was just doing its job, after all."

Hermione seemed pleased with that answer, but Draco just rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

"Politics, Potter! Politics!" was all he said.

Harry shrugged. Politics was not his area of expertise. Never was, never will be.

As everyone finished their breakfasts and began making plans for the rest of the day, Hermione waited until most had gone before she leaned in. "Can I have a quick word, Harry? Before you head off to wherever you need to be today?" she asked very softly.

Harry looked concerned. Whatever it was, it was apparently very confidential.

"Come on, I'll walk you as far as the library," she prodded. "I have some research."

The two friends headed out, Hermione clutching her ever-present book bag. It surprised no one that they headed off in the direction of the library, likely Hermione's destination for the day. As soon as they were out of sight and earshot of everyone near the Great Hall, Hermione pulled Harry into an alcove and cast a privacy ward around them.

"Listen, Harry, I did something yesterday that I need to tell you about. We had several animaguses volunteering to watch developments on the field and report back, and it occurred to me it would be very helpful to get someone to eavesdrop on Voldemort and the leaders of the mob. Rita Skeeter came to mind: she was in the castle and has been using her animagus form for years to snoop around. She wasn't volunteering for anything heroic, of course, so I had to be a bit more persuasive. I told her that the Ministry had agreed that you could hold animagus registration forms for people if you felt it was not safe or appropriate for them to be filed at the Ministry, and that I'd speak to you about agreeing to hold her registration, if she wished to submit it. She acted surprisingly bravely – she stowed away on Voldemort's robes and came back to me as soon as she learned about him planning to get into the castle grounds. It was critical information and contributed to the good outcome, so I really hope you'll agree to do this for her. The way I see it, she can avoid the threat of a term in Azkaban for being an unregistered animagus, but if she ever becomes a problem for us, I still know all about the form her animagus takes. If people in general suddenly find out that she transforms into a beetle, her access to a huge amount of what she reports will evaporate."

Harry was surprised more than anything, both that Rita actually did this, and that Hermione thought to broker this deal to begin with. "That's great, Hermione! I'm glad, surprised but glad, that she actually went through with this. If she approaches me, I'll be sure she understands that accepting her registration does not mean my pledge of confidentiality about her situation. For sure, if I ever see a beetle around me, I'll be looking at it very closely and she better hope it's not her!"

Harry headed off to his office, more by habit than any need to convene a meeting or prepare for a battle. Severus had told him that he expected the Headmaster would have all the foreign newspapers by the time breakfast was over. It would also be interesting to hear the Headmaster's unvarnished take on the day before, now that he'd had some time to think on it.

X

Severus sat at the table in Harry's office, silently wishing he'd thought to stash a headache draught in one of the cabinets, as he'd had nearly as much as he could stand of these Ministry idiots.

Albus had provided a huge stack of newspapers, translation spells affixed where needed, and he and Harry spent an hour reviewing them. Essentially, Harry's statement was the headline in all the papers, and it looked like everything else came directly from the Ministry of Magic or by arrangement with the Daily Prophet. There were some photos of the battles, several with the Black Wyrms, and two of Harry battling Voldemort, one of which captured the odd glow that brought Severus into the scene. Albus' comments at dinner about Merlin's Favor had made all but two or three of the papers, and no one seemed to heading off in wild speculation about what that was or what it meant. Tedious and seemingly meaningless work, and that was when Severus first felt a twinge of a headache coming on.

Unfortunately, if Severus or Harry had believed that the generally straightforward and unremarkable press coverage meant that this event did not require intervention to avert calamity, they failed to appreciate the craziness at the Ministry.

Albus joined them after they'd reviewed the papers to brief them on his visit with the Minister the prior evening, and their mood darkened quickly.

"Really, Headmaster? Howlers? Over a simple report on the battle that I fought?" was Harry's incredulous response. He looked at Severus nervously, worried that they had somehow done something inappropriate, despite the care with which they crafted that message.

Albus shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid so. The Minister herself was quite upset about it, attributing to some of the people held over from the prior administration, people who represent the old way of doing business there. I just had a visit with her this morning, while you boys were reading the papers. She discovered this morning that despite her instructions that this issue was to be dropped, several Ministry workers had actually sought a meeting with a counsellor to the Wizengamot to discuss whether charges of treason ought to be brought. Those workers have been dismissed for their insubordinate conduct, and the counsellor who had informed her of the meeting assured her that he saw no basis on which to proceed in any event."

Albus leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard as he watched the flames in the fireplace.

"It really never occurred to me that we would have to address this so soon, but it appears that I might have been optimistic. I said yesterday that it was time for Harry to step apart from the Ministry at least as it pertains to his kingship, and I still believe that is the right thing to do. We need to state, sooner rather than later, how Harry wants to establish his role as King while presumably maintaining his status as a British subject."

Harry nodded at that, with another nervous look at Severus. He certainly saw himself as British, but it had never occurred to him that there would be any incompatibility in being British and the Wizard King.

"I took the liberty of offering some thoughts to the Minister last night," Albus went on. "She rather liked the turn of phrase, and I do pride myself on that, you know. I suggested that it was Harry who was called to be the Wizard King, not the British Ministry of Magic, nor the British wizarding populace. That might sound a bit sharp, put like that, but I think it offers a solid framework to build a more expansive statement on how Harry intends to act going forward."

Severus nodded this time, to Harry's relief. This was escalating out of control, and he needed help in getting this resolved.

"I see your point, Albus, although I think an awful lot of the rabble ought to hear the sharp answer," Severus replied. "Nevertheless, I suggest that you and I spend some time developing a statement to address this issue, and we can discuss it with Harry later. We might not have to make a statement immediately, but we need to be prepared for whenever the time is right. Harry is, after all, a person of consequence and importance in British society completely aside from his kingship. He's the head of an ancient wizarding family, with a substantial number of votes under his control. As my bondmate, he and I have significant prerogatives and rights that we are not willing to abandon or cede to the Ministry."

Harry looked relieved as the Headmaster nodded in agreement. "Good points, Severus. I suspect that the ones behind all the nonsense are people from old families, anyway, so speaking to their own self-interests might deflect most of this."

While Harry was then free to go join his friends for a few hours, Severus and the Headmaster spent the next several hours discussing how to proceed. Albus sensed the younger man's irritation, and allowed him to give free reign to his most sarcastic observations. While the wording of the statement would have to be edited (rewritten, actually), the concepts were all there, and Severus did appear to be much calmer by the time they headed down for lunch.

X

Albus remained in close contact with the Minister over the next few days, and was pleased that the issue of Harry's statement in particular and situation overall seemed to recede into the background, at least where the Ministry was concerned. The big problem that the Ministry confronted seemed to be that a very significant number of the witches and wizards who had been captured in the aftermath of the battle because they were believed to have sided with Voldemort were either denying that they had fought for him at all, or insisting that their participation on his side was the result of his Imperious Curse, not their own free will. This was a very distressing reprise of the situation that existed when Voldemort disappeared after his first attempt to kill Harry years before, and one the Minister was most anxious to avoid.

It turned out, Albus had a way to help with that.

The idea occurred to him at the leave-taking celebration orchestrated by the house elves for the many protectors leaving the castle over the weekend after the battle. Albus had gone over to the tables occupied by the Winter Lands warriors to express his thanks, just as Alrik Brand was retelling the story of the Vikings' vicious fighting with the "dead ones," the Inferi. That particular fight came to an end very suddenly when the corpses all collapsed in heaps on the battlefield. It made for a dramatic story, of course, but it triggered a thought. When the wizard who cast a spell like the one that animated corpses to be Inferi died, the spell was cancelled. Presumably, Voldemort had created the Inferi, and they reverted to corpses when he died. That same magical science applied to the Imperious curse; when the wizard who was controlling the actions of another through that curse died, the curse broke.

Albus had collected hundreds of memories of the battle, and wondered if those memories might show someone claiming to have been under the Imperious curse fighting on after the Inferi had collapsed.

He shared his thoughts with the Minister. "It will take quite a bit of effort, I realize that, Amelia, but it's worth some effort to see if you can piece this together, isn't it?" She was a bit concerned about the time it would take, but it was a solution. She would have to release a significant majority of her prisoners if she could not find some way to counter their claims of involuntary participation in the battle.

The Ministry Annex was expanded to accommodate a group of workers who were assigned to reconstruct the battle in detail. A pensieve was made available to each of them, and they began the tedious task of reviewing the memories of participants to determine precisely who was fighting where and when, and who continued to fight after the Inferi collapsed. A complete map and timeline of the battle was created, and the identities of those who reported or corroborated the information were connected to it. The work was time-consuming but it eventually enabled the Ministry to discredit all the Imperious defenses when the prosecutions began.

More importantly, at least to some, it established the Headmaster and Hogwarts as Ministry allies, softening some of the distrust that had existed before. And, the Ministry provided Albus with a complete copy of the battle reconstruction, to be added to the Headmaster's archives at Hogwarts.

X

Harry was very pleased how quickly his own life returned to something close to normal.

He was relieved when Severus assured him that it seemed the nonsense at the Ministry to charge him with treason had completely abated. He and Severus actually did have a bit of time to think through how to present his position of his kingship and his status as a British wizard. He was hugely relieved that there would not be a public outcry over allegations of treason.

The leave-takings were comfortable for Harry, too. They were another opportunity for him to thank the people who had come to Hogwarts to be there for him. Unlike his encounter with foreign witches and wizards at the Ministry after he'd been identified as the Wizard King, where everyone was focused on what Harry could do for them, these were heartfelt conversations, and a chance to reinforce relationships that did not have precise values attached to them.

Of course, Rita Skeeter approached him before she left the castle after the battle. He made a point of thanking her for her bravery, and she seemed actually proud to be acknowledged for that.

"And did Miss Granger mention what she and I discussed?" Rita wanted to know.

"Of course she did, and I'm very willing to hold your animagus registration, to thank you for what you did," Harry began very warmly. "But I do want to stress that keeping the form of your animagus confidential is not part of this agreement. You won't be unregistered, so that's a big benefit to you, but I never want to see a beetle loitering around me. And I hope if I need help with a press matter, I can count on you."

Rita's smile faded as soon as Harry stated that his agreement had conditions, although she was immediately processing what all of his conditions meant to her. The smile started to return, as she began to realize that there was still great up-side in this for her. Really, all she had to do was stay away from Potter and his friends at Hogwarts. If the boy needed help with a press matter, well, that could probably be portrayed as an exclusive interview, or a scoop for her. Her smile was back at full wattage by the time she shook his hand and promised to have certain paperwork delivered to him at Hogwarts the next day.

X

The Ministry found itself in a bit of a time crunch in the weeks after the battle. The Minister was personally committed to securing convictions of everyone captured who had fought for Voldemort, and that meant being able to refute every claim that the accused had only been acting under the Imperious curse. And, despite the assistance provided by Albus Dumbledore, that was taking time.

To blunt the agitation from the families of those being held in Ministry custody for trial that nothing was being done, she decided to get public attention focused on those on the other end of the spectrum. She tasked the Ministry department that handled all the work associated with awarding Orders of Merlin to begin the process of identifying those to whom such honor should be awarded, and preparing the documentation required to make it so. A list was begun, and all the necessary interviews of witnesses and other documentation was duly assembled.

The Minister was concerned when she saw the first list. While, of course, Harry Potter and Severus Snape were at the top of the list, many of those whose names followed were not who she would have expected. Members of the Wizangamot who were nowhere near the battle? Scions of old families who she was pretty certain had not set foot in Hogwarts since they graduated, possibly years ago? Ministry workers who she was quite certain were not at the castle at any time before, during or after the battle? And equally surprising were the names not on the list. No member of the Weasley family, despite the fact that Draco Malfoy was on the list? No members of the Hogwarts faculty, including Albus? Virtually no Hogwarts students at all?

This was a disaster in the making.

Given the political implications of striking names from the Honors List, and her desire to get this moving quickly, she felt it most prudent to simply add in names that had been omitted. The list nearly tripled just as she added in those she'd encountered at the castle or about whom she'd heard while there. Those in charge of the list grudgingly began an exhaustive process of vetting the newly-added names, and, to the Minister's frustration, they had the audacity to report to her that they failed to find sufficient evidence to include about half of them. She had to personally document the participation of almost every name she had provided.

There was some final heated discussion over the class of Order to be awarded to each recipient. The Ministry workers offered great resistance to giving those they had not put on the list First Class orders. The Minister herself had to intervene again, deciding that the best approach, given the magnitude of the event being recognized, was to make all of these awards Orders of Merlin First Class. In her mind, it meant that many people would get completely undeserved awards, but at least those who truly contributed to this effort would be recognized appropriately.

As plans were made to present the actual awards, news was leaked to the Daily Prophet, and coverage began to appear in the paper. There was some modest commentary and debate over some of the names that appeared, but the Minister was disappointed that there was no groundswell of opposition to the grasping behavior of the old families.

By the time information about the Orders of Merlin being awarded reached Hogwarts, the real discussion and drama in the selection process was over. At least, that's what the Minister hoped.

As Harry and his friends began reading the press coverage about the awards, however, they immediately saw what was happening. Truthfully, Hermione and Draco saw it immediately, and then explained it to their friends, but no one was particularly happy. Even though those discussing this were among the recipients, they were very upset to see so many recipients who had done absolutely nothing to further the cause. They even suspected a few recipients might have been happier if Voldemort prevailed.

Harry listened with interest to the debates and arguments, and decided to speak to Severus about it.

"This is a horror, Severus!" he began. "I don't know who most of those people are, I don't think we ever saw them here at Hogwarts, and I don't believe they did anything to help us. Why are they getting Orders of Merlin? This really cheapens the awards to the people who actually stepped forward and did something!"

Severus quirked his eyebrows at the emotional outburst. Although, stripping out the emotions, he agreed completely that this was completely wrong.

"I suspect that the Minister found herself boxed in by her staff. That particular staff at the Ministry is mostly drawn from the old families, and I don't think she has added people who might look at things as she does. Based on a few comments that the Headmaster has made, it would seem that she got a list filled with politically-connected awardees, and simply added in the names of others she knew had done something to help us here."

"Well, that doesn't solve anything, does it?" Harry protested. "I don't think it's right to give these awards as recognition for efforts to defeat Voldemort to people who put their lives on the line, and then to people who did nothing at all. It's ridiculous."

"How do you feel yourself, Harry, about getting this honor?" Severus asked. When he'd heard that he and Harry were on the list, he was of two minds about that himself. On the one hand, it was patently appropriate to recognize them, but their task went so far beyond a service to the Ministry, and the narrow swath of the wizarding population that it represented, that the award seemed to minimize what they had done.

"I don't want it," was Harry's quick response. "I was made the King of the Wizarding World, and given Merlin's Favor, so that I could do exactly what I did. What I did was for something so much bigger than the Ministry, or even just the people here in England. It does not feel right to accept recognition from the Ministry. If I do that, will every other country feel that they have to give me their recognition? I don't want that. No way. And I really don't like the fact that they are not recognizing and thanking everyone who helped us, just themselves. It isn't something I want anything to do with."

Nodding, and secretly impressed with the reasoning Harry offered, Severus offered a suggestion. "Might we speak to the Headmaster about this, Harry? I know he's in touch with the Minister on a regular basis, and might have more insight into the situation there behind this."

"Fine. If the Ministry isn't going to do this properly, I'll just thank the people who helped me myself."

X

Albus invited Harry and Severus to join him after dinner a few evenings later to discuss this Order of Merlin situation. He had to think carefully about this from all angles before offering his advice.

He'd had an oblique conversation with the Minister about the award process, and she was very candid about her own reservations about many nominees. She confirmed that she'd determined it was the better political course to add names rather than try to remove them. She was sad, but not surprised, that some of the most deserving nominees saw though what had been done.

He was absolutely sure that his advice to Harry to begin standing apart from the Ministry in certain aspects was right. The simple statement that Harry and Severus issued to the press about the battle had been a start, and they saw the overreaction that got. While he imagined it had happened at some point in the past, Albus himself had never heard of anyone refusing an Order of Merlin, as Severus had told him he and Harry were going to do. Optimally, if someone let it be known they wouldn't accept the award, it would never get to the point where the honor was offered, but in the case of Harry and Severus, there was no way to handle this quietly. If that was what the boys wanted to do, he'd have a conversation with Amelia to be sure she fully understood the thinking and could speak to it herself when asked.

The idea that Harry wanted to start thanking people himself was actually gratifying. In Albus' eyes, it highlighted his humility and graciousness. But of course, it would be misunderstood and upsetting to those at the Ministry who seemed to believe that they alone were the ones who could offer thanks and confer recognition. Harry's refusal to accept the award was likely to get the strongest reaction from the Ministry and, unless it was managed proactively and carefully, it might create problems with the public.

Much to think about.

By the time he actually sat with Harry and Severus, they had done some further thinking themselves. They were both now quite committed to a course of not accepting any honors from any government, whether it be the Order of Merlin from Britain or any other award from another wizarding country.

Harry was actually already planning his own gift of thanks to those who had helped in the battle. He had raised the idea of providing some recognition of his own in thanks to those who came to assist in the battle against Voldemort with his friends over dinner one evening. The response was extremely positive, with all manner of suggestions as to what sort of recognition would be most appropriate. After some discussion, the best idea seemed to be a medal or plaque with an image of Hogwarts. Draco pointed out that the Ministry awards were medals, which quickly resulted in a decision for Harry to present plaques. Luna Lovegood mentioned that she had seen a sketch of the battle made by a second-year Hufflepuff that was very good. Harry liked the idea of an image that was more than just of the castle, so he sought out the young Hufflepuff girl. Her sketch was remarkable – it showed the castle, with Harry, Severus and Riddle in the foreground and the larger battle, including the Black Wyrms, in the distance beyond. Harry asked her to capture the exact moment that Riddle was banished, to remove his image from the picture, and she happily obliged, very flattered that Harry liked her drawing and wanted a copy.

And once the idea of a plaque with the image embossed on it firmed up, Harry knew instantly where he wanted to procure the items. He wanted the plaques made in the Winter Lands, of their finest steel. That would be a great way to highlight the Winter Lands' expanding industry.

Albus understood immediately when Harry and Severus stated firmly that they would be accepting no honors or accolades from Britain or anywhere else for their battle with Voldemort. He'd suspected that would be their decision, and had been thinking about how to get that message out for quite a while. That was obviously a message that had to include the broader discussion of how Harry saw himself functioning as King and as a British wizard.

The idea of gifting those who had helped him with commemorative plaques intrigued him. He appreciated that Harry deliberately chose something that was different from the Ministry's standard presentation of a medal. And Harry was adamant that these would be presented personally, not in any public manner.

"I will double-check our charter, but I believe that as Headmaster, I do have the authority to grant permission to use the image of the castle, particularly since this is not a commercial use. Even if I did have to secure the agreement of the Board of Governors, I cannot imagine a problem."

Severus immediately spoke up. "If there is a fee for the use, I am quite prepared to pay."

Albus waved him off. "Oh, when the Ministry was promoting the try-outs for the All-England Quidditch team a short while ago, they used several images of the castle. One of the governors mentioned demanding that the Ministry pay a fee to do that, and the discussion made it clear that no fee was to be requested in such situations. I just want to be sure I don't need to discuss this with them in advance."

Albus was reasonably confident that, while several of the "old-family" governors were on the list to receive Orders of Merlin, they had not done anything to support Harry in the battle, and were not going to be on his list to receive a plaque from him. He'd prefer not to have to share anything about Harry's plans that would get back to the Ministry before Harry was prepared to deliver his gifts, and he was certain there would be complaints if Harry's plans were widely known.

Harry's progress in deciding on the image was impressive, too. Albus admired the artwork when the parchment was unrolled.

"Very excellent work," he commented. "I'm not sure I can make out the signature down on the bottom."

"Dorothy Ennis, from Hufflepuff," Harry volunteered. "Luna Lovegood mentioned that she'd seen a drawing she did, and I spoke to her about it. I asked Dorothy to make a small edit, and give me a copy. This is just the picture I want – not very personal, not too detailed, but instantly recognizable. I'm hoping I can find someone in the Winter Lands who can emboss it onto steel plates for me."

"And, again, if we need to purchase the art from Miss Ennis, I am quite prepared to do so," Severus added.

Albus nodded. "Professor Sprout once mentioned the artistic skill of her Miss Ennis, and I see that her pride is well-founded. I will speak to Pomona about appropriate arrangements to compensate her pupil for this work, and let you know what we feel needs to be done."

X

Eventually all the details were finalized. Harry had permission to use Miss Ennis' artwork, including its image of Hogwarts. After Severus paid the young woman the fee agreed to by her Head of House for the right to use her art, she happily gifted Harry with a framed copy of the work.

Now it was necessary to arrange for the production of the plaques themselves.

Harry proposed a weekend trip to the Winter Lands, and asked Sirius to set up a meeting for them with representatives from the new foundry business that had been established there.

"Why don't you plan to stay over at the inn here?" Sirius proposed hopefully, when Harry firecalled him to arrange the visit.

To Severus' great pleasure, Harry declined. "Thanks, Sirius, but we have our own place just a bit away, and we'd rather stay there. We'll spend Saturday at the Inn, or at the Foundry, however you set that up."

On the next Saturday, Harry and Severus took a portkey to their compound, along with provisions for a weekend there, and then apparated to the trading compound to check on Sirius' progress in getting that up and running. And he had made progress. Several buildings were being outfitted to house shops and offices, and there were a few public houses and dining facilities being established. The Inn itself was nearly finished, and Harry was relieved (and Severus somewhat surprised) to see that the dormitories had been augmented by a wing containing private rooms and several suites.

Severus was curious, but not willing to express any interest to Sirius, or Merlin forbid, engage the man in conversation. Harry had no such reluctance. "So, Sirius, what sort of businesses are setting up here? There are more storefronts than I'd expected."

"As we got the Inn closer to being finished, the Brands started pushing some of their people to set up a presence here. I think this compound will grow, because right now, we've mostly just got representatives of the mines and the foundry, a few of the larger farms, and that old woman, Tante, who said she'd take a shop to offer some of her potions ingredients. I've had some inquiries from firms in places like Diagon Alley that might want to open satellite offices here, and I heard talk that the Vikings asked the Weasley twins to open a shop here. I'm guessing we'll be open once the spring arrives, and it will start slowly and get bigger fast."

The Foundry manager, Lars, had been working around the mines for all of his adult life and had a bit of experience in the processing of the steel as well as ore extraction. However, the only production ever handled up in the Winter Lands was of weapons and armor, as well as some very utilitarian items, usually for use in the Winter Lands. Harry wanted something that was artistic, and well beyond anything he or the Foundry had ever attempted. He was nervous about the meeting that Sirius proposed.

Lars met with Harry, Severus and Sirius in the future dining room of the Inn, as the Foundry offices were still far from finished. As Harry unrolled the parchment bearing the picture, he explained "Here is the image one of the students at Hogwarts drew of the battle, and I'd like it embossed in relief on plaques about saucer-size, made from Winter Lands steel. I realize you are just getting businesses up and running here, but I thought I'd like to have them produced here as well. Do you think you can help me?"

Well, of course, no Viking was going to say "no" to Harry Potter, but this one was struggling to figure out how to do what was asked. "We have the steel, because we have a foundry that processes ores into steel. We have some production capacity, of course. But we've never undertaken a project of this kind of artistry, . . ." Lars waffled.

Severus looked at Sirius to see if he was going to offer any suggestions, but, as he expected, the dogfather was at a total loss. Silently cursing the fools who thought to place this dunderhead in charge of their marketing efforts, and forcing himself to not roll his eyes in disgust, Severus cleared his throat.

"I think we can secure the services of someone who can use magic to create a mold for you to cast these plaques." The Viking might not know this, but Sirius had to know that the magic to do that did not even require any substantial artistic skill, just a good eye and solid Transfiguration skills. What an idiot. Further in keeping with Harry's intention in consigning this project to the Winter Lands to boost their business, Severus went on.

"Of course, this image and the plaques created are exclusively for the use of Mr. Potter. But perhaps I can secure the services of someone who will be available to you for some extra time, who can create molds for your foundry to produce other products that you might be able to offer in one of the shops here in your compound. I've seen some of the carvings your people have created on doors and barns, and in some of the homes. Given all the interest in the Winter Lands now, I would expect that there is a market for an assortment of house goods bearing those images. If the process in artistic casting, of this plaque or some of the other molds, is more complicated than is common here, I'm sure he will show you how to best cast the molds he creates."

Lars brightened considerably as Severus made his offer, finally understanding why Harry Potter was directing his trade this way, to call attention to the Winter Lands products. The symbols Severus mentioned were mostly ancient runes and symbols of protection, to ward off evil, repel dementors and keep a home safe, and it never would have occurred to Lars that someone in the outside world would be interested in them. He'd have to speak to Lord Brand, but saw great possibilities.

"That would be excellent, Lord Snape!" Lars answered. "We are careful craftsmen, but this sort of thing is a bit beyond what we've ever done. Having someone from your world help us get started on this new path will help us make offerings that will appeal beyond our borders."

Lars did not want to charge Harry anything for the work, especially after Severus had offered to provide what they would need to set up a whole new business venture as part of the commission. That was not acceptable to either Harry or Severus, so prices were discussed and agreement finally reached. Lars agreed that production would begin as soon as Severus could arrange for someone to come and assist them in creating the mold and answer any questions about new processes to produce decorative items. And Harry still had to determine exactly how many of these plaques he needed.

Back at Hogwarts, Hermione had anticipated that need and was already working up a list of names. She quizzed Ron and Draco about who all had joined them casting Patronuses to repel dementors, and spoke to Dobby to get the names of the house elves who had been helping him. She wrote up her own list of names of the people she'd encountered, both in meetings she attended with Harry and others, and when she and Neville stood with Mrs. Longbottom during the battle itself, and asked Neville to write up his own list to crosscheck with hers. She had even sought out the Headmaster for his help in gathering names, from within the Hogwarts community and from the Ministry and beyond. The list was growing.

Before they returned to Hogwarts, though, Harry and Severus enjoyed a full day at their own Winter Lands compound. Their thermal spring was bubbling away despite the cold temperatures, and Severus cast some strong warming charms around the area to allow them to take a brief swim in the pool, as Harry had wanted to do when they first visited.

The experience was everything he had hoped it would be.

X

Severus had several tradesmen in mind as possible consultants to Lars to set up the process to make Harry's plaques, and create some additional molds for other products, people who had been engaged in work on Snape Manor. He was surprised as replies to his owls came back. Not everyone was interested in working in the Winter Lands, but a very competent young man who had just completed his apprenticeship quickly accepted the job, and he was engaged.

The size of Harry's order was enough to get the foundry's new line of business up and running; by the time Harry and Severus were back in Hogwarts, between Hermione's and the Headmaster's efforts, a list of over 500 names was already assembled. After some final review and consultation with records that could be extracted from the wards, the list was nearing 600. The order was finalized, and soon a first strike proof was on its way to Hogwarts for Harry's final approval.

Harry was very pleased with the sample. It captured the details in Miss Ennis' drawing far better than he expected, and the steel had a nice gleam to it. He stuffed it in his book bag and brought it out at lunch that day.

"So, what do you all think?" he asked as he set it down on the table.

Seamus reached for it first. "Oy, Harry, this is heavy!" He turned it over to see if there was information on the back, and finding none, returned it to face up to admire the work. "Very good picture – where did you get it?"

Hermione grabbed the sample next, and studied the artwork. "It is excellent, Harry. Good choice," she offered, as she passed the plaque along to others.

"It's that picture the girl in Hufflepuff drew. Severus and I bought the right to use it from her, and I had it cast in the Winter Lands from their steel. I really like it too."

That was the sentiment around the table. Everyone was very impressed.

"And will there be engraving on the back of it," Seamus wanted to know.

"I suppose there ought to be, yeah," Harry agreed, looking around for suggestions.

Neville started that off. "Well, I think the date of the battle should be there, and Dorothy's name as the artist."

"And a 'thank you' message from you," Hermione added.

Ron looked up from the sample as he was admiring it. "I think there should be something to say where it was made. Don't they usually do that?"

Harry knew he was on the right track as he left lunch that day. He took a break from an assignment for his Transfiguration class to start drafting the message that he wanted to have engraved, and had it ready by the time he returned to his rooms before dinner.

"The Lions are pleased with your offering?" Severus inquired. He had seen Harry sharing the sample at lunch.

"Oh, yeah. Very impressed. And there was a suggestion that we engrave some things on the back, which I think we should do." He offered Severus the bit of parchment on which he'd drafted the sentiment he wanted. "Don't they have a logo or mark or something that shows where it was manufactured?"

Severus looked up from the parchment. "They certainly should have one, but it's just as possible that it never occurred to them before. I'll make sure that's pointed out and added to their products. Can't imagine your dogfather would think of it."

"Oh, and will they be returning this sample to me?" Harry asked. "Dorothy Ennis wasn't part of the battle, so she won't be getting a plaque, but I'd like her to have this."

Severus just nodded, surprised and impressed once again by Harry's kindness.

X

The final months of classes were intense. So much time had been lost to the various goings on at the castle, and no one felt the pressure more than Harry. Fortunately, Hermione was running study sessions as she usually did, but that meant study sessions to review the year's work on top of current work assignments.

Severus' classes had been covered while he had to be elsewhere, so he was in a slightly less hectic place. He did want to see those in their last year at Hogwarts finish what they had to do to graduate, so there was some extra work to prepare them for finals, but he had modest extra demands on his time compared to Harry.

He planned to open Snape Manor once this school year ended, assuming that he and Harry would be spending time there once their respective tenures at Hogwarts had come to an end. The Headmaster had suggested the possibility of them either staying on an extra year, or at least spending some time at Hogwarts over the next year, but he was not sure if that would happen. In any case, he took some time to be sure that the Manor was not just free of curses and repaired and ready for inhabitants, but furnished for the use of those inhabitants.

He apparated to the Manor to tour it one afternoon, to determine what was still required to make the place a home, and was pleased to see that much of the furniture and even some of the curtains were still in place. While his father had been vindictive and nasty, which strongly colored his memories of the house, his mother had been a warm, if misguided, soul. The house was much as he recalled it from happier times, now that he took a closer look. He decided to just replace the furniture and linens in what would be his and Harry's bedroom as well as the silverware and china for the dining room. He and Harry could decide on other changes once they settled in.

Silverware in the old families came from Gringotts' mercantile division, and that was one tradition Severus intended to uphold. He had never cared for the fussy, baroque style his mother had chosen, and was intent on having silver with the monogram that Gringotts had created and engraved on the disc that Harry still wore. He was surprised when the director of Gringotts accompanied the salesman to the appointment.

After the usual exchange of greetings, it wasn't long before he realized why this was not just a sales call.

"The existing family silverware is not in a style I like, and I want to replace it with something more tailored," he began. "I also think Lord Potter and I will need a larger service."

"Of course, Lord Snape," the salesman agreed. He'd brought along some samples of styles to show his customer, and had an image of the monogram that had been commissioned. "I assume we will be replacing your family silver with this, and you will want your and Lord Potter's monogram engraved?"

Severus quickly chose the style of silver he preferred and agreed that the monogram should be engraved. He stopped short of just turning the old silver back to Gringotts to be remade for him. His sister might like the old silver, and he'd be happy to give it to her.

As the order was finalized, the Director, an old but nattily-dressed Goblin named Rankood, leaned in.

"Lord Snape, I was grateful to learn that you can contacted us for your new silverware, and decided to join this call to speak to you. I understand that you and Lord Potter commissioned work from the Winter Lands, and was concerned that you no longer valued our services."

Severus realized that Goblins, with their extreme focus on commerce, would have learned of the order they'd placed with the Winter Lands. He did not expect this level of concern on their parts, though. He bit back a sarcastic reply (never a wise move with a Goblin), and offered his explanation.

"Rankood, allow me to explain. Lord Potter does not want to create an issue with the Ministry of Magic, offering a gift of his own that might be seen to rival or compete with the Orders awarded by the Ministry. He has a special affinity to the Winter Lands, and thought to give their industry a boost by having them create decorative plaques from their steel. No precious metals, as would be the case with an item commissioned from Gringotts, and nothing that might be seen as competition with the medals you are producing for the Ministry. I have always dealt with Gringotts for my personal needs – look at the curse-breaking commission your firm is just completing at Snape Manor, and the medallion you prepared for me to gift to my bondmate."

Rankood nodded as he processed the information. "As we suspected, but we felt we needed to be sure. I trust we can look forward to doing business with you in the future, then."

Severus nodded, and that was that. It did not surprise him to learn a few days later that Gringotts was planning to open a branch in the trading compound up in the Winter Lands.

X

The plaques from the Winter Lands arrived several weeks before the end of the school year. They were in several large crates, which Severus had stored in an empty classroom in the dungeons. Harry looked crestfallen when he realized just how many there were, and how long it would take him to write notes and get them sent off.

"Magic, Mr. Potter," Severus purred, smiling at Harry's distress. "Here, we can charm a pen to replicate a note as you write it out. All the notes will be in your hand, and you can write in the name of the recipient and sign the notes individually. A few hours work, at most. I'm sure your 'friend' Dobby will be pleased to handle the distribution to those within the castle, and the dispatching of owls from the Owlery."

Harry was fine with a generic note to all but perhaps a dozen recipients, so he decided to skive off that evening's review session (it was on Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he was pretty confident about that one) and get this done. Dobby was beside himself with pleasure to receive a plaque from Harry Potter himself and then at the task Harry Potter delegated to him. By the following morning, all the little packages to be delivered within the castle were nestled on the pillows of their sleeping recipients to find when they awoke. Dobby enlisted (or perhaps brow-beat) a squad of elves to sit with the little packages in the Owlery and dispatch them as owls became available. Even the gifts destined for people very far away were delivered with a couple of days.

That left Harry with a small stack of plaques and a problem. He'd gotten his gift and good wishes to all the humans and creatures who'd supported him except for one group. How to deliver these to the Black Wyrms? He wasn't actually even sure that this would be appropriate or appreciated in their world, but there was no way he was omitting them from this gesture of thanks. He projected himself into the ley lines, and was pleased to find a Wyrm standing guard, just as they had promised.

"Excuse me," Harry ventured as the massive creature immediately appeared in front of him. "I have a question and maybe you can help me."

The Wyrm respectfully bowed his head. He wasn't sure what help he could be to Harry Potter, but he'd be honored to bring a question or request back to the elders. "I will try, young King."

"In my nest, when someone does something to help you, it is common to express thanks with a small gift. I have thanked the people who were here to help me by giving them small plaques engraved with an image of the battle. I would like to present the Wyrms who came here and fought on my behalf with those plaques. Is that appropriate in your nest?"

"We certainly did nothing to warrant thanks, young King," the Wrym protested. "You are the one who rid our land of the evil creatures who sucked out our souls. It is we who owe you thanks."

Harry had a nagging suspicion that this "thanking" issue was going to be bigger than he thought, but he persisted. "Your help in the battle was crucial, and enabled us to win the day. I would like to show my appreciation to the Wyrms as I have to all the others who assisted me. If what I am doing would insult you or be regarded negatively, I'll rethink this, but I would really like to have all those who defended my nest return to the castle lawn tomorrow at midday so I can do this. "

"As you wish, young King," the Wyrm replied. "We will be honored."

"And how many Wyrms participated? I'm afraid I don't know your names."

"Wyrms don't have names, they are not necessary in our nest. But there were 18 Wyrms here to assist you in the battle. I will have them here as you request."

"And I remember one of the Wyrms once mentioned that you have Elders. If they would like to come as well, we would be honored by their presence."

The Wyrm nodded his understanding and disappeared.

The next day, a Saturday, was sunny, if still cold, and because there were no classes, almost all of the Hogwarts community stood in front of the castle at noon, when suddenly the land before them was teeming with enormous black creatures. The witches and wizards were all familiar with Black Wyrms now and had been warned about how very big they were when you were standing close, but there were a few squeaks of fright from some younger years. There were 18 gleaming Wyrms in the center of a larger group of Wyrms, which included many whose skins were not as gleaming, mottled with age. Harry assumed there were the Elders.

He cast a Sonorus charm on himself and addressed the Wyrms.

"My friends, Dragons of the Winter Lands, thank you for coming to Hogwarts today, to my nest. I've told my Hogwarts friends what I was going to say to you, so I don't need to translate this for them, but we all wanted to join together to show you our appreciation for your invaluable help in defeating the Dark forces that had attacked us."

Harry began to clap, joined immediately by the others, and the Wyrms received a rousing ovation. They seemed puzzled, so when the clapping died down, he explained. "In our nest, this clapping of hands is a way to show appreciation or pleasure, to recognize a job well done."

Severus stepped up to Harry and put his hand on Harry's arm. "May I say something to them?"

Harry nodded, and noticed Severus wandlessly amplify his own voice.

"As Mr. Potter's bondmate, I wish to recognize you, Dragons, as the very first magical creatures who were aware of Mr. Potter's unique status in the magical world. When you assisted us in driving the Dementors back into the Well of Despair in the Winter Lands, we saw Mr. Potter perform magic that suggested something rare and powerful was afoot, but we did not understand what that might be. It was you who acknowledged Mr. Potter with a bow as you departed, the first salute to the Wizard King. I join my bondmate in thanking you and wish for all here to know the special role you played as he embarked on his path."

Severus words were greeted with much whispering among the students (and a few members of the faculty), while Harry began the task of translating the words into words that conveyed a similar message in Parseltongue. When he concluded translating Severus' words, he went on with his own. "I commissioned small plaques to commemorate the battle that I have given as gifts of thanks to the many who helped me in that battle, and of course, I want to include my Dragon allies."

With that, a very small Wizard King approach each of the 18 huge Black Wyrms, offering up a small package to each, which each gently took in his mouth. When the participants all had their gifts, a Wyrm whose skin was very grey and mottled, who moved more slowly than the others, advanced from its place in the semi-circle surrounding the honorees. From the shuffling and attention it received from the others, Harry assumed this was the eldest Elder, and bowed himself in greeting.

The Elder spoke. "My nest is honored to have met the young King, and by the great service he did us in our homeland. It was a privilege for us to have been able to contribute to your battle. Our Dragon warriors will cherish the gifts presented to them by the King, and they will have a place of honor in our nest."

The Wyrms waited while Harry spoke in English to translate the Elder's words, and then the Wyrms bowed as one to Harry and disappeared from the grounds.

X

The Ministry was scheduling a reception in honor of the recipients of Orders of Merlin just as the weather was warming up. At that point, Harry and Severus could no longer avoid a public statement about their decision to not accept the honors themselves, and beyond that, how Harry saw his role as King in the context of his also being a British wizard. The Headmaster had edited down the document Severus had drafted with him back in the winter to something that was actually printable, and gave it back to Severus to discuss with Harry.

"The Minister spoke to the Headmaster yesterday about the reception planned for next Sunday, so it's time now that we make our position clear," Severus explained to Harry as he prepared to head off to a study session the Tuesday before. "I have the draft that Albus and I prepared, and we can go over it when you get back from whatever study group Miss Granger has organized for his evening."

"Actually, tonight she's leading Ancient Runes, which I didn't take, so I was just going to work on my own in the back. I'll get there late, so can we do this right now?"

Severus cleared space on the table in the kitchen and the two sat down. Harry was pretty pleased with what was there already. He knew he'd never catch any political nuances and appreciated that between Severus and the Headmaster, that angle had probably been addressed. He agreed fully with the sentiments.

After just a few minutes review and the merest of tweaks to the wording, Harry felt that they had their statement. "So, how are we getting this out there?" he asked.

"The Minister suggested an open letter to her, and Albus agrees. She and Albus have discussed this, and he believes that she will support the position you've taken. Keeping her in the loop, as it were, makes her part of the conversation," Severus said with a sigh. He had wanted to go directly to the newspapers as they had before, but that approach was strongly discouraged by the Headmaster. He had reluctantly relented. "If nothing else, it complicates matters for those wanting to attack us for the position we're taking. We'll write it up and sign it. Albus has a meeting at the Ministry in the morning. He'll deliver it to Minister Bones, and once she has it, we can send copies to the papers."

That seemed sensible enough to Harry. He went off to study while Severus used a dictaquill to prepare the letter they would both sign later.

X

THE DAILY PROPHET Wednesday Edition

HARRY POTTER DECLINES ORDER OF MERLIN!

The Daily Prophet has secured a copy of a letter sent to Minister Amelia Bones today in which Harry Potter and his bondmate, Severus Snape, have declined to accept the Orders of Merlin that the Minister had wanted to bestow upon them at Saturday's ceremonies!

The Letter:

Dear Minister Bones

We are both humbled and honored that the Ministry of Magic wishes to honor us with the Order of Merlin, First Class. That recognition is, of course, the most prestigious in Britain. Unfortunately, and after very careful thought, we have decided that we must decline.

Magic itself called Harry Potter to be the Wizard King because the world needed someone to assume that role and fulfill a very specific task. Merlin enabled him to access the magic of Severus Snape, knowing that Harry would need that to succeed. In vanquishing Tom Riddle, we accomplished the task we were directed by Magic to undertake, nothing more, nothing less. We do not feel that it is appropriate to accept accolades for doing just the task we were destined by Magic to perform.

It is gratifying to know that the Wizarding world appreciates what we did. That is recognition enough, from the British Ministry of Magic and any other government or organization in the world.

We are both very proud to be British wizards. Our families are ancient ones, part of the fabric of the British wizarding population for well over a thousand years. As Lord Potter and Lord Snape, we assure you that we intend to remain proud British wizards and continue our full participation in this society.

Magic called Harry Potter to assume an additional role in the broader magical world, and he and his bondmate also proud of that calling. We intend to continue our lives as British wizards, but we will also be participating in the role that Magic decreed specifically for Harry Potter, completely separate and apart from our British birthrights.

Again, thank you for offering this signal honor. While we will not be accepting Orders ourselves, we will be in attendance this Saturday to honor the brave British witches and wizards who stood so valiantly with us in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Severus Snape

And Minister Bones' Reply:

Dear Messrs. Potter and Snape

I regret that you decline to accept Orders of Merlin, First Class, but fully understand your reasoning. While I am personally disappointed that I will not have the official opportunity to extend the formal thanks of the British Ministry of Magic for your truly heroic efforts, I will take advantage of this opportunity in responding to your letter to extend my personal thanks.

British witches and wizards everywhere are inordinately proud that one of our own was called to be the Wizard King, and that you performed the task before you as successfully as you did. We are aware, of course, that it was you who was called to be the King of the Wizarding World, not your Ministry, not the entire population from which you hail. We remain very honored to continue to regard you as an important member of our society, and realize that when circumstances dictate that you speak or act in your capacity as the Wizard King, you speak only for yourself and we have no role in how you fulfill that responsibility.

It will be a pleasure to welcome you to the ceremony on Saturday.

Sincerely,

Amelia Bones

Minister of Magic

X

There was a hastily convened meeting in the Ministry after the Minister released her letter in response to the Potter/Snape letter to review the order in which witches and wizards would be called to the dais to receive their Orders of Merlin, First Class. While not a single one of the underserving recipients sent in their own letters to decline the orders, she was adamant that they would receive theirs only after all the brave British witches and wizards who actually stood so valiantly with Harry and Severus in the Battle of Hogwarts had been fully recognized and honored.

[A/N – Well, I never expected to have such an extended hiatus between the last chapter and this one, and I hope people are still out there who want to continue on. This was harder to write than I expected, and as usual, RL got in the way big time. Thanks to "computer issues" I think I re-typed parts of this half a dozen times, but I finally finished this chapter. There are two more chapters to come. I've got them outlined, and I'll start on them right away. Whatever propelled me to get this one done will hopefully stay around long enough to enable me to get this completely finished.

I'll offer a final comment here on how very sad I was when I heard that Alan Rickman, Severus Snape incarnate, had passed away. He was an awesome actor and time spent watching his performances in any of the many roles he played over his long career is truly time well-spent. Perhaps it was because he played the same role (as he observed, in the same, unchanging costume) over a period of eight movies that his performance as our favorite Potions Master is special. He will be missed.]